This recipe, which I found at AOL Food, comes from Sunset magazine. Though it was good, I felt it tasted like a weak chai tea. Next time, I would include more spices. Here is Ginger Recipe #3.

1 quart milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 ground cardamom
8 Assam or orange pekoe tea bags (or 3 tbsp loose tea leaves)

Using a 3 to 4 quart pan, combine milk, 1 quart water, sugar, ginger, and cardamom over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Add tea and simmer, stirring gently, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand until tea is a reddish brown color, about 1 minute.

Pour through a fine strainer into a hot teapot or carafe. Serve with cinnamon sticks.

To make iced, Sunset magazine recommends replacing milk with water and using Darjeeling tea. Brew tea up to 1 day ahead, chill over night, and pour tea into ice-filled glasses.

To make tea spicier, like chai, add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 ground nutmeg and 1/8 ground cloves.

This tasty morning treat is featured in Taste of Home’s 2006 Cookbook, which is full of reader-supplied recipes. Give your regular coffee a spicy kick with Ginger Recipe #2.

6 tbsp ground coffee (not instant)
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp chopped crystallized or candied ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 cups cold water

Combine coffee grounds, orange zest, ginger and cinnamon in a coffee filter. Brew according to manufacturer’s directions using 6 cups cold water.

Serve coffee with cream and sugar as desired. Garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon sticks, or additional orange peel.

Kick up the spice by adding 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp cloves.

Here’s a fun & festive variation of my favorite party drink. I’ve had sangria served in a variety of glasses, but I find plain drinking glasses work best. This works with dry wine or semi-sweet wine, my recommendation is St. Julian’s Simply Red.

1 bottle (750 ml) red wine
1 cup orange juice
2 oz (2 shots) white rum
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced
1 cup halved strawberries
ice cubes
additional fruit for garnish, if desired

Place sliced fruit in a large punch bowl or pitcher. Add orange juice then red wine and rum. Stir well (it’s okay if the fruit gets crushed). Chill for at least 2 hours.

Remove fruit from sangria and place in serving glasses with ice cubes. Pour sangria over fruit and ice. Garnish with additional fruit as desired.

To make White Sangria, use white or blush table wine and substitute Peach Schnapps for rum.

Try mixing in other seasonal fruit, such as raspberries, watermelon, or peaches. Top with maraschino cherries and rim glasses with sugar!

Here is a simple recipe for making great nonfat hot chocolate. This homemade cocoa mix comes from cooks.com (a great resource for recipes).

3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
3 cups instant nonfat dry milk (powdered milk)
dash of salt

Mix ingredients* together in a large bowl. Use 2 tablespoons of mixture for every 4 ounces of boiling water. Top with cinnamon, marshmallows, or whipped cream as desired. Also great with a candy cane or cinnamon stick in the mug. For an extra treat, place a square of dark chocolate in the mug before adding boiling water (stir well after water is added).

*For best results, ingredients should be sifted together. This is very time consuming, however, so to speed up the process only sift the cocoa and sugar then add the dry milk.

How to make Caramel Apple Cider like a Starbucks barista, but better!

1 cup apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
caramel sauce
whipped cream, if desired

Warm the apple cider in a microwave safe container until at desired temperature(careful not to over heat). Place cinnamon stick in an empty coffee mug or tea cup. Pour warmed cider over cinnamon stick. Add whipped cream if using. Drizzle caramel sauce over apple cider (you can use the lattice design like Starbucks, or just a pretty swirl in the cup).

Serving suggestions: Molasses cookies or chilled pumpkin pie