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Lynsey Lou's

Enjoying Life One Bite at a Time!

10 Ingredients or less

Apple, Bacon, White Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese

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My addiction started long, long ago.  It’s comprised of three very simple things; bread, butter, and cheese.  Alone these ingredients are basic, plain ol’, kitchen staples, but when combined they amazing and incredibly addicting.

What is it about melty, gooey cheese sandwiched between two buttery, slightly crunchy pieces of toast that is so irresistible?  Besides being irresistible, it’s also addicting.  Let’s take it one step further and just say it’s the epitome of comfort food.

While I love the basic grilled cheese, I can’t help but play around with it.  I love playing with different cheeses, cheese combinations, as well as adding different ingredients to kind of change things up from time to time.

One of my favorite combinations is apples and cheese.  There’s something about tart, crispy apples paired with sharp, creamy cheddar cheese that I just adore.  I guess it’s that whole sweet savory combo I live for.

So, to combine all of these ingredients that I’m infatuated with in one sandwich seemed like a no-brainer.  I’ve done the whole apple and cheese together, which is incredible by the way.  But when I saw a bacon, apple and cheddar grilled cheese in this month’s issue of Food Network Magazine it was calling my name.

Buttery, toasted sourdough bread, sharp white cheddar cheese, tart Granny Smith apples and crispy, salty bacon.  Life doesn’t get much better than this.  This grilled cheese is what dreams are made of.  So, the next time you want to change things up a bit, take that simple grilled cheese and pump up the flavor and texture with some bacon and apples.

Apple, Bacon, White Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:


Salted butter, room temperature
4 Thick slices of sourdough bread
Half Granny Smith apple, sliced thin
Half pound of bacon, cooked and drained
Sharp white cheddar, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard

Directions:


Place a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Spread butter on one side of bread, spread a thin layer of mustard on the other side.  Lay the buttered side down, top with a few slices of cheese, followed by 2-3 apple slices, then the bacon, 2 more slices of cheese and the other slice of bread.  Toast on one side until golden brown and cheese has melted, about 3-4 minutes, flip and cook on the other side until cheese has melted and the bread it golden brown.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Serve.

Recipe source: Slightly adapted Food Network Magazine, November 2014

Whiskey BBQ Ketchup

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I am a condiment, sauce, dip and dressing lover girl.  If I’m eating chips and salsa, I don’t just dip my chip in the salsa to get that tomato flavor, I dunk my chip in that chunky tomato goodness and scoop up a heaping helping of salsa and indulge.  I go through 2-3 (small restaurant size) bowls of salsa to Spencer’s half of one.  If we’re talking salads, I don’t want enough dressing on there just to get a hint of dressing, I want a generous amount.

So when it comes to dipping my nuggets or fries in a sauce, you know where I’m going with this.  I don’t lightly dip it in there, I make that fry or nugget dive in head first to scoop up that saucy goodness.  That being said, if I’ve got a good, hot, crispy, lightly salted fry I can take or leave the ketchup.  Normally.

But, when we’re talking about whisky bbq ketchup.  Yes.  Whisky.  BBQ. Ketchup.  You saw right. That’s a whole new ballgame.

I came across this recipe for the amazingness on The Minimalist Baker.  I was hooked with I read the word whiskey.  Folks, this isn’t your average, everyday ketchup.  This is an amazing, house made sauce that will having you wanting to dive head first into a vat of it.

This sauce is comprised of a few simple ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes.  It’s a combination of ingredients that are pantry staples; tomato sauce, tomato paste, liquid smoke, brown sugar and vinegar.  Oh, and of course, Whiskey.

It’s thick, tangy, lightly sweet with a slight tang, and an underlying boozy flavor.  Folks, this is what dreams are made of.  Your fries will be lining up to take a swim in this sauce.  Be prepared to be addicted!

