BREWED TEA

SWEET TEA

LEAF.

EXTRA SWEET TEA

BLOOD ORANGE

STRAWBERRY MELON

PEPSI DIET

Pour 4 cups of fresh cold water into a kettle or saucepan. Heat water to the appropriate temperature for the tea type: about 175°F (80°C) for green tea, 195°F (90°C) for oolong, 205°F (96°C) for black tea or herbal. If you don't have a thermometer, bring to a simmer for green/oolong (small bubbles) or to a full rolling boil for black/herbal.

Heat water

If using loose leaf tea, measure 1 tablespoon of leaves per cup (4 tablespoons for 4 cups) and place in an infuser, teapot, or directly in the pot. If using tea bags, use one tea bag per cup (4 tea bags).

Prep tea

Pour the hot water over the tea leaves or bags. Steep for the recommended time: 2–3 minutes for green tea, 3–5 minutes for oolong, 3–5 minutes for black tea, and 5–7 minutes for most herbal tisanes. Avoid oversteeping to prevent bitterness.

Steep

When steeping is complete, remove the tea bags or strain the leaves out to stop infusion. If brewing directly in a pot, pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer into cups or a serving pot.

Remove leaves/bags

Taste the brewed tea. If desired, stir in honey or sugar (about 1–2 teaspoons per cup; here 2 teaspoons for the batch) while the tea is hot so it dissolves. Add milk (about 1/2 cup total) for black tea if you prefer a creamy cup. For a bright finish, squeeze half a lemon and drop the wedge into the pot, or add fresh mint leaves for a herbal note.

Sweeten and finish

Divide the tea among 4 cups. Garnish each cup with a lemon slice or a mint sprig if using. Serve hot immediately.

Serve

water

loose tea leaves or tea bags

fresh lemon (optional)

milk (optional, for black tea)

honey or sugar (optional)

fresh mint leaves (optional)

Pour 8 cups of cold water into a medium saucepan or kettle and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

Bring water to a boil

Remove the water from heat. Add 4 black tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose leaf tea in an infuser). Cover and let the tea steep for 5 minutes for a standard-strength brew or up to 7 minutes for a stronger brew. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

Steep tea

Carefully remove the tea bags or infuser. Squeeze the bags gently against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract flavor if desired, then discard.

Remove tea leaves

While the brewed tea is still hot (warm but not boiling), stir in 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar until fully dissolved. If you prefer using simple syrup for easier mixing and smoother texture, replace the granulated sugar with 3/4 cup simple syrup and stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness: add more sugar or syrup a tablespoon at a time if you prefer sweeter tea.

Allow the sweetened tea to cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. For faster cooling, place the pot in an ice bath or pour the tea into a shallow container to increase surface area.

Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per 8-12 oz glass). Pour chilled sweet tea over the ice, leaving a little room at the top. Stir briefly.

Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately.

Storage: Keep leftover sweet tea refrigerated in a covered pitcher for up to 3–4 days. Stir or shake before serving as separation may occur.

black tea bags (standard 1.5–2 g each) or loose leaf equivalent

granulated sugar

optional: simple syrup (replace sugar if preferred)

lemon slices (optional)

fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Wash and dry the mixed baby greens, basil and mint thoroughly in a salad spinner or by gently blotting with paper towels. Tear any large lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces. Place the greens and herbs in a large mixing bowl and chill briefly while you prepare the rest.

Prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the cucumber and radishes, halve the snap peas lengthwise and dice the avocado. Add the cucumber, radishes and snap peas to the bowl with the greens. Hold the avocado aside to add right before serving to avoid browning.

Toast the walnuts and pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate to cool. Roughly chop the walnuts once cool. Crumble the chèvre or feta and set aside.

In a small bowl or jar, combine the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey. Whisk until smooth. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking (or close the jar and shake vigorously) until emulsified. Stir in the minced garlic, chopped parsley, chives and optional tarragon/dill. Season with the sea salt, black pepper and lemon zest if using. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness as needed.

Make the dressing

Pour about half of the vinaigrette over the greens and vegetables and toss gently but thoroughly with salad tongs to coat. Add the diced avocado, toasted walnuts, pumpkin seeds and crumbled cheese. Toss lightly again to incorporate; add more dressing to taste (reserve any extra dressing refrigerated for up to 3 days).

Transfer the tossed salad to a serving platter or divide among 4 plates. Garnish with microgreens or edible flowers if using. Serve immediately.

mixed baby salad greens (butter lettuce, arugula, baby spinach)

fresh basil leaves

fresh mint leaves

English cucumber, thinly sliced

radishes, thinly sliced

young snap peas, halved lengthwise

avocado, diced

toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

crumbled chèvre (goat cheese) or feta

extra-virgin olive oil

fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

white wine vinegar

Dijon mustard

honey or maple syrup

fresh parsley, finely chopped

fresh chives, thinly sliced

fresh tarragon or dill, finely chopped (optional)

garlic, minced (about 1 small clove)

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

lemon zest (optional, for brightness)

microgreens or edible flowers (optional, for garnish)

In a medium saucepan or kettle, bring 6 cups of fresh cold water to a rolling boil over high heat.

Boil water

Remove from heat. Add 6 black tea bags to the hot water, pressing them gently so they are submerged. Cover the pan and steep for 6 to 8 minutes for a strong brew (8 minutes for maximum strength).

