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Health & Fitness

Teasing Summertime Refreshment

Enjoy refreshing flavor and some health benefits with our free recipe for sun tea!

 

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Tea for two and two for tea makes for a nice soft shoe. Two types of tea make for a nice way to enjoy a refreshing beverage in early summer’s National Iced Tea Month in June.

 

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When you order iced tea below the Mason Dixon line you will receive sweetened tea. The sweetness is implied. That is Dixie’s version of iced tea. Those above the line and in the Western part of the U.S. must ask for sweeteners in their iced tea if they want it. Otherwise the order will arrive straight up.

 

No matter how you take your iced tea, the drink is believed to have some health benefits. It is credited with helping to reduce the risks of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Results of a British study even infer that it may help to calm stress.

 

Here Comes the Sun  

 

Research has also shown that the longer tea is steeped, the more health-inducing antioxidants the liquid will absorb. Which brings us back to summer and a popular seasonal tea-brewing method. Sun tea may be one of the healthiest types of the beverage because it steeps in sunlight over many hours.

 

Want to give it a try? It’s easy to make. Just follow the directions below.

 

Sun Tea

 

Ingredients

 

·      16 Tea Bags

·      1 gallon Water

 

Procedure

 

·      Pour water into a 1-gallon clear glass jar.

·      Add Tea Bags and cover tightly.

·      Be sure to let the strings hang outside the jar for easy removal.

·      Set the jar in a sunny place such as a patio or countertop in direct sunlight.

·      Let the tea steep in the sunlight for 5 hours.

·      Remove the tea bags and set aside.

·      Pour finished tea over ice and serve straight up or sweetened.

·      Garnish with a slice of citrus fruit or a mint sprig.

 

Let the sun tea refresh you, and when you finish, nourish your plants with the used tea bags.

 

Find more great free recipes, cooking tips, and food info from Colleen here.

 

Photo Courtesy of bulldogza / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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