Some of my favorite food in the Summer comes from street festivals. Why go to one restaurant and sit down when you can pick and choose a meal from different carts on a nice Summer day? 

My favorite drink to pick up is a Thai iced tea, which is usually some part tea concentrate, water, ice, and condensed milk. It’s almost always too sweet, but that makes me like it even more. I wish it were as easy to find year round as a Starbucks iced coffee but this homemade version is the next best thing.

If you have the foresight, you can make the tea in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator over night and save yourself some ice. I wouldn’t have minded adding a little sugar to mine, but keeping it less sweet lets the spices and mint flavors come out. Before adding to the drink, try activating the mint by clapping it between your palms.

Tazo Thai Iced Tea

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1 Tazo sweet cinnamon tea bag
• 1 Tazo black tea bag(any variety will do)
• 1 anise clove(plus more for garnish)
• 10oz boiling water
• 3 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups ice cubes
• Fresh mint

Method:

1. In a large mug, combine the teas, anise, and 10 ounces of boiling water.
2. Steep the tea for 5-7 minutes.
3. Put 1 cup of ice into two cups. Pour 5 ounces of tea over each.
4. Add 1/2 cup of ice to each cup after 30 seconds when the ice melted.
5. Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each cup and stir well.
6. Garnish with activated mint and anise clovers.

A new year brings new changes, right? I’m hoping in 2013 to share more drink recipes as I get comfortable trying to make them myself. When it comes to alcohol I’m not a big fan of gluten-free beer, cider, or wine, but I love hard liquor and mixed drinks which are just as fun to drink as they are to make.

One of the first mixed drinks I ordered was a sweet tea vodka lemonade. My roommate being from Texas always orders these and turned me on to them. They get a name for being a Summer drink given the flavors but these are delicious any time of the year.

I like to make the tea in advanced and refrigerate it for a day to get it extra cold. You can buy the lemonade or sweet tea on their own but the drink tastes noticeably fresher when you make it from scratch.

Organic Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Make about 4 cups or 12 servings):

• 4 black tea bags
• 3 1/2 cups water, separated
• 1/2-3/4 cup agave or maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Vodka
• Mint and lemon to garnish

Method:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.
2. Remove the water from the heat and add in the tea bags. Let them steep for about 30 minutes up to an hour.
3. Remove the tea bags and add in 1/2 cup of sweetener and the lemon juice. Stir well.
4. Dilute the tea with 1 1/2 cups cold water. Add extra sweetener to your preferred sweetness.
5. Pour about 1/3 cup sweet tea lemonade over ice. Add an ounce of vodka into each glass and stir well.
6. Garnish with mint or an extra lemon slice before serving if desired.