Whiskey BBQ Ketchup

Ingredients:

15 Oz tomato sauce
1 (5 oz) can tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp whiskey
2-3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp worcestershire
1 Tsp liquid smoke
1/4 Tsp sea salt
1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
1 Tsp onion powder
1 Tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, stir to combine and place over medium heat.  Cook the mixture until it begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes.

Taste the sauce, adjust seasonings, if needed.  More brown sugar for sweetness, more vinegar for tang, more liquid smoke for a more smokey flavor or more whiskey for a little more boozy flavor.  Once seasonings are perfect, carefully pour the sauce in a glass jar and allow to cool before placing the lid on.

Store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 weeks.

Recipe Source: The Minimalist Baker

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

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When I ask my boys what they want for breakfast, 9 times out of 10 it’s the list of traditional breakfast options; bacon, eggs and biscuits.  It’s nothing fancy, but it’s delicious.  It’s comforting and a staple on kitchen tables pretty much everywhere.  That combination is the perfect balance; fluffy biscuits, salty and crispy bacon, and rich and buttery eggs.

Combine the classic combination and pile it high on a sandwich and you’ve got one of the most iconic breakfast sandwiches ever.  Not only are they a popular option and a standard breakfast item on menus across the country, they are also a go to option in the kitchen at home.

I’ve added another twist on this amazing classic.  Instead of the basic biscuit or English muffin, the bacon, eggs and cheese are sandwiched together between two flaky, golden biscuits that have been “baked” in the waffle iron.  Taking the basic biscuit and making it a little more crispy on the outside and keeping the insides fluffy.

It’s no news to any of you that have been visiting the blog for any amount of time that I love sweet and salty and that applies to breakfast too.  I like to smear a thin layer of strawberry jelly across the bottom half of the biscuit waffle while it’s warm, allowing the jelly to get into all the waffle nooks and melt just a bit.  Then I layer the remaining ingredients and top it off with another waffle biscuit.

This is a delicious and filling breakfast that I could enjoy any day of the week.  It’s portable, making it ideal to enjoy on the route to work or school and it’s ready in about 15 minutes including cooking the bacon and eggs.  You could also speed the process up a bit to ease the morning rush even more by cooking the bacon and eggs in advance and having them in the refrigerator waiting to go on the biscuits.

If you enjoy the classic bacon, egg and cheese sandwich then I promise your world will be changed by putting those ingredients on a waffle biscuit.  Your morning rush never tasted so good!

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

Ingredients:


1 Can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
8 Slices cooked bacon
5-6 Eggs, scrambled
3/4 Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:


Preheat standard waffle iron.

Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray.  Slightly flatten biscuit dough and place on waffle iron, pull top of iron down but do not press.  Allow biscuits to cook for 3-5 minutes, until biscuits are golden and cooked through.  Continue with remaining biscuits.

Place four of the biscuit waffles on four separate plates.  Top each with bacon, eggs and cheese and the other four biscuits.  Serve.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Caramelized Banana Stuffed Biscuit Waffles

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My two guys are obsessed with bananas.  Spencer has a banana every morning and Tucker has at least one a day, if not more.  They are obsessed, so any time I’m able to sneak a few away in order to experiment I take full advantage!  It’s not that they don’t like what I make with them, it’s that they eat them so fast that I can’t get around to making something before they disappear.

This recipes was one of those times where I was able to snag a few bananas from their stash! When I was preparing for #waffleweek2014, I knew I had to make at least one recipe involving apples.  I’ve already make brown butter banana waffles, which are amazing!  So this time I wanted to do a little something different.  Something not only to highlight bananas, but also to help give parents a quick and kid pleasing option for breakfast on those crazy mornings before heading out to school.

Then it came to me.  Banana stuffed biscuit waffles!  But not just plain ol’ bananas…although that would probably be pretty good too!  These are filled with bananas that have been tossed in brown sugar and a tiny pinch of cinnamon!  How good does that sound?

