Thursday, November 5, 2009

sweet tea for baby j

So in an effort to convince Jonah that not everything that goes toward his mouth is negative...

I let him try sweet tea.

And Jonah, the boy who won't open his mouth for anything, opened right up (over and over again) for some good ol' sweet tea.



Here in the south, we like to start 'em early.

And for those of you who've asked, here is how I like to make mine -

I always use the Lipton Decaf tea bags. I definitely think Lipton is better than Luzianne. I typically get the Family size bags. (But I'd say five or six of the small bags equals two of the big ones.)

I turn a burner on high and fill a medium saucepan about 3/4 full of water. (OK, really I don't know what a "medium saucepan" is exactly. I use not the smallest pots I have, but the next size up... the size you'd warm up a big can of soup in.)

I put four family size tea bags in the water.

I let the water get to a boil, and then almost immediately turn it off. (It's okay if it boils for about a minute, but no longer.)

I then let it sit for about five minutes (but no longer) while I put my sugar in my gallon pitcher. For a gallon of tea, I use about 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Suuuh-weeeet.

I then pour the tea over the sugar in the pitcher, using a slotted spoon and mashing the extra tea liquid out of the bags.

(I don't like my tea to taste over-brewed... think Bojangles...blah... so that's why I don't boil it very long, don't let it sit for very long, and get rid of the bags early.)

I add a little more hot water and mix the sugar until it dissolves and then fill the pitcher the rest of the way up with cold water.

I put it in the fridge and usually don't touch it for 24 hours... or at least until it's really, really cold. (THIS may be the most important part!)

I like NOT using ice if I can get by with it.

So that's how I do it, and it's dang tasty if I do say so myself.

Here are my DON'TS for sweet tea:

- DON'T use Splenda when making sweet tea. You might as well give up tea altogether.

- DON'T make tea in a coffee pot. No matter how much you clean the pot, you can taste the coffee (or I can, anyway).

- DON'T over-brew your tea. If you leave it too long and get distracted or let it boil longer than just a couple minutes, start over.

- DON'T buy "sweet" tea in a bottle at a convenience store. It's GROSS. And in most they add that fake lemon flavoring, and that's even worse.

My DO's:
- DO try the sweet tea at El Maguey. It's the best I've ever had. Seriously.

- DO give sweet tea to your eight-month-old. DO NOT care what other people may think of you because of this.

It's your blog and your kid and you'll let him drink sweet tea (AND WATCH TV EVEN THOUGH HE'S UNDER TWO YEARS OLD) if you want to. (Some people - ahem, Anonymous - need to get a life.)

85 comments:

Jessica said...

love the pic of Jonah drinking the tea!
(yeah...I let my 5 month old watch TV too!) :)

SuziQCat said...

That's gonna be some sweet tea for sure! I only use about 3/4 cups of sugar for a gallon, and feel it's plenty sweet.

We grew up drinking sweet tea and coffee too! Mom said she would put a touch of coffee in our milk bottles...we loved it! Still love a good cup of coffee, with cream today too. No harm done!

Valerie said...

we started my daughter young as well.....like 8 months old or something! she LOVES it!

Sarah said...

He probably thinks he's so big drinking Mom's drink. Too cute!
I've been letting my 8 month old eat and drink with me here lately (you know as long as it isn't too spicy or salty) and she LOVES it! This is such a fun time.
Have a great day.

M J said...

When my youngest was 9 months old the doctor said that if we were eating it and she could chew it, she should have it with the exception of major choking hazards, sooooo I would say that sweet tea falls into that category! :)

Samantha said...

My kids LOVE sweet tea and have since they were little. They have all been born and raised in Houston Texas, very southern.

The picture is just too cute! He looks so excited. Now every time he sees you drinking out of a glass, and it resembles tea, he is gonna be thinking "THAT LADY BETTER GIVE ME THAT, IF SHE KNOWS WHAT'S BEST!" hehe

Samantha

Anonymous said...

TV is just NOT as evil as *some* people make it out to be! Neither is sweet tea. :)
Thanks for sharing your recipe! Up here in the North, I always thought sweet tea was some fancy concoction... it's just brewed iced tea with a bunch of sugar in it... I do that all the time! Who knew I was already making sweet tea??
Thanks for sharing your tips!

