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Cinnamon-Star Anise Tea Latte – Earl Grey tea infused with cinnamon and star anise and mixed with milk. Creamy, sweet and perfectly spiced.
Life gets busy, doesn’t it?
Most days, I’ve got my list of items to accomplish for the day and I move through the list effertlessly, making great progress. On other days, my list only gets half finished because I either get distracted by family obligations or annoying social media notifications. I was talking to my son the other day, who is a recent graduate from college and looking for a job. I told him that being busy doesn’t always mean being productive. We can fill all the hours of our day with “work”, or in his case, looking for a job, but it doesn’t mean we’ve gotten anything truly done.
I’ve just returned from a glorious 9 day trip to England. It was a combination of work and pleasure and my husband and I had a wonderful time. One thing I noticed while we were there was that everyone slowed down in the middle of the day to enjoy tea-time. I would see people early in the morning rush off to work, running through the tube to reach their subway or flagging down taxis to get to work on time. But at around 3:00, we would see the tea shops begin to fill where folks would sit for a while in the company of friends to enjoy a cup of tea and something small to eat. That’s smart, isn’t it?
You see, at around 3PM, I hit my afternoon wall. I’m not a great meal planner for myself. I make sure my kids and my husband have lunch to bring to school and work and I send my daughter off to school with snacks to eat after her tennis class. But I don’t plan my lunch or my snacks. Truth be told, I often skip lunch altogether but reach for something sweet later in the day (not a good idea!). I’m often working through lunch trying to meet a deadline, meeting with clients or responding to emails.
I was recently introduced to a new chef-curated line of snacks from Hillshire Snacking that I really do love. These delicious snacks are perfect for my busy life and my family happens to love them too. They’re made with real ingredients and the food pairings are so interesting. Another bonus is that they’re packaged to be enjoyed on the go.
I especially love the Grilled Chicken Bites. These little bites of all natural grilled chicken breasts are grilled to perfection and paired with one of four unique and bold dipping sauces. I also love that they contain no artificial ingredients and are a great gluten-free snack. My current favorite dipping sauce flavor is the Mango Habanero Sauce, it’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. At only 120 calories a pack, I feel really good about eating them too.
Other flavors include…
Grilled Chicken Bites with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce – Savory, tangy and fruity with a deep soy flavor
Grilled Chicken Bites with Spicy Chipotle BBQ Dipping Sauce – A dark, smoky chipotle pepper with a summer heat that finishes with a rich sweetness.
Grilled Chicken Bites with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce – A classic combination of spicy mustard and sweet honey.
I also love the various Small Plates which feature permium air-dried salame, natural cheeses and toasted rounds sprinkled with a touch of sea salt. Lately, these have been my snack of choice when working to meet a late afternoon deadline. These flavorful bites go perfectly with my Cinnamon-Star Anise Tea Latte (recipe below).
The Small Plates include…
Genoa Salame with Natural White Cheddar Cheese
Wine-Infused Salame with Natural White Cheddar Cheese
Italian Dry Salame with Natural Gouda Cheese
Hot Calabrese Salame with Natural Gouda Cheese
Since returning from England, I’ve been looking forward to my afternoon tea-time. It’s become my time to recharge and regroup before taking on the rest of the day. Hillshire Snacking has made deciding what to eat easy for me, whether I’m eating them as I work or while waiting in the car line at school, these snack packs are perfect for my busy life.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hillshire Snacking. I’m so happy to be partnering with them. All opinions and text are completely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible!
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Cinnamon-Star Anise Tea Latte
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk , steamed (any kind)
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 cup strongly brewed tea (I like to use Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pour the milk in a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and star anise. Heat the milk on medium high heat until hot (not boiling). Remove from the heat and cover for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the tea according the package directions. Let steep for 5-7 minutes. Remove the tea bag.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise from the milk and pour the milk into the mug. Stir in the sugar and enjoy!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hillshire Snacking. The opinions and text are all mine.
