Food For Thought

As you might remember, I am a bit of a tea drinker.  Until recently, I was still grieving the loss of my dear friend Almond Sunset.  That is until I discovered one last box that had snuck away into the back of the pantry!  Now, of course, I'm in full-blown ration-mode ... savoring each and every little sip.  In light of that, I have been icing up just regular old Lipton tea and sweetening it up a bit as needed for my afternoon refreshment.

Then came the most recent Food Network magazine!  Nestled in the pages of this month's tome of deliciousness was a spread of make-it-yourself flavorful teas.  And through experimenting a bit, I have discovered a new love.  Actually three new loves ... but the first is certainly the best.

Introducing ...

Lavender Tea
(This recipe is tweaked a bit from Food Network Magazine, July/August 2011.)

Ingredients:
3-4 sprigs of fresh lavender
4 tea bags (decaf or regular)
5 cups of simmering water
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

In a kettle, bring 5 cups of water to a simmer.  In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of water to a simmer.  Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.  Add the lavender (still on the stem) to the sugar mixture and let this sit for about 10 minutes.

In a medium sized pitcher, use a clothes pin to clip the tea bags to the side with the bags low enough for them to sit in the water.

Add the kettle of water and let steep for 4-5 minutes.  Add the lavender water by pouring it through a strainer to catch any flowers that might have fallen off.  Remove the tea bags and mix well.

Fill a glass with ice and pour the lavender tea over ice.  Enjoy ... and feel refreshed and relaxed!

I have also tried and enjoyed:

Mint Tea

and

Lemon Zest Tea

The recipes are essentially the same.  Simple replace the lavender with either mint or lemon zest in the sugar water.  A whole new way to enjoy some icy refreshment!

Cheers!

Yes, that's my yellow cup. :)

Lavender Tea