Tasty Tuesday ~ Iced Tea

Thirsty? Of course you are, and making great iced tea is not something everyone knows how to do, so here's my routine ..... I consider this "middle south" iced tea, which means you can't stand a spoon up in it like you can in Georgia, it won't instantly up your pants size like it does in South Carolina, but you don't have to add a handful of blue packets like I do in Northern Virginia. :)

You will need:
a gallon sized Rubbermaid pitcher
6 regular size tea bags (I use Lipton decaf - be careful ... generic can be ok, but some are not)
1 cup of granulated sugar

Fill a tea kettle with water and bring the water to a near boil. You'll hear it steaming, kind of like a radiator that is about to blow ;)

While the water heats, unwrap the tea bags, but don't tear the papers off. They are your "hooks" to hang the bags in the pitcher. Twist the strings together; this helps to make sure you don't lose a bag in the water. (If you are left to "fish around" for tea bags, you are likely to break one and ruin the tea.) Pour the sugar into the bottom of the pitcher. Sweep your kitchen, call a friend, list your blessings, or pet your dog while the water heats.




When the water is whispering to you, pour it into the pitcher and put the lid on. Let it steep for 6-10 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. (See *options)


Squeeze the tea bags over the tea, then dispose of the bags. You do NOT want tea granules in your tea!! Then (this is KEY - don't try to take a shortcut) stir the tea with a long handled spoon for at least one full minute, so the sugar is completely mixed in.

Now fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cold water. Let it cool and then serve over ice, or if you are thirsty NOW, use LOTS of ice and it will just be a little lighter.

*Options: At this point you can add a sprig of washed mint from your garden (or your friend's garden whose mint is out of control) or substitute a Raspberry or Peach tea bag for one of the regular ones. These are great options, and you can garnish with a mint leaf or a couple of raspberries tossed in to float around.

Go sit on the porch, turn on the fan, and reflect on how good the Lord is. :) And if your spirit is thirsty, too, go check out Kathy Howard's post for today on Scripture Dig; she explains in a very understandable way what the "Canon" of scripture is and how the books we know as our Bible came to be collected. Today is Part 1 and tomorrow will be Part 2. Your physical and spiritual thirst will be quenched!

Thanks to Jen and Lisa for hosting Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday today. I'm off to camp for a couple of nights with the kiddos, so when you see my blank blog tomorrow, imagine me sitting streamside with a glass of iced tea. :) Ok, and Thursday too ... See you on Friday!

Much peace,