[mauvaisroux]

3 mugs of milk
1 mug of water
3 teaspoons of tea-leaves or 3 teabags
3 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
Sugar to taste
4 or 5 tsps sugar

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly and making sure it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat as soon as the mixture starts frothing and then place the saucepan back on the burner. Do this two or three times more and then tea is ready to serve. Use a tea strainer to catch the pieces of ginger and tea-leaves.

Makes 6 servings

* Sugar may be left out so that people can sugar their own tea or you can replace with sweetner if you need to -doesn't taste quite as good though.

[mauvaisroux]

Fill a four-cup ceramic teapot with water and add:

2 bags decaf orange pekoe tea
1 2" cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional)

Microwave for 4-5 minutes until the water is just starting to boil then allow it to steep for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour into mugs and add cream and sweetener to taste

[mauvaisroux]

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 large marshmallows


In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in hot water and butter; bring to a boil. Add the milk, maple flavoring, vanilla and 8 marshmallows. Heat through, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted.

Ladle into mugs and top each with a marshmallow.

Makes 4 servings

[lizzbabe]

Ooh that maple hot chocolate caught my eye! I never thought of adding maple flavoring. I might even just make instant diet hot cocoa and try adding a drop of the maple. Learn new things all the time...

[mauvaisroux]

Most commercial tea is a blend of some 20 to 30 varieties. Quality varies according to the soil, climate and altitude in which the tea has been grown and the age and size of the leaves when they are picked.

There are basically three types of tea: black, oolong and green.

Black tea
Derives its color from a special processing treatment in which the leaves are allowed to oxidize.
This turns the leaves black and produces a rich brew.

Oolong tea
Is semioxidized. Its leaves are brown and green. It brews light in color.

Green tea
Iis not oxidized, therefore the leaves remain green. The brew is pale green in color.

There are also several good herbal and decaffeinated teas on the market. Many grocery stores and health food stores carry a variety so do some research and experiment a little.

How to make a good cup of tea:
Whether you use loose tea or tea bags, the preparation method is the same:

Fill a kettle, either stove top or electric, with cold water and bring to a rapid boil. While waiting for the kettle to boil take a clean teapot made of glass, china or earthenware. Add some hot tap water to the pot; allow to stand a few minutes, then pour out.

Add tea or bags to the warm pot, allowing 1 teaspoon of loose tea or 1 tea bag for each cup of tea desired.

When the kettle has come to a rolling boil bring the tea pot to the kettle (never the other way around) and pour the boiling water over tea (3/4 cup for each cup of tea). Let stand 3 to 5 minutes to bring out the full flavor. Stir the tea once to ensure uniform strength.

Strain the tea or remove tea bags. Serve with sugar and milk or lemon if desired. Honey is nice in the herbal teas.

Enjoy!

[mauvaisroux]

Start with a thoroughly clean coffee maker. Wash after each use with hot, soapy water and rinse well with hot water; never scour with an abrasive pad. When cleaning an automatic coffee maker, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Always use fresh coffee and freshly drawn cold water. Never use hot water, especially in automatic coffee makers; it changes percolating time.

Serve steaming-hot coffee as soon as possible after brewing. If coffee must stand any length of time, remove grounds and hold coffee at serving temperature over very low heat.

Keep ground coffee tightly covered. Some people prefer preground coffee while others prefer to buy coffee beans and grind them at home using a small electric coffee grinder, available at most department stores. Some stores also offer the option of a home brew station that is a coffee maker with a built in grinder.

PREPARATION METHODS:

Automatic:
Follow the manufacturer's directions for selecting grind of coffee (special ones are available), measuring and brewing the coffee and holding the coffee at serving temperature.

Drip:
Measure cold water and heat to boiling. Preheat coffeepot by rinsing with very hot water. Measure drip-grind coffee into filter paper in cone or into filter section of coffee-pot depending on the type of drip pot used. Pour measured fresh boiling water into upper container; cover. When dripping is completed, remove upper container and filter section.

Coffee Water Weak 1 level tb 3/4 cup
Medium 2 level tb 3/4 cup
Strong 3 level tb 3/4 cup

[mauvaisroux]

¼ c Maple syrup
½ c Rye whiskey
3 c Coffee; hot, black, double strength
¾ c Light Whipping cream
4 tps Maple syrup

TOPPING Topping: Whip cream with the 4tsps maple syrup just up until soft mounds; set aside.

Divide the 1/4 cup maple syrup and rye whiskey among 4 warmed heat proof glass mugs or goblets. Pour in coffee to 1 inch of top; spoon topping over coffee. Decorate with tiny Canadian flags if desired.

Makes 4 servings

[mauvaisroux]


4 oz Semisweet Chocolate
1 tbsp Sugar
¼cup Light Whipping Cream
4 cup Hot Strong Coffee
Light Whipped Cream
Grated Orange Peel

Melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and whipping cream. Beat in coffee with a whisk, 1/2 cup at a time; continue to beat until frothy. Pour into heatproof cups. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with orange peel.

Makes 8 servings

[Nikaia]

1 64-oz bottle cranberry juice
8-10 oz apple juice
1/8 cup sugar, or to taste
3 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp (or thereabouts, I don't measure exactly) ground nutmeg
1 tbsp whole allspice

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan, stir to mix in the spices. Heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes-half an hour or so. Remove from heat and strain with coffee filters to catch all the spices.

Usually, this recipe works out so perfectly in proportions that I can put the cider right back into the original cranberry juice bottle, to keep it in the fridge. It's wonderful to reheat for a morning drink instead of coffee or tea - about a minute and a half in the microwave will do it.