Create Time to Relax
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tradewinds. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.
This summer has been full of changes in our home. High School graduations, engagements, leaving for college and lots of traveling has kept us hopping. Knowing this was the last summer that our home would have teens still in high school forced me to think about the future and how things were changing…too quickly for me!
Over the last couple of months I have been intentional in my time management as it relates to my family. Here are a few of the ways I have been able to create time to relax.
Plan special dinners and trips with my best friend and hubster.
Hubster and I have been “dating” again this summer. I have been creating special dinners for two and he has been inviting me to meet him for lunch several times a week. I am thankful that I have a hubster that understands how precious family is and that we should work to develop moments to savor as often as possible.
We are soon to be empty nesting and that scares me. I recently attended a convention in Richmond, VA and my hubster took off work in order to spend the time with me. I wasn't too sure what he would do all day while I was in conferences but I appreciated him taking the week off work and handling the driving for us. He had to admit that he had no idea what I did at conventions. He laughed when he was called, “Mr. Sherryl” or “Mr. SimplySherryl”!
I did get to meet our newest grandchild on this trip. What a joy! I wished they lived closer to us but now that hubster and I will have less responsibility at home, we hope to be able to visit them more.
Plan special moments with my baby girl Meagan.
Meagan is our last of seven children. She graduated high school and started college a couple of weeks ago. Wow.. what a change from her being home all day schooling to her attending classes all day at the college. This mom has had Meagan withdrawls!
Plan special moments with myself.
Okay this one has been tougher on me than I expected. I rarely take time just for me…to do nothing. Yikes ?!? How will I get used to being alone so much of the day now that everyone has either gotten married or is off to college? My plans are to schedule time to just sit and read. I love to read, but my schedule the last few years…okay decade – hasn't allowed for much time to just sit with a book in hand, curled up on the porch or in the swing.
Today I made myself comfort food. Yep, I grew up in the South and food makes everything better! I made Corn Bread Rounds and Peach Iced Tea Cookies. I will share the Corn Bread Rounds recipe tomorrow but today I wanted to share the Peach Iced Tea Cookie recipe because it just screams summers in the South when things were slow, quiet and life was easy.
Peach Iced Tea Cookies
Ingredients:
For the Cookies:
1/2 cup
1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves
2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks butter, allow to come to room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Line two (2) large baking sheets with parchment paper or no stick foil. These cookies stick so don't skip this step.
- Set oven to preheat at 350 degrees F – I have a convection oven and have to set temp down to 325.
- Pulse mint leaves in food processor until finely chopped.
- Combine chopped mint and sugar in a large mixing bowl process on low until well combined.
- Add the sticks of butter to the mint sugar mixture and process until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Stop mixer and add one egg and scrape the sides of the bowl. Blend well and repeat with second egg.
- Slowly pour in the peach tea while mixing on low.
- Mix in the lemon zest.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients – one cup at a time, making sure to combine well before adding the next cup of the flour mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl each time you stop to add more of the flour mixture.
- Using with a small scoop or a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 tablespoons of dough and drop onto the baking sheets (remember to line them). My cookie scoop is just over 2 tablespoons and scoops out little mounds that can be dropped on the baking sheet. If you are using a regular tablespoon just scoop up 2 tablespoons and roll together to form a ball before dropping on the baking sheets.
- Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will spread out and turn a golden color. The edges may turn darker. Depending on your oven, you may need to swap the baking sheets on the racks for a more even cook time.
- Once you remove baking sheets from oven, allow to rest for a couple of minutes before sliding onto a rack to cool or just grabbing the edges of the parchment paper and slipping the entire sheet of cookies with the parchment paper onto the table or counter top to cool.
- This recipe makes about three dozen cookies.
Now grab a large glass of the along with a couple of Peach Iced Tea Cookies and head some place comfortable to relax.
Today I sat with a new journal and a book on the life of David. I have to be honest here and say that I spent more time relaxing that I had planned…but no one knew about it!
Guess there are benefits to being home alone all day!
Have you tried ? They are available in several varieties and wow to they make it easy when you need to bring a beverage or just want to have something yummy ready to go. Pick up a gallon or two of the next time you are at the store. Tradewinds makes planning moments to savor and time to relax just like the days of summer. Quiet, easy, and comforting. Let me know which variety if your favorite.
