Chai Tea Latte = My Alternative Life Source

Okay, okay, I admit it!
Starbucks probably eats up almost half of my spending money for the week… 

I don’t know about you, but it’s not uncommon for me to get the mid-afternoon slump of fatigue (welcome to college), which means I’m on the prowl for caffeine! Since I don’t like coffee, a favorite energizer for me is the chai tea latte from Starbucks, which I can get at the location in my school’s cafeteria. 🙂

A tall (“small” in Starbucks’ fancy language) cup contains about 70 milligrams of caffeine, and for someone who doesn’t have caffeine too often, this is just enough. Plus, that’s a lot to pack into a 12-ounce cup for tea alone! It has almost as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. A grande (medium, 16 oz.) cup contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, while a venti (large, 20 oz.) cup contains about 120 milligrams.

[Chai is a rich, black tea that has distinct spices in it which make it very flavorful. For more information, click here.]

If its a warm day, or I just want a cold drink, I get my chai iced, which I find just perfect. I know some people who only drink their chai tea lattes iced. The regular, hot version is delicious, as well, and it actually keeps me full for a little while. Though, that may just be because I drink it slowly because it’s so hot; the iced ones are hard not to drink quickly!

 Iced Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks

I like to get mine made with skim milk, but you can also order it with 2%, whole, or soy milk.

Family Visit in the West Village

Oh, how I love when the parental units come to the city. You get a free dinner, free dessert, and sometimes…free money!

A few days ago, my mom’s boyfriend and one of my younger brothers met me at my new apartment. (New is a relative term; the place still needs a lot of work.) While I was unpacking the massive suitcase of clothes they brought over, the guys headed to a nearby sports bar on Hudson Street and Charles Street, Bayard’s Ale House, to watch the Jets game and eat some yummy appetizers.

After, we walked to Caliente Cab Co. for dinner, which, I must say, doesn’t have the best rep among locals but the guys wanted to go there! (They had a couple TVs with the Jets game on, so that probably had something to do with it.)

In my opinion, the food was good, not great. However, their chips, of “Chips and Salsa” off the Tapas menu, were some of the best tortilla chips I have ever had in my life, AND they were only $2!

Appetizers?   Check.
Dinner?           Check.
Dessert?          Gelato!

The guys insisted we get dessert and I spotted this gelato place I never tried before, called L’Arte del Gelato. I typically get pistachio gelato, and yes, my friends tease me because usually grandparents like that flavor. But hey, you like what you like, and pistachio is delicious! However, to my dismay, L’Arte del Gelato did not have pistachio in stock. They did have mixed berry, of which I am a HUGE fan, but then I feasted my eyes on pumpkin gelato, and so it was determined…I had to get a scoop of each. While I admit that I’m not sure how normal this combination sounds, trust me when I say that they go together very well. I highly recommend L’Arte del Gelato, and so does Yelp.. Reviews got 4.5 stars!

And at the end of their visit, I received some money without even asking for it! Parents love giving money to you when they see you once every couple months. I guess it’s true what they say; absence makes the heart grow fonder (and sometimes makes your wallets grow thicker.) 😉