Anonymous said...

No complaints here! Anonymous would fall over if s/he knew mine was eatting applesause at 7 WEEKS old...and LOVIN it thankyouverymuch! No one knows whats best for YOUR baby, but YOU! You are the best darn Mama Jonah could have asked for, and if sweet tea is what his taste buds like, then I say, Let him have it! Dare to be bad...put it in his bottle! May trick him into thinking bottles aren't so bad! :-)

As for TV...that was the only way I could do anything...eat, shower, laundry...what was it invented for if we aren't supposed to watch it?

You go girl ~ you ROCK in my opinion!

~Dana in MS

Anonymous said...

That is exactly how I have always made mine, and so did my mom, grandmas, mother-in-law, aunts, great-grandmas, the ladies in church--all great authorities! And I agree with you that letting it sit overnight and get COLD is key! Welcome to the club, Jonah--you know a good thing when you see it!
karen in clemmons

The Foster Home said...

Most def start them early! Why deny them one of the great pleasures in life!! I started my kids early too and they love it!!

Jen Burns said...

lol ;p

emily ebeling said...

A true Southern boy, I am sure :)
Thanks for the recipe- I'll have to have a try soon!
And I love your sense of humor about the "anonymous" who leaves negative comments... They do need a life! I pray that they turn around and see how loving of a mom you really are, and how amazingly strong you are in Jesus that you (and your hubby, of course) can stand up under the trials put before you as parents. You will always find a way out from under it in God.
How awesome is that thought!
WOOT!
Take care,
from your prayer warriors in Milwaukee,

Em, Jon, and the J-man

Shannon said...

Word...my 3 year old drinks Diet Coke on occasion.

As my Mom says, "Do what works."

jess said...

AWESOME that you found something to help the little dude learn that food can be fun! Drink some for me Jonah!

Libby said...

Patrice, that is so cute! We haven't given N. tea yet (of course, his dad doesn't understand about sweet tea in the first place!), but I think it's a perfect solution for encouraging mouth opening! What about ice cream, too? (Always a favorite at our house, since 4 months old!)

momma said...

think of all the added calories he can get from that tea :)

i think it's great that jonah loves sweet tea!!!

The Pelhams said...

Amen Sista!! My kids got their first sweet at their 6 month birthday! Then at 9 months we took them to McDonalds and let them play and have orange pop for the first time! I think my 3rd child had ice cream at like 5 months?! Just a little taste!!

michelle said...

my little ones love sweet tea too. I always make it decaf for everyones sake! ha! you know something I have done for my boy who has a sweet tooth, is add unsweetened applesauce to his veggies. do you think baby j may like his food "spruced up" a bit? just a thought, never know what may help. =)

Rebekah said...

Amen sista!!

Lyndsay said...

I love it! We are total tea drinkers too. I'm from WA so we don't make it quite as sweet at you guys do. I have a Mr. Coffee Tea Maker and love it. I too use only Lipton Tea Bags, but I gotta have the caffiene. It makes 3 quarts and I use a 1/2 of sugar for that. You probably wouldn't be able to even taste the sugar though. :) :) I also like my tea strong and dark so I love that the Mr. Coffee Tea Makers has a strong setting. No worries about giving Jonah sweet tea...we have two boys (Owen almost 3 and Jack almost 18 months) and they have both been given sweet tea in their sippy cups ever since they started using sippy cup. Heck...my husband makes himself iced coffees and puts that in their sippy cups too. They chug it down! :) Who knows maybe this will help Jonah be more open to trying more foods.

Anonymous said...

You go, girl! My dad LOVES to tell the story of an argument I had with him when I could barely talk. It went something like this:

Dad (hands sweet innocent baby bottle of milk)

Sweet, innocent baby (a.k.a. Me): Tea!

Dad: Milk.

Me: Tea!

Dad: Milk.

Me: Tea!

Dad switches bottle of milk for bottle of tea. ;-)

Of course, I think Luzianne is way better than Lipton, but, as you said, it's your blog; you can say what you want. ;-)

Brenda is SO Blessed said...

