Monday, August 30, 2021

Cool liquids -


The best iced tea ever!


Jeanne's elixir ~ a wonderful herbal blend of lemon myrtle, 
chamomile, lavender, rose, spearmint and peppermint.
I brewed enough to keep in the refrigerator during this ongoing 
heatwave . . . . . . . . . .
When visiting Jeanne's beautiful farm in New Hampshire
last month, we sipped this same tea in her sun room looking out 
across the stunning landscape toward the mountains . . . . . and she 
kindly gifted me with this jar of the blend to bring home.
You can follow Jeanne here at her fabulous blog ~  COLLAGE OF LIFE.

*********************

Iced tea, the northern name, is usually called sweet tea here in the south
and brewed from black or green tea leaves. A form of tea that is brewed
 cold to begin with, and then mixed with ice, it’s almost always
heavily sweetened, especially if you order it away from home.

Though I've lived in the south over forty years where sweet tea is a
 legendary drink on hot or cold days, I have to admit I am not a lover of it, 
perhaps imbibing only a few times. Iced coffee, yes, yes, yes, love it, 
especially on a hot day like today and all the past days recently when
 temperatures hovering around 100F continue to be the norm.
Hot tea I enjoy anytime, black, green and herbal.


Recently I tried Kombucha for the first time. This brand
is made by a local company
It was quite refreshing but after reading that it may
not be a healthy alternative I doubt I will drink it often.


If tea is not your choice of beverage but you want a refreshing fizzy drink,
I tried this one. Nothing outstanding regarding flavor, very subtle, but
 Pellegrino by name alone makes one feel Italian, and the tall skinny can
 is very attractive if you're a visual person, lol!!!!
Hey friends, these days anything different that might make one
 feel special is good!


Stay cool!


13 comments:

  1. A fact filled post this morning! And a lovely array of photos too! I thought of you yesterday as I pulled our mailbox key out of kitchen drawer .. it (and two additional keys) are attached to the “tea stained’ tags you taught us how to create! Cheers.

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  2. Good morning, Mary,
    I enjoyed your post about cooling drinks. I like iced tea, but I make it the way my mother did by first brewing a pot of hot tea, letting it cool, then refrigerating it. I make it unsweetened and often offer a simple syrup for those who want a bit more sweetness. When it comes to cool drinks, water is my go-to. Mint-flavoured is nice, with fresh mint from the garden.
    Unfortunately we are not in need of many cool drinks around here. Summer is waning quickly and I'm enjoying hot tea. Hopefully, we'll get some more warm weather in September.
    I saw on the news last night that Hurricane Ida's projected track goes a bit north of Raleigh on her way out to sea. I hope you will not be badly affected.
    Stay cool,
    love,
    Lorrie

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  3. I have never tried just Kombucha! I have just heard that its a really healthy thing to drink, or??? Well I prefer Pellegrino, too, a great choice :)
    Have a lovely week...
    Titti

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  4. That blend of tea does sound refreshing. I am not a sweet tea fan either.

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  5. I tried kombucha once and once was enough. ;-)

    I drink a lot of water every day - about 3/4 gal - and a little bit of green tea in the morning. (Can't drink coffee anymore - goes right through me!) When we go out to lunch in the summer, I do enjoy an iced tea (unsweetened) if they have good home brewed tea.

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  6. San Pellegrino is "the" mineral water in Italy, and the one most served here in Germany in Italian restaurants. I didn't know they do other drinks now as well, but I am not surprised :-)
    As for iced tea, my Mum always made big pots of tea and chilled it well in the fridge for us during the summer. She preferred that to the sugary softdrinks from the supermarket; those were not only expensive but also not exactly healthy.

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  7. A rough and ready version of it used to be drunk by farm-workers around here at harvest-time; just a pot of ordinary tea with plenty of sugar added and allowed to cool, taken out in a bottle to the fields or, better still, submerged in a bucket of water to keep it cool. One old timer I knew used to add various hedgerow leaves to the brew for added flavour. It amuses me to think of the advertising and marketing that goes into making it a commercial product these days.

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  8. Dearest Mary,
    Funny but here in the heart of Georgia they always say iced tea and then the waitress asks: sweet or unsweetened.
    You created some great photos and just like you, we never drink iced tea but hot tea daily.
    That seems to be the best for thirst as well!
    No sugar added drinks for me... NEVER.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  9. Hi Mary! :) Alex loves sweet tea, I make that for him often, but I'm a total iced coffee gal!! :)

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  10. Hi Mary, thank you for you lovely comments! I was thrilled to spend time on our porch with you and Bob, sipping tea. I am glad you are enjoying my little herbal concoction. I enjoy GT's Synergy kombucha, the gingerade is my favorite. Stay cool my friend!

    jeanne xx

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  11. I love how you have photographed these, Mary....a true photographer's eye.

    I must admit I'm not a sweet tea gal or an iced coffee gal for that matter. I'm not keen on sugary sweet drinks...not even keen on fizzy drinks, sweet or not. But, like you, I can drink a hot black/green tea or hot black coffee any time, even on our hottest summer days. :)

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  12. A nice cup of hot tea always makes me feel special.
    Not a fan of sweet iced teas. Wondering if I will find unsweetened if I travel to the south.

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