Chai Cider

Chai tea tastes like India and Autumn. On cold rainy days, a hot, creamy sweet chai tea warms you from the inside. But on warm sunny fall days,a chai cider hits the spot. What is chai cider? Cold chai tea and apple cider.

Mine was made with my homemade chai and the cider we pressed on Saturday.

To make chai, simmer 3 black tea bags in 6 cups of water with your favorite blend of spices for 15-20 minutes. I haven't found a combination I didn't like...

Choose from these spices: (always use whole spices, not ground)
cardamom
allspice
black pepper
cloves
cinnamon
nutmeg (whole grated)
star anise
fennel
ginger root

Serve hot with cream and sugar or cold with apple cider.

Horchata

I recently tried horchata for the very first time. I've seen it on menus but never decided to give it a try. I loved it! I immediately had two thoughts: one, I had to figure out how to make it myself; and, two, it would be great with coffee.

Since I had no idea what it had in it, even after drinking it, I did some research. Wait... all it has in it is rice, water, sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla? That didn't seem possible. I did some more research, read some recipe reviews and came up with my own method. It has lots of possibilities and flexibility depending on your taste. I'm sure I'll come up with my own favorite combinations over time.

But for now, here's my base recipe for horchata...

1 1/2 cups rice
2 cups water

Place in a blender and pulse 6-7 times.

Add 3 more cups of water.

Blend until the rice is coarsely ground.

Pour into large bowl with pour spout or pitcher.

Add 2-3 whole cinnamon sticks.

Put a cover on it and place in fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Remove from fridge and pour through a sieve into a clean bowl or pitcher.

Place 1/2 cup sugar (use more or less to taste) and 1/2 Tablespoon of cinnamon into a food processor and pulse until the sugar is finely ground. This helps it dissolve better in the cold liquid.

Whisk well into the rice-y liquid until dissolved.

Then pour in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of milk. I like mine richer so I used some milk with heavy cream added. But I think you could also use half and half or a can of evaporated milk. You could also used any non-dairy milks. (I'm going to try all of those ideas someday)

Then gently whisk in 1/2 Tablespoon of vanilla. I also threw in a bit of almond extract. It's not authentic but I love the flavor it gives. That being said, I will probably try vanilla almond milk next.

Chill and serve. Shake well before serving. It will settle a bit.

By the way, I was right. It is good iced with coffee! Mmmm!

Irish Mocha

In honor of National Irish Coffee Day, I made myself an Irish mocha. Like Irish coffee, only better because there's chocolate... ;) 

All you need is a 6oz cup of coffee, a heaping Tablespoon of hot cocoa mix, 1 shot of Irish cream, 1 shot of Irish whiskey, some whipping cream and a pinch of nutmeg. 

That's it...

Butterbeer for Grown-Up Muggles

I found this butterscotch soda made by Reeds at a grocery store down where my boys go to college. While I like it all on it's own, I found a way to make it even better...

Just pour one bottle of Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer into a chilled glass. Add one 1.5 oz shot of Eastside Distillery's Holiday Egg Nog Advocaat Liqueur.

It's just what you need for a Harry Potter marathon...

Coconut Ice Cream

This ice cream is delicious by itself or covered in dark chocolate syrup. But it is an extra delicious dessert when paired with Fresh Pineapple Sorbet. You can make this with or without the shredded coconut, depending on how you are about texture. I’ve made it both ways now, and think I prefer it without…

1 cup whole milk

1 can cream of coconut (14oz)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened (optional)

Mix milk and cream of coconut together well with a whisk. Stir in heavy cream.

Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's directions. Add coconut during the last 5-10 minutes of mixing time.

Enjoy however you desire!

I enjoyed mine with a few scoops of pineapple sorbet, a shot of vanilla rum and a bit of orange juice. Mmmm!!!

Strawberry Canning Day

After a long hiatus, I got back into canning again for the season. I drug everything I would need up from the laundry room…

including my chicken apron. Somehow it seems to get me in the canning mood. :o)

First I made a couple of batches of jam. One plain and one with 3 teaspoons of crushed dried lavender mixed into the sugar. You could easily do it with your favorite strawberry jam recipe. It has such a delicate floral aroma that would be lovely on a scone with a cup of tea.

 

I also made a batch of strawberry honey lemonade concentrate using the recipe from the Ball Blue Book and some honey sugar I picked up bulk at the grocery. It’s a little bit different, but I really like it on a warm spring day!

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

6 cups strawberries pureed in food processor or blender

 

 

Pour puree into a large saucepan. Add…

4 cups lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

6 cups sugar

 

Heat to 190 over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour into prepared jars with a 1/4” headspace. Top with prepared lids and bands.Process for 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Turn off heat and let jars rest for 5 minutes before removing from canner. Let sit for 12-24 hours before checking the seals.

Add 1 to 2 parts water to 1 part concentrate.

