FIRSTS FRIDAY: COLD BREWED TEA

This past winter was so cold. Polar vortex cold. So cold that I stocked my cabinets full of tea to keep me warm. Obviously.

Well, I didn't drink nearly as much as I thought I would. So, what's a girl to do but be resourceful? I have been seeing a lot of blog posts and instagram shots of cold brewed coffee. Iced coffee is grand and all, but I will always prefer my hot, black coffee in the mornings.

But, what would stop me from doing the same with tea? Apparently, nothing. Because, that's what I did.

I grabbed some loose leaf tea that I had in excess, and I began the process.

The ratio you want, depending on how much milk you want to add in the end, is about two teaspoons for every 1 cup of water.

But, that's kind of up to you. No rules here.

Now, you add your lukewarm water. And, try not to make a mess, like me...

Now, I just give it a gentle shake, and let it sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

The waiting is painful. Or, is that just me? Christmas is definitely the hardest holiday. I want to know what I am getting, and I want to tell everyone else what they're going to open from me (and others). It's a struggle, just ask my family.

I used a tea infuser to strain out leaves as I poured them into my handy pourable container. Such a great wedding present.

And, make sure you have a glass loaded up with ice on hand.

Now, comes the fun. Adding the milk. If you're using a rooibos, like I did, then I think coconut or almond milk would really give it a nice kick of flavor. But, I just used 1% here, and it was deeelish.

Don't worry, depending on what kind of tea you use, how much milk you add, etc. the color of the end product could be totally different than mine!

Happy adventuring in the kitchen! There's lots of fun to be had with variations on this idea.