too good not to share

A few things I am loving today:

Concentrated Iced Tea JarsI got this idea from the fabulous angry chicken blog. In order to have room in her fridge for three different kinds of iced tea, amy brews superstrong iced tea in little mason jars and then uses a few tablespoons of her concoction plus ice and water to make her tea of choice. This is brilliant y’all… and so much more compact than trying to squeeze three large sun tea jars in an already full fridge. Currently, I have a green tea jar, a black-plus-peach tea jar and a green-and-mint tea jar in my fridge. Revolutionary.

Rhubarb Simple SyrupI love rhubarb, friends. I could eat strawberry rhubarb pie every day (preferably for breakfast), am growing rhubarb in my garden, pour rhubarb syrup on anything requiring syrup, and think that this tangy fabulousness paired with something sweet is heaven. Inspired by soulemama, Adam and I made rhubarb simple syrup the other night by boiling rhubarb with sugar and water and then straining. Soulemama mixes this yumminess with tequila and lime juice for an oh-so-delectable refreshment, but I think it can also be added to a shaken-tea-lemonade or even just iced tea for a little bit of deliciousness. We’re also experimenting with several ideas for a Gentry-family-signature-cocktail, but I can’t share the details until after the annual Ludwig family drink contest in July. Stay tuned.

Summer To-Do List
Oooh, this is a good one. The Inspired Room highlights this great idea for a family tradition by meg duerksen– poster sized summer to-do lists. Seriously great, huh? If you have kids, or grandkids, or just love making lists and having family traditions like I do, this is a terrific way to celebrate summer!

Summer Eats: Couscous with Cherries and ChickpeasI got this recipe from my mama (who got it from some magazine, I believe) and it’s too good not to share! Again, glory, pure glory!

Ingredients: 1 cup couscous
1/2 cup dried cherries (or raisins, craisins, dried apricots). I used fresh cherries and it was delicious!
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large orange or yellow bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
1/4 large red onion cut into thin slices
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

Directions: In a large pot, boil water with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place couscous into boiling water, cover, remove from burner and let stand until ready to use.
Meanwhile, cut peppers, cilantro and onions. Pit cherries, if using fresh cherries. Open and drain the chickpeas. Place everything in a large bowl.
Stir the couscous in the pot to break up. Put into the large bowl with the other ingredients.
Whisk the 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar together with the specified amounts of orange juice, cumin, ginger and cinnamon. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

That’s all for now. I’m off to work on my summer to do list while I eat more couscous and drink more tea… perhaps some tea with a dash of rhubarb simple syrup. Oh how lovely.

*all images from blogs mentioned…