Sweet Tea

I love sweet tea!  From the absolute first time I tasted its sweet, cold, summertime goodness on my tongue, I was in love.  Ever since, it never fails to take me right back down south.  To the heat.  To the humidity.  To the slower pace and the fine art of 'visiting'.  I love the south.  *smile*

My mother in law has a wonderfully funny and very southern friend named Jean.  And, as any self-respecting southern woman would, Jean makes a mean pitcher of sweet tea.

Jean's Southern Sweet Tea
(with my minty-twist)

1 family size tea bag (or 3 regular size)
1 mint herbal tea bag (regular size)
2/3 - 1 cup white sugar (to taste)
8 cups water

Microwave 4 cups water and tea bags (in a glass container) for 5 minutes on high.  Remove tea bags (squeezing them well) and add sugar; stir until dissolved.  Transfer to a serving pitcher and add remaining water.  Chill prior to serving.

While we are speaking of tea, back when my kiddos were preschoolers I attended MOPS at church.  MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers and was a great time to put the kids in a little preschool class while us moms had tea, coffee, pastries and adult conversation.  We usually did a craft of some sort, and listened to a speaker give tips and wisdom on homemaking and child-rearing.  Fun times.

I tell you all that to introduce this recipe I snagged while in MOPS called Russian Tea.  It is served hot and is quite addicting.  It's not the healthiest thing to drink, but it is spicy-wonderful on a cold evening.

MOPS Russian Tea Mix

Mix the following in an airtight container.  Add 3-5 tsp to one cup hot water - enjoy!  This recipe makes about 50 cups.

1 jar Tang drink mix (1lb, 2 oz)
1 cup unsweetened ice tea mix
2 pkgs Kool-Aid lemonade
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg

I also found this recipe for another form of Russian Tea you may find interesting:

Elaine's Holiday Russian Tea

3 lemons
3 oranges
2 tablespoons whole cloves
2 cups white sugar
2 cups pineapple juice
8 cups weakly brewed tea

1. Squeeze juice from the lemons and oranges. Pour some boiling water over the cloves and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Strain the juice and cloves. Add sugar and pineapple juice, and mix well.

3. Add the tea and heat to boiling. Serve hot.

Serves: 18