Here’s How To Make Sweetened Iced Tea.

Sweetened Iced Tea (Image © Dexie J Wharton)

INGREDIENTS :
8 cups of water
more water, about 12-15 cups
8 tea bags, take the paper out
1 cup of sugar or sweetener that has no sugar yet tastes like sugar

In a pot, boil 8 cups of water. Once boiled turn it off. Put the 8 tea bags into the boiled water. Let the thread hang outside the pot. Just let the tea bags submerged in water for about 30 minutes or so.

Put sugar in 1-galloon pitcher, pour the boiled tea into the pitcher as well. Make sure to hold onto the tea bags. You don’t want them in the pitcher.

With the same pot and the tea bags, put 6 cups of water into the pot. Squeeze the tea bags gently. Pour that into the pitcher. Add another 6 cups of water, squeeze the tea bags one last time, then add that into the pitcher. Discard the tea bags. Mix everything that’s in the pitcher, store in the fridge and let it cool before having a glass of homemade sweetened iced tea.

This is actually one of the best drinks during the summer but I just realized that Summer or not, we always have this in the fridge. I use sweeteners instead of sugar by the way. Iced Tea is part of our drink options which consists of water, juice for the kids, and the occasional diet sodas. Oh and booze of course.

Enjoy your glass of iced tea, anytime, anywhere.

Post from: Blisstree

How To Make Sweetened Iced Tea

Since most afternoons are still a little on the warm side, even the cooler iced drinks are still a treat, whether it’s an iced coffee or a yummy fruit shake. So for this week’s link round-up, I kept an eye out for all of the above, and found a lot of great, creative drink recipes to try out:

~ Eggnog from Sugar Crafter

~ Pumpkin Protein Shake at Eating Well, Living Thin

~ Autumn Sangria from Tokyo Terrace

~ My Glass Is Greener Juice at Healthy. Happy. Life.

~ Es Cendol from J’s Kitchen

~ Hot Matcha Green Tea Latte at The Sweetest Kitchen

~ The Caledonian from Houseboat Eats

~ Seven Fruit Smoothie with Yogurt at Beachlover Kitchen

~ Anise Herbal Tea from La Fuji Mama

~ Honey Liqueur Recipes at The Pegu Blog

~ Cameron’s Kick Cocktail from Umamimart

~ Matcha Green Tea Latte (2) at Kirbie’s Cravings

~ Rooh Afza from Pham Fatale

~ Vesper Martini at Sippitysup

~ The Spicy Lemon Cocktail from Tokyo Terrace

~ Kahlua Cream Cocktails at Kaiser Penguin

~ Calm Chamomile Banana Smoothie from Healthy. Happy. Life.

~ Vietnamese Iced Coffee at Ravenous Couple

~ Damson & Apple Cordial from Culinary Travels of a Kitchen Goddess

~ Homemade Orange Liqueur at Palachinka

~ Healthy Oatmeal Shake from Gina’s WW Recipes

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Weekend Food Links: Beverages

Image by: Miss Karen

Ingredients:

2 cups freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries

1/2 cup of sugar

3 cups of water

Crushed Ice

Procedure:

Squeeze lemon juice into pitcher. In a blender, place strawberries and 1 cup water. Blend for a few seconds. You may want to sieve the strawberry puree into a bowl, but you can also do without the straining. Stir in the strawberry puree, water into the lemon juice. Add sugar till you reach your desired sweetness. Serve with crushed ice.

This is great on a summer day or when you just need a little more sweetness in that fresh lemonade of yours. Its pink color makes it an attractive drink during parties as well. Add some sliced strawberries into each glass to up the pretty factor.

And if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, why not stir in some vodka or gin into the mix? Let’s toast to that!

Post from: Blisstree

Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Summer Sunset
1 oz. Three-O Pomegranate Vodka
1 oz. Three-O Mango Vodka
½ oz. coconut rum
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. cranberry juice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass
Garnish with a pineapple slice.

September Sunrise
2 oz. 1800 Silver Tequila
4 oz. orange juice
¾ oz. grenadine

Combine tequila and juice into a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into rocks glass with ice.

Pour grenadine into the glass, it will naturally sink to the bottom.

The Working-man’s Margarita
1.5 oz. 1800 Silver Tequila
¼ oz. pear puree
¼ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. triple sec

Combine ingredients and blend with ice, or shake ingredients with ice and serve on the rocks

White After Labor Day
1 oz. Three-O Triple Shot Espresso
1 oz. white chocolate liqueur
1 oz. half and half

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with espresso beans.

They all sound thrist-quenching, no? Beat the remaining hot days of summer with these drinks. Although I have a feeling that once you’ve tried these easy-to-make cocktails you wouldn’t mind if it’s snowing outside on weekends. Why not, right? As long as you’re inside the house, entertaining yourself with someone special or a few friends, then by all means serve the cocktails. I know I would.

(Images/Source : Three-O)

Post from: Blisstree

Goodbye Summer Three-O Cocktails

If your life is always a party or you own a club, pub, tavern, whatever, then this Margaritaville DM-3000 is probably what you need. And pay for coz well, it ain’t cheap.

