Homemade Gift - Chai Tea Mix

I love homemade gifts. Love them. If you do it right, they only take a little bit of time and can save yourself money and time at the mall. Here's a recipe for one I tried out just last week.

Chai Tea Mix


2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom (optional - which is good, because I couldn't find any)
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea (regular or decaf, doesn't matter)
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar (I put closer to 2 cups)
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered nondairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla-flavored powdered nondairy creamer

Combine spices and tea in a food processor or blender. Blend 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture becomes a fine powder. Pour into a large bowl. Add sugar to food processor or blender (without cleaning it), and process until superfine, about 30 seconds. Add sugar to bowl of spices. Stir in milk powder and creamers; blend well. Spoon mix into gift jars.

To serve, stir 2 heaping tbsp. Chai Tea Mix into a mug of hot milk or boiling water. Yield: 5 1/2 cups mix.

Credit:  Christmas with Southern Living 2007

I jazzed my jars up a little bit by taping off a square and painting them with chalkboard paint. I then wrote with chalk what is in the jar. It turns the jar itself into part of the gift, because when the mix is gone, it can be erased and used for something else.

I now have a few jars of these on hand to give to neighbors, teachers, party hostesses, etc. And yes, I tried it out to be sure it actually tastes good. It's delicious! I think it's as good as any chai I've ever ordered from the coffee shop.

You know what else? You could even pair it with one of my fun mugs. Yes, I know I'm shameless. I have several ready to ship that I need to unload. If you want more than one, e-mail me. I'll work you a deal. :)