Friday Faves:

Favorite Drink:

This is absolutely, without a doubt, the best thing I've made in a long time.

Mr. B and I have become big tea drinkers.  We especially love chai tea.  Up until this point, this Cinnamon Chai Tea was our nightly ritual.   Until I tried my hand at making my own chai tea.

This is worth making for the scents alone that will permeate every corner of your kitchen when you're toasting the spices.  

I can't order a chai latte out, because of the sugar sweaters they leave on my teeth, which is why I love this homemade version.  You can adjust the sugar to your taste.  My sugar loving husband gets his sweaters and I get simply the taste of the warm, spicy chai.

I like mine made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  Ed prefers his with the good ole cow stuff.  Use whatever you prefer.

You should be able to find all the spices at your local grocery store, but if not, Penzys.com is a great source.  We are lucky enough to have a brick and mortar Penzys in B'ham.

Here's the recipe:

Chai Latte

Huckleberry

Ingredients:

Chai Tea

5 cinnamon sticks

3tbsp + 1 tsp whole allspice berries

3tbsp cardamom pods

2 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp +1 tsp whole cloves

1 tbsp + 1 tsp black peppercorns

6 star anise pods

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

8 cups water

6 good quality black tea bags

3/4 cup whole organic milk

Vanilla simple syrup, honey or agave

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 300 deg F

Toast the cinnamon, allspice, cardamom pods, fennel, cloves, peppercorns, and anise on a sheet pan until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine the toasted spices, ginger, and water in a medium saucepan and simmer over high heat until reduced by half.  Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 3 minutes.  Immediately strain, discarding the whole spices and tea bags.

Heat the milk and 3/4 cup of the chai tea in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  (Reserve the remaining chai tea for future servings.)

Pour in a mug and add the syrup, honey or agave to taste.

Favorite Eats:

Turn your slow cooker in to a sous-vide machine.

Oatmeal raisin cookies for breakfast?  Yes, please!

tworedbowls.com

These black bean nachos are definitely happening on Super Bowl Sunday.

bonappetit.com

Favorite Watching:

If you haven't seen the new Maroon 5 (Adam's my boyfriend....don't tell his wife or my husband) you're going to want to watch this.  Apparently they crashed real weddings in LA before Christmas and the results are awesome.  Totally makes me smile....

I'm very, very sad that there are only two more episodes of Parenthood.  Very sad.

This awesome documentary combines two of hubs favorite things.....motorcycles and dogs

I've watched Somm at least three times (total wine geek) and was very excited to see that there will be a sequel.

Favorite Tunes:

I'm not a huge lover of current day country music, but I loved me some Hank, Jr in my younger days.  This takes me back there.

Favorite Reads:

I stayed up until midnight the last two nights reading this....

This is being call 2015's Gone Girl and it's up next.

Favorite Travels:

We're headed to Blackberry Farm this weekend for Mr. B's birthday.  And to completely blow the New Year's diet........

Favorite Funny:

It's embarrassing how hard I laugh at these..........