Hong Kong Style Milk Tea

Hong Kong Style Milk Tea

1 tea "bag" Lipton's Black Pearl tea
6-oz boiling water
2 tsp sweetened condensed milk

Place the tea "bag" in a mug and pour in the boiling water.  Let steep at least 4 minutes or until the tea is a dark color.  Remove the tea bag and stir in the sweetened condensed milk.

I thought this was OK, but it's not something to rave about.  On the other hand, I'm more of a coffee-drinking kind of girl, so maybe that's why I wasn't terribly impressed?

Recipe found on Pinterest.

Honeycrisp Apple Sangria

Honeycrisp Apple Sangria

• 3 cinnamon sticks (plus more for garnish)
• 2 honeycrisp apples, chopped
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine (I suggest a light-bodied Spanish variety)
• 1 and 3/4 cups apple cider*
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup orange juice (or juice from 2 medium oranges)
• juice from 1 lemon
• club soda, to taste

Place the cinnamon sticks, apples, and orange slices in a large pitcher. Add wine, apple cider, brandy, orange juice, and lemon juice. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for 6 - 24 hours. Taste; if you'd like it to be sweeter, add 1-2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, honey, or agave.

If you'd like a cinnamon-sugar rim (highly recommended), simply moisten the rim of your glasses with water, turn the glass upside down and dip it into a mix of cinnamon and sugar. Pour in the sangria with fruit* and add a splash of club soda (this unsweetened fizz is wonderful with the sangria!). Garnish with a cinnamon stick, if desired.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for Thanksgiving Day.  It's really good!!!  I used Fuji Apples and an Italian Red Wine and Calvados instead of plain old brandy and I think I'll be making this Sangria again and again! Oh, and since I definitely have a sweet tooth, I used a splash of Sprite instead of club soda.  Yumm-oh!

Sweet Iced Black Tea with Cream

Sweet Iced Black Tea with Cream

4 cups boiling water

8 tsp loose English Breakfast tea (or 8 tea bags)

1/2 cup sugar

Crushed ice, for serving

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pour water over tea and steep for 5-7 minutes.  Strain.  Bring tea and sugar to a boil in a saucepan.  Let cool.  To serve, pour 1/2 cup tea over crushed ice in 8 glasses and then top each with 1 Tbsp cream.

I have no clue where I found this recipe, but I'm glad I tried it!  This is delicious!  

Sangria

For the record, I do not like wine...but this stuff is GOOD!!!

Sangria!

1 1/2 cups blackberry brandy
1 large can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 1/2 cups pineapple orange juice
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
4 (750 milliliter) bottles merlot
1 cup triple sec
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
2 navel oranges, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup white sugar
Sprite or Club Soda(optional)


Combine all ingredients except the Sprite in a 3 gallon beverage dispenser (available at Bed Bath & Beyond...we bought the one with a cooling chamber so the ice doesn't dilute whatever you're serving!) Fill the dispenser chambers with ice and let the mixture stand for several hours before serving. Top each serving with a splash of Sprite if desired.

We served this at Jen's wedding rehearsal and it was really good! I preferred it with the Sprite. I liked it so well that I might just start mixing up a small pitcher and keeping it in my fridge :-)

Adapted from the Sangria! Sangria! recipe at allrecipes.com

Eggless Eggnog

Eggless Eggnog

1/2 gallon milk
1 (3.5 oz) pkg instant French Vanilla pudding
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups milk and the pudding mix. Whisk until well combined. Add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk well. Stir in remaining milk and chill until ready to serve. Spike with Rum or Bourbon as desired.

I could never stand the thought of drinking anything with raw eggs in it so when I found this recipe online (don't remember where) I saved a copy to try this Christmas Eve. And it's good!!