tazo_green_tea_iced

 

It isn’t difficult to imagine spending $10 per day at your favourite coffee shop. Working mommies? It’s a latte in the morning and a tea with a treat (please, no…) in the afternoon. Stay at home mommies? A quick sandwich for lunch and an iced tea on your walk with baby every afternoon.

I have been known to amass up to 3 take-out coffee cups over the course of a single day. My car often looks like it’s been camped in by sleep-deprived undergrads. I try to limit my caffeine to 2 (large) cups per day in order to make room for more water in my life, plus ensure my sleep is not affected. But I also shake my head sometimes at the thought that I’ve spent up to $50/week on take-out caffeinated beverages. Not to mention the caffeinated beverages I brew at home.

That’s somewhat of an addiction, I’ll admit.

When I’m trying to stick to my 2-coffee per day limit, sometimes I’ll visit my local Starbucks and order an iced green tea instead. Caffeine? A little. But, overall, a healthier choice.… IF you request they omit the sugar syrup (0r ask for just 1-2 pumps if you need a bit of sweetness in your tea).

Still, about $3 a pop. For tea that someone else chilled. This makes my cheapskate  rip-off radar beep like crazy.

So I picked up a box of my fave Starbucks tea: Tazo Zen(it’s the blend they use in their Iced Green Tea – green tea with hints of mint and lemongrass… super yummy!)

Then I cracked the code! Here you go!

Iced Green Tea

  • 4 bags Tazo Zen full-leaf tea
  • 2 L HOT but not boiling water (boil, then cool 5 minutes with lid off before pouring)
  • 2 tsp. stevia or honey (optional)
  • lemon wedges

1. Boil water & cool; pour over tea bags. 2. Add sweetener while still hot & combine thoroughly. 3. Brew 5-10 minutes. 4. Chill several hours. 5. Serve over ice with fresh lemon wedges.

Cost? $2.50 per pitcher, or about $0.65 per large glass! Mission accomplished. The only thing cheaper than that is Kool-Aid. Not that I would know, since my mom would never let us have Kool-Aid… but that’s another blog.