Chai Tai Beverage

I have been working out in the garden this past week to get things planted and looking nice.  Being outdoors, I like to have something cool to drink.  Usually, I have some lemonade or some iced tea or coffee.  Today, I made myself a Chai Tai beverage that I found in Family Circle magazine.  I made a few changes to the original recipe.  I kept the same ingredients but added a tablespoon of chia seeds and honey.   The result was a refreshing hydrating beverage that had the taste of bananas complimented by  cinnamon with a hint of cloves and cardamom.   The dates and chia seeds added an interesting and flavorful texture to the drink.

Chai Tai
From Family Circle Magazine Adapted From My Southwest Kitchen



Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup coconut water
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
2 medium frozen bananas sliced
1 cup ice cubes

Directions:
1. Soak chia seeds in the vanilla soy milk and the dates in coconut water for 30 minutes.
2.  Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.

Makes 2 servings

Just a Quick Note:  I wanted to let you know I am now a member of Yummly.  You will see a YUM button on my recipes.  Click and you will be able to save your favorite recipes.  Thanks