Sunday, October 31, 2010
Make Your Own Chai
Homemade Chai Tea Latte
1 1/2 cups milk
3 coin sized slices of fresh ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cardamom seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups water
3 bags black tea
I’m a big fan of Starbucks chai tea lattes, but they are really easy and much less expensive to make at home. If you make a dry spice mixture, you can store it in a tin or jar and it would make a great gift for the holidays.
To make the tea, first combine the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds. Crush them lightly with something hard such as a pan, then add in the cinnamon and nutmeg. Slice fresh ginger into coin sized pieces and add them to the spice blend. I bought a reusable tea bag for less than a dollar to put all the spices in, but you can also use a coffee filter or strainer to keep all the bits of spices out of your drink.
Bring the milk to a boil in a sauce pan with the spices steeping in it. Turn the burner off and let it sit for ten minutes. In the mean time, boil 2 cups of water and add the 3 bags of black tea.
Pour the black tea into the milk mixture and stir. Add the sugar or honey, then cool and enjoy!
Pictures via here and here
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Windy City
Today Chicago is living up to it's reputation as the windy city. With over 55 mph winds, I'm staying inside so I don't blow away. I saw this cute commercial awhile back and thought it would be the perfect thing to share today. Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Salsa Dancing
Today I had a little adventure and took my first ever salsa class. This is something I probably would have never picked up on my own, but my friend Stav convinced me to try it. Stav lived in Costa Rica while working on a sea turtle rescue program and was feeling a bit nostalgic for Latin culture. She found the website for a place in Chicago called the Dance Academy of Salsa, and it looked authentic enough, so we both signed up for a lesson. The studio was located in a Puerto Rican neighborhood and Stav and I were the only English speaking students in the class. The instructor, Miguel, was an old salsa pro and coached us patiently as we struggled to find our rhythm. I eventually mastered the basic salsa step, the cross body lead, the half left turn, and the full right turn. Now I just need to convince Don to come to a class or two so I can have a dance partner ... like that will ever happen.
Rodney Smith
I can't get enough of these pictures by Rodney Smith! I think I have a strange fascination with bowler hats. They just look so cool in black and white. Check out the rest of his portfolio here.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Garden Chef Series
So I'm a bit delayed in writing about this, but a week or so ago, Don and I went to a cooking demonstration as part of the Garden Chef Series at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. It was actually the last one of the season because the weather is getting colder, but it was so much fun. The small outdoor kitchen was so adorable. I would love to have one just like it so I can cook in the garden on a nice day. We had a chef from Trattoria No. 10 teach us how to cook baby pumpkins stuffed with chanterelle mushrooms, cipollini onions and a thyme cream sauce. We got samples at the end and they were delicious! I will definitely need to try making it at home.
Photos via Food Network Magazine
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