...go girl! I love your blog. and baby J. knows the good stuff when it is offered to him. i agree with everyone else....maybe it will connect that the stuff going in the mouth can be delish too.

Christina said...

So precious! I just know my little guy would love sweet tea! My husband grew up on UNsweetened tea. He cant handle when I make it sweet but I looooove it.

P.S I dont know what Id do with out the tv!

erin said...

i love my sweet tea too!! it is the bomb yo! i do use my coffee pot unlike you...maybe you can add a little sweet tea to jonah's milk!! LOL..whatever it takes right?!
much love and blessings~erin

Michelle said...

OK, I had never heard of the whole heating the water over the stove with the tea bags and then pouring it into the pitcher thing until I met my in-laws from Georgia. Up north, we would heat the water then pour it in the pitcher then add tea bags and remove them once cool. But you just can't beat good sweet tea! Glad Jonah loves it so much!

Mrs. O said...

Let him have tea, let him eat cake, and let him watch TV. If it makes him a happy boy, it's no one's business but yours. Who knows what's best for your handsome boy than you?

(But as a side note, he'll do so much better if the TV is on the Disney channel ... hahaha) ;-)

Anonymous said...

Your blog made me laugh so hard today! :) I am from the south but didn't grow up in a tea drinking family. I work with a campus ministry and am in charge of cooking for one of our retreats...and of course, our students want sweet tea. I somehow seem to forget this and every year, I have to call my mom to get instructions on how to make sweet tea. Not this year, I know have an official "baby j" sweet tea recipe! :) I'll never be scared to make sweet tea again (and might even learn to like it)!

Thanks & much love & prayers!!!

Laura

Jenny said...

I a from Ohio and still luv my sweet tea! I too have given my babies tea and let them watch tv. My oldest is 11 and just made 1st honors. So must not have done too much damage! Go Jonah!

Ellen said...

lol..I love your posts! I love your recipes! My daughter and hubby love sweet tea and make it themselves, but its great to have a southerners recipe! I let all 5 of my kids watch tv..alot of it and they are all intelligent and going to college to be things like a vet and psycology etc. And my son had colic soooo bad and was always crying when awake, that my hubby would let him suck on a hersheys kiss when my hubby was holding it! But I love the pic of Jonah drinking out of the big glass! He knows what tastes good! lol

SweetP said...

So cute. I bet he thought it was suh-weet, too. I think our daughter has been taking sips of our sweet tea since she was about 5 months old. Actually, from our experience, I've found that it can even help ease her stomach a bit if she's been having a really bad bout of reflux. (Not saying to try that with baby J, but that's what we've noticed the past couple of months.)

It's been a while since we've commented, but we've continued to read your blog and pray for all of you.

In God's Love!

B said...

Girl, you go on with the sweet tea tastings :) It's not like you're filling his bottle with kool aid!
I thought it was so cool tonight, I was watching True Hollywood Story on Courtney Cox. She shared about her charity work and how she supports The EB Medical Research Foundation!! You might already know this with all the research you've done, but of course, we thought of Jonah and got excited to see celebs supporting these precious children with EB.

DJones said...

Sweet tea is pretty much the only thing our son will drink when we go out to eat. He's 5 1/2yrs. But when he started drinking all of daddy's tea, he had to get his own! LOVE the pic!

Covey said...

Seriously in a pot?? You have got to try the Iced Tea maker thing--a true lifesaver and it does a great job because you can adjust how long the water steeps the bags to suit your taste. I love it! They are only $20 at Walmart--probably $25 at Target :)

Good idea with Jonah showing him that good stuff can be eaten! I second the ice cream at an early age! My second is a much better eater than my first probably because we were less careful with her :)

Paige said...

Hate to be the bringer of more "bad" fantastic ideas...what about a little of the powdered chocolate or strawberry mix to help out his bottles? I also always mix in fruit with the kids veggie baby food. You know what they say- a spoonfull of sugar helps the medicine go down. And, I hate to tell all of the meanies- my kids had sweets early and now actually prefer veggies now.

Anonymous said...

