Simple Summer Salad

I'm going to try this blog thing one more time. To kick it off, here is the recipe for my favorite summer salad. It is quick, easy, chock full of healthy stuff like antioxidants and vitamins, and most importantly, it is delicious. Happy eating!

Ingredients:
-Spinach
-Romaine lettuce
-Blueberries
-Lightly salted roasted almonds (I like Trader Joe's 50% Less Salt Dry Roasted and Salted Almonds)
-Freshly grated parmesan
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Balsamic vinegar
-Kosher sea salt
-Freshly ground black pepper

There are no measurements to this recipe, just add what you like. Mix handfuls of spinach, romaine, and blueberries. Sprinkle with chopped almonds, grated Parm, salt, and pepper. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic.

Afternoon Tea Punch

So, it has been approximately 1,500 years since I posted, but now I am all graduated and done with my massive paper and stuff so I have some free time to devote to all things literary and culinary (and a few other things as well.) For my first post back I am putting up a much requested recipe for tea punch. It is similar to the delicious tea punch available at Nashville's classic lunch spot, the Picnic Cafe. Happy sipping!

Afternoon Tea Punch

8 cups water
1 large tea bag
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup frozen orange juice (thawed)
1/2 cup frozen lemonade
1 cinnamon stick
lemon slices or mint sprigs (optional)

1) Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2) Remove from heat once boiling.
3) Add tea bag and cinnamon stick and cover. Let stand 5 minutes.
4) Remove tea bag and cinnamon stick.
5) Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
6) Stir in orange juice and lemonade.
7) Add remaining 4 cups of water.
8) Refrigerate.

Serve cold with slice of lemon or sprig of mint, and lots of gossip.

Cranberry Tea

One of the things I most look forward to about this time of year is homemade Cranberry Tea. My mom has made it for years so I have no idea where the recipe came from, but it is awesome!



Cranberry Tea

-1 10 to 12 oz bag of cranberries
-1 heaping Tbsp whole cloves
-1 cinnamon stick
-3 quarts water

Combine cranberries, water, cinnamon and cloves in a dutch oven. Set stove on high, and allow water and ingredients to boil. Wait for all the cranberries the cranberries to pop, then strain out cranberries, cinnamon stick and cloves. Mash in strainer to get out all juice. Then add:

-juice of three lemons
-juice of 2 oranges (or 1 cup orange juice)

Mix and serve. It is pretty tart, so keep some sugar handy so people can add to taste.