Category Archives: Crafts

Apricot and Raspberry Flavored Iced Tea ~ Make Your Own at Home

27 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Cooking, Crafts, Drink, Recipe

≈ 6 Comments

One of my favorite summer beverages is a glass of iced tea (there is an ongoing debate as to whether it is “iced tea” or “ice tea”).  Regardless of what you call it, it’s delicious, cooling, and refreshing.  These days, grocery and specialty stores carry a wide array of flavored iced teas, but did you know that it’s very easy to make at home?

Over the weekend, I was flipping (over exaggerated) crepes for a Sunday breakfast.  I rolled the crepes with sour cream and raspberry and apricot jam.  While cleaning up after breakfast, I noticed that each jar of jam had barely anything left inside.  Rather than discarding the minimal leftovers, I decided to make Apricot and Raspberry Flavored Iced Tea.


Place a bag of your favorite tea into each jar.
Fill with boiling water and allow to cool to room temperature.  
Close each jar with its original lid and refrigerate until cold.
Shake the iced tea inside the jar to release any last bit of the jam and pour the tea over ice.

Summer is here!  Now head out to your kitchen and see if you have any “barely-there” jars of jam.

And just in case you are curious, here are the crepes!

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First Time Carving a Pumpkin: Halloween Maple Leaf Pumpkin

26 Tuesday Oct 2010

Posted by in Crafts, Holidays

≈ 4 Comments

There’s a first time for everything, right?  That’s what they say.  Well, not sure about “everything,” but this Sunday was my first time to carve a pumpkin.  Let’s be honest, I didn’t grow up in this country, I moved to America at the age of 13, and Halloween and its traditions were not part of my childhood.  Who knows, perhaps at the age of 13 I thought I was too mature to dress up in costumes and carve pumpkins.

Fast forward a “few” years ahead.  I’m no longer 13.  I’m still mature, but couldn’t pass on the offer to carve pumpkins at a friend’s house on a Sunday afternoon.  While contemplating my artful master piece, my mom suggested I do maple leaves!  And I thought “why not?!”  I love the fall, I adore seeing the trees in all their glory as they change into crimson, golden, orange and burgundy colors.  And so it was decided – I was going to pick up a few fallen maple leaves and use them as a template for my first carved pumpkin.

I used a sharpie to lightly outline different size leaves in a random pattern and then got to carving.  Don’t forget to save pumpkin seeds and roast them while you are carving.  I like to roast mine with olive oil, kosher salt and a touch of cayenne pepper.