LOL...he's a true southern boy! I live in WI, but went to college in VA, so I had my fair share of sweet tea. Now when I make it at home the people up here think it is gross how sweet it is. I tell them they are crazy :) I give my just turned 1 year old bites of my chocolate bars, ice cream, cupcakes, etc. All in moderation, and not very often but a little sweetness never killed a baby!

~Amy

P.S. - You should see the stares I get when I let my 3 year old finish off the last bit of my Starbucks. People assume it's coffee, even though it's really tea, but you'd think I was feeding her poison the way other parents shoot me judgmental glances :)

Heather said...

LOL...cute, cute! He has good taste! Maybe he just REALLY has a sweet tooth and is waiting for the good food : )

ashpuck said...

Love it! We love sweet tea and TV. Both of my boys do both on a daily basis. The shock!

:o)

Heather said...

Go Jonah !! drink it up boy :)

Patrice thanks for the recipe. Gotta go out and buy me some tea bags.

I've made sun tea.

Put 4 tea bags in a large glass 4L jar full of cold water. Place in sun for 4 hours.

Remove tea bags and add 3/4 c sugar and 1 can frozen concentrated lemonade. Stir and refrigerate.

Unknown said...

I remember watching my grandmother make tea every morning and she kept in on the counter in the gallom size mason jars. she had to make one gallon of unsweetened tea for my dad--the man from new york who had no idea what sweet tea was.

Today I make sun tea when the weather allows, and I don't drink sweet tea anymore, and I have no idea when I stopped nor why.

I loved this post, and happy to see Jonah enjoying a very southern tradition.

--Mari

Maythi said...

love it! i think i drink my weight in sweet tea every day. and i also like mine nice & sweet (with real sugar) absolutely NO artificial sweeteners. let that baby enjoy his sweet tea - how could you deprive him of such a delicacy?? and by the way, i am SO tired of "anonymous" people too. what is up with that? if you have an opinion, own it!

Jennifer said...

tv time was the only time I could take a shower! My kid would wake for the sound of the shower running at nap. As for suh-wheet tea... Ours isn't as sweet, but I add water to the medium pot 3/4 full. Add sugar (to your liking) let boil. Add tea bags (we use flavored teas) and let it seep! Gallon jug add cold water and tea mixture!! D-licious! I LOVE reading your blog!! Love it!!

Jennifer :)

Williams' Family said...

I love these pictures! My husbad is from Durham, and he started all our boys on sweet tea at a young age!!!!

Have you ever tried the Lipton Cold Brew Bags? No boiling required....just put the bags in cold water and add the tea.......let it sit and it is ready! So easy!!!!

Mindy said...

I am jealous. Mine don't like sweet tea. But that just means MORE for me and Chris. Yipppeeeeee!!

Also, for some (usually those up north) you may want to say that adding sugar to cold unsweet tea is NOT "Sweet Tea"!! Very HUGE difference! :-)

And... my 13 month old LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - So.... There.....

Anonymous said...

I have never seen such detailed tea instructions - this is what I needed! Shamefully, I am a southern gal who has yet to master the fine art of sweet tea. Gonna give it another whirl with these fine detailed directions...I'll let ya know how it turns out!

Love & prayers from SC

Barbara said...

Look how smart you are making Jonah!!! Every child from the South should experience sweet tea from Mama's glass, makes it all the sweeter. Gotta love sweet tea and Jonah!!!!!

Tara said...

I think we are tea twins! I make mine the exact same way.
I give tea to my 14 month old if she wants sips and she also opens wide for many many sips. She has done this since she was about 8 months old and had her first sip of sweet tea.
I also let that same 14 month old watch tv. She does not "sit and watch" too much but when a song comes on she darts over to it and starts dancing.
Whew I am so glad I am not the only one out there!!

Melissa said...

My almost 2 year old little girl LOVES her sweet tea. If we pull into the drive thru at McDonalds or Chick-fil-a - she immediately starts saying "Tea, tea, tea, tea!" - she has been drinking tea since she was about 6 months old (maybe younger).

Sandy said...

Yaaaay for Jonah!!! He's a sweet tea drinker! Nothing like it.

Grape News said...

You go girl! Now just puree up some vegis and friuts and add them to your tea and he's good to go! And amen on the anonymous "jab"

RLR said...

