5 Sassy & Frugal Ways to Use Yesterday’s Coffee and Tea
Stop! Are you pouring that leftover organic coffee down the drain? Are you losing all the beautiful benefits of green tea because you didn’t finish it all?
Sipping coffee and tea can be like a small gift of pleasure during the day. Savoring the rich aroma of coffee, or inhaling the scent of green or herbal tea gives us a few precious moments to pause and breathe.
If you’re like me, you make a pot of coffee or tea, but you don’t always finish it all. If you mindlessly dump leftovers down the drain, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to save money and calories – plus give an easy boost to your health.
Instead, simply pour any leftover coffee or tea into a jar and store it in the fridge. Now you always have lovely, nourishing liquids on hand.
If you don’t make enough coffee or tea to have leftovers, making a pot at a time takes the same amount of time and effort, and will save you time and money when you use the tips below.
Try these delicious and slimming ways to use yesterday’s coffee and tea. They can help you reduce the fat you use in cooking, so you slim your waistline, and trim your budget too!
1. Kick up your morning smoothie. Instead of water, concoct an energy-boosting smoothie using leftover coffee or tea as the base liquid. Add whey or other protein powder, a handful of fresh greens, half a frozen banana, and any fruit you like, such as blueberries, strawberries, mango or pineapple – fresh or frozen.
Try different combinations to see what you like best. Cold coffee makes a wonderful mocha shake to rev up your day. Tea pairs well with greens and berries.
The beauty of using tea or coffee is you don’t need any dairy products, or boxed soy or almond drinks – which generally have some preservatives, and might have GMOs. Plus you save money and the environment when you avoid packaged foods.
Now you have an all-natural base for your smoothie, which you can customize to your own liking. Experiment with new combos. That’s half the fun!
2. Use tea to infuse foods with flavor and nutrients. Did you know you can use tea to cook rice, vegetables or just about anything? For example, when you bake chicken in the oven, pour leftover tea (any kind you like) over the chicken, add spices of your choice, and a splash of organic tamari. The tea will add a special, subtle flavor that will have your guests asking, “What’s in this? It tastes so good.”
Experiment with using tea instead of water to cook rice, quinoa, or pasta for a little extra pizzazz.
3. Marinate meats, chicken or fish with tea. Enhance flavor by marinating your food in tea. Store-bought marinades often have preservatives, sugars, and other ingredients you don’t want. An alternative is pouring some leftover tea on your food, adding your favorite spices, and sticking the food in the fridge to allow the flavors to soak in. You even can sprinkle some tea leaves on the food, as a spice!
4. Use tea to reduce fat. Tea can replace many different liquids. The benefit is tea has no fat or calories. So you can sauté vegetables with a little bit of oil, and then top it up with tea as the liquid. This way you reduce the oil and overall fat content, saving you calories and money.
In the same way, you can use tea in salad dressing to replace some of the oil. Try pairing different teas with your favorite vinegar or with lemon juice, and just a splash of olive oil or sesame oil.
Have a little fun by mixing it up a bit. Soon you’ll be known for creating original, mysterious salad dressings. It’s so simple, and so much better than bottled dressings that often use GMO canola or soy oils.
5. Make your favorite iced tea. Bottled iced tea drinks can be expensive, and often have added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Plus, single servings add to environmental waste.
Why not make your own special beverage by combining leftover tea? Keep a pitcher in the fridge, and pour in leftover tea at the end of the day. Toss in a few lemon slices, fruit such as cherries or raspberries, or a spring of mint.
Splash in stevia to taste, and voila! – you have a healthy, frugal iced tea that’s natural and chock full of antioxidants. The bonus is it’s good for the environment, and your budget!
