Hi CAG,

I will tell you for 1/2 gallon pitcher I use 6 reg. size tea bags (or just 2 of the family size), that I place into our Bunn coffee maker and then run the water thru. The amount of sugar is between 1/2 to 3/4 cup. stir while tea is hot and add cold water to top off pitcher. That is it! I am not a big fan of Lipton *too bitter) I am a Lozianne tea lover all the way!!! I also use the peach, strawberry, and raspberry flavored teas by Celestial seasonings, occassionally a cup of hot mint tea, but mostly an ice tea drinker. It may be possible that the caffeine in your pepsi may be not allowing you to sleep as well at night. Try cutting off drinking any type caffeinated beverages at @ 6 p.m. and see if you notice better sleeping!

Hope this recipe helps, I do occassionally place the tea bags into the pitcher and allow them to stay in it until used up if I am wanting a stronger tea.

Mama your post made me hungry.
Cathy I love homemade bread to. I always let the bread machine do the hard work then bake it in the oven. I really hate the shape the loaves come out of the bread machine in..

Chubby, I drink my tea very strong, and do not add sweetener (shhhhhh? Don't tell nobody). Sometimes I add some mint, in the Turkish manner. And I start out with bulk tea. So take all that into consideration when you read my comments.

What I would suggest is you experiment with strength, starting with six-8 bags, then moving up or down as necessary. Meanwhile make some simple syrup, and use that to determine your preferred sweetness level.

Unlike granulated sugar, simple syrup, as I'm sure you know, will dissovle in cold liquids.

Once you've determined you sweetness comfort level you can either continue adding the syrup one glass at a time, or extrapolate out and sweeten the whole batch all at once.

I would keep flavored syrups on hand, but not use any of them in a whole batch. Might be that most of the time you favor just the plain tea. But once in a while want a change of pace raspberry, or mint, or what have you. Makes more sense to me to just flavor that glassful.

For my iced tea - I can use one large tea bag and just add cold water and let it steep; or I can boil the water and let it cool - add lemon, sweeteners, flavorings, etc. Or I just brew it in the good ol' perc and take it from there.

Me too Janie! It also bothers me that the loaf has a hole in it from the mixing paddle, I left my bread machine behind when I moved here and down-sized to the bare necessities!!! That was a real easy one to leave behind, I much prefer my mixing bowl and dough hooks to mix the dough!


KYH a great idea re: the simple syrup, especially for someone that is single. Our iced tea does well to even last 2 days around our place, my 8 yr. old has the same love for tea that I do:)