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SWEET "TEA" RECIPESWhen British children had tea in Victorian times, it was never full strength. Instead children received a teacup of milk, laced with some sugar and a dollop of tea from what the adults were drinking!
Tea is a developed taste and many children turn up their nose at the real thing. So what's a mom to do when planning a tea party for your young ladies? For summer parties try lemonade, for a winter party try our hot cinnamon recipes. Or best yet, use a tea base to make a drink that the kids will like but also has a "tea-history."
If you are in a big hurry try Country Time Sippers (i.e. Lem’n Berry with strawberry or raspberry) or Crystal Light tropical drinks. These powdered mixes have berry flavors that cuts down on the tartness. Remember all lemonade does become tart the longer it is left standing so don’t make it too far in advance.
IMPORTANT TIP! Many kids, especially ages 4 through 6 do NOT like anything that is unfamiliar to them. So fancy drinks and punches may just simply be ignored! Be sure to have something else available for the finicky such as white grape juice or a light colored punch. You may also want to "test" your drink a few days before the party to see if your own children like it.
Iced Drinks for Summer Parties
HONEY LEMONADE
Yield: 8 servings1 cup Honey
3/4 cup Lemon juice
1 cup Hot water
8 cup Cold waterStir honey and hot water over low heat until blended. Let cool and add lemon juice and cold water. Pour into iced glasses.
The honey/water syrup may be refrigerated and used to make lemonade a glass at a time. To serve, mix 4 T syrup to 1 1/2 T lemon juice and 1 cup water per person. Pour into iced glasses.
Yield: 7 cups2 cups brewed tea (use off the shelf standard tea or experiment with flavors that work best with lemon such as Caravan, Darjeeling, and English Breakfast, but NOT Oolong or Keemun.
1/2 cup REALEMON Lemon juice
1/2 cup Sugar
2 quarts Ginger ale (chilled)
Juice cubes (just mix frozen juices with water and refreeze into ice-cubes)In a pitcher, combine the tea, lemon juice, and sugar stirring until sugar is dissolved. Just before serving, add the ginger ale and pour over juice cubes.
Source GREAT AMERICAN Favorite Brand Name Cookbook
The Russian Tea Tradition
If your daughter loves the theme of Anastasia, celebrate with a Russian Tea! The samovar, adopted from the Tibetan "hot pot", is a combination bubbling hot water heater and teapot. Placed in the center of the Russian home, it could run all day and serve up to forty cups of tea at a time.
Showing the Asian influence in the Russian culture, guests sipped their tea from glasses in silver holders, very similar to Turkish coffee cups. The Russian have always favored strong tea highly sweetened with sugar, honey, or jam. Tea (along with vodka) is the national drink of the Russians today.
These recipes you might remember from the 1970's when they were very popular.
2 Quarts (8 cups) = 16 heaping teaspoons needed.2 cup Tang
3 oz Country Time lemonade mix
3/4 cup plain instant tea (dry)
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
1 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
1 teaspoon CinnamonMix everything together and store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid. Use 2 heaping teaspoons per teacup of hot water.
6 tablespoon Orange-Pekoe tea (dry)
2 quart boiling water
4 Whole cloves
1/2 cup Sweet cider
1/2 teaspoon Red food coloringSteep tea, cloves, cider, and food coloring in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain all the bits out and sweeten with sugar, honey, or jam.
4 Quarts Water
1 cup sugar
4 (2-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 (12-ounce) cans frozen pineapple-orange-banana juice concentrate, undiluted
1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, undiluted
1/3 cup unsweetened instant tea powder]
Garnish: orange slicesBring one quart water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in remaining 3 quarts water, frozen concentrates, and tea powder. Cook until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately; garnish if desired.
Lea Snell, Florence, Alabama from Southern Living, Nov. 1997.
Drinks with Tea Bases
If you are a traditionalist but your kids simply won't drink tea, try these recipes.
ENGLISH BREAKFAST as Tea Base and served as an Iced Tea This is best if made the night before, cutting down on your preparation time the day of the party.
Yield: 6 servings
1/2 cup Sugar, granulated
1 1/2 cup Orange juice; fresh squeezed from Valencia oranges
1/2 cup Bottle spring water
6 English Breakfast tea bags
3/4 cup Pineapple juice
4 cup Boiling waterIn saucepan, combine sugar and spring water and bring to a boil; continue to boil until liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Chill thoroughly.
Place tea bags in a heat-resistant pitcher. Add boiling water and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Let cool and refrigerate until chilled.
Add orange juice, lemon juice and pineapple juice and chilled sugar syrup. Refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight. Serve over ice.
"At one time, I intended to teach law, so I went to Boston to get a Master's of Law degree; while there I lived with the Swindells family. Mrs. Swindells made a superb iced tea with a pronounced citrus flavor. She insisted on using bottle spring water for a clear tasting iced tea, the sweetest and most flavored oranges and English Breakfast Tea."
From The Dave Nichol Cookbook
Yield: 6 servings
Perfect for cold weather!1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 1/2 cup Apricot nectar
4 Lemon slices
1 cup Orange juice
12 Whole cloves
1 cup Water
2 teaspoons Instant tea
1 tablespoon SugarCombine apricot nectar, orange juice, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-size saucepan. Insert cloves into each lemon slice; add to saucepan. Heat just to boiling; reduce heat; cover. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in tea. Serve hot.
Source: Family Circle Illustrated Library of Cooking
Yield: 4 servingsChinese-Style Red Or Black Tea Bag OR
¼ Cup regular Black Tea
4 cups Boiling Water
Ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed MilkPlace tea in a teapot; pour water over tea and let steep for 5 minutes. Pour into 4 cups. To each serving, add a dash of ground cinnamon and about 2 tablespoons of condensed milk; stir to blend.
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