Porch sitting is one of our favorite past-times here on Chincoteague Island. There is nothing that I enjoy more than sitting on our front porch, enjoying a cold glass of iced tea, and watching the world go by.

I always brew my own, using those big family-style tea bags. Making a pitcher of sweet tea is always on my “to-do” list for the afternoon. Also with making my own, I can control the sugar. So many sweet teas are just so cloyingly sweet, they hurt your teeth. And, homey don’t play that.

I also like to switch it up with flavored tea bags (the mango black tea from Trader Joe’s is amazing!), or if delicious fruit is in season – some fresh fruit puree. One of my favorite places to eat here on the island (the lovely Sea Star Cafe) has a different flavored tea on the menu everyday, and I love that…I always look forward to seeing what new flavor combo is on the menu that day!

I had some blackberries hanging out that needed to be used, so I gave them a quick blitz in the food processor and dumped it right into the tea. If seeds bother you, feel free to strain them out…but I love seeing the fruity pulp and seeds in the tea, let’s you know it’s the real deal!

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Blackberry Sweet Tea

3 family-size tea bags (or 10 regular)
6 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup blackberries
sliced lemon, for garnish
fresh mint, for garnish

Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Once you have a rolling boil, dunk in the tea bags a few times to get wet, and remove from heat. Let tea bags steep 1 hour.

Remove tea bags and pour in sugar, stirring well until dissolved. Pour into a glass pitcher, and add remaining water.

Puree blackberries and add them to the tea, stirring to combine.

Serve in glasses filled with ice, and garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.

Happy Friday, guys! With less than two weeks to go until Christmas, I figured a festive cocktail was in order. I’ve made margaritas with almost every fruit under the sun now, but this cranberry version has always stood out as one of my favorites.

A cranberry syrup is made from fresh cranberries and sugar, then pushed through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp. Then the usual suspects are added for margarita mixing…tequila, triple sec, and margarita mix. Which, if you’re not doing so already – save yourself several bucks and make your own! It’s so much better than the store-bought stuff. You (and your cocktails!) will thank me.

I like to serve them with a sugar rim that’s had a bit of orange zest mixed into it, but a standard salt rim is also wonderful. Garnished with a few cranberries and a wedge or two of citrus, it doesn’t get any more festive than this!

Their gorgeous red hue lends perfectly to Christmas parties, especially since a large batch can be made up in advance and refrigerated until party time. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Cranberry Margaritas

For the glass rim:
1/4 cup coarse sparkling sugar
1 orange peel, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp orange zest)

For the cranberry syrup:
16 oz fresh cranberries (a few reserved for garnish)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 orange peel (or 1 tsp orange zest)

For the margaritas:
1/4 cup cranberry syrup
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
3/4 cup margarita mix
ice
lime and orange wedges, for garnish
additional cranberries, for garnish

For the sugar rim, combine sugar and orange peel in a food processor. Pulse a few times to blend orange peel into sugar. Pour onto small plate and set aside.

To make the cranberry syrup, combine cranberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until cranberries have burst. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl, pushing on the pulp to remove as much liquid as possible. Let cool then place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Syrup can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

To make the margaritas, rim the edges of two glasses with a lime wedge and dip into the orange sugar. Fill glasses with ice. Combine cranberry syrup, tequila, triple sec, and margarita mixer in a carafe or large mixing glass and stir to combine. Pour into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with lime and oranges wedges, and additional cranberries if desired.