Cacao Chocolate Tea Review

I was contacted by the Cacao Tea Co. to taste test their tea.

I love all kinds of teas and my hubby and I enjoy an evening cuppa tea a few nights a week.

What really intrigued me about this tea is its claim that it's CHOCOLATE flavored, and yet caffeine free! It has a sweetness of its own. This special tea is made from loose-leaf cacao husks which surround the cacao bean. 

I savor the wonderful smell of the cacao tea too. It is a loose leaf tea, so it helps to have a little infuser, or cheesecloth to wrap the loose tea in to steep. 

I don't want to forget to mention the fact this tasty tea is a mood and energy booster and a perfect healthy alternative to coffee. It is also high in antioxidants and is completely sugar-free, caffeine-free, gluten-free and dairy-free.

It also helps decrease blood pressure and improves brain function! 

Now you can really have your chocolate and drink it too!! 

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE??? 

I love that I can drink it in the evenings, when I normally have to choose decaf tea. This tea relaxes me. 

Please be sure to go to the website link below and read details about these subjects...

THE TOP FIVE REASONS WHY DRINKING THIS TEA WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE..
(they are at the bottom of the page) 

1. No Guilt Chocolate Experience

2. Rich in Antioxidants and Flavanoids

3. Delicate Energy Boost

4. Lowers Blood Pressure

5.Mood Enhancing Properties

Sip! Sip! Horray! 

​

Chocolate Chai Tea

When I saw this yummy recipe at my daughter Deb's blog,

It's a Latte Life, I knew I was going to have to make it...and soon!

It was only right. After all, Deb is the one who 'introduced' me to my beloved chai, and we always love sharing yummy beverages, just like this one, together. 

If you are not familiar with chai (rhymes with 'pie') tea, it is as popular in India as coffee is in the U.S. It is a delicious drink enhanced with spices, milk and honey. It is a relaxing and unforgettable beverage.

(The first time I ever tasted chai, it was a spiced chai...all the ladies with me said it smelled like Christmas! OH.SO.GOOD!) 

This is great to take the chill out of your day!  Recipe can easily be cut in half.

LOVE the zip the cardamom adds!

CHOCOLATE CHAI TEA

1 c. water
2 tsp. premium black tea or 2 black tea bags
1/3 c. sugar or substitute
1/4 c. dark cocoa or Dutch-process style unsweetened cocoa powder
4 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
Whipped cream, garnish
Nutmeg, garnish

In small saucepan, bring water to boil. Remove from heat and add tea. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and pour or strain tea into a large saucepan. Add sugar and cocoa powder to tea in large saucepan. Stir to dissolve.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Stir in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Stir until heated through. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat. Pour into waiting mugs and top with Whipped cream and a sprinkle of Nutmeg.

Serves: 4

Linked to Weekend Potluck

Best Ever Vanilla (or Spiced) Chai Mix

IT'S STORY TIME....if you have time...

I want to share a couple of stories along with this post. 

             If you're short on time today, just jump down for the recipe....

I am WILD about chai tea!  My daughter first introduced it to me when we lived across the country from each other!  

She had sent me an email one day saying she enjoyed a cup of spiced chai that day.  Soo...a few days later when I went away with a group of ladies for a convention, and we went to lunch...and chai tea was on the menu, 

I JUST HAD TO TRY IT!

(Chai is a creamy, sweet, sometimes spicy Indian tea.) 

I will never forget how we all passed it around at the table...smelling it...everyone tasting it with their spoon...and all the oohs and aahhs...comments like...

"WOW"!..."This smells like Christmas"..."MMMM good!".  

I have shared my love of it with others, who have become 'hooked' also...and told others, who told others...and so the story goes. 

And so....another story to go along with that one...

I have to tell you how I've always felt about people like Christy Jordan of 
Southern Plate .

I just figure that 'famous' folks like her don't need little ole me to follow them...I keep busy enough trying to keep up with all the blogs that I love....folks I can connect to via email and comments, and feel like these are mostly gals who 'live the kind of life I live'...not famous and all. 

I truly love & adore Paula Deen - I've even been honored to see her (on stage) in person and laughed til I thought my face would crack!  I don't cook like her (or atleast not like she USE to before becoming diabetic), but more like her son, who has the show "Not My Mama's Cookin"....healthier dishes. 

But I ADORE her life's story, her humility, her humor..everything!

So, truthfully...I have avoided anything of Christy Jordan's...just cause.

Don't judge me.  

BUT...that all changed when I saw her in an Operation Christmas Child video.  I head up that awesome ministry at our church, and so I got REAL interested when I saw that someone like Christy, cared about packing shoeboxes for poverty-stricken children. 

So when I decided I would go and check out her blog, I went NUTSO to see this wonderful recipe there, and made it within days of printing it. 

CHAI!  THE BEST EVER!? VANILLA CHAI!

She grabbed me by the neck..by the heart...and the taste buds too, and I am SO happy I made this wonderful mix.  I will be giving it as gifts for Christmas. 

IT.IS.FABULOUS!!! 

Christy even got her mama hooked on this, and those southerners rarely EVER drink tea hot...they are cold tea drinkin' folks! 

So...in looking at other chai recipes, I discovered that the recipe Cristy presents as 'vanilla' chai, really is spiced chai - MY FAVORITE!

The difference is just a couple more added spices, which are at the tail end of the list of ingredients, so you can opt to make 'vanilla' or 'spiced'.

Either way - I can promise you - it'll be the BEST EVER! 

(So since I've become SUCH good 'buds' with Cristy, should I tell her what I've discovered about her recipe?)  Just teasin....I wouldn't mess with a woman of HER status!  After all - a few months ago she had 114 comments on this post! 
I.CAN'T.IMAGINE!!!!

Anyway - enough of the gab....
here's a fabulous recipe that will make any recipient jump for joy!!!!!

You can make this 'very low sugar'(there is a little sugar in the nondairy creamer) and decaffinated also. 

This makes an awesome gift...if you can stand to give it up yourself. 
It's a terrific warm up for when it's frosty and chilly outside...or not. 

You might have to buy 2 or maybe 3 ingredients, but you probably have most of it on hand already. 

BEST EVER VANILLA CHAI MIX 

1 c. nonfat dry milk powder

1 c. powdered nondairy creamer

1 c. (sugar free) french vanilla powdered non dairy creamer

2-1/2 c. xylitol, splenda, ideal sweetener or sugar

1-1/2 c. unsweetened (decaf) instant tea

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cardamom 

(no real substitute for this...it's what makes it chai!)

1/4 tsp. white pepper

(you don't really taste the pepper)

(If you want SPICED chai, add the next  ingredients)

1 tsp. nutmeg 

1 tsp. allspice

Place all ingredients into a food processor or large blender.  Blend until it is a fine powder.  Store in airtight container. 

To make chai, add 2 or 3 Tb. mix to 8 ounces of hot water or milk.

(I like using half water/half milk). 

Yield: about 6 cups of mix. 

Put into jars or you could fill small ziploc bags and place inside a coffee mug to give as a hostess gift. 

                                                                          

Linked to Weekend Potluck

Chocolate Chai Drink

I've been a lover of chai for years...my daughter Deb introduced me to it years ago.

Since then, I've introduced it to a number of others as too, who have shared it with others as well...

So on...and so forth!

It's a wonderful Indian drink (tea) that is creamy, spicy, and sweet.

Daughter Deb did "12 Days of Chocolate" posts at her blog for Valentine's Day and this was one of the wonderful recipes she shared.

Now I have to admit...I prefer the raspberry or spice chai, but I do love the chocolate as well.  I think the cardamom 'makes' this drink what it is...and what I love.

So if you've never tried chai before, here ya go...spread your wings and enjoy something new.  It's wonderful, warming and satisfying.

And if you've enjoyed chai from a mix, try making it yourself from scratch.  It's oh so good!

CHOCOLATE CHAI

1 cup water

2 tsp. black tea or 2 black tea bags

1/3 c. sugar or sweetener

1/4 c. dark cocoa or Dutch-process style unsweetened cocoa powder

4 cups milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

whipped cream for garnish

nutmeg for garnish

In small saucepan, bring water to boil.  Remove from heat and add tea.  Cover and steep for about 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags and pour or strain tea into large saucepan.  Add sugar and cocoa powder to tea in large saucepan.  Stir to dissolve.

Mix cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom in bowl. Add to liquid; heat and stir.

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat.  Stir in milk and vanilla until heated through. Do not allow to boil.  Remove from heat.  Pour into waiting mugs and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

(If you prefer, you could strain the tea before drinking.  I don't mind the spices floating on the top, but if you do, then strain it first.)

I LOOOOOVE RASPBERRY ICE TEA! DO YOU??

(Hmm....I just found this draft in my posts...my intention had been to share it earlier in the summer, but I figured 'better late than never', so..  Even though it's a bit late, I hope you will enjoy it - you can use raspberries from the freezer if you prefer).

Raspberries are my favorite all-around fruit - any way they're served.

credit: K. Kendall

When we go out to eat, I love to order raspberry tea - this recipe for tea is simple to make right at home. Hope you enjoy it often....

Feel free to sweeten it with Splenda....YUM! Click on the
link for the recipe - it's printable at that site.



MAKE-YOUR-OWN RASPBERRY ICED TEA