Easter for the Adults! [and kids too]
By Danny on Apr 20 Filed In Activities Add a Comment
The time has come to storm into your local grocery store, pick up dozens of eggs, egg dying kits, maybe some sausage and brisket, and a case of Sweet Leaf Tea. 
EASTER is almost here!
Growing up, days before Easter Sunday, my parents would send me out to pick some wildflowers around the house and on the side of the dirt roads to weave together an “Easter Nest” for the Magical Easter Bunny to drop off some eggs. He never disappointed. Then I would search around the house and in the yard to find my candy bearing eggs! It was GREAT! But now that all the kids in the family have gone to college and come out the other side, our parents and grandparents kept things interesting. Just a little insight on the size of my family….They make up about 1/4th of the town of Inez. We have around 30 grandchildren, 10 “parents”, and my paw-paw. Other neighbors come out to the festivites, so there are around 75 people out at the camp grounds for a good time!
The camp ground, is an old shed in our pasture that has been converted into a pavilion by my Paw-paw. He typically has been up since 5am BBQing some of the best ribs I’ve ever had, along with some sausage and sirloin for the celebration. We tend to gather at about 11am to kick off the annual washer tournament [$5 entry fee] and nibble on some fresh BBQ as it’s coming off the pit.
The washers aren’t the new fashions ones made with the wooden boxes. These consist of an old soup can with both the top and bottom cut out and shoved into the ground. Click here for rules and regulations!
Then, after a gut busting meal, we proceed to the games!
Pinata - for the little kiddos!
Egg Tossing contest – This is near and dear to my heart, being the reigning champ with my cousin JT for the last 7 years!
ADULT EASTER EGG HUNT!!!
Alright, probably the best thing ever. Each year, my Grandpa heads to the bank and gathers some cash, then heads to “Ron’s” Inez’s Shell station, and purchases some lottery tickets. My mom helps stuff the plastic eggs with these goodies and then they hide them in the middle of the pasture. Over the years, they have been very tricky….placing the egg’s in cow manure, fire ant mounds, and inside rotten tree trunks.
The great thing about this Easter Egg hunt is that EVERYONE hunts, my uncles, aunts, great aunts, cousins, etc. We are all on the hunt for the $$$$ Egg. 60 year olds and older start first, then 45 +, 30 +, then everyone is let loose to hunt. I have yet to win the $50 egg, but you bet your butt I’ll be heading out rouge style this year!
Happy Easter from all of us at Sweet Leaf Tea! I’ll be sure to post up some photos on Monday!
Favorite Flavor Contest Winners!
By Danny on Apr 19 Filed In Sweet Consumers, Sweet Contests, Uncategorized 1 Comment
We’re back! Last week we posted a blog asking you, “What do you love most about your fave SLT flavor!” And after much deliberation, we picked 5 winners to receive some awesome @SweetLeafTea goodies!
Drum roll please…. [click here] And the winners are!!!!
Caroline:
“LOVE the Sweat Leaf Peach Tea. Reminds me of sitting on my grandparents’ porch in the early summer afternoons rocking and chatting away with the wisest people I know. I also love the grannyisms on the glass bottle caps!”
Kate:
“It was the hottest day in the hottest summer I could remember. I was on vacation in Chicago, taking in Lollapalooza – Grant Park felt like a desert! I sat in a small square of shade against a fence, melting, taking in the amazing Chicago skyline, the booming, echoing music, dancing through the haze…
I took a sip of my first ever Mint and Honey, and literally went “AHHHH….”. It was the greatest thing I had ever tasted! I took a picture of the bottle, sitting in the grass, the frenzy of the concert in the background. The picture is on my living room wall, and always makes me smile..and wish I had a Sweet Leaf Tea!”
Brittany:
“Raspberry is my favorite. It’s the best tasting raspberry tea i’ve ever had. I’m also slightly addicted to the half and half. It reminds me of the lemonade tea my great-grandfather used to make. I wish both came in the big bottles.”
Trisha:
“The way it makes me licks my lips and go “mlplmp” with my mouth wanting more… (Sweet Tea) oh the fact that my cat climbs all over me trying to take it away from me makes me laugh! He likes it too!!”
Jim:
“Half & Half (Lemonade Tea) reminds me of sitting in a field of bluebonnets on a beautiful spring afternoon in central Texas enjoying all of the goodness in nature.”
Thanks for participating guys, and if you didn’t win, keep trying! We’ll make sure to have more giveaways coming up soon….not to mention a couple ways to win tickets to some of our festivals this year!
Stay tuned — @SweetLeafDanny
What do you love most about your flavor fave?
