Flavors of Summer

One of my favorite flavors of summer is sun tea.  My mom used to make sun tea just about every day in the summer.  We had a big, glass jug sitting out on the porch, brewing in the heat.  It has a nicer, fuller flavor than hot brewed tea made into iced tea.  And it's SOOO easy.

Honestly, the hardest part is finding a glass (not plastic) jug.   I like black tea - no particular brand favorite here, usually whatever I can find without tags.  If they have strings and tags (and tiny staples) I worry about that in my tea in the sun..

Put 8-10 tea bags in a glass jug of water.  Cover (use a lid if you can, foil if you don't have a lid) and set it outside.  Sun is optional, mine is usually in the sun a bit of the day, but shady on the porch the rest of the time.   It's the heat, gradual heat that matters. Let it sit outside for 3-5 hours then bring it inside.  Pour over ice, add mint or fruit if desired and enjoy!

I found this jug at World Market on Monday ON SALE!!  It's blue glass, mason jar look-alike and has a metal lid.  The only part I would change is the spout - I wish it were metal, it's plastic that looks like metal.  :)   However, I paid $13.35 for this 2.2 gal jar so I'm not complaining about the plastic spout!  This glass jug is a perfect fit in my fridge, so every couple of days I will brew a new batch and drink fresh sun tea!

Second taste of the summer - fresh berries!   I wanted a grain-free berry shortcake.  One of our favorite restaurants around here has a fresh mixed berry shortcake with ice cream that is my boyfriend's favorite.  However, I can't have the flour and I don't like the sugar and dairy necessarily.  So I tried a new recipe.

Cook, Eat, Paleo has a recipe that I started with.  I made a half batch of the shortcakes.  I attempted to make the cream, but it didn't set up.  I think it's the brand - unfortunately I didn't get the kind I like to work with since I went to a different grocery.

I also made a mix of berries (blueberries, blackberries and strawberries) that I mashed up last night with my pampered chef mix n chop and let them sit overnight in the fridge.  The flavors blended perfectly!

While my cream was more of a liquid than a whipped cream, this was still delicious and tasted perfect!

Plus, the berries look perfectly patriotic with ice cream.... just a great USA treat to have while watching World Cup Soccer!   I think I'm going to keep a container of smooshed berries ready all summer long!