Small bites

Chill out with iced apple tea

Here's another option to try, among cold drinks to reach for in hot weather. It's easy to make and you'll probably find you already have all the ingredients on hand.

Iced Apple Tea

6 tea bags

3 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup honey

3 cups apple juice or cider

Lemon slices, as desired

Apple slices, cut in circles, to garnish (optional)

Add tea bags to boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove and add allspice, honey and apple juice. Simmer over low heat until honey is blended, about 1 minute. Chill. Serve over ice with lemon slices, and apple rings if desired.

Makes 5 servings.

(Recipe for AP from the U.S. Apple Association)

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Iced coffee at its best

That cool caffeine also known as iced coffee is a welcome version of their favorite brew for many hot and thirsty people.

It's worth the trouble to make it well, and here are some tips from a Dunkin' Donuts coffee specialist:

-To brew a full-flavored pot of iced coffee, double the amount of ground coffee you would normally use to brew hot coffee. Dunkin' Donuts recommends using 4 level tablespoons of ground coffee for every cup of iced coffee you plan to brew.

-After brewing, add ice to the coffee (be sure to use a temperature-safe container) until the mixture doubles in volume. The melting ice weakens the coffee's taste, which is why iced coffee is brewed strong initially.

-If you like sugar in your iced coffee, sweeten it while it's hot, or it will take longer for sugar to dissolve.

-To keep iced coffee cold and fresh, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. But never put a pot of hot coffee directly into the refrigerator - the rapid change in temperature can crack the glass.

-Make your iced coffee fresh each day to ensure the best-tasting drink.

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Grounds for good

If you've just brewed some iced coffee, you will have a quantity of spent coffee grounds left over. Starbucks suggests you use the grounds to give your garden a boost.

Empty your coffee press or filter basket over your compost pile; spent coffee grounds mixed with leaves and clippings from the yard, along with kitchen scraps and fruit peels, are core ingredients for great compost.

To begin composting at home, start filling a wooden or plastic bin with the mixture of leaves and other yard trimmings, then mix in coffee grounds and vegetable kitchen scraps (no animal products). To help the pile decompose faster, make sure the materials are moist but not soggy; add water as necessary. Encourage the composting process by aerating the pile, mixing and turning the compost. Compost is ready for the garden when it has fully decomposed into a dark, rich, soil-like material.

Whatever kind of garden you grow, coffee grounds can provide a valuable source of nutrition. Check with a local gardening expert to see what is best for each location.

Besides using your own coffee grounds, you can pick up spent coffee grounds, free of charge, at Starbucks coffeehouses.

The ground are there for the asking.

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What to do with crispbread

Crispbread is a favorite European, especially Scandinavian, kind of flatbread, made with rye and other whole grains. Supermarkets in the United States carry varieties of these crunchy crackers, to pair with savory or sweet toppings.

A free color brochure, "Wasa: Whole Grains for Wholesome Living," offering ideas and tips for using these low-fat alternatives to bread, including 16 recipes, may be downloaded at www.wasa-usa.com, or ordered by calling toll-free (800) 924-9272.

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Don't let food reek havoc in the sink

Especially in warmer weather, food debris can build up odors in your garbage disposal. Here are some easy tips to help clear the air and keep the summer kitchen smelling sweet as the roses.

-Place a handful of ice cubes in the disposal. Add citrus peels, either lemons, oranges or limes. Run disposal with cold water for 15 to 30 seconds. Continue to rinse with cold water.

-Prevent odors by getting rid of grease buildup: Squeeze a tablespoon of dishwasher detergent in the disposal. Run hot water for 15 to 30 seconds. Turn the disposal off, but continue to let hot water run until suds are gone.

(Source: Mr. Rooter. On the Web www.mrrooter.com)