By Charla on Apr 13 Filed In Food & Beverage, Sweet Contests 33 Comments
Did you know that we have a total of 11 flavors? As of today, Original, Mint & Honey, Peach, Raspberry, Citrus, Lemon, Half & Half (Lemonade Tea), Unsweet Lemon & Lime, Diet Original, Diet Citrus and a classic Lemonade to round it all out. I’m curious if anyone, outside of the tea’m here, has tried them all or if you tend to stick to your favorite one, two or three flavors? Drop me a line below and let me know. I know for some of you, it’s been a little difficult to find all the flavors. Well, we’re working on that. Hang tight!
We have a fun project that our Sweet Leaf Intern, Ty, is working on right now and I thought it would be fun for y’all to get in on the action. Ty is handy with the video camera and is working on a Flavor Series for us. Basically, he’s creating a sweet little video on each of our flavors that tells the story of that flavor or gives personality to it.
For instance, when you think of your favorite flavor what images or activities come to mind?
When I think of our Original, it reminds me of a backyard BBQ with my friends and family. Red and white table cloth, BBQ ribs, cole slaw, watermelon and lots of good sweet tea.
Mint & Honey, now that’s a different story. For me, it’s a trip back in time to my first Austin City Limits. Dust, crowds, sweaty hot, dancing, rockin’ out and keeping hydrated with that ice cold, minty fresh green tea. Just thinking about it is getting me PUMPED for this year which is the 10th anniversary!
So that’s a few of my memories, I have more for the other flavors, but I’d really like to hear from you about your memories or thoughts with your favorite flavor. Tell me a story below by next Monday (April 18th) and I’ll pick some of my faves to receive some special Sweet Leaf Tea goodies.
You might just inspire our next video!
Best Tasting Lemonade Results Are In!
By Danny on Apr 11 Filed In Austin, Texas 2 Comments
Lemonade Day 2011.
As mentioned in the blog prior to this, I ventured over to the Austin Children’s Museum this past Sunday and was a guest judge to pick the Best Tasting Lemonade and Most Creative Lemonade of the bunch!
There were many interesting recipes on the table this year. Rosemary, Strawberry, and Blueberry Lemonades were served, but winning the Best Tasting Lemonade was Alayna with her AWESOME ORANGE BLOSSOM Lemonade. This recipe was just like it’s name…Awesome. Little Alayna, in her lemon dress, explained to me that her grandmother used to make it for her mother and now her mother made it for her. The secret ingredient was the Orange Blossom water they used instead of plain filtered water. It was truly delicious and the sugar on the rim was an added flare not to be forgotten.
Alanya and her Set-up.
Me and The Grand Prize Winner.
For the Most Creative Lemonade, the award went to Mikala with her “Bee Sweet” Lemonade. It was a combination of water, lemons, honey, mint, and get this….flax seed. She found the recipe in a 1940′s cookbook and brought it to life again. She explained to me the health benefits of this fantastic beverage and I was sold. She was very informative! Mikala recieved the GOLDEN BOTTLE and a year’s supply of Sweet Leaf Tea!
Mikala with the Golden "Most Creative Lemonade" Bottle, guest appearance by her brother.
- Mikala was famous by the end of the judging.
I do have to mention a little girl named Lily! She created a great lemonade flavor that I am sure will catch on! A green, cinnamon, lemonade. It was delightful!
Lily and her green lemonade!
Be sure to check out the locations of all the kids lemonade stands HERE, and visit one or all on May 1st in a town near you!
SXSW then, Backyard BBQ now!
By Danny on Apr 8 Filed In Activities, Sweet Contests 1 Comment
It’s only been 4 weeks since SXSW 2011 landed in our little city and turned it upside down for a week. For those of you who were brave enough to attend, I’m sure you can attest that it was a crazy week filled with music, good times and plenty of refreshing iced tea beverages. Hopefully, you saw the tea’m out slinging tea from time to time and even better, you won some prizes from our Sweet Spot contest on Gowalla.
Throughout the week, we gave away shirts and tea prize packs, but ONE LUCKY WINNER, yes just ONE, is taking home the sweetest prize of all: A backyard BBQ party for 20 Friends complete with Sweet Leaf Iced Tea and Texas BBQ.
I know ya’ll have been patiently waiting to see who the winner is……and TODAY is the DAY!
Click here: Theme Music!
Jessica Larson! You have just won a Back Yard BBQ Party for 20!
Items included:
- Beef Ribs, Brisket, Smoked Turkey, Pork Ribs, Sausage, and Four Bottles of Sauce from the Salt Lick!
- 2 cases of Sweet Leaf Tea of your choice!
- Mason Jars (for decoration or as serving glasses!)
- Classic Red and White Checkered Table Cloth! (CLASSY)
- Sweet Leaf Tea Sunglasses for you and your guests! (20 total)
- 2 disposable cameras (to show us how awesome your party was!)
Congrats Jessica! We can’t wait to see the photos!
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