Black Cherry Iced Tea

I found the most wonderful Asian Food blog called Apetite for China. This recipes comes from Diana Kuan's kitchen. Check out more of her culinary delights at http://appetiteforchina.com/

Black Cherry Iced Tea

2 quarts water
1 pound fresh black cherries, rinsed and pitted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 whole star anise
5 bags black tea, steeped in 2 cups water
Mint sprigs for garnish

Bring water to boil in a medium-sized pot. Add cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and star anise. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cherries are almost falling apart. Turn off heat, mix in black tea, and let stand for 1 hour to cool.

Strain liquid through a fine mesh sieve, mashing the cherries with a wooden spoon to extract more liquid. Discard solids. Transfer liquid to a pitcher and refridgerate until ready to serve.

Strawberry Summer

Grown up BBQ drink with just a hint of a kick.

Strawberry Summer

7 cups water
1 (12 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate
2 cups sugar
2 (10 oz.) bag of frozen strawberries
4 cup sized tea bags
2 cups tequila
1 (2 liter) Sprite

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Pour over the tea bags and allow to steep until the liquid is totally cool. Remove tea bags. Blend lemonade, strawberries and tequila with the tea mixture, cover and chill for 8 hours. Stir in soda before serving.

Calico Tea

Another light social afternoon drink, especially for cool weather or children's tea parties.

Calico Tea

5 cups boiling water
1 family sized tea bag
½ cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pour hot water over the tea bag, cover and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag and stir in remaining ingredients. Strain the mixture before serving. Makes roughly 5 cups.

Afternoon Apple Tea

A very easy and quick church social or afternoon visiting drink. Good for long porch talks and hot days when hot tea or coffee isn't a good idea.

Afternoon Apple Tea

3 cups boiling water
4 cinnamon apple tea bags
1 tablespoon sugar
1 6 oz. frozen apple juice, undiluted
2 cups cool water

Pour boiling water over the tea bags, cover and steep for five minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in the sugar, apple juice and cool water. Stir well until mixed and chill before serving.

Edible Slime

Not only is this a good Halloween treat, it's great for grossing out friends or as stage goo for acting productions.

Edible Slime

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 banana
2 (6.75 oz.) green citrus fruit drink, chilled & divided
6 large ice cubes

Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup citrus drink in small saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Over low heat, stir until gelatin dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place remaining citrus drink and banana in electric blender; process until smooth. With motor running, add gelatin mixture. Add ice cubes; process on high speed until ice melts. Serve (or pour over head) immediately.

Witches Brew

Good for Halloween kiddie parties.

Witches Brew

2 cup sugar
2 (13 oz.) lime koolaide envelopes
2 qt. water
46 oz. pineapple juice, chilled
1 qt. ginger ale, chilled

Mix the sugar, water and koolaide packets together and let completely dissolve and chill. Add the pineapple juice and ginger ale just before serving. Makes 4 qts.

Firewater

This is my absolute favorite drink. It’s good at room temperature or chilled. And definitely makes the most cold or boring SCA events nice and toasty after a mug or two. Making it is kind of like a guessing game.

Firewater

1 gallon of water, minis 2 1/2 cups
2 cups Absolut Kurant Vodka
powdered lemonade mix equal to a little under a gallon worth of flavoring

Cap it and have some fool shake the jug. Make sure that he's sober enough to not squeeze the cap off.

Acapulco Cooler

If you ever go to New Orleans to the Black Angus Steak House and order a Calypso Cooler, this is it. They will tell you it’s non-alcoholic, but don’t believe them. They seem to think that if you drink more, you’ll eat more steak when actually all you do is appreciate the salad more and realize that no, you can’t stand after sucking down the drink because they have no a/c.

Acapulco Cooler

2 cups pineapple juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
4 oz. tequila
2 cups orange juice

Easy Chai Tea

When you have diabetes it's hard to find anything to drink that isn't laden with Splenda or equal. Since I can't use either it's hard to have anything on hand that you don't make yourself. Our systems from blood to bronchial and even digestive all perk up to certain spices, many of which you'll find in chai tea. If you hold out the milk you can store it in your fridge very easily and serve it cold or hot. I like to drink it as a dessert some days or use it as the liquid base for oatmeal.

Easy Chai Tea

2 cups of water
4 black tea bags
2 cups of fat free skim milk (or milk substitute)
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
pinch of black pepper

Heat the water to boiling. Add tea bags, reduce heat to medium. Simmer for two minutes then remove the teabags.

Stir remaining ingredients in and return to high heat for a good boil. Beat with a wire whisk to make the milk foam and serve.

Makes 4 (1 cup) servings.

1 serving = 80 calories, 65mg sodium, 4g protein, 16g carbs, 0mg cholesterol, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, 0g fiber.

Food Exchange = 1/2 fruit; 1/2 skim milk

Hot Vanilla

I'm not a fan of chocolate anything, so here's my take on a very vanilla frothy drink.

Hot Vanilla

4 cups milk
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
ground cinnamon

Heat milk in a saucepan over med ( noboiling). Remove from heat and stir in honey and vanilla. Ladle into mugs. Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir.

Angel's Kiss

This is my kind of martini. I like sweet, sassy and not at all tasting of olives.

Angel's Kiss

Equal parts Frangelico and vodka, shake with ice, strain and served in a martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange. If the drink is too strong add a splash of coke.

Hot Shot

I don't drink very much, but when I do it needs to be interesting. Here's an eye opener.

Hot shot

1 part Frangelico
1 part black coffee
Whipped cream

Layer the shot and toss straight back.

Summertime Watermelon Soda

What's summer without a cooling drink when it's hot outside? This sparkling soda is a kid pleaser. For grownups a jigger of vodka makes it fun, too.

Summertime Watermelon Soda

1 cup sugar
2 cup watermelon, diced & seeded
¼ cup water
1 cup lemon juice
1 qt. carbonated water

Bring sugar and water to a boil. Press watermelon for juice through a fine mesh strainer and discard pulp. Combine sugar syrup, juice and lemon juice; chill. Add carbonated water to mix just before serving.