Iced Chai Tea Latte

Surely I'm not the only one who wishes Starbucks delivered. When the kids are in no state to get hauled into the car or I'm in no state to go out in public, I find myself wishing for a coffee and tea delivery service--or at least a personal secretary a la Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada to go get some for me. (Then she could do my laundry, too, and clean my kitchen while she's at it! Heck, let's let her babysit my kids and give me a pedicure, too!) You know Starbucks would make a killing, though, if they offered delivery. It could be a whole separate arm of the business. I'm kind of surprised they haven't done so already. 

But... they haven't.

This being the case, when the afternoon drag strikes, sometimes I really need something to get me through. Thankfully, there are ways around the lack of Starbucks delivery when you really, really want an iced chai tea latte. Enter this recipe. It takes about an hour to chill to the point of being pleasant as an iced drink, but to if you, like me, can foresee that in the next hour you're A.) Probably going to want an iced caffeinated beverage and B.) Probably have no chance of getting out of your house to get one, you're in good shape. Other positives include spending approximately 35 cents instead of almost $3, as well as taking in only about 40 calories instead of 180 for a Starbucks tall. This version won't taste quite as spicy and sweet as the Starbucks version, I'll admit, but that's because it contains only 7 grams of sugar, whereas the Starbucks tall contains 31 grams (the equivalent of 7.5 teaspoons). So for a simple substitute to spare you the trip through the drive-thru with crazy hair, no makeup, and/or a carful of screaming kids, it sure does the trick.

Iced Chai Tea Latte
(Inspired by The Life You Live)

Ingredients:

2 chai tea bags
3/4 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. ice
1/4 c. milk
Whipped cream

Directions:

1. Steep 2 chai tea bags in 3/4 cup boiling water for 7-8 minutes. Stir in sugar until dissolved.

2. Refrigerate for at least one hour. 

3. In a fresh glass, pour tea over ice. Stir in milk and top with whipped cream.

Serves 1.