I guess this is more like a couple of simple lifehacks than a recipe. We were at our daughter’s place visiting her and the granddaughters. I wanted to make Red Bush Tea for them as a taste of Botswana. It is called Rooibos in Afrikaans. We learned about it from reading The #1 Ladies Detective Agency books, and ordered it from Adagio tea company. Lydia didn’t have a little strainer to catch the loose tea while pouring. So, I decided to make it in her French press. It worked wonderfully! I don’t know if this is a common use for a French press, but I had never heard of it or thought of it before. Now I use my French press to make tea whenever I want more than one cup. It is so much easier and neater than using either a tea egg or a strainer.
I really do not want to use sugar in my coffee. I will not use chemical sweeteners. Some of the coffee we get from the food bank is bitter. I had seen coffee and tea with cardamom in stores. So we bought a small container of ground cardamom from Centerville Bulk Foods for about two dollars. I put a generous, three finger pinch in the three cup French press and stir it in with the coffee. It tones down the bitterness, without weakening the coffee at all. It does not have a strong flavor. It just adds an earthy note. It is a healthy way to avoid sugar. Cardamom is the third most costly spice by weight after vanilla and saffron. However, a little goes a long way. It is also reputed to have many health benefits.