Patrice - that's one smart boy you've got there! Nothing better than some sweet tea!

Janel said...

Ok - as for the tea - You do WHATEVER works!! at the patient care conference they handed out a list of ways to add calories to your kids diet - "anonymous" would have a heart attach if he/she read that list!

My 3 year old (eb free) says "sweet tea" every time we pass a McD's and every time we go out to eat. She also drinks Diet Coke and tried to drink my Mocha today. When I said "no, its mommy's coffee" she says "I like coffee". She was under a year when she had her first sweet tea and under a year when my mom let her taste coffee.

Also - she won't drink regular milk - she gets 2 sippy cups of chocolate milk every day - might be worth trying with Jonah to get him to drink (hershey in his formula? couldn't hurt).

NOW - onto the TV, seriously - I would be in an institution if it wasn't for the TV - she has been falling into a cartoon coma since she was 3 months old! Tigger taught her to wistle before she was year old and she knew her colors in spanish before english - thank you Dora!

So - basically I say to you - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Anonymous said...

Hey mom! That's not very "christian" of you to tell me to get a life. Maybe you need to get one too besides going to Target every chance you can get and then blogging endlessly about it!!! If you don't like my comments about T.V. then maybe you will listen to the American Academy of Pediatrics and what they say about children under 2 watching T.V. (see below)

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch ANY (hear that Target mom!) TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.

Bethany said...

patrice,
i love reading your blog! you crack me up. i've been following for a while now, but i don't think i've ever commented. thank you for sharing your heart, and jonah's story. your faith amazes me! i love that you constantly petition God for a miracle in his life! that is so beautiful.

i can relate: i have a 14 month old daughter who was born with a congenital heart defect called HLHS. basically, she has only one working side of her heart. she has had several surgeries and will have more in the future... all that to say: she is tiny and i do all that i can to get her to gain weight, which includes feeding her donuts and cookies on demand. lol. she has a major sweet tooth. she's really small, so i get lots of strange looks as we go down the grocery aisle while she has chocolate chip cookie covering her face. (why would that crazy lady feed cookies to her little baby??!) sheesh!

as for the sweet tea, i think it's great that you are teaching jonah that what goes into his mouth can be good! you are such a great mom!

hugs,
bethany

Mrs. Hoot said...

anonymous, you should really, REALLY get a life. seriously. they're really fun. maybe you could use it to put that unbridled sense of worry for other people's kids to good use as a social worker or something, you know, helping kids who REALLY need it, not ones who are so very lucky and blessed to be born to two loving, wonderful parents.

Katie said...

She's Christian, not perfect. There's a difference.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous REALLY needs to get a life and stop reading this blog if it bothers him and her so much. Anonymous also really needs to take a trip to Target to take the edge off.

Katie said...

Oh, and speaking of not being perfect, you know you need to add more sugar to that tea. 1 cup to 1/2 gallon.

I love you. Don't hit me.

Anonymous said...

Patrice, you know I always have to comment on how precious your boy is and I have followed your blog since the day Jonah was born. I am so so so sorry you have to deal with critical glances in public as well as criticism here on YOUR blog. All I can say is people have to choose their battles and man, if you haven't gone through enough in your life to figure out what those battles are...I just cannot even relate. So much more to deal with or worry about then little stuff. It's the little stuff, the "beautiful things" you mentioned this week that make it all worth it. So, with all of that said. Enjoy that boy of yours and let the anonymous people worry about the other junk. It's just not worth it.

Oh and before I forget...I am Southern and I drink sweet tea too. Just had to introduce myself to the club. lol

Marcy said...

my daughter LOVES sweet tea and also watches tv

Janet said...

Guess you couldn't get through the night without "anonymous" to get his/her idiotic comments in here! I wonder how many other blogs he/she leaves rude, inconsiderate comments on?

Patrice, you and Matt are wonderful parents and Jonah is so very lucky to have you two!

Don't let the rude remarks bother you.

Janet

Just Believing said...

I agree girl those people need to get a life I've had them too! Its like if yours so proud of what you have to say come out of hiding!

my baby girl loves baby einsteins! not 8 hrs a day but some time and the rest of the time is spent with me and our family lovin n her she certainly gets more than enough love and attention just like jonah!

your love for that handsome little man spills over in every post!

