MAKE ICED TEA AT HOME, Y'ALL!

Martie Duncan June 10, 2015

It is hard to imagine... most people buy tea already made from the store these days rather than make it at home. I confess, I do buy tea already made when I'm on the road or when I'm in a hurry or I simply need a ton of it. But iced tea is so good when it is freshly made and poured over the ice when it is still barely warm. It is one of the cheapest and most versatile beverages you can make for a party and also one of the most refreshing! For those of you who have never tried to make iced tea yourself, here's the how-to. You may never buy a gallon of tea at the store again.

HOW TO MAKE ICED TEA

For a quart of tea you need a 1-quart tea bag and 4 cups cold water. Put the water in a pot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Drop in the tea bag. Let steep for 7 minutes. Discard the tea bag and let the tea cool completely.

To serve: Pour over ice. Add sugar, simple syrup, lemon, or mint, to taste. Ahhhh.

MAKE YOUR OWN SIMPLE SYRUP

I prefer using simple syrup to sweeten my iced tea and that way guests can adjust the sweetness to their own taste. Making simple syrup could not be easier. It is equal parts sugar to water.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Put the sugar into a pot with cold water. Stir to help dissolve. Over medium-high heat, bring just to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely. Pour into Mason jar. It will keep in the fridge for at least 2-3 weeks.

RECIPE: WICKED DEVILED EGGS

Martie Duncan June 2, 2015

I like these spicy deviled eggs for a BBQ; they really stand up to the bold flavors! Take my classic deviled egg recipe and add spicy Wickles Pickle Relish in place of the sweet relish. Sub Dijon for the yellow mustard and some hot sauce for an extra kick!

WICKED DEVILED EGGS

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 45 minutes including 17 minutes for the hard-boiled eggs

INGREDIENTS

12 hard-boiled eggs (get the how-to)

5 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dry mustard (like Coleman's)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/2 tablespoon Sriracha

1 1/2 tablespoons Wickles brand spicy pickle relish (or add a couple of dashes Tabasco to your favorite sweet relish)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

Paprika for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Carefully cut the boiled eggs in half. Set the whites aside to stuff. Put the yolks into a glass bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. I prefer a thicker consistency but add more or less mayo depending on the consistency you like. Use a fork to mash it all together until somewhat creamy; if there are some bits of egg peeking through, that's ok. Add the salt, pepper and relish. Check the seasoning. Combine well. Spoon the yolks into the egg whites or make a pastry bag from a plastic zip top bag. Spoon the mixture into the bag and push it into the corner and squeeze out the air. Snip the end and pipe nice little swirls onto your egg. I can do this so trust me, it's not hard. Chill until serving time, at least 1 hour.

GET THE HOW TO ON THE PERFECT HARD-BOILED EGG

PHOTO CREDIT: ARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY

COCKTAIL HOUR: POPSICLES AND PROSECCO

Martie Duncan May 21, 2015

Looking for a super easy and super fast cocktail or dessert for your summer dinner party, supper club, or get-together? Need the perfect "guest greeter" beverage for your wedding or rehearsal dinner? Why not make Popsicles and Prosecco... the perfect adult summer treat? This is a breeze to make, extremely affordable, and everyone will love it!

You can make your own homemade popsicles like I did or you can just buy really delicious flavors at most organic grocers. Even Wal-Mart has Mexican "paletas" (gourmet ice pops) in flavors like Coconut, Lime, and Mango. No matter what variety you choose, this party-starter or dessert is easy, elegant, and absolutely a crowd-pleaser! You can match your colors to your party's color scheme, or serve a variety of flavors like I have here. I find the fruity flavors work best rather than creamy flavors and I also prefer Prosecco to Cava or Champagne because it is a bit sweeter and pairs better, IMO.

So, all you have to do is to make sure your pops are really frozen so they don't melt too fast. Also, chill the Prosecco a little colder than you normally would. When you are ready to serve, just pop the popsicle into a wine glass, pour over the chilled Prosecco and serve! You can also serve this with chilled ginger ale, chilled Italian sparkling soda, ginger beer, or seltzer if you prefer not to serve alcohol.

VARIATIONS ON A THEME:

Coffee or Chocolate Popsicles with Kahlua

Lime, Orange, or Watermelon Popsicles with Chilled Tequila

Lemon Popsicles or Sorbet with a Shot of Chilled Chambord

Raspberry Popsicles or Sorbet with a Shot of Chilled Limoncello

Coco-Cola Popsicles with a Shot of Chilled Bourbon

You get the picture... for the sorbet, line up your glasses on a tray and chill for 30 minutes. first. Scoop in the sorbet and chill until party time. Just before serving, pour over the liqueur or serve the liqueur in a chilled shot glass on the side.