This post is by my guest blogger and brother, Joseph. Read more about him on the About Me page.
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I remember all the entertaining stories my grandmother used to tell me about her days reviewing food around our city for a local newspaper. I can remember hearing her stories and thinking how fun it would be to wander around, eat food and write about it. Well, there’s only one kind of review that would really excite me: a review of all the best sweet teas around. I have always loved ordering sweet tea in restaurants because I just love the flavor! I dreamed that I would go everywhere from little local shops to big chain restaurants- just so I can fully embrace their sweet tea and write up a review.
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I remember all the entertaining stories my grandmother used to tell me about her days reviewing food around our city for a local newspaper. I can remember hearing her stories and thinking how fun it would be to wander around, eat food and write about it. Well, there’s only one kind of review that would really excite me: a review of all the best sweet teas around. I have always loved ordering sweet tea in restaurants because I just love the flavor! I dreamed that I would go everywhere from little local shops to big chain restaurants- just so I can fully embrace their sweet tea and write up a review.
Within in the past three months, my sister has introduced me to drinking hot tea. I'm not the most opened-minded person, especially when it comes to food and drink. You could call it miraculous that she was able to get me to like tea. I am a big fan of chamomile tea, heavily sweetened with sugar, of course.
One day this past week, I woke up and told my sister that I wanted to make sweet tea with her. As you can see, my plan worked. :) We made a big batch of iced tea and added in some lavender for fun and topped it with lemon slices.
I took out my mason jar and poured some of it in, preparing my taste buds for the journey ahead. As soon as I tasted it, I knew it was homemade and filled with love. I can tell that this tea was truly brewed. At first, I can taste the black tea rather than just the 'sugary' water. By the time I swallow, I can taste this tiny kick of lemon and lavender. It was tangy and sweet but not overkill.
Although I may not have become the renowned iced tea reviewer that I had once dreamed of being (but who knows- I'm still young), I am super pleased to get the chance to review my own sweet tea recipe. I can only hope that you love this sweet tea recipe as much as I do. Thanks a bunch!
Joseph's Lavender Sweet Tea
(makes 3 glasses-full)
Ingredients:
Directions:
(makes 3 glasses-full)
Ingredients:
- 3 bags of Earl Grey tea
- 4 cups of water
- scant 1 teaspoon of culinary lavender
- 1/2 cup of cane sugar
Directions:
- In a large pot, bring the water to a slight boil. Add in the lavender and the tea bags and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- While the tea steeps, prepare a pitcher by pouring in the sugar. Then cover the top of the pitcher with a strainer.
- After the tea has steeped to your liking, pour it through the strainer and into the body of the pitcher. Stir in the sugar well.
- Cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Then store it (covered, if possible) in the refrigerator. Enjoy with lemon slices and sunshine!
