You all probably know all about chai, have done for most of your lives. Not me.

Several years ago when I first tasted this milky, spicy, hot drink I didn't like it at all. For one reason, it was overly sweet and reminded me of watered down cocoa without the cocoa. Then, I bought a tea assortment that had chai flavored tea bags, and developed a taste for it. Probably because no milk in it, and I could add my own sugar, which I don't do.

Here is a recipe for make-your-own chai in the slow cooker. If I made it, I think I'd try it without the sweetened condensed milk, just to see how it was without it.

Slow Cooker Chai
Makes 16 servings.
3 1/2 quarts water
15 slices fresh ginger, peeled
15 green cardamom pods, split open and seeded
25 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
3 whole black peppercorns
8 black tea bags
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Pour water into the crock of a slow cooker. Stir in the ginger, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and peppercorns. Turn to High; simmer for 8 hours.
Steep tea bags in the hot spiced water for 5 minutes. Strain tea into a clean container. Stir in sweetened condensed milk; serve hot.

If you can't find the cardamon pods, ground cardamom would probably be fine. If you don't have any, don't let that stop you from making this.

I'm chilly right now, so any hot beverage sounds good. Might as well make a crock pot full, drink it all day.

Hot Mulled Wine

1 whole orange or lemon, cinnamon (6 sticks), cloves (12 whole), nutmeg (1/4 tsp), ginger (1/8 tsp), and allspice (1/8 tsp).

Stick the whole cloves into the orange or lemon and cut it into slices, avoiding the cloves. Put with the rest of the spices in a dry red wine, such as Burgundy. Add 1/4 cup sugar or honey. Heat this through for at least 15 minutes, but don't boil. A clean, large coffee pot is a great method for heating the wine, or the crock pot.

Use an inexpensive wine for this recipe. Don't get something that tastes absolutely horrible, but this is the time to look at the bottom wine shelf at the grocery store.

You can add some brandy or port to this to give it more body (and alcoholic content).