The Last Few True Summer Days and a Few Good Books

Hello Friends, 


I am so glad to be back home, although I wanted to bring the ocean with me. Too bad it doesn't travel well. Anyways I spent my vacation reading great books. When I actually sit down and read I go through books like crazy… in a week by the sea I read  8.5 books. Since I only brought 3 with me we ended up at a great bookstore and also a used bookstore (where I got 4 books and a fabulous cookbook for $11.75! All the money went to the island hospital)
I did start the book, The Help. So far The Help is awesome very easy to get into. It reads so beautifully. I can not put it down…so in my mind is is a guaranteed classic. An amazing book and story. So while I am reading a very southern book, I thought about one of my favorite southern cookbooks, Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader.

If you haven't read Jan Karon you absolutely must. I love her Mitford series and this cookbook is a collection of stories, excerpts and recipes from the Mitford books. This is one of my favorite recipes, Cynthia's Heavenly Ice Tea. It is very tropical and fun and easily could be made into an adults only tea. This ice tea is something I normally make once or twice each summer. It is a very special drink, tropical and light with a great bit of sweetness and zing. It is a very fresh tea perfect for backyard barbecue's and days spent by the pool or ocean. Perfect for the last few days of summer and a great book or two. Cheers!


Tropical Ice Tea
Adapted from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader
3 family sized tea bag
s5 sprigs of fresh mint
1 cup sugar
1 (6 oz) can frozen lemonade- thawed
2 (11 1/2 oz) cans peach nectar
1/2 tea almond extract
hot and cold water
1 orange, juiced
1 orange sliced for garnish
fresh mint sprigs and mint leaves for garnish
ice

Place the tea bags and 3 sprigs of fresh mint into a pottery or glass pitcher and pour in 2 cups cold water. Bring a kettle with 3 cups water to a rolling boil. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and mint, cover the pitcher with a plate and a towel and let the tea steep 15 to 25 minutes. Remove the tea bags, mint and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Stir in the almond extract, lemonade and nectar. Mix well and pour in 3 more cups of cold water. Serve over ice and garnish with a slice of orange and a sprig of mint.  Makes 6 cups.


This tea can be much too sweet so I like to mix it up with a bit of water and  Sprite or 7UP. I also love to stir in a few fresh mint leaves into the cup.