Sweet tea? (Valley, Vernon: home, live in, eat)

[momof2dfw]

Mmmmmm. This thread is making me REALLY hungry. The best "southern meal" can be found at any church gatherin or the family meal for a funeral (provided by the church). Had one a few weeks ago and that night for dinner I was STARVING for a big'ol southern meal. Thank goodness we have some "meat and three's" here in the Dallas area.

Sadly, in Texas there are very few places that serve Sweet Tea. A few fast food places do and a few "home cookin" places do. Chicken Express as mentioned earlier and Chick-Fil-A have some of the best. I'm addicted ! My long deep Southern Roots showing . Funny thing is this 3rd generation Texan LOVES her Sweet Tea but my Bama Born husband does not. LOL!!!

Okay, I'm already plannin my New Years Day menu. Big meal of all them good traditional Southern foods one is required to eat on New Years Day. Ham, Black-eyed Peas (cooked all day/night w/ some saltpork, chopped onion, salt & pepper), Collard Greens (with pepper sauce ), Cornbread (unsweet), Mashed Taters (but not my Bama born mil's recipe that includes adding Mayo & Pet milk - ewww), Homemade Creamed Corn, homemade pies and a Red Velvet Cake and Banana Pudding. Darn, I'm hungry.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Mmmmmm. This thread is making me REALLY hungry. The best "southern meal" can be found at any church gatherin or the family meal for a funeral (provided by the church). Had one a few weeks ago and that night for dinner I was STARVING for a big'ol southern meal. Thank goodness we have some "meat and three's" here in the Dallas area.

Sadly, in Texas there are very few places that serve Sweet Tea. A few fast food places do and a few "home cookin" places do. Chicken Express as mentioned earlier and Chick-Fil-A have some of the best. I'm addicted ! My long deep Southern Roots showing . Funny thing is this 3rd generation Texan LOVES her Sweet Tea but my Bama Born husband does not. LOL!!!

Okay, I'm already plannin my New Years Day menu. Big meal of all them good traditional Southern foods one is required to eat on New Years Day. Ham, Black-eyed Peas (cooked all day/night w/ some saltpork, chopped onion, salt & pepper), Collard Greens (with pepper sauce ), Cornbread (unsweet), Mashed Taters (but not my Bama born mil's recipe that includes adding Mayo & Pet milk - ewww), Homemade Creamed Corn, homemade pies and a Red Velvet Cake and Banana Pudding. Darn, I'm hungry.

Gosh, mom, do I get an invite for New Year's? Good to know there is someone else here in TX who knows what good food is. Do you know of any good restaurants in Collin County that cook like this?

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Gosh, mom, do I get an invite for New Year's? Good to know there is someone else here in TX who knows what good food is. Do you know of any good restaurants in Collin County that cook like this?

LOL!!! I was brought up on this stuff . A "meal" at times in our family consisted of cornbread crumbled on a plate and red beans poured over'em. Always had a garden w/ fresh veggies as well. My mil still has a garden here in TX - smaller in the last few years though. Fresh squash, cucumbers (do you like them sliced and sitting in vinegar?), corn, tomatoes, peas, blackberries and all.

You need to come down to Garland to Babe's Chicken Dinner House. There are other locations now around here: Frisco, Roanoke, Sanger, Carrollton, Burleson and Grandbury. LOVE BABE'S!!!! Babes Chicken Dinner House - Family Style Restaurants in and around Dallas Fort Worth, Texas You pick the meat ya want (fried chicken, chicken fried steak, pot roast, fried fish, ribs, smoked chicken ,etc - they used to only have fried chicken or cfs) and then that meat and all the veggies are served family style. Everyday veggies are: mashed potatoes, creamed corn, green beans cream gravy and the special of the day. Biscuits are served and honey and sorghum are on the table. My desert is a biscuit w/ butter and sorghum

Over in Wylie on Ballard in downtown there is a home style place. I haven't been in awhile but my parents go. Also in downtown Garland on Main St is Hubbards (one in Rowlett as well).

I got in DEEP trouble last year with my hubby and all our friends for not having our Annual Traditional New Years Day Party. I was told in so many words I MUST have it this year. Hubby was NOT happy dining at Cooppie's. Another fairly new place over at Firewheel Mall in Garland that is a "meat and three". Good but not as good as Babe's. Oh, they do have chicken and waffles though.