I love the recipes and ways to relax with iced tea,and peach too,mmm
Me too. I love iced tea, was raised on it.
The recipe sounds good.
Peach ices tea is my favorite flavor and these cookies sound so good. They’ll be a great hit.
The cookies are wonderful and so east to make.
Those iced tea pops look so cool and refreshing
The recipe sounds good. I would love to try.
Those peach tea cookies are calling my name!
Everything here looks sweet and super delicious.
Dying to test out the recipe for peach tea cookies .
I like this brand of iced tea. I prefer the lemon flavor. I enjoy peach, but in a tea, it’s a bit too sweet for my taste.
Congratulations on college, being one of seven is really hard. I would know, I’m the oldest in a group of seven. Thank you for the recipe, I’ll have to try it out later.
The popsicle looks good. That’s one I’d like to try.
Thank you for the information on the tea. I didn’t know you could do so much with tea.
I always enjoy reading your recipes. They’re easy to follow and tasty.
I adore peach tea !! U never thought of it in cookies before
We all need relaxation time,definitely need to make time for it
The recipe sounds good. I still haven’t tried it.
I have not heard of these Peach Iced Tea Cookies before! Sound great … so I’ll have to give them a try. thanks
They are easy to make and oh the smell while baking… better make a double batch if you have little ones around.
I’ve got Tradewinds Peach Tea on my grocery list for my next shopping trip! Love Peach flavored tea, but have not tried Tradewinds before. AS a Southerner, iced team is my FAVORITE!
I like that it is ready to go. It can also be heated if you need a quick warm mug of tea.
Yumm. These looks absolutely amazing. I’ve never heard of Peach Iced Tea Cookies…. I will be sure to try.
I’m dying to try these cookies!! They sound so good
They are delicious and so easy to make. Try a little essential oil for a bolder taste.
I’ve tried a different brand of Diet Peach Iced Tea, but haven’t tried Tradewinds! I’ll look for it in my market next time! I’m from the South, so iced tea is my favorite drink!
Ohh someone will have to make these for me so I can have some “me” time!! 🙂
These look so good!! Peach us a favorite of mine too
Those cookies look amazing!!
They are! And super easy to make.
I have not tried these teas. So much of the time when I’m shopping I’m looking for the items on my list and don’t notice much else. If I didn’t read reviews like this I would probably not hear about a lot of great products.
My favorite drink is Arizona Peach (diet) Tea! So this cookie recipe sounds very enticing! Finding time to relax is always such a challenge, because there’s always SO much to do at home. But with winter coming (and more time at home cocooning), I’m going to try and take more time for myself and a good book!
Grab that book and heat a mug of this tea…and find a place to curl up to relax. We all need just a few minutes each day to ourselves.
Cookies. Yum.
I love iced tea. My favorite is lemon and sugar flavored. I’m not very fond of peach tea. The cookies do sound good though.
Sounds like delicious cookies.
Peach iced tea cookies. Sounds pretty good. I’ll have to try it.
Those cookies look good. I take hot bubble baths when I want to relax <3
Having a date night every week with the hubby definitely helps me relax!
Oh yeah! Hubster and I have tried to always have at least one evening a week alone. Even if just for an hour for a treat at the corner ice cream vendor.
Haven’t seen this tea yet.I would love to try these cookies though.
Our one and only child left for college in August so I totally understand the empty nest! I haven’t worked since she was born so I’m still floundering, trying to figure out what to do next. I love the uniqueness of the peach tea cookies…my mom would love these! I’ve heard of Tradewinds tea but haven’t tried it yet. We’d love the sweet tea!
Tell me about it! I am so used to having children around that it is just too quiet.
I can’t say I am an ice tea fan but those cookies look wonderful.
I have been an empty nester for a few years now. It is an adjustment at first but then you get to love it.
Many blessings for you.
I like the tea heated in a mug with these cookies. I am sure my days will be filled with all sorts of things. I just have to find the things I want to get involved in.
I have to relax, my bp is so high. I’m going to try a batch of your ice tea cookies, since I’m a southerner now, but I sure haven’t seen Tradewinds tea around before.
Peach Iced Tea Cookies….interesting. I will have to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve never tried Tradewinds Iced Tea but I like that they have unsweetened varieties.
I prefer the unsweetened and then add fruit or sweetener to it. I also like it warmed in a mug.