I don’t know about you but trying to stay hydrated in this weather isn’t easy is it. There is only so much water we can drink before we get fed up with the taste. I have been trying to find ways of changing up the flavours of what I am drinking while keeping down the level of sugar I am also taking on board.
I won’t go on about the merits of staying hydrated as we all know about that but contrary to what the media may be presenting to us about drinking at least 2 litres of water a day, there is no optimum amount of water we should be drinking. As with anything related to what our bodies need, generally, it is a good indicator to pay attention to what we are feeling – fairly obvious but really, sometimes it is that simple. If you are thirsty then up your water/liquid intake and if you are not then you probably don’t need to drink extra litres of mineral water each day just to hit a target, not to mention the fact that you are actually flushing away minerals which your body may well prefer to hang on too.
I am not very keen on the taste of water so go to great lengths to find ways to flavour it without too much sugar but I had no idea that an iced vanilla frappuccino from S***bucks was 430 cal. This really shocked me into some home research. You can easily make a decaffeinated americano with a nut milk, which is considerably lower in sugar and tastes just as delicious (squirt cream is an optional extra and surprisingly not that bad for you when you read the label for ingredients !)
After this bit of info landed in my lap I hit my herbal tea shelf and got experimenting. What can I say, my usual takeaway cooler order has been iced and I am now happily making some new flavours from home and pocketing a pretty penny towards other summer treats.
Click below to see some of the combinations I have been drinking this week and I hope they inspire you to have a go with some of mine or any flavours that your taste buds are crying out for and do post a comment to let us know of any winner that you strike gold with this weekend. xo
https://webofgoodness.com/recipes/herbal-coolers-coffee-alternatives/
http://
Herbal Coolers & Coffee Alternatives
Brew your herbal tea as you normally would, this picture show about a 750ml of hot water with one of each of the teabags in but you can add more teabags if you prefer a stronger brew.
Then add the amount of milk you would usually use to taste and leave the milky chai out on the side to cool. Once cooled I transfer the liquid (with a funnel) to a glass bottle with a lid and keep it in the door of the fridge.
The malay chai/rooibos combo works really well with hazelnut milk as this type of milk is lovely and sweet and you don't need to add in any extra sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
This makes an excellent alternative to coffee in the morning in this hot weather when drunk cold straight from the fridge. I use an insulated glass as not only does it keep our drinks hot in winter but it does a great job of keeping our drinks cool in the summer too ! (star anise added - just because it is soooo pretty !!).
Simply make up a batch of herbal tea in the usual way, I tend to make about a litre batch each time as I have litre size glass bottles that fit in my fridge door. Leave it to cool on the side then pour the tea into your glass bottle or jug with any chopped fruits and spices that you fancy. Leave your cooler in the fridge overnight if you like a stronger flavour or drink right away with ice if you can't wait.
If it is a herb or fruity type of herbal tea that you are making you can leave the teabags in overnight for maximum flavour but if it is black, green or white tea I would take the tea bag out after your preferred brew time as it may turn bitter if you leave the tea bags in for a long time.
Ingredients
Directions
Brew your herbal tea as you normally would, this picture show about a 750ml of hot water with one of each of the teabags in but you can add more teabags if you prefer a stronger brew.
Then add the amount of milk you would usually use to taste and leave the milky chai out on the side to cool. Once cooled I transfer the liquid (with a funnel) to a glass bottle with a lid and keep it in the door of the fridge.
The malay chai/rooibos combo works really well with hazelnut milk as this type of milk is lovely and sweet and you don't need to add in any extra sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
This makes an excellent alternative to coffee in the morning in this hot weather when drunk cold straight from the fridge. I use an insulated glass as not only does it keep our drinks hot in winter but it does a great job of keeping our drinks cool in the summer too ! (star anise added - just because it is soooo pretty !!).
Simply make up a batch of herbal tea in the usual way, I tend to make about a litre batch each time as I have litre size glass bottles that fit in my fridge door. Leave it to cool on the side then pour the tea into your glass bottle or jug with any chopped fruits and spices that you fancy. Leave your cooler in the fridge overnight if you like a stronger flavour or drink right away with ice if you can't wait.
If it is a herb or fruity type of herbal tea that you are making you can leave the teabags in overnight for maximum flavour but if it is black, green or white tea I would take the tea bag out after your preferred brew time as it may turn bitter if you leave the tea bags in for a long time.