Family Resources Kid's Resources
Family Support
The Parlor Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!
Recipes
Tea
Crafts
Garden
Forums
Cool Tea Refreshments
By Brenda Hyde
During the hot steamy days of summer cold iced
tea and other tea coolers are just the thing to
hit the spot, whether you are alone or entertaining
company. These easy recipes will have you sitting
in shade and sipping in no time.
Teatime Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup cold strong Irish Breakfast or other black tea
1 cup frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
1/2 cup apple juice or other 100% juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp. honey
In blender or food processor combine tea, blueberries,
juice, yogurt and honey. Blend on high speed until
smooth. Makes 2 servings.
Mint and Lemon Iced Tea
Ingredients:
3 cups of boiling water
4 black tea bags
2 fresh mint sprigs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cups cold water
Fresh mint and sliced lemon for garnish
Use the boiling water to brew the black tea with
the mint sprigs for 5 minutes. Strain or remove
tea bags and mint. Add sugar and lemon juice,
stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in cold water.
Serve over ice, garnish with fresh sprigs of mint
and a slice of lemon. Makes 8 servings.
Warm Weather Tea Punch
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. fresh mint
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cups strong brewed tea
1 1-liter bottle cold club soda
Flower ice cubes
Place water, sugar and mint in a large pan and
bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and
let steep for 20 minutes. Strain mixture and
place in a large pitcher. Add orange juice, lemon
juice and tea to the mint water. Chill. Just before
serving, add club soda to the tea punch after you
place in the bowl. Serve in punch bowl with
flowered ice cubes-recipe below.
Flowered Ice Cubes:
Filling ice-cube trays half full with water and
place an edible blossom or petal on water in
each cube. Freeze until firm, then fill the tray
with water and freeze again. You can use:
Sweet William-dianthus
Violets, Johnnie Jump-ups or pansies
Scented geraniums blooms
Mint or lemon balm leaves
Borage or angelica blooms
Calendula blooms if they are small enough
Be sure they are pesticide and bug free!
Strawberry Iced Tea
Ingredients:
1 pint fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups boiling water
5 tea bags-green or black tea
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 quart sparkling water, or seltzer
Ice
Clean and trim the strawberries. Place them in a
bowl with the sugar-mix to coat and set aside. Steep
the tea bags with the boiling water for 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags and cool. Stir the cooled tea into
the strawberry mixture. Add the lemonade. Place in
a large pitcher and chill. Before serving stir in the
seltzer and pour over ice cubes in pretty glasses.
Makes 12 servings.
Almond Vanilla Iced Tea
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart of strong tea-any black or green variety
Combine all the ingredients and pour over ice
cubes in tall glasses.
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing