Chai Tea

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!

Fall is all about comforts.

Like curling up in a blanket with a warm cup of tea and a good book.

I think I can say that it finally feels like fall now. You know those big dark clouds that blow over with a deluge of rain and then move off to let the sun come out, only to let another round blow in. Yeah, that's how you know it's fall around here. Not to mention the big gusty cold winds. It is certainly sweater weather. And let's not forget the pumpkins, squash and fall mums taking over at the market.

That's why I whipped up my own batch of chai tea.

There are fewer things more warming than a brewed cup of chai tea that's been made with freshly toasted spices. If you want to make your home smell like fall this will definitely do the trick. Homemade bags of chai tea make a great holiday gift too.

I know it's not Christmas but the pink peppercorns in this add a bit of holiday colour. These will add some heat so if that's not your "cup of tea" (couldn't resist) then cut back on them. They really are pretty though. Cardamom has a unique taste and is intensely aromatic. You want to get the green cardamom pods. It comes from Malaysia and works better in sweet recipes than it's black counterpart, which comes from Asia & Australia and is much stronger and smokey flavoured. Black cardamom is used often in garam masala to make curries. Make sure you buy the pods instead of ground cardamom. Ground will lose it's flavour and aroma quite quickly.

Sometimes you'll find fennel seeds in a well made rye bread. They have an intense anise-flavour. It has a taste and smell that is licorice-like, but is sweeter and less intense.

I think one of the things I'm most forward to this fall is soups, homemade bread and roasted delicata squash. If you haven't tried this squash before you'll be in for a treat. Before I get all caught up lets get to that recipe for homemade chai tea!

Chai Tea (makes 12 teabags)

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Ingredients:

• 16 green cardamom pods
• 1/4-1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 Tbsp candied ginger, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup loose leaf black tea (I used Scottish breakfast - it goes wonderfully with milk)

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 325*F.
2. With a small sharp paring knife, split the cardamom pods in half, and remove the seeds. Combine with next 4 ingredients, through to cinnamon, and place on a baking sheet. Gently toast the spices in the oven for four minutes until fragrant. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Using a mortar and pestle (or rolling pin), crush the spices together. Make sure you snap the cinnamon stick into a few smaller pieces first.
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the crushed spices, candied ginger and tea.
5. Viola! You now have a lovely chai tea. You can store this in a container. If you use a glass jar, make sure you keep it in a dark area as all teas and coffee should be kept from light for best quality.

Feel free to adjust any of the spices to your taste and liking. Tea and coffee is quite a personal thing.

Be on the lookout for some chai tea lattes on the blog and have a wonderful thanksgiving weekend!

P.S. I smell pie!

I'm making apple and pumpkin from scratch as well as the pastry for Thanksgiving dinner!

Funky Monkey Smoothie

Before I started eating healthier, I never really put much thought into getting the proper nutrition my body needs. I still remember the days when I used to just eat something because I was A) hungry, B) lazy and in a hurry, or C) I wanted it, and it was convenient. All the while without giving a second thought about whether it was good for me. Those were the teenage days. At least the early ones anyway.

Boy how things have changed!

After realizing how crappy my body felt and that it was making me miserable I decided to make a big change in my eating habits and lifestyle, and focus on my health. First went the pop. Then went the rest of all the junk and fast food.

I started lifting weights and within a few months I started to see noticeable definition. I was already fairly active, but the weights made a big difference. After all, muscle burns more calories than fat!

These days I feel like the picture of health and I'm a whole lot happier for it.

I love feeling in shape and toned.

I love the way I feel after I eat something that's bursting with nutrition. Everyday doesn't need to be perfection, but as long as the overall 'big picture' is one that is balanced, I'm happy.

I don't worry about counting calories anymore or bother with products that promote themselves as fat-free or sugar-free; they are just lined with chemicals and other unnatural ingredients. Eating clean gives me the proper nutrition my body needs from real whole foods. Just eat a rainbow of real food.

I like to start my day off sometimes with a nutrient packed smoothie. If I don't get one in the morning I'll also have this for lunch. This guy is gluten-free, vegan, lactose-free, and made with Vega one chocolate mix. It has the equivalent of 3 servings of veggies (+ added fruit), 21 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, antioxidants, and 50% of your daily intake of vitamins & minerals. It's also low glycemic! Vega is also wonderful If you're looking to lose weight, because of it's low GI rating you keep your blood sugar low and get the maximum amount of nutrition at the same time. It's perfect for supplementing 1 or 2 of your daily meals with in addition with healthy snacks. That's exactly what this smoothie is designed for.

Love, love, love Vega! I must write a review of this stuff. I'm way overdue for it.

Funky Monkey Smoothie (serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 large tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 scoop Chocolate flavored Vega One
• 3-4 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place ingredient into blender in this order: frozen banana, Vega powder, peanut butter, and almond milk.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add ice cubes and pulse.

It almost tastes like a peanut butter cup; my favorite cheat of all time!

This recipe is being shared at Fit and Fabulous Fridays.