Berry Sweet Tea

I'm ready for long hot days in the sun, and cold sweet fruity drinks!  I love tea, and in the winter I like it hot and unadulterated with sugar or milk.  However, in the summer I revert to my days as a kid craving sweaty glasses of sweet tea.  Since my taste in tea has matured, so has my taste for sweet tea.  Lipton's powder mix will no longer suffice.  This past weekend I mixed up this little number, and I'm in sweet tea heaven!  

The leftover strawberries from yesterday's Strawberry and Cream Muffins was the main motivation behind this recipe idea.  I wanted to add a little more fruit to my tea, so I also bought some lemons and blackberries.  I started off by making 8 cups of hot tea with Lipton's Organic Black Tea bags (one bag for each cup of water).  While it was hot I added a cup of sugar, and let it dissolve.  

While the tea was steeping and the sugar melting, I cut the strawberries and blackberries into small bits.  Next, I cut a lemon in half, and then I cut two slices into small triangles.  I squeezed the lemon halves into the hot tea, and let the wedges float on top.  

Once everything was ready, I put four ice cubes in a glass and poured the tea over them.  I dropped a handful of the berries into the cup and squeezed some honey over them.  I can never get enough honey!  Mmm, this tea is tasty.  I will be drinking this all summer long!  If you don't like your tea to be super sweet, you can skip the sugar, and just add some honey to each glass when serving.  

Happy Tuesday and happy DIYing, chris 

Chili

I love to make chili in the winter time.  Though it hasn't been cold this winter, and I couldn't wait for the snow any longer.  I love my chili a lot!  It's a recipe I made up when I first moved into an apartment with my husband (then boyfriend).  In my mind chili is hardy, a little kick to it, and extra filling.  This makes a gigantic batch, which is super necessary when making this awesomely tasty dinner.  I used a large high walled skillet, and the largest pot I could find in the house.

Add a second can of Ro*Tel & subtract the can of cannellini beans

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- 2 lbs of ground meat (I used 1 lb beef & 1 lb turkey)

- 1 1/2 large white onions diced

- 2 chili packets (I enjoy McCormick)

- 2 diced peppers (I used one red & one green)

- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes

- 2 cans of Ro*Tel's diced tomatoes & green chilies

- 1 can kidney beans

- 1 can pinto beans

- i can black beans

- 3 cloves of garlic

- handful of cilantro leaves

- shredded cheddar cheese (to serve)

Directions:

Start by dicing the onions and peppers.  Warm the large skillet with a tiny splash of olive oil for a minute, and then add all the onion.  Stir regularly.  

Once the onions are browned add the ground beef and ground turkey, or whatever combination of ground meat you are going with.  

Stir the meat and onions together.  Cook until the meat is completely cooked, and stir occasionally.

In a super large saucepan dump all the cans of tomatoes, beans, and diced peppers together.  Turn the heat on low and stir the ingredients together, then add the chili packets.  Stir completely.  

 When the meat is completely cooked drain off the grease, and then add to the other ingredients in the super large saucepan.  Let the ingredients cook together for a few minutes.  While that's happening wash off your cilantro, and pinch off a bunch of leaves.  Then stir them in, and crush the cloves of garlic in.  Use more or less of these ingredients depending on how spicy or garlicky you like your chili to be.   

Let everything simmer together for a bit.  The longer the better, but if you're hungry or lacking in time you only need to wait 10 - 15 minutes.  Which is about how long it takes to clean up the kitchen, and get ready to serve dinner!  I like to serve mine with shredded cheese, but I'm a big cheese head.  

Happy DIYing!