It%u2019s hot out and we are thirsty. Water is good, water is great, but sometimes a little somethin%u2019 somethin%u2019 is called for, for you know, being that we need to deal with it being so freaking hot out. and sticky and gross. (BLAH. This past week we have had some temperatures it had make me crankers.)
Anyway, what is more refreshing then cucumber? Not much. And so we blend up cucumber, add some mint and lime juice and stick it into a glass with ice and bubbles. What can be more refreshing then that? Plus look at how pretty it is. Bright ass green. A true summertime drink.
To the Spritzer!
The stuff. A thin skinned cucumber, a lime, a spring of mint, club soda, and if you want, a little simple syrup.
Chunk up the cucumber and into the blender it goes with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves.
Grab a couple glasses, add in some ice, and fill each glass half way with the cucumber juice. (mix in liquid sweetener in now if you want it.)
Top off with club soda, a mint leaf and a few slices of cucumber and you are golden cool and fancy free.
Stay cool%u2026..as a cucumber.. HAHA!
Makes 2 or 3 drinks
1 cucumber (thin skinned and 6-8 inches long)
a lime
a few mint leaves
club soda or plain seltzer
1-2 teaspoons liquid sweetener (optional)
Take cucumber and place into blender along with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Grab a couple glass, fill each with ice, then fill each glasses half way with cucumber mixture. Add in any liquid sweetener if using and stir. (I recommend trying without sweetness, that is that way I like it, and then add sweetener if you need it.) Top glasses off with club soda. Garnish with sliced cucumber, lime wedges, and or mint leaves if you want.
Drink away.
I am a mint lover, even when it grows at%u00a0such a ferocious%u00a0speed that it%u00a0threatens the lives of all the plants near it. That just means that I have to be vilagent%u00a0and harvest and use as much as I can.
This drink is a fantastic way to use up some of that mint. I have been making and drinking fresh, hot,%u00a0mint tea almost ever night for the past few weeks, but this weekend was way to freaking hot to be doing hot%u00a0tea. So using my little noggin, I figured I should just%u00a0chill%u00a0it and added some lime because mint and lime are oh so nice together.%u00a0%u00a0Now my favorite, and one of the most refreshing%u00a0drinks after a long hot day.
%u00a0And limes just happen to be on sale this week%u2026.%u00a0
The stuff. A few stems%u00a0of fresh mint, a couple juicy limes, and%u00a0water. And if you want, a little sweetener of your choice. (I used a tiny bit of honey..not shown)%u00a0
Start by placing %u00a0the mint, leaves and stem, into a big pot.%u00a0Take a wooden spoon and gently muddle the mint. Add in the water, making sure that all the mint is fully sumerged (stuff it down in the pot)
Now place pot on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
After steeping %u00a0for a few, pout tea into a big jug, straining out the mint leaves. Add any sweetener that you might like (just a little.. you can always add more later if you need it)%u00a0and%u00a0stick into%u00a0fridge to cool, or just leave it on the counter if your want.
While you are waiting for the tea to cool, you might as well juice the limes (cause we need the lime juice)%u00a0
After the tea%u00a0%u00a0is cool, add in the juice of the limes and mix/shake/stir around.
And thats it..%u00a0
Serve in a cup with a few chunks of ice and a mint leaf garnish (not necessary but nice)
A nice tall glass of%u00a0cold yumminess%u2026 Keeps one from melting completely in this crazy hot weather and keeps mint from killing everything around it.
Stay cool!
-C
4 full stems%u00a0of fresh mint
6 cups water
2-3 limes (I used 2 1/2 which was almost a full cup of juice)
sweetener to taste (a tablespoon of honey is nice)
Place mint, stems and all,%u00a0into a large pot%u00a0large pot. With a wooden spoon or sme type of blunt object, lightly muddle the plant. Pour water over mint and place pot on the stove. Bring water to a boil, then remove and let cool for a few minutes. Pour%u00a0the%u00a0mint tea%u00a0into a big jar, straining out the mint leaves..(A half gallon ball jar works perfectly) If using a sweetener, add it to the tea while it is still warm.( little goes a long way%u2026 you can alway add a little more later!) Place mint tea into the fridge to cool. When the tea is cool, juice you limes and dump%u00a0the juice into the tea and mix or shake.
