Beverages

 BATUSHKA’S SUN-STEEPED ICED TEA

5 teabags

8 cups water

1/2 lemon, chopped

2 sprigs fresh mint

2 lemon verbena leaves (optional)

4 to 5 heaping tsp. white sugar

2 cups ice cubes

Early on a hot afternoon, combine teabags with room temperature water and place in a large covered glass jar.  Steep directly in the sunshine for at least two hours. 

Just before serving, place lemon, mint, and sugar in a very large pitcher. Remove tea bags from covered glass jar and pour the tea into pitcher with lemon mixture. Stir well. Add ice cubes and allow to cool briefly. Pour into tall glasses over ice and enjoy!

Serves 4 to 6.

Per Serving: 3 Calories; trace Fat (7.3% calories from fat); trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 19mg Sodium. 

ROSE PETAL "TEA FOR TWO"

1 Tbsp. dried organic rose petals, or the petals from 1 whole fresh picked fragrant red rose

2 cups boiling water

Place rose petals into a tea ball, warm the teapot and add very hot water. (Don’t use straight boiled water, let it cool a few minutes)  Steep 5 to 7 minutes. Sip as is, or sweeten with 1 Tbsp. of honey.

Serves 2.

ROSEWATER (Adapted from 10th Century recipe)

Gently simmer 2 cups organic RED rose petals in 1 cup of pure spring water for ten minutes until petals turn translucent and all color is extracted. (yellow roses turn the water brown)

Saucepan should cool to room temperature, then be covered and allowed to "age" overnight in the refrigerator. Strain petals. Pour into a glass bottle or jar. Keeps covered for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Use to drink or for a floral water  refresher for your skin.

For Sweetened Rosewater: to drink, or for baking, add 2 Tbsp. of honey before boiling.

MATUSHKA NATASHA'S PLUM LIQUEUR

1 pound fresh plums cut in halves, with or without pits

1 cup sugar

2 cups vodka or gin

Combine all ingredients in a glass or glazed pottery container.

Cover and steep for 3months in a dark place.

Strain through a sieve to remove plums (reserve plums; see note below).

Pour liqueur through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth, a paper coffee filter, or a fine linen cloth, and store in a glass or glazed pottery container.

NOTE: Strained plums when mashed up, and pits removed, make an amazing filling between cake layers, or on top of cake.

Per Serving: 204 Calories; trace Fat (2.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium. 

BERRY GOOD JUICE

4 to 5 cups frozen or fresh berries, any kind  (or half a fresh pineapple, diced, or combo)

1 cup white sugar

7 1/2 cups water

Blend the fruit in approximately half the water in a blender. Pour into a large pitcher and add the rest of the water. Strain through a sieve 2 or 3 times, pouring from the pitcher into a bowl and back again, pressing hard on the solids, until you have removed as many seeds as possible. Discard seeds. Add sugar to juice in the large pitcher, stir well, and chill before serving. You could also freeze these and make popsicles!

Serves 10.

Per Serving: 25 Calories; trace Fat (8.7% calories from fat); trace Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium. 

ORANGE FREEEZEE

3/4 cup orange juice  (try orange/strawberry/pineapple),

2 Tbsp. sugar or more to taste

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup of soy milk, or rice, or almond or coconut milk

10 ice cubes (while blending)

Put all ingredients together in a blender.

Serves 2.

Per Serving: 137 Calories; 3g Fat (16.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 19mg Sodium. 

EVE OF NATIVITY SECRET PUNCH:

2 (48 oz.) cans cranberry juice

1 sliced lemon

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

6 whole cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

1/3 cup brown sugar

Put all ingredients into slow cooker or large pot on stove, on low heat. The longer it simmers, the better the flavour. Do a taste test after a few hours to season or sweeten to your taste. If you wish, when serving,

a splash of rum or brandy may be added later to your cup.

Serves 16.

Per Serving: 127 Calories; 1g Fat (5.3% calories from fat); trace Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 12mg Sodium.

