Well I'm trying to make more of an effort to be healthy (ha.). I drink A LOT of Diet Coke and diet sodas, and I'm looking for an alternative. I love the stuff but I know it isn't good for me. What I'm looking for is instructions on how to make iced tea. Now I have searched the internet and I've found several methods, but I am extremely lazy and I can't see myself going to boil water every time I want something to drink (I could probably polish off a quart a day). I mean I would do the whole boiling thing if need be, but I would be more inclined to drink diet soda because it is more readily available than something I have to boil. SO...does anyone have any suggestions for brewing tea? Brands? Methods?
I've also seen the powdered mixes but when I was a kid I remember those being gross. I'm just looking for unsweetened types due to the whole weight loss thing. Thanks for any help. Man I almost feel like I need a support group to get over the whole diet soda thing.
Iced Tea w/ Lemon is one of my favorite drinks (next to fresh lemonade). I drink 64 oz a day.
I hate the whole 'boiling water' thing, too, so I buy mine at a local restaurant (I live in North Carolina, where tea seems to be the 'official drink'.)
But if you HAVE to boil it, buy 5 or 6 two-quart containers and make up a big batch for the week. In the grocery store Lipton and Luzianne both sell the jumbo size tea bags for making 2-quart batches.
Keep some lemon wedges nearby, and you're good to go!
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Hey, SoulCysters! Need to eat more veggies, but can't find recipes??
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Unless you buy instant or tea already made in jugs at the grocery store, I'm not sure there's a way of getting around boiling water for tea. I've known people to make sun tea but if you don't want to wait for water to boil I doubt you'd want to wait all day for the sun to do its work.
We live on sweet tea here in the south and DH makes the best. He just puts a pot of water on to boil; drops in two tea bags; lets it come to a boil; lowers the temp to simmer for a few minutes; fills a jug 1/2 of the way full with water; pours in his tea and adds sugar to taste.
You could just make several gallons at one time and store them in the fridge if you drink a lot.
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Luke's in kindergarten!
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My dh baught me an iced tea maker. its really easy to use and it works well. I use it almost everyday. He baught it from walmart for only $20.00. Not expensive either. Good lucj hun! lisattc
Thanks ladies for all your replies. I'm going to hang on to my last two bottles of Diet Pepsi for dear life! I'm on my way out to look for kitchen gadgets. I'm a kitchen gadget junkie. Hope everyone has a great day!
i am an iced tea fanatic, so i just had to join in on this discussion!
first of all -- the absolute BEST iced tea you can buy is Starbuck's Black Shaken Iced Tea. if you love iced tea, beware! it is addictive! i request it unsweetened but sometimes add 1 packet of sweet and low if i feel like something sweeter.
you can make it yourself if you go online and buy Tazo's Ice Tea Sachets. sooooooo worth it! they make a pitcher at a time and taste exactly like what you buy at Starbucks.
for quick iced tea -- look for Cold Brew tea bags (made by Lipton, i believe) you just add cold water and let it steep to the desired darkness. add lemon or sweetener as needed.
if you are used to sweet drinks you can gradually decrease the amount of sweetner you add over time. i am not able to drink it with no sweetener, but i had to teach myself to do so.
another idea is that you may make all kinds of flavored teas using different kinds of herbal teas. etc.
other favorite tea brnds: Bromley and Lusianne. if you have a bulk foods store (the kind that sells large quantities to restaurants, they sell tea syrups that are unsweetened and you just add water and mix. my mom uses one by Lusianne and it is good and super-simple!
once again, i cannot emphasize how much i recommend the Starbucks! see, i do sound like an addict, huh?
I love my iced tea machine. It is similar to a coffee pot and the one I have makes 3 quarts a time and I have 2 pitchers in the fridge at all times. It is quick and simple. Plus you can add as much or as little sweetener as you want!
ajhyer~thats how mine works too. its great i love it. i love iced tea. im gonna start using it to make pitchers of green tea too. have a good day ladies! lisattc
Good to know! I go to Starbucks every morning, and was looking for an alternative to my 240 calorie Iced Venti Latte! Maybe tomorrow I'll try the tea!
hi kat -- sure would be an easy way to cut 240 calories per day and still have an awesome treat! they also offer shaken passionflower and green teas, but i like the black tea so well i haven't tried those yet!
Well, ladies, I just bought my Mr Iced Tea Maker and the first batch is brewing right now!!
It was cheap, too! Just $20.00 at Linens and Things, plus the lady behind me gave me a 20% off coupon! I'll have this thing paid off in no time - like tomorrow!
The instructions say it brews iced coffee, too. So I'm going to try that tomorrow with some Starbucks, and my lo call creamer. If that works, I'll not only save money but calories!
I just glanced at the unit, and it's about 25% done. With just 6 tea bags it's a fairly dark brew. Good...just the way I like it.
Beejcee, I also got a box of the Tazo Passion...can't WAIT to save money making my own.
I'm really happy about this purchase!
(Warning to anyone reading this....you will want to have an automatic ice maker if you're thinking of getting it. You need a LOT of ice for each pitcher.)
ETA
8-minutes later...
I'm sippin on iced tea! whoo ooo! (not sure I like this brand I bought, but I'll live with it. Next time I'm going to try Lipton.
For $20, this is a GREAT way to make iced tea.
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Hey, SoulCysters! Need to eat more veggies, but can't find recipes??
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Iced Tea? 
lisattc
