Favorite Things

One of my favorite things is a nice hot drink, especially before the weather turns too warm. I never drink tea or coffee, but that doesn't mean there aren't dozens of delicious, hot beverages to choose from.

While walking through a health food store not too long ago, I noticed that the beverage aisle was filled with delicious-looking herbal teas. They had names like "Wild Cherry Berry" and "Rise and Shine." I found myself particularly drawn to a brand named Celestial Seasonings and their dessert tea line. I picked up a box of Vanilla-Hazelnut and English Toffee. Doesn't that sound good? Well, they are! I took them home and brewed up a cup or two, with a splash of vanilla syrup and cream. It was delicious, and then I decided to get creative! I saw a show about coffee on the Food Network that explained how lattes, cafe au laits, etc are made. It seems that often a very strong coffee called espresso is brewed in a small quantity (usually only about an ounce or two) and then poured into a hot cup of milk. I thought, how about I do that with my dessert tea? So I put a tea bag in a little cup and added a couple of ounces of water and let it brew for a good 15 minutes. It became very fragrant and almost as dark as coffee. Then I heated up a mug of milk, added the tea, and a splash of vanilla. It was delicious! Truly a "dessert" tea if ever there was one!

I am also a huge fan of hot chocolate. Starbucks used to make a drink called "Chantico." They called it "a drinkable dessert" and it was so, so good! It came in a small cup--maybe no bigger than 6 ounces or so. It was so thick, so rich and creamy. It was so full of chocolaty goodness that if you let it cool, it would actually start to become gelatinous from all the chocolate starting to solidify. It was also about 700 calories and so a rare indulgence for me. I have probably only had two or three ever, which is why I was so disappointed when they stopped making it! I haven't tried regular Starbucks hot chocolate; maybe during my next trip to Target I'll pick one up and see how it is. I also enjoy making my own hot chocolate. When I am feeling especially decadent, I will make a mug using nothing more than a bar of grated chocolate and a mug of hot, hot cream. Oh, it's so delicious! Also about 700 calories, but also worth it!

About a year ago I discovered that the International Coffee Company (the people who make those little red and white tins of coffee mixtures) came out with a product called "Vanilla Creme." It's basically hot chocolate, but instead of chocolate, it tastes like vanilla. So I suppose it's hot vanilla? Anyway, it's delicious made with milk, as it specifies on the tin to do. If you're feeling crazy, and I usually am, you can top it with marshmallows for a real treat. Since the flavor is so wonderful, I also have found a spoonful of the powder to be fantastic in smoothies too.

Yet another little thing I love also comes from Starbucks. They are called "steamers" and consist of nothing more than hot steamed milk and flavor syrup. Many coffee shops have dozens of different syrups, so mixing and matching can be quite fun! I love a combination of caramel and vanilla, or raspberry and vanilla, or pretty much anything and vanilla! My favorite, however unusual it sounds, is mint and vanilla. My husband is such a sweetie, he makes sure that I have vanilla and mint syrup in the house at all times for homemade steamers. Unfortunately, they're never quite as good as the ones from Starbucks as I don't have a milk frother and so am forced to just heat up my milk in the microwave. Still delicious, though!

Lastly, a very simple classic is nothing more than the juice of half a lemon in a mug of hot water. Sometimes I'll add a touch of honey for sweetness, but generally I prefer the clean, tart taste of just the water and lemon.

Now that spring is here though, I think it's time to expand my repertoire of cold drinks. I'll have to search for some yummy ice-cold drinks before summer comes!