Thai Iced Tea!

You have all been asking about my Thai Iced Tea whenever I post a picture or little tid-bit about it, so I figured I would share all the details here, just for you. Plus, as usual, I added a few words of encouragement to top it off.

For starters, head on over to Amazon and buy this handy bag of loose leaf tea. It's a great price and if you use Amazon's Subscribe and Save for other items, you can get an extra 15% off!

Next, follow the directions on the bag! So easy. Here are some pictures of my process...

Fresh tea leaves! They smell amazing.

Put 4 Tablespoons (yep, that much) into 1 Cup of boiling water. I use the water straight from my insta-hot. Let it steep 4-6 minutes. (more on this pitcher below)

While the tea is steeping, I put 1 Tablespoon of sugar into my 2 Cup Pyrex liquid measuring cup. I have a major sweet-tooth, so if you do not, put less in :)

I also put a random amount of ice into a drinking glass. I ended up adding two more cubes, as this was not quite enough.

After the steeping time, I simply drain out the liquid from my handy tea pitcher, like so. My dear hubby got me this as a gift back when I discovered my intestines did not like a consistent diet of coffee. It gets used almost every day, and it's still working fabulously, three years later. Well worth the money!

Once I've stirred the tea with my sugar, making sure it all gets dissolved, I pour it over the ice.

After all this, I add a bunch of Half 'n Half. Just pour a Tablespoon or more in, see if you like it, and adjust from there.

Lastly, enjoy! This has become a pretty regular afternoon treat for me. After my trip to Thailand several years ago, I discovered these really are pretty authentic tasting. I can close my eyes and transport myself right back to that amazing, muggy, paradise.

Drinking my tea is not only a little treat, but also a great reminder to pray over the people I know there, to pray for the spiritual cloud of bondage to be dissipated in that country, and pray with great heart-ache for the people enslaved by others and by Satan there. I hope to go to Thailand again someday, but for now, I make it a point to contribute how I am able. Being a stay at home mom often feels less than ambitious, and I'm sure I don't have to explain to you the ways it can make you feel powerless. Our society encourages action, demanding that we prove our worth, and that can be hard to come up against while making a pleasant home for your family. Well, if "good vibes" and "happy thoughts" count as being worthwhile, our prayers are indefinitely more valuable. 

When you enjoy something special this week, take some time to thank the Lord and offer up a prayer for someone in need. It could be an individual you know, a country you love, or a scary situation you have heard about. Focus on God's knowledge of the problem, His ability and willingness to restore, and ask for the wisdom He desires to give. Don't feel discouraged by your inability to be as active as you desire, or as available as you were before children, but be blessed to participate in prayer, knowing you ARE a part of His redeeming plans.