Summer Iced Mate

I can’t seem to get a grip on things lately.

Shits off, y’all.

Supposedly Christmas is next week however there is zero Christmas spirit happening in Buenos Aires.

Christmas pool parties vs. ugly sweaters.

It’s so bizarre.

I haven’t seen a Christmas tree or heard any slay bells, that’s for sure.

More like power outages and sirens.

It’s been in the 90’s all week and I think the heat is getting to everyone, especially the men.  They’re acting aggressively horny and it’s…. definitely a turn off.

And these crazy mass robberies are happening around town.  Large groups of people with poles & weapons breaking into stores and stealing merchandise and the cash box.

This happened in the past (supposedly 2002) and they targeted electronic and grocery stores.

This week most stores have their gates down and everyone seems to be on the defense.  Police are all over the street.

The energy is weird and I’m not a fan.

Within 2 days our local chino got trashed, Ticol witnessed a car break-in and a friend’s Mom got a fake ‘We’ve kidnapped your son’ call.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BUENOS AIRES.  WTF?!

To help cool things off (and myself) I’ve been preparing iced mate.

Ticol taught me and I can’t seem to stop.

It’s simple, refreshing and a bit of a stimulant.

Also a great way to stay hydrated, something our bodies (skin, brain, todo!) needs.To make iced mate at home you’ll need-

yerba + ice + bombilla (filtered metal straw) + water + cup/mate

Everything else is optional.

A lot of people drink tereré, which is mate made with juice instead of water.  It’s always served cold.

This iced mate I’m not sure what you would call it since it uses flavored water vs. juice.

Let’s just call it iced mate.   For ‘regular’ yerba mate check this out.

Instructions-

FIll up a jug with water and add a few mint leaves and lemon wedges.  Place in fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to steep.

Put a couple ice cubes into the mate or whatever drinking device you’re using, for cold I like to use my tin Amsterdam camping mug.

Pour yerba over ice and insert bombilla

Garnish with lemon wedge & mint leaf if you’re feeling pretty and serve.Mostly I’m using lemon and mint for my iced mates but I want to try it with cucumber as well.

Cucumber and mint are such a nice combination.

What about y’all?  Any iced mate recipes you’re willing to share?

For now I’ll stick with my lemon and mint and snuggle with Momo while we stay safe and plan our moves for 2014.For those of you in BA, stay cool and hydrated!  And may your Christmas be air conditioned and filled with chilled Torrontes.

For everyone outside of Argentina, happy holidays and send us some good Christmas vibes!

LizaNola