4th of July: Patriotic Treats

The 4th of July is possibly my favorite holiday of the year, after Christmas of course! I love the warm summer weather, picnics with family, and the FIREWORKS! I am an absolute sucker for things that blow up, shoot sparks or need to be lit with a punk or blow torch!

This is our 2012 fireworks show. I’m not the only junkie in our family… ;o)

It’s actually a genetic thing. My grandfather was a fireworks junkie! He loved them! He was anal about emptying the dryer vent to prevent house fires, but would shoot off bottle rockets with reckless abandon. Can your toddler stand on his own and hold something in his hand? Then he is totally ready for sparklers! I think all of my boys held their first lit sparkler before they turned 2…  I think I miss my grandpa the most on the 4th of July!

this is my grandpa at his fireworks stand in the early 40’s

I also love the food on the 4th of July! Not surprising, huh?

I made all red, white and blue treats this year…

fruit salad with watermelon stars

  

strawberries dipped in white chocolate and blue sparkly sugar

3-layer punch. Fill cup with ice. Pour in red Kool-Aid, followed by blue Gatorade, then topped with sparkling water or club soda. The secret??? Pour VERY slowly over the ice!

I wish I could say I made this gorgeous strawberry-rhubarb pie with the sweet little blackbird pie vent, but it was my super-talented little sister! But if I ever make pies, I’m getting a pie bird! You can buy your own at eBay, HERE.

Hope you all had as wonderful a 4th as we did! And remember to be thankful for this amazing country we live in!

Iced Coffee

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before… We cold brew our coffee in a Coffee Toddy cold brewing system. It makes a truly superior cup of coffee with less acid and less oils than a traditionally brewed coffee. Since we make it in bulk, we freeze it for an instant cup of coffee plopped into a cup of boiling water. If you are curious about the Coffee Toddy, check them out HERE.

All I need for an instant cup of iced coffee is 3 to 4 super-concentrated coffee cubes with milk poured over them. I like vanilla almond milk or just plain whole milk with a Torani syrup.

This combination made for a lovely drink!

I’m not sure which I love more??? The drink or the jar??? Aren’t those just the cutest lids??? You can buy them HERE at The Tomcat Studio for just $5 for 6 lids!

Strawberry Sorbet Daiquiris

Here’s another ice cream cocktail recipe.

Place 2-3 small scoops of strawberry sorbet (see recipe HERE) in a cup with sugared rim.

Pour 1 shot of light rum over sorbet.

Let melt a bit and give it a stir before drinking.

Snakebite Shakes

When my hubby tried my homemade lime sherbet, the first thing he said was, “This would be great with some Yukon!” And that’s how snakebite shakes were born.

Mix 1 to 1 1/2 cups lime sherbet (my recipe is HERE) and 2 shots of Yukon Jack in a blender just until smooth. Pour into two glasses and enjoy!

La Tea Da

I didn’t think I would ever become a tea snob. I like my cup of Celestial Seasoning tea just fine. Besides I like reading all those sweet little quotes on the box.

But then we went to the tea store at the mall… then I discovered good tea! I mean, really good tea. Every tin of tea he opened smelled heavenly! It was so hard to not buy a bit of every one of them! That is, until I saw the price tags. ;o)  But we did splurge and bring home a few different bags of tea.

I do enjoy a lovely cup of tea but my favorite part is all the things I learned about the world of tea that I never knew before.

Since I am so excited about my newfound knowledge, I thought I would share some of it with you:

White tea: This is the least fermented of the teas and has only 1% of the caffeine of coffee. It helps with detoxification, hydration, as well as a healthy skin and complexion.

Green tea: The next most fermented tea with 5-10% of the caffeine of coffee. It boosts the immune system and helps maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Oolong tea: With 10-15% the caffeine of coffee, this is almost the most fermented of the teas. Aids in weight loss, metabolism, and digestion. Also promotes healthy skin and teeth.

Black tea: This is the most fermented of the teas. It has an energy boosting 20% of the caffeine of coffee and is good for the heart and cardiovascular system.

For the first time in about 15 years, I can drink black tea again. Since my youngest son was born, caffeine has not done nice things to me. Even better news… you can decaffeinate any cup of tea by simply only drinking the second brewing! All the caffeine comes out in the first brewing of the tea. This was especially good news since we bought a couple of Mate teas….

Mate tea: This tea has all the caffeine of a cup of coffee without all the acids and oils. As an added bonus it is also a source of vitamins and minerals. People say the 2nd or 3rd steeping is even better than the first!

For the days when my stomach isn’t at it’s best, we also picked up a few rooibos and herbal blends.

Rooibos: These teas have no caffeine and promote digestion and can even help with upset stomachs.

The best sweetener for tea??? Raw cane sugar makes it sweet, and enhances the flavor without changing it.

Now that you’ve learned so much about tea, you should heat some water and relax and enjoy a cup!