my daddy's sweet tea.

warning: this recipe is written in the native tongue of georgian.
so, please read this with your best paula deen accent.

my daddy's sweet tea:
(a lot of us pronounce daddy as 'diddy' in the south.)

oh, and the man taught me the "about" measurements ...
true southern gentleman right there.

about 2 cups of sugar:
(you can make it to your family's taste, but us southerners believe the sweeter the better.)
daddy said if you don't start with at least almost 2 cups, it ain't really sweet tea now is it???

about 6 tea bags:
daddy said, "rachel nicole, 5 makes your tea weak, 7 puts lead in your pencil, but 6 is like seeing a southern bell in a peach dress ... perfection."
(i swear to goodness that's what he said to me.)

about 1/2 pot of water:
he always used a regular boiling pan for this.
i have a medium sized saucepan that is used ONLY for tea.
and yeah, it matters that much.

in my daddy's words:
alright now darlin', take yer pan and put yer water in it.
dump in yer sugar and mix it around a second so it don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
ain't nothing worse than having that sugar stick to yer pan.
you want all that sweetness in that there tea.
not left in that pan sitting right there just going to waste.
add yer tea bags, out over high fire.
then, you let that sweetness just boil it's little heart out.
darlin', you'll know when yer tea is done when you can smell that tea a-brewin'.
and it's frothy looking.
get a pitcher.
only use it for tea rachel nicole.
you understand me???
cause i can't stand the taste of tea that's put in the lemonade pitcher.
if i would have wanted lemon in my tea, i'd go up north.
you understand me, young lady???
now, you fill that there pitcher about 1/2 way with ice.
and then dump in yer tea.
now, add yerself some cold water to yer empty pan.
you don't waste none of that sugar now, you hear me?
you wanna fill up that tea pitcher to the rim with cold water.
now go over there and get me a glass with some ice in it.
don't forget to rinse it out first.
and then pour me a glass of tea.
and then yer done, you can pour one for yerself if you 'ont to.

god bless my daddy's little heart.
i'll never forget the day he taught me how to make it.
i was knee-high to a grasshopper.
{11 years old.}

i taught my yankee hubby how to make it, exactly how daddy taught me.
he looked at me like i was nuts.
AND he said, "what do you mean by lemon in tea, go up north?"

i really hope y'all enjoyed this.
i miss my daddy SO much.
it's hard living in separate states.
but at least while i was writing this i almost felt like i was with him.

and yes ... i seriously make this EVERYDAY.

hope y'all enjoy.

xo, rachel