The waffles aren’t made of traditional waffle batter.  Actually there’s not even a reason to get out any mixing bowls, whisks or measuring spoons.  I’m serious!  These waffles are made out of butter, flaky canned biscuits.  In a matter of about 30 seconds, the time it takes to pull the can out of the fridge and open it, your half way to making these delicious stuffed waffles.

I used the Pillsbury Grands butter biscuits, and just cut the uncooked biscuit in half then spooned some of the brown sugar bananas in the center.  I placed the other half of the biscuit on top of the banana mixture, sealed it and dropped it on the waffle maker.  That’s it.  It about three minutes you’ve got a delicious, butter biscuit waffle that’s filled with caramelized bananas.  How perfect is that for a quick breakfast.

It’s even ideal for breakfast on the go.  The entire waffle is filled, sealed and cooked making it perfectly portable and easy for the kids to enjoy on the ride to school.  The next time you’re in a time crunch, forget the microwave biscuits and make these stuffed biscuit waffles.  From start to finish, all you need is 15 minutes!

Caramelized Banana Stuffed Biscuit Waffles

Ingredients:


1 Can Pillsbury Grands butter biscuits
2 Bananas, quartered lengthwise and sliced
4 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch cinnamon
Non-stick cooking spray, for the waffle iron

Directions:


Preheat waffle iron.

Place bananas, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and toss to coat.  Set aside.

Cut each of the biscuits in half, lengthwise.  Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the bananas in the center of half of the biscuits.  Top each of the filled biscuits with the other half, press to seal the edges.

Spray the preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray.  Place 2 to 3 biscuits on the iron, depending on the size of the iron, close gently but do not press down.  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, until biscuits are cooked through and golden brown.  Carefully remove, allow to cool for 2-3 minutes and serve.

To serve-
Enjoy plain, with a dusting of powdered sugar, syrup, melted peanut butter, drizzled chocolate or banana slices.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Strawberry Cream Oatmeal Smoothie

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I love to bake; that is my “me time”.  My time to relax and just let go.  Tucker shares my passion for the baked goods and the process  of making them.  But, if I baked as much as I wanted to, or as much as my little guy wanted to then…well, it just wouldn’t be good.  Plus, I think Spencer would lose his mind. See, he tries to keep up with my baking excursions with a fierce effort but never seems to conquer the task of eating the mountains of cookies or cakes filled with decadent frosting.  So, in order to keep the peace I try to refrain from baking every waking moment.

That’s not to say, however, that there aren’t sweets of some sort in my house.  Smoothies are one of those things that are so versatile.  They are a delicious, and more healthy option to help quench those sweet cravings.  They are also ideal for a quick, healthy and filling meal and perfect to have in hand on the way out the door.

I went for quite some time without having a single smoothie.  But, I decided it was due time to change my eating habits and get a little healthier with my meals and snacks.  So, as of lately I’ve been on a smoothie kick.  My little guy has since followed suit.  We smoothies at least 3 to 4 days a week, and most of the time he requests them before I even have a chance to ask what he wants to eat.

His favorite, like me, are fruit based smoothies.  He’s a sucker for mixed berries, orange juice and a little yogurt.  I also like to throw in a handful of baby spinach or kale for some extra nutrients and another serving of veggies.

Along with mixed berries, my little guy likes strawberries.  He likes them by themselves, in yogurt, cupcakes, milkshakes and ice cream, just to name a few.  So the other day when he asked for a smoothie for breakfast I decided to make a smoothie using one of his favorite fruits and pair it with a breakfast classic, oatmeal. A creamy strawberry oatmeal smoothie was created.

This strawberry cream oatmeal smoothie is packed with fresh, juicy strawberries and deliciously ripe banana making the fruit the star in this satisfying smoothie.  Greek yogurt and coconut milk add a rich and creamy texture, and oatmeal adds a filling and satisfying fullness.

This strawberry cream oatmeal smoothie may have been the first smoothie we enjoyed in quite some time, but it definitely won’t be the last.  It has reunited me with my blender and introduced my little guy to a whole new world of delicious and satisfying smoothies.