It is now done and ready to serve. Pour over ice (thats in%u00a0a cup)%u00a0and serve with a fresh mint leaf (if your fancy)
My flowers are coming up, I have packed away my winter jacket, and I haven’t worn anything but sandals for the past week. Plus yesterday I made the first batch of sun tea and saw my first hot air balloon of the season (which lead to a heated discussion with the mister about how hot air balloons take flight. We were both kinda right, but me more than him)So yeah, %u00a0it’s for real%u2026 Winter is gone and spring has sprung, or more like spring sprung then bounced cause now it’s basically summer weather. Not complaining, but I hope we get a least a few more weeks of pleasant, not hot and humid weather.%u00a0
Anyway. Sun tea, one of my favorite summer time drinks. Made by infusing regular old teas with water by using the almighty power of sun.
Why do we want to make iced tea this way instead of just using boiling water? Well you can still do that, but sun tea makes a more mellow, lovely, and I find, more sweeter tea. It brings out more complex flavors that you don’t get with the boiling water method. %u00a0And it’s nice to know that it took zero effort on my part to make the drink (not that boiling water takes that much effort, but still)
It can be made with any variety %u00a0of teas, infused with other fresh herbs, dried spices, or even chunks of fruit. You can also make the teas and add flavors after the infusing is over. Have fun and play with flavor combos.
A few of my%u00a0favorite sun tea%u00a0combinations
Any mellow black tea like orange pekoe or english breakfast with a few springs of mint
Chamomile and mint%u00a0
Green with a fruity tea, like blueberry or pomegranate
Lemon Zinger with a few springs of Rosemary
These are just a few of the endless possible flavors. And you don’t have to get fancy with it either, you can totally use plain old lipton tea bags (I still do that too)
Now harness the sunshine and feel awesome and fancy by making some tea!
Woo Hoo Wednesday!
-C
SUN TEA
%u00a0What you’ll need
Tea- Either bags or loose leaf
Water- Preferably Filtered
A glass jar with a lid
Sunshine
I %u00a0use a ratio of 1 tea bag or 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea per 2 cups of water. And I usually make my teas in half gallon ball jars so I use 4-5 teabags or tablespoons of tea. (makes just enough tea for 4-6 tall glasses, depending on you glass size) %u00a0If it’s a mint tea, I usually use a little less because I find that mint teas can become to strong and bitter so I %u00a0use 3 teas bags or tablespoons of loose.
Directions
Place tea loose or bags into jar. Fill with water, leaving about an inch for tea expansion, place lid on tight, and stick in the sun for anywhere between 3-5 hours %u00a0(depending on how strong you like your tea). When tea is infused to your liking, remove teabags or strain the loose tea and stick into the fridge to chill. Serve as is %u00a0in a drinking vessel with a few ice cubes and add sweetener if that’s what you do.
Drink within a day or two, then rinse jar and make a new batch!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
October 15, 2019 by maximios • Blog
It%u2019s hot out and we are thirsty. Water is good, water is great, but sometimes a little somethin%u2019 somethin%u2019 is called for, for you know, being that we need to deal with it being so freaking hot out. and sticky and gross. (BLAH. This past week we have had some temperatures it had make me crankers.)
Anyway, what is more refreshing then cucumber? Not much. And so we blend up cucumber, add some mint and lime juice and stick it into a glass with ice and bubbles. What can be more refreshing then that? Plus look at how pretty it is. Bright ass green. A true summertime drink.
To the Spritzer!
The stuff. A thin skinned cucumber, a lime, a spring of mint, club soda, and if you want, a little simple syrup.
Chunk up the cucumber and into the blender it goes with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves.
Grab a couple glasses, add in some ice, and fill each glass half way with the cucumber juice. (mix in liquid sweetener in now if you want it.)
Top off with club soda, a mint leaf and a few slices of cucumber and you are golden cool and fancy free.
Stay cool%u2026..as a cucumber.. HAHA!
Makes 2 or 3 drinks
1 cucumber (thin skinned and 6-8 inches long)
a lime
a few mint leaves
club soda or plain seltzer
1-2 teaspoons liquid sweetener (optional)
Take cucumber and place into blender along with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Grab a couple glass, fill each with ice, then fill each glasses half way with cucumber mixture. Add in any liquid sweetener if using and stir. (I recommend trying without sweetness, that is that way I like it, and then add sweetener if you need it.) Top glasses off with club soda. Garnish with sliced cucumber, lime wedges, and or mint leaves if you want.
Drink away.
I am a mint lover, even when it grows at%u00a0such a ferocious%u00a0speed that it%u00a0threatens the lives of all the plants near it. That just means that I have to be vilagent%u00a0and harvest and use as much as I can.
This drink is a fantastic way to use up some of that mint. I have been making and drinking fresh, hot,%u00a0mint tea almost ever night for the past few weeks, but this weekend was way to freaking hot to be doing hot%u00a0tea. So using my little noggin, I figured I should just%u00a0chill%u00a0it and added some lime because mint and lime are oh so nice together.%u00a0%u00a0Now my favorite, and one of the most refreshing%u00a0drinks after a long hot day.
