Chico Chai founder Sarah Adams shares the benefits of the increasingly popular drink often referred to as "chai tea".

A cup of spicy chai invokes images of the sultry Indian subcontinent. Creating your own chai may seem difficult, but Sarah Adams makes it deliciously easy with her special blend of tea, sweetener and organic spices known as Chico Chai. Sarah breaks down the basics of brewing the beverage at home, as well as giving the Hipsters a few ideas for, shall we say, less conventional concoctions? Also, Val nurses a touchy tummy, leaving Dori to drink alone. For the team.

Beer: Thanks to our lovely guest Sarah for contributing a bottle of Hard Blackcherry Red Branch Cider. Pink, fizzy freshness.

Chocolate: Due to Val's inability to ingest solids, we sat out the chocolate this week. On the plus side, Val is just one stomach flu away from her goal weight!

Finds:

• Rock Your Birdie. Singer Justin Timberlake opened Mirimichi Golf Course in Memphis, the first Platinum LEED certified golf course in the US. He's bringin' eco back.
• Mug shot. Still think you don't need a reusable coffee mug? Plug your digits into the Coffee Waste Calculator for an espresso shot of reality.

• Dim bulbs. So, the US Dept. of Energy is wasting enough electricity to power more than 9,800 homes for a year, according to an audit. D'OE!
• Just moo it. Sportswear giant Nike will stop using leather sourced from cattle raised in the Amazon. Officials say they're committed to curbing deforestation.

Rediscover rubbish. If you're dealing with bored kids this summer, raid the junk drawer! Create a treasure chest by filling a personalized shoebox with marbles, seashells, rubber bands, old pipe fittings...anything that's fun and free. Kids will use their imaginations to turn the trash into treasure. Just recycle the trinkets when they're done!

Five years ago, Sarah Adams started a specialty tea business called Chico Chai. Using her own blend of organic spices, she began to share her love for this Asian beverage with the population at large, to great success! Fresh from her Chai-versary celebration, Sarah sat down with the Hipsters to reveal her affinity for water buffalo milk, her secret other career, her puffy porn star name and the glory that is chai.

• Chai is just another word for tea. The spicy, milky beverage we love is really masala chai.
• Spices commonly used in the drink include cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, star anise, vanilla bean and lemongrass. Usually 2 or 3 of these is enough!
• Loose leaf chai should steep in a tea ball or tea stick. For stronger chai, simmer the leaves in a pot of water, then strain.
• Chaitini for the over-21 crowd: Chico Chai concentrate, a splash of half-and-half, a shot of vanilla vodka and a shot of Stoli. It's to chai for!
• Order Chico Chai from our good friend Maisie Jane. Namaste!

 

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• Noah in Oakland, CA wants to put his mad skillz to work as a volunteer overseas. We recommend Habitat for Humanity or the Peace Corps.
• Eileen in Dominica loves the Smell of Books, but thinks the site may be a joke. Sadly, we agree.
• Steve in New Jersey, the long-lost Mr. Designer, took a break from selling Carmen Electra Stripper Poles to share this link about diapers. See why we've missed him?

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