So, the next time you are hungry or craving something sweet ditch the chips, cookies or candy for an equally satisfying but healthier alternative.  Pull out your blender, toss everything in and blend until smooth.  Viola, you’ve got yourself a yummy and tummy satisfying drink that will keep you full for hours on in.

Tomorrow morning forgo the waffles, bacon and eggs or biscuits and turn on your blender.  Sip on this pink deliciousness that is the strawberry cream oatmeal smoothie.  Not only will you start your day on the right foot, you’ll be addicted this concoction, and you’ll start your day with the prettiest pink drink you’ve ever laid eyes on!

Strawberry Cream Oatmeal Smoothie

Ingredients:


1 Cup fresh strawberries, cut in half
1 Large frozen banana, sliced
1/4 Cup rolled oats
1/4 Cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla
1/4-1/3 Cup Coconut, Almond or Low-fat milk
1 Scoop protein powder, optional
3 Cup ice, optional

Directions:


Place strawberries, banana, oats, yogurt, milk and protein powder in a blender and blend until smooth and combined.  If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.  If the banana isn’t frozen, or if the smoothie isn’t as cold as desired, add ice and blend.  Serve and enjoy.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Peanut Butter Potato Chip Crispy Treats

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I believe we can all agree that Rice Krispie treats are a classic.  Practically a staple in life.  There’s something that is still so magical about those treats and with one bite I’m instantly taken back to the good ol’ carefree days of my childhood.

But sometimes, well, we just want more.  Something a little extra, a jazzed up treat.  There are so many different cereals floating around now that would make amazing additions to the classic.  When I saw this new Jif peanut butter cereal I thought it would be the perfect way to add a little something extra to this classic.

So, for the ultimate in peanut butter treats I decided to not only use peanut butter cereal, but add peanut butter to the marshmallow mixture.  Then to play off the salt in the peanut butter and to add another layer of texture I added some crushed up potato chips.  Um, yum!  If that’s not enough, I also added un-melted marshmallows to the mix to give it an over-the-top fluffernutter texture.

Then end result.  A peanut butter packed treat fit for the avid peanut butter lover.  Gooey, chewy peanut butter marshmallow mixture coating peanut butter cereal and salty potato chips.  Then, just to add a little something special, I added some extra marshmallows right before pouring the mixture into the pan.  I topped it all off with drizzle of marshmallow fluf.  This little treat is just what the peanut butter in your life needs.  One bite and there will be smiles all around.

Peanut Butter Potato Chip Crispy Treats

Ingredients:


4 Cups Jif peanut butter cereal
2 Cups ridged potato chips, roughly crushed, plus more for topping (optional)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp corn syrup
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
7 Cups marshmallows, divided
2 Tbsp marshmallow fluf

Directions:


Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Pour cereal and potato chips in a large bowl and set aside.

Place butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large saucepan and place over medium-low heat.  Allow mixture to come to a light simmer, stirring until sugars are dissolved.  Reduce heat to low and add peanut butter and stir to combine.  Add 6 cups of marshmallows and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture over the cereal and potato chips and stir until completely coated.  Add remaining cup of marshmallows and stir to incorporate.  Pour in the prepared pan, using a spatula, spread into an even layer.  Top with more crushed potato chips, if desired.

Place fluf in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 20 seconds.  Drizzle over the treats.  Allow treats to set about an hour.  Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original  

Bacon Peanut Butter Burgers

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Please don’t run away in fear from the name.  I know, it sounds incredibly off the wall weird.  And, let me just say, I was thinking the same thing you are right now when I first saw the name of this burger.  Yes, I did inquisitively question the waiter about it too.  During the questioning my nose was turned so far up in the air.  After talking to him and him guaranteeing me that it actually was really good I decided to throw caution to the wind and try it…but with the peanut butter on the side!