PS sweet tea is the best and its not a wonder Jonah is in love :)

happygeek said...

I'm a Canadian who fell in love with Sweet tea while living and teaching for two years in Texas.
I was TOTALLY looking for a good recipe.
Thank-ya.
I was once a smug and sanctimonious non-TV mom. Then life happened. In my case it was colic (which is NOTHING like what you've had to deal with) and now I've eaten a great deal of humble pie and my kids watch it. SAVED MY SANITY.
You do what you need to do to do the best for your kid! If it's a little TV, then go for it.

Nancy said...

Please answer this for a northerner... so, really, how does McDonald's sweet tea compare the real thing? Is decent? Aweseome? Lame?

Amanda said...

Oh my gosh, sweet tea is *amazing*. I'm glad to hear that Jonah agrees. ;)

Do y'all have McAllisters around there? They have some of the best sweet tea in the whole world (and yes, I am confident with that sweeping generalization).

Annalien said...

Thanks for sharing about the sweet tea :-). I live in South Africa and have always wondered about the sweet tea you were talking about. In South Africa it is called ice tea. (Personally I prefer my tea hot with milk and sugar.)

I do not think there is anything wrong in giving your baby tea, especially if it is decaffinated.

In South Africa we have a herbal tea that is absolutely excellent for babies - I give it to mine by the bottle full from 6 weeks! It naturally has no caffeine, is full of anti-oxidants and has a soothing effect on tummies. It is also naturally tastes somewhat sweet, but I always add a bit of sugar as well. In South Africa it is called Rooibos (an Afrikaans word) tea - translated that would Red bush tea. I know the tea is available in the UK, but I am not sure about the US. If you can find it, I would strongly recommend it for Jonah and maybe you would like it too :-). (I just googled it - you can check out www.rooibos.com for starters if you are interested.)

Alison said...

So, I know nothing of southern culture but what I experience through voyeurism (aka blogs). But, this sweet tea thing sounds intriguing. This prairie girl living in the Pac. NW may just have to give it a try.

Where I am from, some babies have been known to have a few sips of coffee from a spoon. I guess I couldn't really say, but they just might like it about as much as Jonah enjoyed the tea.

Immersing kids in their culture is a great idea, even at 8 months!

Jenny said...

Sweet tea is the BEST! Something is wrong with my boys-they think it's yucky! Oh well, more for mama. :0)

I just want you to know I rarely comment but after every post you write, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy hearing about your precious family. You are such an amazing Mommy.

Meredith said...

Be still my heart... you're the 1st southerner I've met that prefers Lipton to Luzianne.... all of my southern friends think I'm crazy that I prefer Lipton and say it's just cause I'm from Ohio.

I hope the sweet tea really works teaching Jonah that not everything that goes into his mouth is disgusting!

I love your blog, your humor and wit and your sweet little family (sounds a little stalker-ish). Keep doing your thing... your posts are real and genuine... we don't see enough of that anymore

Elaine said...

Hey Patrice. This is the first time I've posted a comment even though I have been reading your blog since Jonah was born. I just love to read it. Anyway, I want to say AMEN to what you said to Anonymous. It's no one elses business and he/she is a coward. Secondly, I love sweet tea. I was just thinking that with Jonah's eating problems, a little extra liquid is probably very good for him, and tea is supposed to be good for you too. I think you are a great and patient Mom. Keep up the good work.

Sandra said...

This cracks me up-- we are Southern tea drinkers also! And you are right -- there is a right way to make it and a wrong way.

I agree-- give him tea!

Leia said...

I'm surprised you didn't start him earlier! I love sweet tea, my Mawmaw's is my favorite!

Leia

Michele B. said...

My youngest could say "sweet tea" (and "lollipop"!) before he could say his name! Gotta love the south! Enjoy it Jonah!!! Your mom is THE BEST!

Jessi said...

Looks like he's enjoying it...way to be a southern boy, Jonah!
Maybe you could try adding sweet tea to his baby cereal (if you're still trying to get him to eat that)...might would taste a lot better because the stuff kinda smells like a cardboard box, haha.

