Celebrate Iced Tea Day - Great Recipes and Healthy Too!

Thank Mother Nature for the invention of iced tea.

Before 1904, tea was only served hot. Had it not been for the sweltering heat of the World Fair that year, Richard Blechynden may have never decided to sell his tea over ice instead of hot. It was an immediate sensation.....and the rest is is his-tea-ry !

Tea has always been a staple in my household, going back to my childhood. Tea was cheap, and delicious and could be dressed up in so many ways that we never got tired of it. Just looking at a glass of iced tea brings back fond memories of childhood picnics and parties and just chilling on the patio with my mom and sisters.

It deserves to have it's own day and now it does ! June 10th is National Iced Tea Day !

In addition to being delicious, tea is actually very good for you. We in the West are just now catching on to the fact that tea has many health benefits, a fact that has been known and taken advantage of in the East for thousands of years. Easterners have long thought tea to lead to good heath, knowledge and inner tranquility.

In the West, studies have been conducted showing much of the Eastern beliefs to have basis in fact. They have found that teas may help fight or prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Tea can help with dieting, cholesterol and mental alertness. There are many benefits to drinking tea, iced or hot, as we Westerners have finally come to understand.

I had a great time collecting these recipes from my own experiences and those of my family and friends, it gave me a great excuse to go visiting and to try some new teas. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

~photo courtesy of Flikr.com

~all recipes in this lens are my own, or from my mom, Regena, or my friend Sherry. Please do not copy or use without permission~

1. Tea is full of antioxidants, called flavonoids, which help cells to repair themselves, which slows the aging process. Some studies have found antioxidants help prevent cancer.

2. Drinking black tea reduces the level of a stress hormone called cortisol.

3. If you drink tea with no caffeine, it is just like drinking water and will count towards the 8 glasses a day you are supposed to drink to stay hydrated.

4. Tea helps digestion after eating. Throughout history tea has been used to help tummy aches and cramps.

5. Tea raises immune system activity which helps to keep you healthy and fight off infections.

If you want to give your tea new zip, try flavored ice cubes ! Since most people don't have ice trays any more, you will probably need to go buy a couple. They have many different kinds of trays with all kinds of shapes of cubes. Pick up some fun ones, why not be original?

The easiest flavored ice cubes to make are lemon. Just fill the tray up with lemon juice and freeze. You can make fruit flavored ice cubes with Kool-aid. Simply make it with half the usual water, so it is more concentrated, pour it into the trays and freeze. Be creative!. Orange or cherry tea is delicious, but so is strawberry banana or mango pineapple. Try some combinations of your favorites!

One of my favorite ways to make ice cubes for tea is to used crushed or pureed fruit. If you like pieces of fruit in your drink, then just cut up your fruit really fine and put it in the trays to freeze. If you prefer a smoother drink, then puree the fruit in a blender until smooth and then pour in the trays and freeze. If your fruit is unsweetened, you may want to toss in a bit of sugar or sweetener before freezing. If pureed fruit is still too thick for you, then make your cubes with fruit juice.

Another way you can spice up your ice cubes is to put fresh mint or peppermint leaves into the trays before freezing. Leave the leaves whole, so you don't accidentally eat them.

This was a special treat that my grandmother used to make me as a child when the peaches on her trees became ripe. I preferred ginger ale, but she also sometimes made it with Seven-Up or club soda, whatever she had on hand. It's more than just a glass of iced tea.

This recipe is a family favorite in my house. There is something about the mint that just makes it perfect on a hot summer day. For adults, add a splash of lemon vodka for the perfect compliment.

1. Cinnamon Tea

   Boil 4 cinnamon sicks and 12 oolong tea bags in three cups of water for five minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and cinnamon sticks and pour the tea in a gallon container. Fill the rest of the container with ice cubes and water, and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill. Serve over ice with a cinnamon stick in each glass.

2. Pear-Infused White Tea

   Peel and dice two pears and boil with 12 white tea bags in 3 cups water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and leave the pears. Poor the tea with pear pieces into a gallon jug and fill the rest of with cold water and ice cubes. Refrigerate for two hours and serve iced.

3. Grapefruit-Mate Tea

   Peel a grapefruit and skin the sections. DIce and boil with 12 mate tea bags in 3 cups water for two minutes. Take off stove and let steep for a few minutes. Remove the tea bags and leave the grapefruit. Poor the tea with grapefruit into a gallon jug and fill the rest of with water and ice cubes. Refrigerate for two hours to chill. Serve over ice with a grapefruit slice on the rim of the glass.

1. Soak tea bags in cool water and blot dry. After lying down, place the moist tea bags over your eyes and leave for 15 minutes to reduce puffiness.

2. Press a wet tea bag on a planters wart for about 10 minutes three times a day to help shrink it.

3. Tea helps with sun burns. Rub wet tea bags over the injured skin or toss a few bags into your bath and soak for 10 to 15 minutes.">

4. Warm tea makes an excellent hair conditioner and will make your hair smell delicious.

5. Soak your feet in freshly brewed tea, cooled to room temperature, it will get rid of foot odor by killing the bacteria.

6. Hold a mouthful of herbal peppermint tea to help a toothache. If you have had a tooth pulled, press a moistened tea bad to the hole to help stop the bleeding.

7. Hot tea with honey will help a scratchy throat.

8. Apply wet tea bags to a cold sore and it will heal faster.

Dr. Oz recommends different teas to drink at different times of the day to help manage your appetite. If you want more detailed information on tea and why drinking it is beneficial to you, check out this article 13 Reasons Why Tea Is Good For You.

• Drink Pu-erh tea with breakfast.

• With lunch, drink two cups of White Tea.

• For dinner, one cup of Chickweed Tea.

• To put a stop to night time cravings, have a cup of Bilberry Tea.

So Simple !

We didn't have air conditioning in our house when I was growing up, so my mom used the stove sparingly in the summer. This is why we always made sun tea when it was hot and sunny outside. It is so simple to make, anyone can do it !

Take a gallon clear glass jug with a screw on lid and wash it with soap and very hot water.

Fill to two inches from the top with room temperature water.

Toss in 4 to 6 tea bags. (depending on how strong you like your tea)

Screw on the lid and set in full sun for at least 6 hours. If you like it stronger, leave it in the sun an additional hour.

Take the jug in the house and put in the refrigerator. Chill for one to two hours and serve on ice.

Some Don'ts When Making Sun Tea

If the tea is milky or cloudy, it is bacteria contaminated - throw it away.

Do not put sugar, honey or lemons in the jug before putting it out in the sun.

Do not leave it outside after taking off the lid, keep it refrigerated.

Make sure to thoroughly wash the jug both before and after use to prevent the growth of bacteria.

~photo courtesy of Flickr.com

This is my niece's favorite summer time drink, personally I prefer it hot, but either way you like it, it's delicious ! For adults, a splash of sweet bourbon is the perfect compliment.