Before I tell you my thoughts, let me give you a little back story on the restaurant.  It was a local restaurant here in Little Rock, a burger joint that was located on President Clinton Avenue, and it was names Bill’s Street Burgers.  Folks, they had amazing burgers.  The burgers alone were seasoned to perfection, and tasted the same each and every time we ate there.  A perfectly seasoned and juicy burger is a hard thing to do, so these guys definitely knew there stuff when it came to burgers.

They had all sorts of burgers on the menu; some a little more traditional with mayo and cheese, others with sauteed mushrooms and onions,some sported a fried egg atop the juicy patty, and then there were just some off the wall burgers such as the bacon peanut butter burger.  The toppings were just an enhancement of the delicious burgers, they weren’t needed to add flavor by any means.  Sadly, the restaurant is no longer opened…and it was a sad sad day in this household when we learned the Bill’s Street Burgers was no longer. So after consoling ourselves, we decided to do what any restaurant fanatic would do, try to recreate some of our menu favorites right here at home.

It took some trial and error, especially getting the perfectly seasoning patty, but I believe we finally mastered it.  So, to finish my story I started earlier, they brought the bacon peanut butter burger out (with the peanut butter on the side).  I poured a small amount on a little portion of the burger, put the top back on, closed my eyes and took a bite all while Spencer was watching with suspense.  I chewed for a few seconds, then opened my eyes and had a big smile on my face.  I quickly got the remaining peanut butter and poured it over the rest of my burger and enjoyed each and every bite…with the exception of the bite Spencer took.  Of course, he had to sample it.

 So, before you make up your mind that this sounds horrible and so far off the wall that you don’t want to have anything to do with it, just give it a shot.  Make up your burgers, cook your bacon and heat up a little peanut butter.  Do as I did, pour a little peanut butter on a small portion of the burger and taste.  Give it a chance, and see what you think.  I turned a major skeptic, my husband, into a lover of this burger.  Although it’s not the burger you’ll want every single time you grill out, it’s definitely a change of pace and something a little different to enjoy from time to time.

Bacon Peanut Butter Burgers

Ingredients:


1 Lb ground beef
1 Tsp liquid smoke
1/4 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp Montreal steak seasoning
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 Pieces cooked bacon, cut in half
1/4 Cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
4 Hamburger buns
Mayonnaise

Directions:


Preheat grill.

Meanwhile, combine ground beef, liquid smoke, garlic powder, steak seasoning, salt and pepper and gently mix to combine being sure not to overwork the meat.  Form into 4 patties of equal size, gently making an indention in the center.

Place on preheated grill and cook to desired wellness.

When burgers are almost done, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each side of the buns and place on the grill but not over direct heat.

Remove the cooked burgers and toasted buns.

Place peanut butter in a microwave safe dish and heat for 20-30 seconds, until peanut butter is able to be drizzled.

To assemble, place hamburger patty on the bottom half of the bun, top with 3 pieces of bacon, drizzle with a little peanut butter and place the top half of the bun on the patty.  Repeat with remaining burgers and serve.

Recipe source: Inspired by Bill’s Street Burgers

Southern Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktails

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Summer in the south.  It’s a different kind of heat.  A different kind of hot.  On top of being hot, it’s humid which amplifies the heat oh, about 100 times making it incredibly unbearable.   On a truly hot day it may be 100, but feels like 110 and when you walk out the doors it feels like you’ve just walked into a sauna.

Despite the heat, we still enjoy pool parties, backyard cookouts, and outdoor get togethers.  But, in order to survive those hot summer days and nights beverages are must be in abundance and cocktails, of some sort, are definitely preferred!

So what better beverage to use as a base of a cocktail than tea.  Not just any tea though, southern style sweet tea.  But when it comes down to it, is there really anything other than southern style sweet tea?  I didn’t think so!

So, without further or-do I present to you a truly southern cocktail.  This, my friends, starts with a simple southern sweet tea.  To that, fresh mint and a few orange slices are added and then muddled to really incorporate the flavors and release all the oils and juices from the mint and orange.  Once those are combined, the mixture sits for just a few minutes so the flavors can really incorporate into one another.  After that it’s poured over ice in a raw sugar rimmed mason jar…because does it really get any more southern than drinking out of a mason jar?  I think not!

