"Keep the Kitchen Cool" No-Bake Cookies and Refreshing Iced Tea

I feel like I have been out of pocket for a long time!  Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), things have been quite busy.  A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Dog (aka Bender) (aka Mr. Naughty) injured his back.  I still don't know how he did it, but it turned me into an instant worrying wreck.  He hurt it pretty bad, and he is still recovering.  Tomorrow will be three weeks since the injury occurred.  Upon taking him to the vet, I was promptly told to put him on bed rest.  That, in and of itself, is a challenge with a high energy dog.  No jumping, running, fetching, stairs, etc, etc.  The night I returned from the vet (around 11:00 p.m.), my immediate concern once I gave Bender his medicines was sleep arrangements.  Bender sleeps where I sleep.  Suffice it to say that I could have dragged out the ol' kennel and shoved him into that, but I didn't know if he'd be able to get comfortable in the confined area.  And in retrospect, I'm glad I didn't do that because he tossed, turned, and was up and down a lot trying to situate himself in a comfortable position for much of the first night.  Anyway, I ended up dragging the mattress off of the spare bed into the middle of the living room (and, oh, how unruly a mattress can be for one person to move by themselves!!) for Bender, the two cats and me to sleep on.  Really, I did it for me to sleep on, but it is what it is.  I'm pretty sure the cats both think I did it solely for their comfort. 

I call it the slumber party mattress. 

I should say, though, that Bender is doing much better and seems to have mostly normal days mixed in with a little bit of stiffness and soreness.  We're still taking things easy on the activity level, despite his protests and frequent requests to play fetch.

 

This morning in the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington areas, it is beautiful weather.  It is currently 65 degrees and sunny with a high to reach around 81 degrees.  I swear to you that I can see the backyard grass growing by the hour.  I've left the back door open and the animals run in and out at will, alternating backyard exploration and sunbathing with naps on the slumber party mattress. 

After flipping through several mouth-watering pins late last night, I could not wait to get up this morning and try a new brew, Orange-Earl Grey Iced Tea.  It'll go perfect with the approaching summer-like weather! 

Now, there are some things you should know about me.  First, I *love* iced tea.  I can drink it all day every day and never wish for anything more.  I think I inherited that trait from a certain someone or two.  Secondly, I really enjoy different flavors of teas with citrus flavors being at the top of the list.  Orange Spice, Lemon Zinger... I happily take teas that seem to be geared more for drinking them hot and turn them into ice cold refreshments.  And, lastly, Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas ever.  I can literally remember the very first time I ever drank Earl Grey tea many, many years ago and my reaction to it.  So, what I am trying to say is that this Orange-Earl Grey Iced Tea seemed right up my alley. 

Slurp. 

So, here's how you make it.

You'll need:
4 cups water
8-12 bags Earl Grey tea
1/2 - 3/4 cup of orange juice
Peel from 1 orange
Sugar or sugar substitute
4 cups cold water

First, cut two oranges in half and juice all of the halves.  You should end up with about 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.  Keep two of the halves and discard the other two. 

 In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and add 8-12 bags of Earl Grey tea, depending on how strong you like your tea.  I used 8.  The original recipe called for 12.  Additionally, drop in two halves of the juiced orange shells/skins.  Cover and let steep for about 10-15 minutes.

After steeping, pour into a pitcher through a strainer and then pour in the orange juice through the strainer.  I do prefer my tea to be pulp-free.
 

Sweeten to your taste using sugar or sugar substitute.  Stir until dissolved.  Then add in 4 cups of cold water.  Stir and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours. 

Now, me, I didn't do the chill part.  I made it and drank it.  I can't really help it; it's just how I am.  And it's good.  The orange flavor is just right, not overbearing, just a hint of the citrus.  The original recipe (which by the way is from eatingwell.com) called for 3/4 cup of OJ, but I stuck with the 1/2 cup and am quite content with that. 

So, whilst I sip, onto the next project...

At work tomorrow, we are having a bake sale to continue to raise money for the March of Dimes.  The walk is coming up soon and we have several employees who are participating in it.  There are a handful of people that signed up to bring in goodies and have them packaged so that people can buy things for $1 each.  I've got plans for additional items, but I started off with a new recipe that I grabbed from foodnetwork.com (click here to see original recipe) for Chocolate-Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies.  I've never made no-bake cookies before.  What can I say?  I am, after all, a baker. 

This is what we end up with:

For this super easy recipe, you'll need:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 Tbsp of cocoa powder
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups of quick cook oats
• waxed paper

First, in a large sauce pan, combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk.  Heat to a slow boil, stirring constantly. 

Boil for 1 minute to make sure sugar is well dissolved, then turn off heat.  Add peanut butter and vanilla; stir until combined.  Stir in the oats. 

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool completely until cookies are set and hardened.

Presto, you're done and off to sip more tea while the cookies set up! 

Well, I think that's enough for this entry.  I hope that you give the tea a try if you're in the mood for something a little different! 

Enjoy!!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child