Honey Ice Cubes for your Fresh Herb Tea!

Honey Ice Cubes!
These are perfect for iced tea because they add a touch of sweetness without watering down the drink too much.  You can add them to just about any unsweetened or lightly sweetened drink, though.  If you like scotch on ice, try it with some honey ice cubes and you just might be in heaven!

Blend 1/2 cup of honey with 2 cups hot (not boiling) water and 2 tablespoons lemon (or orange or lime or even peach) juice.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Pour into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.  This makes 2 or 3 ice cube trays full, depending on the size of your trays.

Fresh Herb Tea
Just about any fresh herb out in your garden right now can make a refreshing cold tea.  I tend to use mints as a base and then experiment with adding one other herb for some subtle flavors.  Basil is a mint, so pepper or spearmint with a few sprigs of basil added lends a nice flavor to cold herb tea.  Try other herbs, though, such as lemon balm, lemon verbena, tarragon--even thyme or a sprig of rosemary.

1 cup fresh herbs, swished in a bowl of cold water to get rid of any dirt
2 quarts cold, filtered tap water
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey
Bring the cold tap water to just under a boil.  Bruise the herbs leaves by twisting them or mashing them to bring out their oils and place in a 3-quart heat tolerant container.  Pour the hot water over the herbs and steep for about 30 minutes (or until the tea reaches a strength you desire).  Strain the herbs out and add the honey, stirring to mix well.  Taste and check for sweetness, remembering that as the tea chills, the sweetness will diminish.  Chill well and serve over honey ice cubes!
Variations:  Before chilling, add juice of 1 lemon and then refrigerate.  Serve with lemon slices.  OR Add 1-2 cups of orange juice and serve with orange slices.  (When I use the orange variation, I usually just use spearmint or peppermint and skip the lemon balm and lemon verbena.)