Anyway.  So you pour the orange mint sweet tea over the ice, add a glug of bourbon…two if you really like the stuff!  Then a splash of soda water…if you want a little fizz!  Then you sip away and quickly forget about natures steam sauna!

Happy summer y’all.  And be sure to enjoy at least one of these at your next get together…or perhaps tonight just for the heck of it!

Southern Sweet Tea and Bourbon Cocktails

Ingredients:


2 Cups southern sweet tea
2 Thick slices orange, peel on, plus more for garnish
1/4 Cup loosely packed fresh mint
2-4 Oz Bourbon, divided
2 Oz soda water, divided, optional
Sugar in the raw, for glasses, optional

Directions:


Place tea, orange slices and mint in a large cup and muddle.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Rub a slice of orange around the rim of two glasses.  Roll in sugar.  Fill glasses with ice.  Pour 1 ounce of bourbon in each glass, 2 if you’d prefer it stronger.  Pour tea in each glass, leaving a little room at the top if you want to add a little fizz to the cocktail.  If you want a fizzy cocktail, add an ounce of soda water to each glass.  Garnish with orange slice and mint.  Serve.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Tea and Lemonade (A.K.A.- Arnold Palmer)

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My MaMaw was a true southern woman and a real life June Cleaver.  Every morning she would wake up, “put her face on” as she would call it, brush her teeth and then get dressed.  It didn’t matter if she didn’t have anywhere to go, she was ALWAYS presentable.  It was customary, especially for her generation, to always be ready and be presentable.  Oh, and leave the house (even to go to the mailbox) without lipstick, well that was a no no. 

I remember one time my mom was running incredibly late.  You know, having one of those mornings where you start running from the time your feet hit the floor just trying to catch up?  Yes, one of those.  So she got ready and then ran me up to my MaMaw’s and popped her head in long enough to say hi, gotta go, bye.  But, it wasn’t so quick that my MaMaw didn’t notice she didn’t have on her lipstick.  So she immediately stopped my mom and asked, “Dear One, are you okay?  Are you not feeling well?”  To this my mom replied, I’m fine why do you ask?  My MaMaw, without a beat said your lips are naked and I just knew that something had to be wrong if you left your house without lipstick.  So after going back to the car mom quickly put on her lips, and carries those words with her to this day. 

My MaMaw always looked like she had stepped off the cover of a magazine.  Her ensemble complete with a big strand of pearls, large “ear bobs” (earrings), hose and shoes.  My MaMaw, typically left the outside work to my Papaw and her sons but we do have an infamous picture of her mowing the yard.  But she wasn’t wearing working clothes, she was wearing slacks, a blouse, ear bobs, pearls and flats.  Yes, I believe even she put June Cleaver to shame with that move!

I know it’s a little blurry, but this is the infamous picture!

Another thing my MaMaw was known for was tea and lemonade.  Before you could walk through the door and close it she greeted you with the affectionate term “Dear One” and was offering you a glass of tea and lemonade.  Whether it was a random visit, needing advice and prayer, or a gathering it wasn’t completely without a glass of tea and lemonade.  I promise, no advice was ever complete without a glass of the good stuff.

I honestly believe my family was drinking this concoction before it became popular.  You couldn’t walk into my MaMaw’s, our house, or any of the other boy’s houses without seeing a pitcher of tea and a pitcher of lemonade in their refrigerator.  My uncle was even responsible for getting it on the menu at a local restaurant, but not before getting a lot of looks from his request.  He told the waitress he’d like a glass and continued telling her just how much tea and how much lemonade to put in the glass, she did so then brought it to him.  But she didn’t stop there, she quickly went back to the counter and fixed a glass for herself and was shocked.  She loved it.  Quickly other patrons began ordering the concoction and a few days later when my Uncle returned he saw a new beverage on the menu!

