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I have very fond memories of our nightly summer ice tea making ritual growing up. My mother or father would set the tea kettle on (it didn't matter how hot it was!) get a large pitcher, drape some tea bags over the side, and add boiling water until the pitcher was half full. We would let it steep for a while and then when it had cooled slightly, we would add ice and fresh mint. I can remember the sound of the ice cubes cracking when they hit the hot water. And when my Dad would yell, "Who wants to get the mint for the tea?" I was out the door picking those fragrant sprigs! We never added sugar because everyone had their individual tastes as far as that was concerned and I have grown to really like tea with very little to none.
I have very fond memories of our nightly summer ice tea making ritual growing up. My mother or father would set the tea kettle on (it didn't matter how hot it was!) get a large pitcher, drape some tea bags over the side, and add boiling water until the pitcher was half full. We would let it steep for a while and then when it had cooled slightly, we would add ice and fresh mint. I can remember the sound of the ice cubes cracking when they hit the hot water. And when my Dad would yell, "Who wants to get the mint for the tea?" I was out the door picking those fragrant sprigs! We never added sugar because everyone had their individual tastes as far as that was concerned and I have grown to really like tea with very little to none.
I guess the point of that story is that there were very few packaged or processed drinks back "in the day' and the ones that were were very expensive, so we used what we had to make what we needed! Today, it is commonplace to stock up on individual drinks.
Now that the kids are home from school, the weather is heating up and everyone is going to be thirsty! It's so easy to just buy lots of those packaged drinks, be it juice boxes, soda, energy drinks, or sports drinks but that can get really expensive and if you look at the ingredients, do you REALLY want your kids drinking them all the time (if at all!)? Every once in a while I get lazy and buy bottled iced green tea. Everyone in my family likes it and green tea is good for you right? Then we looked at the ingredients...of course we all like it! It's loaded with HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!
Now that the kids are home from school, the weather is heating up and everyone is going to be thirsty! It's so easy to just buy lots of those packaged drinks, be it juice boxes, soda, energy drinks, or sports drinks but that can get really expensive and if you look at the ingredients, do you REALLY want your kids drinking them all the time (if at all!)? Every once in a while I get lazy and buy bottled iced green tea. Everyone in my family likes it and green tea is good for you right? Then we looked at the ingredients...of course we all like it! It's loaded with HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!
I agree that there are times when you just have to have something portable, or a LOT of something, but for day to day hydration, we have some suggestions! I took the label on that green tea as a challenge to see if I could make something my family would enjoy as much if not more than storebought green tea and be a LOT healthier and cheaper!
Hopefully along the way you'll make some memories too!
Hopefully along the way you'll make some memories too!
Here is our family's favorite recipe for Iced Green Tea:
* NEVER give honey to a child under one year of age! You can substitute sugar for the honey. Since honey has more calories than sugar and MORE flavor, you will need less honey than sugar.
We like to substitute honey for sugar whenever we can. It is metabolized more slowly than sugar (no sugar spike!) Sugar has ZERO nutritional value while there are many health benefits to honey.
* NEVER give honey to a child under one year of age! You can substitute sugar for the honey. Since honey has more calories than sugar and MORE flavor, you will need less honey than sugar.
We like to substitute honey for sugar whenever we can. It is metabolized more slowly than sugar (no sugar spike!) Sugar has ZERO nutritional value while there are many health benefits to honey.
7 green tea bags
6 sprigs of fresh mint (fantastic if you can pick your own!)
1/4 cup of honey
juice of 1 lemon
8 cups of water
Boil 4 cups of water and pour into a 2 quart pitcher.
Wash mint and break up into the water.
Add honey and stir (it will dissolve better if added water is hot).
Add tea bags.
Steep for 20-30 minutes.
Remove tea bags and strain mixture through a mesh strainer to get the mint pieces out (it won't hurt if you leave them in but they turn black from the heat and aren't very attractive)
Add the remaining 4 cups of cold water.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the cooled tea. (don't add to the hot mixture)
Refrigerate and enjoy!
Cucumber Water (also known as Spa Water)
This is so refreshing on a hot day!
Peel a cucumber or you can leave the skin on if you prefer (but make sure you follow our directions for washing below.)
Slice into 1/4" or less rounds.
Add to a pitcher of cold water.
Let "steep" for 30 minues to infuse the cucumber flavor into the water!
Refrigerate and enjoy!
You can make the spa water with peaches, mangoes, apples, watermelon...any cool fruit!
Several Issues ago we ran an article on "Fruit Water"
I would add that we make it and don't add ANY sugar...the sweeter your fruit is, the less sugar you need. The nice thing is that YOU control it!
I would add that we make it and don't add ANY sugar...the sweeter your fruit is, the less sugar you need. The nice thing is that YOU control it!
We had some wonderful suggestions from reader Kimberly Caballero.
These are too good not to share!
These are too good not to share!
Kimberly said: "You can make chicha morada out of purple corn, and it tastes amazing! Agua de jamica esta rikiiizzziimmaa! It is an excellent kidney flush as well...thats the hibiscus flower. Ever try platano con leche? Thats basically 2 bananas and 2 cups of milk with a little sugar and a splash of vanilla. Blend and its great! You can also make chupetes, which are home made freezepops. Use canned milk and fresh strawberries with some sugar and again, the flavor enhancer, vanilla (splash) blend and put into freeze pop bags ...and freeze. You can use any possible fruit..even make chocolate ones out of cocoa, water and sugar and a little cinnamon and clove...boil, let cool and add milk. Put into bolsas de chupete (freeze pop bags) and freeze! Soo delish! substitute a variey of fruits ...this is nothing new! Lol. here in good old Jtown, we are so accustomed to buying juice that we forget how gooda nd easy things are if we take a little time and prepare them fresh. We just moved back to Jtown from Lima , Peru. ...where simplicity is the norm there!"
Why not make it your norm!
Fruit washing instructions:
I got this tip from a woman who worked in the produce department at Sam's Club. Then it started popping up on Facebook. Great way to REALLY wash your produce, especially for fruits and vegetables where you might eat the skin.
Fill your sink or dishpan with water.
Add one cup vinegar.
Add your produce.
Let soak for 10 minutes.
Rinse.
Drain and dry completely.
You are removing all of the wax and dirt and grime and hopefully some of the pesticides that may be on your food. It DOES prolong the shelf life of things like berries.
Let us know what combinations you come up with!
Add one cup vinegar.
Add your produce.
Let soak for 10 minutes.
Rinse.
Drain and dry completely.
You are removing all of the wax and dirt and grime and hopefully some of the pesticides that may be on your food. It DOES prolong the shelf life of things like berries.
Let us know what combinations you come up with!
