There is a small thing I have been doing this month that not only helps keep my body healthy but reminds me to take little breaks. I have a secret recipe for a summer beverage that I think I may be willing to share finally and I promise you'll love it. I call it Health Tea. My hubby calls it "That Tasty Water Stuff." My son even drinks it and he can be kinda picky!
I make it in bulk and freeze portions not only to save money but to save me time. I will first cover how I make it in bulk and I will give the portions toward the end to make it in single batches in case you only want a little to try first. This beverage is beneficial for your body in how it helps you shed toxins, keeps you hydrated, gives you vitamins, and tastes amazing! Oh and did I mention it's cheaper than soda? Healthier too! ;)
Items you will need:
2 Lemons
4 Limes
1 Large Cucumber
1 small chunk of Ginger Root
Apple Juice
A pitcher (1-2 liter)
7-8 Ziploc Freezer bags
Wash all ingredients well. You will be leaving the skin on everything so make sure it's clean.
Slice Cucumber into 1/8" slices with skin on.
Slice the limes into 8 sections going from tip to tip. Slicing them in this direction keeps the pulp in the drink to a minimum.
You will cut the lime in half, then cut the halves in half, and then cut the quarters in half to make 8 slices from each lime.
Slice the 2 lemons the same way you sliced the limes.
I use very little ginger root because it is so potent. You will need less than 1 cubic inch and will slice it as thin as possible while still making it thick enough to stay in tact in water. The end result is slightly smaller than a quarter and about as thick.
Pull out 7 to 8 freezer safe bags. I use the 1 quart size. You will need 8 if you plan to freeze it all or 7 if you are making 1 batch to drink when done.
Into each bag you will put 2 lemon slices, 4 lime slices, 1 ginger slice, and 4-5 cucumber slices.
Fill each bag 1/2 way with water. Get as much air out as you can before you seal it. Label the bags so you know when they were made and then put them in the freezer.
I stack mine in the freezer to save room.
When you are ready to drink a glass pull a bag out of the freezer and put it in your pitcher. Pour fresh water over it until the pitcher is full. Once the ice melts you simple mix it 50/50 with apple juice and drink. I prefer to mix mine in the glass (I just eyeball the halfway point) because if you mix the apple juice in with the water it won't last as long in you fridge. If the water has too strong of a flavor for you add more water to dilute. I normally end up with 1.5 liters of water from 1 frozen bag.
I try to remove the floaters (the lemon, lime, ginger, and cucumber) from the water with a slotted spoon anywhere from 1 hour to 12 hours after the ice fully melts. If you leave the fruit in the water longer the taste becomes bitter. This will keep about a week in your fridge before you will need to make fresh.
The portions for a single batch are 1/2 a lime (4 slices), 1/4 of a lemon (2 slices), a small slice of ginger root, and 4-5 cucumber slices. When not freezing let ingredients sit in the water 12-24 hours before removing with a slotted spoon. Mix 50/50 with Apple Juice when ready to drink.
Slicing the ingredients every time you run out makes it seem like a lot of work. This is why I started making it in bulk. A nice variation if you want something a touch more refreshing even is to add a few mint leaves to the bags before freezing. It makes this refreshing beverage even more thirst quenching!
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this and if you came up with any variations of your own.
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As far as Tiny Tipis goes I must say it is well. I recently filed my LLC forms making it an official company. It's the first step in taking things to the next level. I've also been evaluating ways to expand and offer more choices. One way I plan to do this is by offering hand painted bags. These are fairly easy to do, don't take up extra space in my currently small home, and the end result is making my customers very happy. For each new design I keep a stencil that can be traced on the canvas and then paint each one by hand with acrylic paint. I could cut corners and iron on printed designs but I don't want to loose the personal touch the hand painting adds not to mention the higher quality end result. I plan to start a line of more modern ones as well that will feature graffiti style art.
"So buy some seeds and start a garden." Mom said.
My mom still can't believe I manage to buy groceries for three, diapers, and formula on a $300 per month budget. Sometimes I don't think I believe it either. The key to that is actually making sure to buy only what you need and NEVER waste. Single serving casserole dishes are a huge help as well as having access to a large freezer. I almost never buy meat at full price and instead make sure I get to the store early enough to have first pick of the sale items and then I can put them in my sub-zero freezer when I get home. After graphing my monthly food expenses I found that between non-obsessive coupon clipping, shopping sales, saving scraps, and doing the eCoupons through Safeway's website I can save myself an average of 30% of my bill. Potatoes that sprout no longer look like trash can liners to me. Shredded, soaked, and frozen between wax paper will save that bag of spuds and give me a side dish for breakfasts.