OLDE VICTORIAN LAVENDER-ROSE LEMONADE

6 cups water

1 3/4 cups white sugar

12 stems of fresh *organic lavender, using unblemished leaves and flower buds

1 cup of fresh *organic red rose petals

2 1/4 cups lemon juice

Boil 3 cups of water with the sugar.

Add the rose petals, lavender buds and leaves and remove from heat. Place on the lid and let cool.

When cool, add 3 cups of water and the lemon juice.

Strain out the lavender buds, leaves, and rose petals.

Serve the lavender and rose petal lemonade with lots of crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint.

Use only pure organic lavender or red rose petals, as yellow roses turn water brown.

Options: For a different taste, use fresh rosemary sprigs instead of the lavender

Serves 8-10.

Per Serving: 17 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); trace Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 6mg Sodium. 

SWEET RUSSIAN CHAI

18 oz Instant Orange Drink Powder

3/4 cups  Instant Lemon Ice-Tea Mix

1 1/2 cups  sugar

2 tsp cloves; ground

2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and keep in tightly sealed jar. 

Use 2 tsp of the mix per cup of boiling water. 

Can also be made and then iced.

Serves 12.

Per Serving: 267 Calories; trace Fat (0.3% calories from fat); trace Protein; 70g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 26mg Sodium. 

.

LAVENDER ICED MINT TEA PUNCH

6 tsp. dried mint or about 18 fresh mint leaves

6 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp. dried organic lavender buds

4 cups of ginger ale

1 cup concord grape juice

ice cubes with or without a fresh mint leaf frozen in each cube

Brew first 3 ingredients together for 10 minutes.

Allow the tea to cool.

Strain the tea and add the ginger ale, grape juice and ice cubes.

For a floral garnish, float a few lavender buds and fresh mint sprigs on top.

Serves 10.

Per Serving: 33 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium.

MASHA’S MEAD

1liter of pure pear juice

1 liter of pure blueberry juice

2 liters tonic water or ginger ale

1 liter pure cherry juice

¼  cup lime cordial (optional)

For each serving, pour 1/4 cup of each juice into a tall glass, and top up with 1/2 cup of tonic water or

ginger ale. Serve over ice cubes.

Serves 8

Per Serving: (excluding optional lime cordial) 217 Calories; 1g Fat (3.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 55g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 15mg Sodium

EASY ICED FRUITY TEA

Early in the morning: Brew a 6 cup-pot of tea using 3 tea bags and let it steep one hour.

Remove bags, and put the tea in the fridge.

Make up a pitcher of frozen lemonade.  Make 2 trays of ice cubes out of this lemonade. Freeze the cubes.  Refrigerate the rest of the lemonade, but first, add ANY combo of orange, grapefruit, cranberry, grape, or pineapple juice you have in your fridge to "top up" the lemonade pitcher.

To serve, pour into a tall glass, add half tea, and half of the lemonade/juice combo.

Add the lemonade ice cubes and a sprig of fresh mint if you have it!

Serves 6.

Per Serving: 54 Calories; trace Fat (2.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium. 

EASTERN ICED MINT GREEN TEA

3 cups brewed Green Tea

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup white sugar

5 cups boiling water

1 cup orange juice (optional)

Pour everything into a huge pot and let steep 7 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Strain and pour into another large container and add another cup of fresh mint leaves.

Chill overnight and serve over lots of ice.

Serves 8.

Per Serving: 19 Calories; trace Fat (2.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 8mg Sodium. 

FESTAL SPARKLING PUNCH

2 cups strong tea

1 cup brandy

1/2 cup white rum

1/2 cup Contreau liqueur

Small package of frozen whole strawberries

1 gallon or 1.5 liters of Sparkling Dry White Wine

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Pour into a very large punch bowl with a large block of ice that will fit in.  Then pour the Sparkling White Wine over everything in the bowl. Stir gently to chill.

Serves 40 in punch bowl-sized cups.

Per Serving: 96 Calories; trace Fat (1.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 7mg Sodium

. 

CARDAMOM COFFEE BREAK

In a drip coffee maker for every 4 Tbsp. fine grind coffee, combine with 1/8 tsp. of ground cardamom. Make coffee as usual