You may say I’m an tea addict. I love tea! Where some folks crawl out of bed in the morning and head for the coffee pot, I head for my refrigerator and a big old glass of tea.

I used to have an iced tea maker – I didn’t like it. The thing only made a quart at a time. When I make tea, I make it by the gallon. I now have a cheap coffeemaker dedicated to making nothing but tea. Making tea in the same coffeemaker you make your coffee in just doesn’t get it – tea with a hint of coffee flavor is just plain nasty. It’s so much easier and safer to make tea in a coffeemaker – I’ve gotten busy and let pots boil dry several times. You don’t have that problem when using a coffeemaker.

Most people in the South like their tea really sweet. I just like tea period. I can drink unsweetened tea or any kind of tea with or without lemon. I’d probably like tea with mint, too, but have never tried it. When I make tea, I use four family-sized tea bags and 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar per gallon. Some people use more sugar – it’s a matter of taste. I seldom drink soda’s or eat sweets so I tell myself not to feel guilty about enjoying my sweet tea. There is, at least to me, such a thing as tea being too sweet, at least for me. I could get by with less sugar – I know it would be healthier, but other household members get rather testy about it so I’ll stick with the 1 to 1 1/2 1cups.

On cold days I’ve been known to pour tea into a coffee mug and heat it up in the microwave to warm up my old bones. I also enjoy a cup of chamomille or green tea, but neither comes close to my love of sweet tea! I’m not very fond of bottled teas or instant tea, but in a pinch they are better than no tea at all.