I need a drink!

(Well, hello there! Long time no blog. I'll be back soon to talk about my plans for this spring and onward...)

So! After several weeks of rain, rain, more rain and a few puddles in our basement (ugh), the sun finally showed up to dry things out and warm us up! Today was beautiful, and at first opportunity I herded the boys outside so that the fresh spring air could work its magic on them and guarantee a good night's sleep. Chasing them around outside made this mama thirsty! And that means it's time for iced tea.

I love iced tea, but until last summer I didn't really know how to make it properly. I know, I know- how hard can it be, right? I don't even like anything fancy- just straight up tea, please, nothing herbal or fruity or super-sugary. I'd order it at a restaurant, unsweetened, then add just a hint of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Ah...instant refreshment. When I tried making it at home, though, it was either too weak or too bitter and no amount of tinkering could make it drinkable.

After poking around on the web a bit, I combined tips gleaned from a few different sites and came up with this method for making my tea. It has just a touch of sweetness and is fairly strong without being bitter- perfect for pouring over ice. I made a pitcher of iced tea every few days all summer long. And today, I pulled out the pitcher for the first time this year. Ah...

Easy Iced Tea, my way

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Place 4 Lipton tea bags in the water and allow to brew for 30 minutes. Discard the tea bags and pour the tea into a 2-quart pitcher. Top off with water to the 2-quart line. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over ice, with lemon wedges if desired.