It is much much too hot when the mecury hits 41ºC. It burns tender leaves, dries the earth and leads to backyard disasters:- One poor wee lime tree suffering from the scorching sun in our backyard.
- One beach umbrella propped in the hole in our outdoor table to shade the lime tree.
- One gust of wind blows umbrella, table and chairs across the yard.
That was the scene that greeted me upon returning from a hot day out when the trams were slow, the tram drivers grumpy, and the air-conditioned cafes a godsend!
I found another cooling comfort in the Apple Green Tea which Wendy made in June (during her Scottish summer). I have never been one for making fancy schmancy drinks. The most I usually mix my drinks is to combine juice and soda water! But I got some green tea bags in a Christmas giftpack and came across Wendy’s enticing chilled drink. Simple, refreshing and healthy. The first time I tried it, there was too much lemon for me. The second time I added mint and reduced the lemon. Perfect!
- Perfect to showcase my cool cactus glasses.
- Perfect way to greet E when he came home hot and sweaty from work.
- Perfect for a hot summer’s day.
Chilled Apple Green Tea
(adapted from A Wee Bit of Cooking)
650ml boiling water
2 green tea bags
5-6 mint leaves
350ml apple juice
1 tsp lemon juice
iceblocks to serve
Use scissors to finely cut mint leaves into a medium sized jug. Add tea bags and boiling water to jug. Steep for ten minutes. Remove tea bags. Add apple juice and lemon juice. Place in refridgerator til chilled. (I put mine in at 11 and when I got home at 5ish it was pleasantly chilled.) Serve with a few iceblocks in a glass. If you are feeling creative you could also garnish with apple slices, lemon slices and/or mint leaves.
On the Stereo:
The Best Prog Rock Album in the World … Ever! – Various Artists
41oC!!!! It barely gets about 0oC here at the moment. Can't quite imagine 41oC...
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the drink. I've got some in the fridge just now actually. It's the only way I can enjoy green tea.
Zero degrees sounds good to me! But 41 degrees makes the chilled tea very agreeable. I don't like tea a lot - only drink herbal tea in winter but am delighted with this drink - thanks for the inspiration, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteOh this is an interesting combo! good to know :)
ReplyDeletethanks Dhivya - it is a great combination - in fact I was surprised to see at the shopping centre today that they sell chilled green tea with apple - good but not as good as what you can make at home!
ReplyDeleteFunny, I've been DREAMING about it hitting 41C again over here!! (Well, it is a bit rare, but 30 C is common in the summertime). Sorry about the lime tree, but love the glasses! I am an avid sipper of green tea all year round, so I may even try this soon (I can cool it down in the snow in my back yard).
ReplyDeletethanks Ricki - I used to dream of it hitting 41C when I lived in Scotland - never realised how much I'd miss it until i lived in a place where 23C was a scorcher! I like the image of you cooling your drink in the snow :-)
ReplyDelete