Ice Tea 3 Ways

The lightning bugs are blazing, and the humidity is high and there's nothing better then sitting back with an ice cold beverage.  Here are a few ways I like my tea (and it's not sweet).  

First off, I boil a few cups of water and add 6-8 green tea bags to a half gallon jar.  Then I fill it with cold water and remove the bags.  

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I'm an avid gardener and love to use herbs for flavoring.  If you don't have herbs you might find them at a farmers market, or ask a friend with a herb garden.

When my lemon balm gets to big and is about to flower  I cut it all down and rinse it off, then add it to a pot of boiling water and steep it for 3 minutes.  After it cools pour it into ice cube trays and freeze.  I add these to my plain ole tea for a burst of flavor, not to mention the health benefits of lemon balm.  You could also use lemon grass or lemon verbena herbs.

If you have kids you could make a healthy version of lemon aid by adding a *simple syrup to the lemon balm tea.  Then add strawberries and fresh basil for extra sweetness-it's delish!

 In the evenings when I'm ready for a little cocktail, I add a shot of this to a glass of ice tea.  It's got a wonderful apple, cinnamon flavor that's a nice flavoring for my tea (it's a little to sweet for me all by itself) and it comes from a local organic distillery in Three Oaks Michigan.

The house is clean and it's time to kick back with a
summertime drink!

*Simple syrup-boil equal parts water and sugar until it's reduced by half.  You can flavor the syrup with herbs and spices for drinks.