Chai Lattes are my love language. I was first introduced to them a few years ago at my daughter's music school, of all the unlikely places. On the other side of the wall was our town's most loved and famous coffee grinding establishment. All through the lesson, they would share their rich aromas with us while we shared our virtuoso (or not) sounds with them. Mothers would come in an settle their child to practicing and then make a mad dash for their guilty (and expensive) pleasure. Now I am one of those people who enjoy the smells of coffee, but cannot abide the flavor. Additionally, I usually shun the use of caffeine. I'm jittery enough all by my lonesome, thank you! But then Francine shared with me that her guilty pleasure was not coffee, but Chai.
Chai? I'd heard of it, but assumed it was a coffee. I decided to bite. If nothing else, it wouldn't hurt to look like I fit in socially! :) After my first sip, I was hooked. The flavor, the spices, the richness, the smoothness, the scalding heat. Yummmm!
Now, our budget doesn't exactly accomodate a $3.75. Latte every week, so I limited myself. About once a month. Friends started to catch on and would treat me occasionally. I knew it was getting out of control when I knew exactly which spot in town had the best Chai (the original shop). Then I made the mistake of letting Mr. Blueberry Eyes and Laughing Water try it. Laughing Water loved it, but with Mr. Blueberry Eyes it was different. He would get this far away look in his eyes. He would gush about how much he loved his Mommy. He would swish it around in his mouth. He would ask for it. It was his love language, too.
When I started taking the children out for "Mommy -Chai dates", I realized it was time for therapy. Our budget simply would not sustain this kind of addiction. So I summoned my courage and asked the cute girl behind the counter for some help. She joyfully gave me the inside scoop - exactly what brand and where to purchase it in bulk. I had struck gold. I guiltily looked over my shoulder as I snuck out to my minivan. Score!
Alas! Knowledge is power, but it can also be disappointing. Now I could look at the ingredients and found that it had black tea (caffiene). No wondering I've been a little more jittery! Soooo, if anyone out there knows of a REALLY good green tea Chai Latte mix, please, come to my rescue!
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4 comments:
david rio... green tea chai. I shall send you some Nan!! Love the blog... how fun!! :-)
~Bobbi
nannette, i make my own chai lattes by brewing very strong tea with one or two cinnamon chai red(rooibos) teabags... in about an inch of water in the bottom of my cup. pour on steamed, frothy milk (this can be soy or regular, and steamed on the stovetop with a whisk if you don't have a steamer), sprinkle a little cinnamon on top, and waa-lah! if you prefer it sweeter, just add agave, stevia, sugar, whatever sweetener you prefer. your blog is beautiful, your thoughts agreeable to me in every way, and your garden pictures simply amazing! well done.
Nan-
I too have a chai latte story that started in Roosters, a great Bible book store in Sheridan, WY. They had the Big Train brand and I was hooked the moment I tried it. It was my favorite place to go to escape the business of the world. The Godly women who worked there became very dear to me as we would share about our lives while I drank my chai latte. I sometimes would have to order another one for the road, as I would drink up the one while visiting. It became a special thing I would bring friends, when the Holy Spirit would touch my heart that they needed some girltime and a chai latte. I miss those days and sharing it with you has brought back very nice memories and a warm heart today. Thanks for this blog! Trina, oops, I mean Kmom
I am sorry to break the news to you but basically all green teas are made from plants that naturally contain caffeine. They grow that way because the caffeine is there for bug repellent. So if you really want to stay completely caffeine free, then the best drink is hot water and then maybe herbal teas from plants that do not contain natural bug repellents. I am with you on the fact that a caffeine-free life is the best all-around, especially after reading "Caffeine Blues" by Stephen Cherniske. It agrees completely with what we were told about 150 years ago in SL 25-33.
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