Orange and Hibiscus Iced Tea + My First Food Video

Today I have a really exciting post, I get to show you my very first food video. This is something I've been wanting to do since last year and I just never got to it. Last week, in the middle of a heat wave that was drowning NY in sweat, I decided to make a refreshing drink and in the process, also give video making a try.

I thought to start with a "simple" recipe. Yes, the recipe is simple but it's not simple to translate it into stop motion. It took me a whole day to make this video but I learned so much in the process and I really loved it. In fact, I loved it so much, I'm eager to make more :)

I am new to this world and I don't have fancy equipment, just my same old camera  (artificial lighting would have been VERY useful) and I edited this video on iMovie. Is not perfect and I need a lot of practice but I really hope you enjoy it. The recipe is really good and truly refreshing, we got through the heat wave drinking a ton of it. It's very floral and the orange zest brightens the flavor even more.

Enjoy!

Orange-Hibiscus Iced Tea from Najwa Kronfel on Vimeo.

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers

½ stick of cinnamon

3 cups of fresh squeezed oranges juice 

the zest of 3 oranges

Agave nectar or sweetener of your choice

In a saucepan, bring the water with the cinnamon to boil. Turn the heat off and add the hibiscus flowers, cover and let it steep for 5 minutes. Strain it and let it cool completely. Once cool, add the orange juice, orange zest and sweetener. Stir well and serve with lots of ice.