# 194: It's Chai Time
Recipes for a Big Pot of Chai, Chai Spiced Pie, Chai Oatmeal, and How to Make Vanilla Sugar.
It’s early morning. I open my door, step outside and feel the cool air on my face. I take a breath in and out and see my breath for the first time this season. It’s time to make chai. Today, I’m sharing recipes so you can make A Big Pot of Chai, Chai Spiced Pie, Chai Oatmeal, and Vanilla Sugar, too.
I love chai and have been making it for years. Whether it’s one mug or a big batch for sharing with friends, its scent on a crisp fall day is home to me. When GP and I come back inside after a walk, chai’s wonderful aroma transports me to my cozy warm happy place. You can buy an off the shelf chai mix but I feel such satisfaction in making my own with fresh spices. Don’t stop with just a mug. Be adventurous and try Chai Spiced Pie or Chai Oatmeal—which is what I make when I have a cup leftover. Waste not, want not. Eh?
Some Spicy Thoughts
As we are approaching the serious pie making season of Thanksgiving, for best flavor consider refreshing your spices with new ones. Spices lose potency and flavor the older they are. (Yes, there are some parallels here to aging but we won’t go there...at least not right now. 😉)
Ground spices last 6-12 months, and whole spices up to 18 months.
Buy small amounts from a reputable souce that has a good turn over of inventory, and store in a dry spot that is neither too hot or too cold, away from light sources or in dark glass airtight containers.
Recipes to Celebrate the Season
To celebrate this special time when nights grow longer here are a few of my favorites.
A Big Pot of Chai
Chai Spiced Pie
Chai Oatmeal
Vanilla Sugar