%u00a0And limes just happen to be on sale this week%u2026.%u00a0
The stuff. A few stems%u00a0of fresh mint, a couple juicy limes, and%u00a0water. And if you want, a little sweetener of your choice. (I used a tiny bit of honey..not shown)%u00a0
Start by placing %u00a0the mint, leaves and stem, into a big pot.%u00a0Take a wooden spoon and gently muddle the mint. Add in the water, making sure that all the mint is fully sumerged (stuff it down in the pot)
Now place pot on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
After steeping %u00a0for a few, pout tea into a big jug, straining out the mint leaves. Add any sweetener that you might like (just a little.. you can always add more later if you need it)%u00a0and%u00a0stick into%u00a0fridge to cool, or just leave it on the counter if your want.
While you are waiting for the tea to cool, you might as well juice the limes (cause we need the lime juice)%u00a0
After the tea%u00a0%u00a0is cool, add in the juice of the limes and mix/shake/stir around.
And thats it..%u00a0
Serve in a cup with a few chunks of ice and a mint leaf garnish (not necessary but nice)
A nice tall glass of%u00a0cold yumminess%u2026 Keeps one from melting completely in this crazy hot weather and keeps mint from killing everything around it.
Stay cool!
-C
Place mint, stems and all,%u00a0into a large pot%u00a0large pot. With a wooden spoon or sme type of blunt object, lightly muddle the plant. Pour water over mint and place pot on the stove. Bring water to a boil, then remove and let cool for a few minutes. Pour%u00a0the%u00a0mint tea%u00a0into a big jar, straining out the mint leaves..(A half gallon ball jar works perfectly) If using a sweetener, add it to the tea while it is still warm.( little goes a long way%u2026 you can alway add a little more later!) Place mint tea into the fridge to cool. When the tea is cool, juice you limes and dump%u00a0the juice into the tea and mix or shake.
It is now done and ready to serve. Pour over ice (thats in%u00a0a cup)%u00a0and serve with a fresh mint leaf (if your fancy)
My flowers are coming up, I have packed away my winter jacket, and I haven’t worn anything but sandals for the past week. Plus yesterday I made the first batch of sun tea and saw my first hot air balloon of the season (which lead to a heated discussion with the mister about how hot air balloons take flight. We were both kinda right, but me more than him)So yeah, %u00a0it’s for real%u2026 Winter is gone and spring has sprung, or more like spring sprung then bounced cause now it’s basically summer weather. Not complaining, but I hope we get a least a few more weeks of pleasant, not hot and humid weather.%u00a0
Anyway. Sun tea, one of my favorite summer time drinks. Made by infusing regular old teas with water by using the almighty power of sun.
Why do we want to make iced tea this way instead of just using boiling water? Well you can still do that, but sun tea makes a more mellow, lovely, and I find, more sweeter tea. It brings out more complex flavors that you don’t get with the boiling water method. %u00a0And it’s nice to know that it took zero effort on my part to make the drink (not that boiling water takes that much effort, but still)
It can be made with any variety %u00a0of teas, infused with other fresh herbs, dried spices, or even chunks of fruit. You can also make the teas and add flavors after the infusing is over. Have fun and play with flavor combos.
A few of my%u00a0favorite sun tea%u00a0combinations
These are just a few of the endless possible flavors. And you don’t have to get fancy with it either, you can totally use plain old lipton tea bags (I still do that too)
Now harness the sunshine and feel awesome and fancy by making some tea!
Woo Hoo Wednesday!
-C
SUN TEA
%u00a0What you’ll need
I %u00a0use a ratio of 1 tea bag or 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea per 2 cups of water. And I usually make my teas in half gallon ball jars so I use 4-5 teabags or tablespoons of tea. (makes just enough tea for 4-6 tall glasses, depending on you glass size) %u00a0If it’s a mint tea, I usually use a little less because I find that mint teas can become to strong and bitter so I %u00a0use 3 teas bags or tablespoons of loose.
Directions
Place tea loose or bags into jar. Fill with water, leaving about an inch for tea expansion, place lid on tight, and stick in the sun for anywhere between 3-5 hours %u00a0(depending on how strong you like your tea). When tea is infused to your liking, remove teabags or strain the loose tea and stick into the fridge to chill. Serve as is %u00a0in a drinking vessel with a few ice cubes and add sweetener if that’s what you do.
Drink within a day or two, then rinse jar and make a new batch!