Mom is Just a Nickname

Ok, I know, I changed a ton of things on the site recently. What do you think?

I can’t decide if I like it all or not.

If you’ve stuck around any length of time, you’ll know I’ll get tired of it before too long anyhow. I like to redecorate often.

Ice cream was the first thing that came to my mind for ‘I’. I don’t really make anything with ice cream though. I just avoid buying it whenever possible because I will eat so much of it. My all time favorite ice cream is Breyer’s Natural Vanilla (NOT FRENCH VANILLA!!!)…What’s your favorite?

Italian foods came next to mind, but that’s such a broad topic and I have several Italian dishes I want to talk about later in the alphabet, so I’m going to skip this one too. Italian is one of my all time favorite types of food though. Is it one of yours?

I decided to go with Iced Tea. I’m living in the South now and there’s a huge culture for sweetened iced tea down here. Personally, I think the stuff is nasty. Mind you, I grew up with a Southern mother who drank sweetened iced tea. But she made her tea unsweetened and then used the artificial sweetener in a little pink packets to sweeten it. My sibs and I just drank the unsweet tea as it was! As a result, I have an intolerance for sweet tea.

I also like my tea fairly strong and loaded with ice. It’s not iced tea if it’s warm, barely flavored, lightly brown water! No, my tea should be DARK BROWN and the glass should be filled to the brim with ice Before the tea is poured in. Yes, this means it has to be refilled more often. That’s just the price I pay for having my tea at that perfect state of chilled. No, it doesn’t get watered down from all the ice! I can assure you, I don’t let it sit in the glass long enough for the ice to melt!

I’m not picky about brands for tea bags, so long as it makes a strong, dark brew. Tea bags for hot tea are another thing, though. I am picky about those.

Oh, and don’t give me flavored iced tea, please! Peach, mint, raspberry…none of it! It’s just another way of saying “SWEETENED!” and I don’t want sweetened tea! Blech.

I don’t want instant iced tea, canned iced tea, bottled iced tea or iced tea out of a soda spicket. I want fresh brewed iced tea.

Who knew I could rant about iced tea for so long, eh? I really didn’t realize I had such strong feelings about it! I think it’s gotten worse since I moved South and now have to specify that my tea should be UNsweetened at restaurants…and half the time, they don’t hear the “UN” so I end up with sweet tea and have to send it back. I get the funniest looks when the servers realize I don’t want sweet tea.

I’m not a fan of Sun Tea either. I’d far rather get hot water and brew my tea from that than to set it in the sun to brew. It doesn’t get strong enough there in the sun.

What can you do with tea in a recipe? My mom always poured some iced tea in with her crock-pot roast to tenderize the meat. I’ve tried that, but I think must put too much tea in because I ended up with tea-tasting meat and potatoes. Hers never came out that way. I’m still scratching my head over that.

For all that I love drinking UNsweetened iced tea, it’s rare I make it at home. It’s a treat I save for when I eat out. I guess I’m just too lazy. I like ice water just as well and it’s far less work!