Homemade Raspberry Iced Tea

"Iced tea is too pure and natural a creation not to have been invented as soon as tea, ice, and hot weather crossed paths." -John Egerton

Mr. Egerton had it right; no hot, sticky, summer day would be complete without a tall glass of iced tea. Iced tea ranks right up there with lemonade as one of the best thirst-quenching summer drinks. But besides being deliciously satisfying, tea (especially green tea) is very high in antioxidants, which help your cells to regenerate and repair. And since tea is relatively low in caffeine, it won't dehydrate you like sodas, iced coffee, or alcoholic beverages.

The tea recipe that I am going to share with you today is a favorite of ours, and my husband requests it every summer. I prefer to use green tea since it provides more health benefits, but any kind of tea could be substituted.

Raspberry Iced Tea

Ingredients:

4 Quarts water
1 1/2 Cups sugar or 1 Cup honey
12 ounces (3 Cups) raspberries
16 (1.8 g) green tea bags or 2/3 Cup loose leaf green tea
1/4 Cup lemon juice

Combine water and sugar/honey in a large, non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar/honey. Remove pan from heat and add the raspberries, tea, and lemon juice. Stir and cover. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out raspberries and tea. Pour hot tea into a heat-proof container, or allow the tea to cool if using a glass tea jug. Refrigerate. Serve tea with ice cubes and lemon wedges if desired.

If you would prefer to make a smaller batch of this tea, just cut the ingredient amounts in half. For a little something different, you may want to try adding some peppermint sprigs or lemon balm with the green tea.

This is a very tasty and refreshing tea for hot, summer days. Stay cool this summer and get all the benefits of antioxidants by drinking some raspberry iced tea.

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If you love the taste of freshly baked bread, cheese, and eggs, this recipe is for you! It is based on a dish called Khachapuri ( pronunciation here ), which comes from the beautiful country of Georgia, located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Asia. The name Khachapuri translates to "curd bread," owing to the heavenly combination of melted cheeses inside a soft, fluffy bread boat.

Soapmakers: Why You Shouldn't Use Vinegar if You Come into Contact with Lye

It was one of the first things I learned when I began making my own soap; I read it in books and on the internet: "Always keep a jug of vinegar on hand when you are working with lye. Vinegar neutralizes lye." Soapers, have you heard this? Do you practice the habit of keeping vinegar nearby when you make your soaps? So did I, until recently, when I read an interesting post on a soap forum, and then decided to research the claim myself.

Summer Squash and Wild Rice Casserole

Squash season will soon be upon us. Yellow Crookneck Squash The time will come when I will make my daily trek out to the garden and be delighted to see that my first yellow crooknecks and zucchinis are ready for picking...and then there will be more the next day, and the next, and the next. It will eventually get to the point where I have grown weary of eating squash sauteed in butter, I've frozen enough of it to last me the winter, and even dehydrated thin slices of it into chips, and still, it continues to produce, and begs for me to pick it. Which is why I wanted to share this recipe--it was a winner (even my oldest son, who is not much into squash, said that it was good). Summer Squash and Wild Rice Casserole

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