Beat The Heat

San Diego weather is quite notorious..while the no-snow-winters are the envy of the not so privileged ones, we have to put up with May Grays and June Glooms. Just when you think of wearing that bright colored summer dress, the clouds take over making you want to put on a boring black shirt. Well, it seems to be over now..all bright and sunny..and yeah, HOT! I've been drinking water by the gallons and it just doesn't seem to do enough in this heat. For a hot day like this, there's nothing better than a glass of chilled iced-tea!

Making a pitcher of iced-tea at the start of summer has been a ritual for me for the past 3-4 years. My GF in Utah and I would get all excited about our girly summer meals of berry salads and home-made iced teas. We would put on our cute summer dresses, set up a table on the patio and talk about all nice things in the world that suddenly made appearance after a dreadful winter.

Not a cute dress today..and just some leftovers for lunch, but this iced-tea was enough to keep me and hubby happy. With layers of flavors and everything your body craves in this weather, it's a perfect summer drink!

Heaven in a glass!

I drink my iced-tea without the ice :D

Ginger-Orange Iced Tea

Ingredients:
4 Cups water
3 Teaspoons sugar - or however sweet you like it
2 Teaspoons black tea or 4 Teabags
1 Inch ginger
1 Orange
4-5 Mint leaves
Ice

• Heat water, add sugar and thinly sliced/grated ginger to it. Turn the heat off at the brink of boiling.
• Drop the teabags or a cloth pouch with tea leaves in the water once it gets luke-warm. I don't like my tea bitter so I let the tea flavor seep in luke-warm water for 10-15 mins until it cools off. Keeps it light.
• Once the tea is completely cooled off, add mint leaves (crushed for more flavor), juice from half an orange and some orange slices. I had dried some mint leaves last week which I used in this tea. They added the same refreshing taste without the bold green color. Adding orange juice to hot water can turn it bitter sometimes so wait till the tea is cold.
• Add some ice and keep refrigerated. Strain some tea and enjoy with a slice of orange whenever you please! 

Each sip of this tea will give three distinct yet harmonious flavors - first the ginger, then hits the citrusy orange and then palate cleansing mint. The combination of the three leaves a fresh floral taste in your mouth. Ahhh...I can take all the heat if I have a glass of this every day!