You know how you can get on an eating jag for something and you feel like you could eat it everyday – until you can’t look at it again? Hopefully it is something worth eating, in my case right now, drinking. Right now I am a little addicted to all things Chai, a blend of spices steeped together with black tea and milk of your choice, a little sweetener. Delicious.
Chai tea not only tastes so nourishing and warming, the spices in this blend are so good for you. The main components are ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamon, and cloves, but you can also add in star anise, nutmeg and fennel if you like that taste. All these spices are well known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. This is also a great substitute for coffee if you are trying to lessen your caffeine intake. 
You could easily go to the store and buy different versions of chai tea blends, but try this first. You know that anything homemade tastes superior to store bought and homemade chai doesn’t disappoint. You can use spices you have on hand, some sliced ginger. I lightly crushed them and steeped them in my nut milk bag (click here if you have no idea what this is).
Of course, I used my own local honey from my bees to give the tea a little sweetness. 
The best part? You can drink this tea hot or cold. This recipe makes a big batch and I put the rest of it in the refrigerator to serve later over ice. Enjoy this nourishing, delicious recipe!
Homemade Chai Tea
Makes about 8 cups
Ingredients
2 teaspoons peppercorns
10 cardamon pods
10 whole cloves
2 whole cinnamon sticks
10 slices fresh ginger
6 cups water
4 black tea bags
2 cups milk of choice (I used 2% milk in this recipe but feel free to use almond milk or other milk)
1/4 cup local honey
Directions
1. Place dried spices in a nut milk bag or wrapped in cheesecloth and lightly tap with a mallet to crush the spices. Add the ginger to the mix.
2. Boil the water in a large saucepan. Add the spices and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes to let the spices steep. Remove the bag and turn off the heat.
3. Add the tea bags and let them steep for another 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and whisk in the milk and honey. Serve hot or cold.
Recipes and Photos Heather Carey, MS 2016
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