Back when I was an infant teacher, two things worked for a baby who wouldn't take his bottles
1-letting him drink it out of a sippy cup
2-helping him drink out of a regular cup

He just wasn't into the bottles but he drank it up the other ways...just a thought that you could try with him. Especially if you had a glass of milk for you and one for him. He'd think he was drinking the same thing as you.

Prayers.

Anonymous said...

we dipped the paci's in sweet tea and then handed them over! ;) gotta love the south ;)

Didi said...

I, too, am a Lipton lover and will never use anything else! But, my husband does not like sweet tea so I have to make it unsweet and then I use simple syrup to sweeten mine.

Ignore all comments made by annonymous... you are doing a great job! I said I would never put my kids in front of the tv... my oldest didn't watch anything until after she turned two. Unfortunately, when #2 came along, tv was the only way I could get anything done! Don't worry!!

Missy said...

I've been a lurker for awhile now and I finally have to come out and say I love you and your little boy! You make me laugh out loud and your little guy is precious.

Let him drink sweet tea while he's watching TV. He'll be fine!

Blessings - M.

Kathryn said...

No judgement here...my kids call Diet Coke "mommy's drink" and think they are being treated royally when they get so much as a sip of it!!! My 18 month old even tries to "fish" an empty can outta the recycle to get just a drop :)

Anonymous said...

You are still just too funny:) I get a smile almost every blog of yours I read, and I make my sweet tea almost the exact same way. Nothing like it!

Continuing to pray for you and your sweet baby Jonah.

Tina said...

I make it almost the same way. I do drink my tea b/4 it has sat long and totally cooled tho. LOVE IT!!!

Tina

purejoy said...

patrice, do you HAVE to have decaf? the reason i ask is b/c my family owns a restaurant chain and we have absolutely THE BEST tea in the world and you brew it yourself. i'd love to send you some. if you can handle the caffeine. i may be able to scrounge up the decaf, but i'm not going to make any promises. we have people that travel from all over to get our tea.
so lemme know!

Unknown said...

You are awesome and I love you already! I first let my youngest taste sweet tea at about 7 months old and she L-O-V-E-D it! The only catch was that it was at about 9pm, the older kids were going to bed for school in the morning and baby K got a sugar high. Hilarious, I tell you! She screamed pure joy for about 2 hours. Daddy had to hold her down and force her to go to sleep. We don't do that anymore. All of my kids love sweet tea and I grew up on it. I use just about the same method as you but use 1 1/3 c. sugar. Just like Mamaw's. We sure do love our sweet tea here in the south!

Michelle said...

ROFL. You tell ole anonymous!

BTW, I know we're not supposed to tell you what to do with your kid....BUT from one southern Mama of 7 children already, to another I feel I just have to tell you...

YOUR 4 MONTHS LATE ON STARTING JONAH WITH HIS SWEET TEA!!! hehehehehe.

Now you'll have to try to catch'em up!

Poor child...being deprived of his sweet tea for this long:)


In all seriousness, I'm sorry anonymous has given you a hard time over something as silly TV and your delightful joking. Apparently she has no sense of humor and resents you for yours.

Keep laughing and joking. Life is to short to be as neurotic as anonymous thinks you should be. You never know what she's going through or has been through to cause her to lash out such venom towards you. It doesn't make it any easier to be on the recieving end of that lashing...but maybe it'll give you the strength to pray for her.

Love your blog:)

Michelle said...

OH! One more thing...you can put the sugar in the water and boil it to dissolve it and then you can cut back on the sugar if you want because it tastes sweeter with the same amount of sugar!

We were able to cut back from 2.5cups of sugar (I know...we'll all die of diabetes) to 1.5 cups of sugar this way.

dragonflyz in June said...

Thanks for the recipe, I am going to have to try it. Up here (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), sweet tea is 'Iced Tea'. We buy it in crystal form and just add water. I am excited to try your recipe!

Unknown said...

Why not let him have a some I the good stuff, some people would be shocked to know I was feeding my LO baby food with oatmeal at 4 weeks old!! And he is a fine and healthy 20lb 6 month old!! If they enjoy it leave them be!!