Sometimes, sitting in the midst of boxes, vacuum bags (that we just discovered) and our entire load of suitcases, things can seem a bit overwhelming.  Packing an entire household into the 104 kg allowed on the plane is not something I do every day. As mentioned the other day, kids are a great remedy to stay grounded amongst all the chaos. My second greatest cure to avoid freaking out (besides yoga and meditation of course) is a nice cup of Chai, preferably home-made.

Our routine these days encompasses me preparing the spice mix in boiling water once my toddler has gone down for his nap. Then, I use the hour, or so, that he sleeps to prep and pack all those things which would get too complicated with him around. Today it was the CD stack. Had he been with me, I doubt any of them would still be usable now.

When he wakes up to the smell of cardamom, cinnamon and the other spices his eyes glow as the little index finger points towards the kitchen; “Chai!”. By that stage the water has boiled down to a tenth or less of its original volume and a very spicy dark brown liquid. We add the milk and watch it simmer for a while before we take it off the stove and pour it through a colander. While we wait for it to cool down enough to be able to add the honey without it turning toxic, we get creative (eg paper roll pyramid on a rainy day or Thai cushion Parkour) and ready to enjoy. Just in case your palates now fancy some relaxing time too as you kick back to enjoy this creamy, golden cup of tea, here’s my approximate recipe.

• 1/2l water
• 20 cardamom seeds
• 15 cloves
• 2 black tea bags or a heaped tbsp of loose mix
• 5 bay leaves
• 5 slices of ginger
• small tbsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2l milk
• honey to sweetness of liking

Now back to packing. Enjoy;)