chai tea latte concentrate

'tis the season for spicy warm drinks like pumpkin spice and chai tea lattes. i got a chai tea latte today from central market and it was glorious. however, since i can't be shelling out the big bucks each afternoon, morning, evening... that i get a craving, i pulled out this recipe i'd been saving for at home, on-demand, chai tea lattes.

Chai Latte Concentrate
from foodie with family

Ingredients:

• 12 Chai tea bags
• 4 cups cold, fresh water
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Place the tea bags, cold water and milk in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil.  When you reach the boil, drop the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and squeeze the tea bags to extract as much flavor and liquid as possible.  Discard tea bags and transfer the Chai Latte Concentrate to a heat-safe container, like a glass Ball jar. Allow to cool to room temperature, put a tight fitting lid on the container and store in the refrigerator for up to 12 days.

To prepare a Chai Latte: (it's really flexible, adjust to your taste)

Ingredients:

• 1/3- 1/2 cup of milk (use whole milk or even half and half to make a creamy, rich one)
• 1/2- 2/3 cup of Chai Latte Concentrate
• 1-3 teaspoons, to taste, of sweetener.  Foodie recommends agave nectar. I used Splenda and skim milk but may try adding real sugar with the milk and warming it together stovetop then topping with whipped cream and some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. I also found decaffeinated chai tea bags, which was a plus!

yum!

::peppermint mocha with starbucks via::

an at home use for starbuck's instant coffee using microbrewed beans. omit coffee for peppermint hot chocolate and substitute peppermint extract for vanilla extract for simple hot chocolate.

{peppermint mocha}
INGREDIENTS
8oz milk
1 packet starbucks via instant coffee
1 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar or other sweetener
1/4 tablespoon peppermint extract
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
{stovetop}
in very small pot, heat milk slowly, stirring often, over low heat. when just warm add all ingredients and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until dissolved. pour into mug.
{microwave}
heat mug filled with milk until just warm, about a minute. stir in all ingredients and mix well. heat about 45 seconds more, stirring briskly once in between and again at the end.

top with whipped cream or marshmallows!

hibiscus mint tea

This episode of {vittles} brings you: The Math Teacher Makes Tea Edition.

Here's my thought process when I set out to make this.

These tea bags are for cups.
Cups, I need this gallon converted to cups. Um. K. 2 pints in a quart. 4 quarts in a gallon. If, "a pint's a pound the world around," then a pint is 16 oz. A cup is 8 oz. So, 2 cups in a pint.....Where was I? Cups to gallons.....
2 cups {a pint} + 2 cups {a pint} = 1 quart.
so 4 cups = 1 quart {I should memorize this one}
4 cups times 4 quarts = 16 cups in a gallon

I'll give you a moment to recover. Be thankful I spared you from fractions.

Ok are you there? Does that mean 16 tea bags to make a gallon? Well, I wanted about a tea bag for every 10-16 oz. I'm putting 10 tea bags in this recipe, but I really, I think it's all about the brewing time. Brew the heck out of them and you don't need 16 tea bags. But use 16 if you don't trust me or if you make it my way and hate it. I'm just trying to save you a couple quarters here.

Central Market has made a hibiscus mint tea for a long time that I love. It's pink tea. How fun. And I've started seeing it on more restaurant menus recently. The other day I got tea free at HEB when I bought my coffee. And, being inspired by my friend Elizabeth's cold Tazo Passion Tea, I decided to try to recreate CM's tea. {Hi Liz! How are your plates?} Plus, when it's 183 degrees outside, you can't beat a cold pitcher of tea waiting for you in the 'fridge.


hibiscus raspberry mint tea
{makes 1 gallon}
INGREDIENTS
water
10 Hibiscus Tea Bags {HEB sells their box of Hibiscus Raspberry Tea for about $1.75}
12 - 1o mint leaves, crushed or chopped
DIRECTIONS
Bring about a quart of water to a rolling boil in a pot. Add all the tea bags. Be sure they're submerged. Remove from heat and cover. Brew about 10 minutes. Add the mint in the middle of the brewing time.

Pour into gallon pitcher with lid and add water to fill. Stir. I'd add a few more mint leaves at this point. Store in the refrigerator and sweeten individual glasses to taste.

You can probably find hibiscus mint tea to brew but it's MUCH better with fresh mint sitting in the pitcher.

Happy July!!!

{image belongs to jenncurrie}

love that sangria wine

I was introduced to Sangria when I studied in Spain. I'm supplying you with the way my Spanish "madre" there made it for us. And this is of course, in my opinion, the best way to make it. Sangria is a refreshing summer drink made with red wine, carbonation and citrus. It was my experience in Spain that it was drunk like a cold beer, glass of lemonade or tea would be on a hot summer day. Many recipes I found make it with brandy or rum or another alcohol. Feel free to add that if you want, but I think then it becomes more like a mixed drink and less of a light drink you can drink in the middle of the day and just pour from the pitcher multiple times....
Rosa's Authentic Sangria
INGREDIENTS
1 bottle medium or light-bodied red wine such as Syrah, Red Zinfandel or a fruity Merlot
1 small can of limeade concentrate
24- 32 oz (3 - 4 cups) carbonated orange soda
the juice of 2 lemons, or 1/2 c. bottled lemon juice
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
{optional}
2/3 c. triple sec (an orange flavored liquor) or other citrusy liquor.*
DIRECTIONS
Into a large pitcher, pour lime juice concentrate and wine. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons, careful not to get seeds in it! A mesh strainer works well here. Add half the orange soda and any alcohol. Mix well with long spoon. Slice orange, lime and remaining lemon lengthwise, to form circular slices about 1/4 of an inch thick. Remove any seeds. Add to liquid mixture. Cover pitcher with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. It just gets better the longer it's had to sit and chill. I usually make it the night before serving it, or at least earlier in the day. Add the rest of the orange soda to taste and stir before serving to give the carbonation a boost.

Allow fruit slices to fall into individual glasses when serving or reserve a few to place in glasses individually. Fruit may dye red so fresh slices in the glasses may make for a better presentation.

This is a very flexible drink to adapt to your taste and preferences. I know it's a little different each time i make it, but the essentials are: red wine, lime, lemon, orange flavors and carbonation. I think the best thing Rosa did was to accomplish both the orange flavor and the carbonation simultaneously. The orange soda is a fun, easy and unexpected secret ingredient.

*I think light rum or triple sec would be the best addition to this if you're looking to amp up the alcohol. More or less than 2/3 cup is a taste preference too, depending on how much you want it to be a mixed drink versus a lighter, daytime summer sip.

(image belongs to thesunblog}