Favorite Recipes
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It recently occurred to me that, as much as I talk about loving me some sweet tea, I’ve never told you how I make mine – and some of my northern and mid-western readers are probably sadly deprived when it comes to sweet tea. So, I thought I’d tell you how to make your own and link you to some of my favorite “real food” recipes.
Sweet tea
3 family-size (or 6 individual size) Luzianne tea bags (Yes, the brand is vitally important. There is no tea like Luzianne tea.)
1 3/4 cups of sugar (more or less to taste…this makes a pretty sweet sweet tea)
water
I make my tea in a coffee maker because I don’t drink coffee and the coffee maker was given to me as a wedding gift. I figured I might as well put it to good use. If you drink coffee, don’t make tea in the coffee maker; it ruins the taste of your tea…and probably doesn’t do much for your coffee either.
If you’re making tea in a coffee maker, just put the bags in the basket, fill the water reservoir and let it run through. If you’re making it on the stove, fill a pan with water, add the tea bags and let come to a rolling boil. In both cases, I usually let it steep for a couple of minutes before continuing.
Add sugar to a gallon jug, pour in the tea and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then, add cold water to make a gallon. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before drinking. Trust me on this. Enjoy!
Now, if you want some real food recipes, here are some of my favorites:
Those are probably the top three favorites around here with the majority of our family (my weird husband doesn’t like the casserole and my weird son doesn’t like the calzones. What can I say?)
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
I am so glad to find another sweet tea addict:) Down here in Texas sweet tea is a staple. Thanks for the great recipe!
So that's what you mean by sweet tea. (We call it iced tea.) I've always thought you meant spiced hot tea!
Wow, that's sweet! And here I am feeling guilty for using a half a cup of sugar. So guilty that my last two gallons were unsweet.
I love Luzianne too – the decaf version.
We took a trip to KY and I was surprised to see that they actually sell sweat tea by the gallon in the grocery store! That was new to me.
Never tried sweet tea, so I should give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Okay, nothing personal, Amida, but I actually said, "Ew, gross!" out loud when I read that. 😉 No disgusting hot tea here. Only good, sweet, cold, iced tea. Mmmmm…
Hi I'm here via the blog hop. Nice to meet you.
I didn't see where you were but obviously, you are from the south if you are giving out a recipe for Sweet Tea! =)
in HIM –
Mindy
Oh yummy. Love me some sweet tea.
That is close to mine but I use Tetley and 8 regular bags or 4 family size and 2 cups of sugar. yep mine is really sweet tea! Good stuff. We moved to Wyoming and could not find sweet tea anywhere we went to eat. I made for the girls I looked after in the group home I worked at and they fell in love!
I will give this a try although I am rotten at making sweet tea. I usually by Milo's at the store. It's an Alabama think but maybe it will spread. If you get a chance to try some Milo's, please do. You shouldn't be disappointed.
Okay, I'm all over that sweet tea recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I admit it, despite growing up in the south, sweet tea makes me gag. I like almost any kind of tea (hot, iced, green, black, oolong) but I can't stand any sweetener in it.
I am the only one in my family that feels that way, and at least I didn't pass it on to my kids.
I totally get you on the sweet tea love! Gotta have it. It's right up there with chocolate. I actually wrote an ode to Sweet Tea on my blog. Come check it out:
https://witandwhimsyblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/sweet-tea-ode.html
Glad to hear we aren't the only ones that make it in the coffee pot. It's safer than the stove with a toddler in the house and no burnt taste if you don't catch it in time. Washing the pot out with a round of vinegar and rinse well before you make the morning coffee after tea.
I’m a sweet tea loving NC girl who was transplanted to the panhandle of TX because of DH work. Not only are there no trees, water, grass or mountains here but sweet tea is scarce as hen’s teeth. I found a couple restaurants that sere decent sweet tea but most people here look at me like I’m crazy when I ask if their tea is sweetened. I’ve learned to keep a gallon in the fridge at all times 🙂
Now, see? I was just telling my husband this weekend that Texas would be a nice place to live, but no sweet tea?? I guess I’d better stay in Georgia. 🙂