No more Sun Tea for me!

So I was listening to the Pod Cast of the Splendid Table today when I learned a gross, disgusting fact that made me rethink the millions of glasses of Sun Tea I've had over the years. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE Sun Tea. It's just that I learned today that scientists have found that Sun Tea is a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and basically that beautiful container of beautiful liquid is bacteria's petri dish Nirvana.

But I do not have to give up my favorite summer drink! Alas, Bill Waddinton of the Tea Source here in my very own hometown of Saint Paul, MN (www.teasource.com) gave instructions for brewing an even better iced tea! So today for Tipsy Tuesday I am stealing his recipe and sharing it with all of you so that you too can enjoy your 'Summer Tea', sans sun of course. Enjoy!

Cold Brew Iced Tea:

Place 8-10 rounded teaspoons of tea in a gallon jug, either loose or in two #4 T-Sacs. Fill the jug with cold water. Let steep overnight (at least 8 hours). Strain or remove the T-Sac. Serve over ice. This method requires less tea and produces a smooth, light, and refreshing iced tea. When using a Beehouse pitcher, place 4-6 rounded teaspoons of tea in the infuser basket.

Other ice tea recipes from teasouce & splendidtable

UPDATE/REVIEW:

I tried the cold brew method last night and made a peppermint and black tea mix and it's so yummy! It doesn't even need sugar or anything. Definite win win in my book. Make some and enjoy!

Yes, I am a Rhubarb Addict

I love rhubarb and this year I have been blessed to receive lots of rhubarb, both from our veggie CSA and from my neighbor who has 3 plants that all stem from the same plant that is about 80 years old! I am a lucky girl!

So this weekend I processed 39 cups of rhubarb! 33 are stashed in my deep freeze and the other 6 I made into the delicious sauce I have below. It was great on it's own, mixed with yogurt and granola for a parfait and even better on vanilla ice cream. I hope you like it and gobble it up as much as we did. Enjoy!

Balsamic Rhubarb Sauce

6 cups chopped rhubarb

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium low heat until mixture is bubbly and has reduced to a nice saucy consistency. Should take about 20 minutes.

Store in sealed container in fridge for up to a week (if it lasts the long) or can as you would normally can sauce or preserves.

Holy Cow! NSFV (Not Safe For Vegetarians)

For the last year we have been getting the majority of out meat from Braucher's Sunshine Harvest Farm. My family split one of their full Meat CSA shares with my friend and neighbor Kathy and her family. It started as an affordable way for me to introduce local, grass fed meat to my family. But what happened was so much more! Picking up our CSA each month helped us build relationships with all the different vendors at the market. But back to Mike and Colleen. What great vendors to work with! I know I feel much better about the food my family eats knowing that it comes from a farm where the animals are treated with respect and the farmers are genuinely really good people.

A few months ago Kathy and I came up with the idea of buying a whole cow. We figured we could get a few other families to go in on us with it (which we did) and that in the long run it would save us a ton of $$. So this week the cow got delivered and I am so glad we did this! It was a crazy mixed up week here at the Hippy household (my Sous Chef is still pretty sick) but when isn't life crazy around here! LOL

So we now have a freezer stock full of really healthy and very affordable grass fed beef. We will continue to get our monthly CSA option but Mike and Colleen are helping us tailor it so we won't be getting any beef for at least a few months. My freezer shows that we've got that covered!

Here are a few sites that I found with good info on why to use grass fed beef and how to cook it. Turns out I have a lot to learn. Hope this helps some of you out there too. Enjoy!

http://www.eatwild.com/

www.americangrassfedbeef.com

kelly the kitchen kop

Field Trip Friday is Back! This week it's all about Rhubarb :D

I love rhubarb. It's one of those things that I wait all year for and then treasure and savor and try to prolong for as long as possible. I even chop some up and hide it in the freezer for those long winter days when I dream of the sweet tart of rhubarb and the promise of a bright spring.

A few years ago I stumbled upon this rhubarb lovers site and it helped me to appreciate rhubarb even more. It's not just for desserts and the medicinal properties of the plant are rich indeed. I hope you get some insight, ideas and yummy recipes from this site.

Oh..and can I mention that thanks to this site I now realize that the combo of strawberry & rhubarb has nothing, nada, zilch on rhubarb paired with blueberry. Yum. Enjoy!

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/

No Roll Pie Crust

My neighbor and friend gave me this recipe and I was skeptical to say the least. But then I tried it. It was really good! It's easy, flaky and tasty. Who could ask for more. Enjoy!

Red Wine Cranberry Rhubarb Chutney

This has to be one of the best things I've ever tasted. Last summer about this time my friend Mandy brought this to Mom's Night Out and I about died from Culinary Heaven. She played with the basic recipe (which is what I have posted) to add in some extra rhubarb and a little less onion I think. But whatever way you prepare this, if you're a rhubarb lover like I am you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

MSG Free Ranch Dressing Mix

My friend Robin gave this recipe to me. She found it on the blog I've listed below. In the past I always hated Ranch seasoning because I always felt horrible after eating it. Now I can enjoy the ranch love! Warning - this makes a LOT of the dried seasoning mix. You will have enough to share with a friend. Make someone's day and Enjoy!