Chill Out

So if you've ever wondered "just how far south of Sunnybrook are you there, Becky?" I'll tell you I'm roughly 1,100 miles south of Maine (as the crow flies), smack dab in the middle of Tennessee, a beautiful and friendly place to live as long as you can appreciate a bit of heat and humidity. I grew up in West Tennessee (even more humid) in a house with one window a/c unit in the dining room that was only turned on for company. I've made my peace with humidity. 

Now yes, of course, I do use a/c, though I try to avoid it as much as possible because I hate being closed in where I'm insulated and can't even hear the rest of the world. Cool air in summer is a wonderful and amazing thing, but I wonder how much it accounts for kids playing outside less...for all of us being outside less, which means being less connected with the natural world. When I was a kid, it was often cooler outside once you hit the high 90s and I wouldn't be closed up in a muggy house for anything.

Cold-brewed green/mint teas

Whether I'm indoors or out, I like a little caffeine in the afternoons. In the winter, I enjoy coffee or tea, but in the summer I need something cold. I do really like iced coffee, but only really strong, freshly-brewed coffee and that's just too fussy for a quick afternoon beverage. 

Enter the cold-brewed green tea. Cold brewing renders a very smooth, drinkable tea and with no heating necessary, it's perfect for summer. Put tea bags in pitcher. Fill with water. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove tea bags. Enjoy tea. I put five green tea bags and one mint tea bag in this batch and the result is smooth and intensely refreshing. 

Now, being indeed South of Sunnybrook, I have to agree with my friend Julie Ingrum, who knowingly asserts "there is only one way to properly sweeten tea and that is in the brewing process." I agree with her and when I make "Sweet Tea", even in summer I will brew it on the stove, but obviously you can't sweeten cold-brewed tea the same way. Now, I think the cold-brewed green tea is great straight and I drank it that way all last summer. But I'm hooked on something else now.

One day when my 4-year-old wasn't feeling well, we snuggled up on the couch and watched Laura Calder make this lovely citrus simple syrup on television. It's really easy to make and I add a bit to my green tea now. I can also make fresh, homemade lemonade on demand if I have some of this pretty simple syrup in my fridge and who doesn't love that? 

Citrus zest pretties up a sunny lemon simple syrup.

My sister adds thyme to her simple syrup and you can add other herbs (my friend Mary Alice adds mint and more in her delicious natural concoctions). I'm a lover of color myself, and I just really like the lovely bright yellow color this syrup gets from the lemon zest. It makes me happy to see it in my refrigerator. I can add herbage in my glass if I want some.

Try one or both of these this summer and let me know if you love this simple pleasure as much as I do.