While the tea steeps, combine 1/4 cup hot water (reserved) with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup light brown sugar in a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. Stir until sugars are completely dissolved to make a thick sweetener. Using warm water helps dissolve sugar quickly and evenly.

Prepare sugar syrup

After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags, gently squeezing them against the side of the pot to extract flavor (avoid over-squeezing to minimize bitterness). While the brewed tea is still hot, stir in the prepared sugar mixture until fully combined. Taste and if you want it even sweeter, dissolve up to 1/4 cup additional granulated sugar in 2 tablespoons hot water and add incrementally, tasting as you go.

Remove tea bags and sweeten

If using, stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice now to brighten the flavor and balance the sweetness. This is optional but recommended when making very sweet tea so the drink isn't cloying.

Finish with lemon (optional)

Allow the sweetened tea to cool at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 minutes. For faster cooling, place the pot in an ice bath and stir until lukewarm before refrigerating.

Cool the tea

Fill tall glasses with about 1 cup ice each. Pour the chilled extra-sweet tea over the ice, leaving a small gap at the top. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a mint sprig if desired. Serve immediately.

Assemble and serve

Store any leftover sweet tea in a sealed pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Sugar can settle—give the pitcher a gentle stir before pouring.

Storage

black tea bags (strong-type, e.g., Assam or English Breakfast)

light brown sugar

hot water (for dissolving sugar)

fresh lemon juice (optional, balances sweetness)

ice cubes

lemon slices (optional, garnish)

mint sprigs (optional, garnish)

If you want a sugared or salted rim, run a fresh blood orange wedge around the edge of a chilled coupe or rocks glass. Dip the rim into coarse sugar or salt and set aside.

Prepare glass

If using fresh blood oranges, juice enough to yield 3 oz of juice (about 1 large or 1–2 small blood oranges). Strain to remove pulp if you prefer a cleaner look.

Juice fruit

Add vodka, Grand Marnier, blood orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup, bitters, and the egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice. Dry shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify and build a frothy texture.

Dry shake (if using egg white)

Add ice to the shaker and shake hard for 10–15 seconds until well chilled (or an additional 12–15 seconds if you didn't dry shake). The outside of the shaker should become cold and slightly frosty.

Wet shake

Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared chilled coupe or over fresh ice in a rocks glass, depending on preference. Double-straining (through a fine mesh) removes ice shards and any small pulp or egg white solids for a smoother drink.

Strain and serve

Float a blood orange wheel or a thin twist on the surface. Optionally add a couple of drops of bitters on the foam (if using egg white) and gently drag a toothpick through them to create a simple pattern.

Garnish

blood orange juice

vodka

Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)

fresh lime juice

simple syrup (1:1)

Angostura bitters

egg white (optional for texture)

blood orange wheel or twist

coarse sugar or salt (optional for rim)

ice (for shaking and serving)

Hull and quarter strawberries. Chop watermelon and honeydew into roughly 1-inch pieces. Reserve a handful (about 6 strawberry slices and 8 small melon balls or wedges) for garnish.

Prepare fruits

Place strawberries, watermelon, honeydew, lime juice, and granulated sugar in a blender or food processor. Let sit 2 minutes so sugar begins to dissolve into the juices.

Sweeten and lime

Pulse or blend on medium-high until mixture is mostly smooth but still slightly textured (about 10–15 seconds). If you prefer a very smooth purée, blend 25–30 seconds.

Blend

Add torn mint and basil leaves plus lime zest to the blender. Pulse 2–3 times to incorporate the herbs without entirely pulverizing them — you want flecks of green and fresh aroma rather than a completely uniform green purée.

Incorporate herbs

Taste and adjust: sample the purée. If it needs more brightness, add another teaspoon of lime juice. If it needs more sweetness, stir in up to 1 additional teaspoon of sugar and re-blend briefly.

If you prefer a smoother beverage, pour the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract liquid and leaving behind seeds and pulp. Otherwise skip this step to retain texture and fiber.

Strain (optional)

Fill two serving glasses with ice cubes (about 1 cup of ice divided). Pour the strawberry-melon purée evenly into the glasses, filling them about two-thirds.

Chill and assemble

Top each glass with cold sparkling water or club soda (about 1/2 cup per glass) and gently stir once to combine. Adjust carbonation level to taste — use a little less to keep it more fruit-forward.

Top with bubbles

Garnish each glass with reserved strawberry slices, melon balls or wedges, and a small sprig of mint. Serve immediately with a straw and a small spoon for the fruit bits.

Garnish and serve

Storage note: leftover purée can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Stir well before using; add a splash of water if it thickens.

fresh strawberries

seedless watermelon (chopped)

honeydew melon (chopped)

fresh mint leaves (torn)

fresh basil leaves (optional, torn)

lime zest

cold sparkling water or club soda

fresh strawberry slices (for garnish)

small melon balls or wedges (for garnish)

Place a glass in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare other components. This keeps the drink cold longer without excessive dilution.

Chill and prepare glass

Fill the chilled serving glass with 4–6 ice cubes, leaving room for the liquid to be poured without overflowing.

Add ice

Open a 12 fl oz can or pour 12 fl oz from a bottle of chilled Diet Pepsi slowly into the glass over the ice to preserve carbonation.

Pour Diet Pepsi

If desired, squeeze the lime wedge briefly over the drink and drop it in. Add a mint sprig as a garnish. Serve immediately.

Brewed Tea

Sweet Tea

Leaf.

Extra Sweet Tea

Blood Orange

Strawberry Melon

Pepsi Diet