sweet tea....

*I've has some requests to share how my family makes sweet tea so I thought I would use today to do it. I grew up with this and even my unsweet tea is sweet (I use Splenda). I don't even know how to drink tea without sugar or Splenda. I hate tea with any other kind of sweetener or just plain tea with nothing. HATE it!! YUCK!!! (sorry if you do like unsweet tea) :)

Unsweet tea, in my family, is a sacrilage. lol. :) You drink sweet tea with every meal and as a refreshing beverage out in the hay field or after working in the heat fixing fence or moving or vaccinating cattle. It's ALWAYS a welcome beverage and it's always served ICED. NEVER HOT, although I do like sweetened hot herbal tea, as well. :) shhhh............................

Here it is!

2 Cain's (caffienated is best) tea bags (can also use Lipton but prefer Cain's)
sugar or Splenda

Place tea bags in saucepan. Fill with cold water. Heat until just starts to boil. Place 1/4 of tea pitcher with sugar or splenda. With spoon; hold tea bags back against saucepan and pour tea liquid into pitcher. Fill saucepan with cold water and continue until all tea liquid is squeezed out of bags. Fill pitcher with cold water. Serve with plenty of ice. (I don't add ice to my tea pitcher unless I am taking it somewhere because I find that it waters down the tea).

There you go, simple, good ol' Southern Sweet tea! I do know people that boil their tea bags with sugar to make a syrup and continue with the process but I can't drink it that way. It tastes like syrup and not tea, to me!

Hope you enjoy!! :)

Claire & Lily's New Favorite Book....

This is Claire & Lily's new favorite book! They absolutely LOVE it when Charlie or I read it to them! Although, they like it SO much better when Daddy reads to them than when I do, because Daddy talks just like Grover when he reads it; I can't do that! :o)

They squeal and laugh so hard when Grover says, "DO NOT TURN THE PAGE, DO NOT TURN THE PAGE!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY DID YOU TURN THE PAGE?!!!!!!"

If you do not have this book for your kids, you need to get it soon! Read it and read it silly! Take the time to make special memories and LAUGH with your kids, they are SO worth it!

I hope to have pictures soon of us reading this book. I know I will because they never get tired of it! I am getting a new camera this week (hopefully, unless nothing comes up) so I should be able to take more pictures and post them more often! I can't wait; I love to take pictures! We are going to a cook out at Mom & Dad Fogg's this weekend and I hope to get LOTS of pictures of the Fogg cousins! Can't wait! :o)

Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!

Banana Pudding (Yum-Yum!)

I am feeling a little bit nostalgic of my growing up years so in honor of my Granny Ferguson & my Mamaw Treat I am posting two outstanding recipes for desserts they served often. No counting carbs in those days.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding (no instant or cook and serve mixes here, please)!

4 Tbsp. flour
Dash salt
2 c. milk
1/2 stick butter (no substitutes!)
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Box Nilla wafers

Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Combine eggs and milk. Whisk egg mixture into flour mixture until completely smooth. Cook in heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Add vanilla, butter and bananas. Line a large deep dish with wafers. Pour in half of pudding mixture. Layer with wafers, then add the rest of the pudding. Top with a few crushed wafers. Best when served hot. Refrigerate leftovers. (There won't be many) *You can also serve with homemade whipped cream (no cool whip!) on top after it cools. This is really yummy, as well!

Enjoy!

Julie