Sorry for the off topic subjects of good Southern foods in other states. We gotta have our fix too

[pennquaker09]

I should have never read this thread. Up here the only sweet tea I get is the sweet tea I make. When I first moved to Philly, we went to a nice restaurant, and I asked for sweet tea and the waiter looked at me like I was slow.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by pennquaker09

I should have never read this thread. Up here the only sweet tea I get is the sweet tea I make. When I first moved to Philly, we went to a nice restaurant, and I asked for sweet tea and the waiter looked at me like I was slow.

That reminds me of our two years in England. Not only do they not understand sweet tea, they don't understand iced tea period. The teabags they have there makes a great cuppa (these are the guys that perfected a cup of tea of course) but the same teabags make a rather dark, cloudy and somewhat bitter iced tea. We had the folks send Luzianne along with other goodies (grits) in a care package.

[pba]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Im in TX now and can't find UN-sweetend cornbread. Sweetened cornbread is no good with greens and peas.

When my ex first came with me to Georgia we went to a restaurant and she ordered regular tea. She chastised the waiter when she got sweet tea. He said "Ma'am, you're in Georgia, regular tea is sweet tea."

From my years in B'ham, Milos did have the best sweet tea. There is a restaurant called Chicken Express that has the best sweet tea here in TX, not as syrupy as Milos. Don't know if that chain has made it to AL yet.

Have you tried the McDonald's sweet tea? They're making a big advertising deal over it but is it anything near the real thin??

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by pba

Have you tried the McDonald's sweet tea? They're making a big advertising deal over it but is it anything near the real thin??

I haven't noticed the McDonald's here in DFW promoting it. But sweet tea is more accessible here then when I first came to TX back in the 80s. I had major league withdrawals back then, couldn't find it much or anywhere unless you added sugar yourself (which doesn't dissolve well) or artificial sweetner.

[Saintmarks]

Here's a new twist on this thread.... How do you make your own iced tea?

I like mine plenty sweet but not too strong. I add boiling water to one family sized tea bag (Luzianne - even though I just tried Community because a box of 48 was $1 less - its not that different) and about half - 2/3 cup of sugar directly into my tea pitcher (1 gal). I let it steep for a good while. Then, because I want some right away, I take out the teabag and add a bunch of ice. My ice maker always has a huge chunk of ice that has frozen together right in the middle of the tray, so I pull that big chunk and dump it in the pitcher. Then I add anywhere from 12 - 15 packets of sweetener (I know this isn't true southern iced tea, but im trying to cut the calories somewhere. Can't go full cold turkey artificial sweetner, tho, so I have my hybrid "lite" version) I prefer splenda, but sometimes go half that and sweet n low (another budget decision, splenda costs so much more than sweetnlow - never use equal, have never liked the taste). Then I fill the rest with cold water. The chunk of ice makes it just the right temp from the get go. I hate it when sweet tea is served still warm and melts the ice in the glass too fast.

Would like to know other methods.

[momof2dfw]

I boil a pot of water and then when it starts to boil I add 2 Luzzaine Family Size Decaff bags and turn the gas off. Let it steep for awhile. In my pitcher I add sugar (how much - don't know as I don't use measuring cups) but till the bottom is covered to about a little less than 1/2". Then I add the steeped tea but not the tea bags. Stir and add cold water from my water dispenser (we have a 5 gal water disp at home). This way it is not "hot" and won't melt the ice. I've also heard that if you refrigerate iced tea too soon it gets cloudy????

You are right.........more places in the DFW area now serve Sweet Tea.

I was in Eastern Europe for a long trip back in the mid-80's. No ice even for a coke. We FINALLY found a place in Helsinki that had "iced tea" for us.

[GinaVol]

I make my sweet tea similar to the way momof2dfw does but with caffeine and about 1/2 cup of sugar (more if the company wants it really sweet - I prefer mine unsweetened with one sweetnlow per 32 oz)

I put the teabags in the cold water in the pot before it starts to boil. After it starts to boil for just a minute or two, i turn off the gas and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Then put it in the pitcher (steeped tea not the tea bags) and add water til it fills up the pitcher.

I leave it out of the fridge until ready to serve. Pour over ice and serve. You can refrigerate after its been served if there is any left. Putting it in the fridge does something to it. I'm not sure what.