grandma's cookbook - Refreshing, Blueberry, Green Tea!

Today is National Tea Day - while I'm not particularly a fan of hot tea, I do love iced tea, so let's learn some interesting things about tea and I'll share my favorite blueberry, green, iced tea recipe with you. Did you know . . .

• Tea is the second most consumed beverage on the planet – after Water. It has even greater consumption than Coffee.
• Globally, over 3 million tons of tea is produced every year.
• More than 1.42 million pounds in weight of tea are consumed in the U.S. every single day.
• Tea is valuable, ranked 31st in the most valuable crop/livestock league table. 
• In some areas of the world, up until the early 20th Century, Tea, in particular, Pu-Erh Tea, has been used as a form of currency.
• Tea is known to be a natural source of fluoride. It helps protect against both tooth decay and gum disease.

You will find more interesting facts about tea at this link and more information about National Tea Day at this link.

Any day is the perfect day for iced tea! Try this recipe with your grandchildren . . . it is simple, quick and so delicious! A big added "plus" is the health benefit . . . blueberries and green tea are so good for you! My husband never liked tea, until I made blueberry tea for him! Now he drinks my tea instead of pop! My grandsons love this tea, too . . . and the only sweetening comes naturally from blueberries . . . not sugar!

Recipe -

• 1/2 cup blueberries - I use frozen blueberries as they are easy to come by all year long!
• eight teaspoons of loose-leaf green tea (or eight tea bags)

Use your iced tea maker - I like Mr. Coffee's Iced Tea Machine and West Bend's Back to Basics Iced Tea Machine - put your blueberries and tea in the basket, add water to the reservoir and ice in the tea pot . . . allow it to brew and enjoy!

Enjoy!