To this day I still love tea and lemonade.  Every time I take a sip I’m instantly transported to my MaMaw’s avocado green kitchen complete with the avocado green fridge, stove top, ovens and countertops.  I miss those days, sitting across from her at that kitchen table and just visiting.  She was always so interested in the lives of her chillren’s (kids), and their families.  She cut out every newspaper article that mentioned any of her family and she kept every invitation, card and note that they gave her.  As proud as she was of her boys and their families, I can honestly say I was (and still am) just as proud of her and that she was my MaMaw.  I miss her each and everyday but on those days that seem unbearable I find comfort in sipping on a glass of tea and lemonade and suddenly she doesn’t seem so far away.

I know this probably doesn’t seem like much of a recipe to you, or maybe it seems overdone.  But this concoction has been and still is a staple in my family and I just had to share it with you.  This drink was my inspiration for #Teaweek!  So, the next time you need to relax or you’re entertaining one person or a crowd whip up a pitcher of tea and lemonade and serve your guests the southern June Cleaver’s drink of choice, Dear One!

Tea and Lemonade

Ingredients:


1 Cup strong brewed unsweet tea
1/4 Cup pink lemonade (yes, it must be pink…it just tastes better)
1-2 Packages sweetener of your choice, depending on how sweet you like your tea

Directions:


Fill the glass 3/4 full of ice (ice used a combination of ice cubes made of tea and lemonade).  Add sweetener, start with one package and add more to taste.  Add tea and lemonade and stir to combine.  Enjoy!

Recipe source: My MaMaw

Sweet Tea and Mint Granita

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This week we’re talking, eating and drinking all things tea.  Tea is the delicious drink of choice for southerners.  And it doesn’t get much better than a tall glass of ice cold tea on a hot summer day.  So, being from the south myself and growing up on the stuff I decided to see what all could be done with tea.  From refreshing drinks, tasty cocktails and even delicious desserts; there’s more to tea than just sipping.

When I think of hot summer days and ways to cool off, one of the things that pops into my head is a cold dessert.  Ice cream, a slush, ice box pie, snow cone; you name, it if it’s cold I think it fits the bill.  A granita is another treat that pops in my head.

Have you heard of a granita before?  If not let me fill you in.  It’s a semi-frozen dessert that originated from Sicily, the birth place of the feisty Sophia Petrillo.  Don’t you just love her?  I love her and her quotes and snarky remarks that only she can get away with!  Anyway…sorry for the detour.  Back to the granita.  It’s a combination water, sugar, and other various flavorings.  They are all combined to create a variation of Italian frozen ice.  In other words, it’s like a snow cone for adults!

The beauty of a granita is there are no special machines or tools required.  If you have a fork, pan and freezer then you have all it takes to make a delicious, frozen dessert that is perfect to help you beat the heat. Another thing I love about granitas is the options of flavors are endless; fresh fruit, wine, favorite beverage, various vegetables and the list goes on and on.

I am in love with this particular granita, it’s summer in the south in a dessert.  Boldly brewed sweet tea that is infused with a healthy handful of fresh mint.  It’s frozen, scraped occasionally during the process and the end result is flaky sweet tea ice crystals.  This, my friends, a delicious dessert that is worthy of being enjoyed on a hot summer day.

Sweet Tea and Mint Granita

Ingredients:


4 Cups water
1 1/2 Cups sugar
3 Large tea bags
1/2 Cup loosely packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish

Directions:


Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan and place over medium low heat.  Allow mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the tea bags and mint leaves and allow to steep for about 30-45 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a 8×8 or 9×9 pan, cover and place in the freezer for an hour.  Remove from freezer, using a fork, scrape the mixture and return the freezer.  Scrape the mixture every 30-45 minutes for 3-4 hours, until completely frozen.  Once completely frozen, remove from freezer and scrap with a fork until fluffy.

Gently scoop the granita into serving dishes, garnish with mint leaves (if desired) and serve.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

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