Look at that bad boy. Whewwww. I suddenly feel thirsty all of a sudden. How about you? Here are the details :

# 700 watts of combined shaving and blending power
# Brushed nickel-plated accents, stainless steel trim and bamboo wood finish
# Extra-large ice reservoir holds enough ice to fill three 24-oz. pitchers
# Ice melt reservoir to prevent slushiness; rotating ice shooter
# Includes three lightweight blending jars
# Six automated settings: Ritas, Daiquiris, Coladas, Mojitos, Slides and Smoothies

When I said this Margaritaville DM-3000 ain’t cheap, I mean it’s like $500. It used to be $599 but it’s now on sale for $499 at Macy’s. Wowzer! Now either you’re running a business to justify buying yourself this or you’re hosting a party every Friday night all the way to Saturday night. Gotta rest on Sunday, right?

(Image : Macy’s)

Post from: Blisstree

Margaritaville DM-300 Tahiti King

Whether you’re in the mood for a drink that’s sweet and tame first thing in the morning or something cool to sip on the patio at sunset, check out the links below:

~ Zen Breeze at Sippity Sup

~ Blueberry Milkshake from Evan’s Kitchen Ramblings

~ Bubble Tea at Whisk: A Food Blog

~ Hemingway Daiquiri from Chez Us

~ Homemade Almond Milk at Guilty Kitchen

~ Salabat Ginger Tea from Burnt Lumpia

~ Algonquin Cocktail at Sloshed!

~ Homemade Limoncello from Tramie’s Kitchen

~ In the Pink Sangria at recessionipes

~ Canteloupe Lassi from Sippity Sup

~ Iced, Spiced Apple Tea at Veggie Belly

~ Summertime Strawberry Daiquiris from Kar in the Kitchen

~ Black Currants and Purple Lemonade at Hungry Cravings

~ Classic Mojito from Umamimart

~ Classic Berry Champagne Granita at Blue Jean Gourmet

~ Victorian House Cocktail from RumDood

~ Lime Gimlet Cocktail at Sippitysup

~ Simply Cinnamon Tea from Sweet Beet and Green Tea

~ Ginger Lime Granita at Hungry Girl

~ Dark Rum Mojito with Basil from Food & Style

~ Simple Iced Coffee at The Minifridge and Microwave

~ Perfect Mint Mojitos from Vintage Victuals

~ Fresh Fruit Batidos at Taste and Tell

~ Carob Tea from Give Recipe

~ Sun Brewed Hibiscus Tisane at Raw Epicurean

~ Homemade Mocha Frappuccino from Easy Recipes for Everyday Cooking

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Weekend Foodie Links

Whether you’re wanting to keep things non-alcoholic or plan to imbibe over the holiday weekend, you can still keep a festive theme going with tons of summery, delicious drinks. (Just remember that anyone drinking the harder stuff should not be the ones setting off the fireworks!)

Firecrackers
from sofakingdrunk.com

1 1/2 oz Tequila
Cracked ice
Tonic water
Lime wedge

Pour tequila over the ice in a highball glass. Fill with tonic. Stir and garnish with lime wedge.

…..

4th of July Holiday Punch non-alcoholic
from garvick.com

6 c Orange juice
20 oz Frozen strawberries in syrup
2 c Cranberry juice cocktail
3 c Ginger ale

Blend together the orange juice, strawberries, and cranberry juice cocktail. Add ginger ale immediately before serving drinks. Makes 18 servings.

…..

July Passion Cocktail Recipe
from drinkswap.com

1 oz Strawberry Liqueur
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Passion-fruit Juice
1 oz Lemonade

Shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass three-quarters filled with broken ice. Add lemonade, garnish with a sugar-dipped strawberry, and serve.

…..

Red, White and Blue Shooter
from hubpages

1/2 oz grenadine
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz blue curaçao

“The layered effect of this shot will only work if the ingredients are poured in the given order: grenadine, vodka then blue curaçao. Use a spoon to deflect the pouring of the liquor because otherwise the force of each pour will inadvertantly mix all three liquors (and colors!) together.”

[image: flickr]

Post from: Blisstree

Drinks for the Fourth of July

Cocktail Drinks : Cherry Bomber

Cherry Bomber

1 ½ oz. Three-O Cherry Vodka
4 oz. Ginger Ale
Splash of grenadine

Mix in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a cherry

Here are the links to the other 4th of July cocktail drinks courtesy of Three-O Vodka :

# Sparkler & Fire Cracker

# Roman Candle

(Image/Source : Three-O)

Post from: Blisstree

4th Of July Drinks : Cherry Bomber

Check out this cocktail drink called Roman Candle from Three-O Vodka.

Cocktail Drink : Roman Candle

INGREDIENTS :
3 oz. Three-O Berry Vodka
½ Oz. Cranberry Juice
Dash of Grenadine
½ oz. Blue Curacao

Shake vodka, cranberry juice and grenadine in a shaker with ice. Strain into martini glass. Pour Blue Curaçao gently down the side of the glass so it comes to settle on the bottom.

It sounds and looks thirst quenching, doesn’t it? YUM! I have 3 other drinks coming up in a few days so keep an eye out on those too.

(Image/Source : Three-O)

Post from: Blisstree

4th Of July Cocktails : Roman Candle

V8 Fusion Drinks

My favorite combo flavors are Peach & Mango, and Pomegranate & Blueberry. Other flavors include Acai Mixed Berry, Orange, and Strawberry & Banana. Not only are V8 Fusion drinks delicious, they’re quite healthy too. Now if only my children would leave “Mommy’s Juice” alone, I wouldn’t have to share it with anyone.

(Image : V8 Juice)

Post from: Blisstree

V8 Fusion Drinks