I'm a big fan of iced teas and coffees . . . but I don't have any shops near my house.  So when I discovered how incredibly easy it is to make my own, I began stocking the concentrate in the fridge.  I make these for convenience (READ: so I don't have to get dressed on the weekend and drive to a coffee house), as well as to save calories. Don't let anyone fool you, if you started with black tea and spiced it yourself using some pricey exotic spices, it would actually be more expensive than using a chai tea bag.  Today I used Tazo's new Vanilla-Caramel variety.  At $3.69 for a box of 20, it works out to just $0.18 per two cup serving.  Add milk and these come in well under $.50 a serving!  So if you are money motivated . . . there it is!

For calorie savings, I use either fat free (300 calories per 16 oz serving) or 2% skim milk (350 calories).  For further calorie savings, you can use Vanilla soy milk and eliminate the sweetener (sugar and honey).  This will drop the calories to to right around 100 per serving.  I've tried it with soy milk and personally prefer the 2% skim.  It's worth the calories for the extra creaminess it adds.

Ingredients for Four Servings:

• Two Tazo Chai Tea Bags
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Cups Water
• Ice cubes

To Make:

Heat water in a saucepan to simmer.  Add tea bags and continue simmering for five minutes.  Remove from heat, allow tea bags to steep for an additional five minutes.  Remove bags, squeezing out extra liquid.  Add sugar and honey.  Stir to incorporate.  Pour into container and place in refrigerator to chill.

For a single serving, fill mason jar with ice.  Fill halfway with tea concentrate.  Fill remainder of jar with milk.  Shake to blend.  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon for garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!