Hello friends and welcome to DAY 2 of CAMP JOY!
This week we’re taking it all the way easy and making some of my favorite lazy summer treats!
I tell a few stories about my mom this episode. She’s the best person.
Mom introduced me to sun tea and taught me how to be gracious about ice cream cones. Two very important life lessons.
This week at camp we’re making SUN TEA.
Sun Tea is brewed using room temperature water, tea bags or leaves, and good ol’ hot summer sun.
To make, place tea bags or loose leaf tea in a pitcher. 1 tea bag or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea per cup of water. You can totally eyeball it. Cover and allow to steep in the afternoon sun for several hours until tea is flavorful, about 4 hours depending on the summer heat you’re workin’ with.
I used a tea pitcher and this Strawberry Hibiscus Herbal Tea. When I was growing up we totally brewed Lipton. Once the tea is brewed, pour it over ice and sparkling lemonade. Add gin? That’s none of my business. Huzzah that’s refreshing!
The last of our lazy summer activities is to make store-bought ice cream treats! Last summer we made these ice cream treats and they were so good we’re at it again!
We’ll make buttery Ritz crackers bite-sized ice cream sandwiches and homemade drumstick cones topped with Oreos. I ate each on of the treats I made for this video. It’s so fun to have these little bites in the freezer.
Thanks for watching episode 2 of CAMP JOY, friends! It means so much to me that you add these little bits of nostalgia to your summer living!
xo
Samantha
Great episode!!
Kristi
Hi Joy! Love this, you are so lovely!
What was that pitcher you used for your sun tea?
Jennifer
I have made sun tea for years and have never had a problem with bacteria growth.
Alene
You look just like your mother! So sweet! I always made sun tea when we lived in northern Virginia. Living in Florida now, I guess I’m less motivated to go outside, especially in the summer. But I will live vicariously through you. Thanks!
Allison
Hi Joy! Could you share a link (if possible) to the pot you use to brew the sun tea? Thank you and love these episodes!
Keri
I’ve been thinking about making tea from the sun the last 2 weeks. Must be a sign.
Katie
We like to toss a big sprig of mint from the garden in with the sun tea before it brews. Yum!
lynn
Love these episodes Joy! Also I just googled “gluten-free Ritz crackers” and am happy to know they exist.
Gigi
According to the Centers for Disease Control, using the sun’s rays to make tea can facilitate the growth of bacteria. Tea steeped in a jar on your porch won’t get any hotter than 130° Fahrenheit, about the temperature of a really hot bath and not nearly hot enough to kill nasties lurking either in the water or on the tea itself. For that, water needs to be heated to 195° for three to five minutes.
Jennifer Gasper
I have made sun tea for years and have never had a problem with bacteria growth.
Katie
Oh man, I could watch Camp Joy all day. You are giving off strong favorite camp counselor/favorite teacher/cool aunt vibes here and I feel like you could get us girls to clean the boys’ cabin bathroom if you asked with a big enough smile. Thank you for creating and sharing these snippets of delight with us!
Lin
I love the picture of you and your mom! You both were so cute! Y’all made special memories together that you can always have!!
Lisa
Oh boy, I just realized how long I’ve been around here after looking at the picture of you and your mom and remembered that I saw it before :’D
Love the new color scheme, btw :)
Alix
These Camp Joy episodes are bringing me LIFE!!!!!!!! Thank you for being ah-mah-zing. I’m all about it. And snaps to your mom, for raising you, and for doing some serious MOMMING.