Since eighth grade, my mom and sister and I went to Starbucks all the time. I didn't even think about it at that age, I would get iced black teas which are relatively harmless compared to the frappucchinos or mochas. It was sweetened with their sugar syrup, and I was aware of that, but I didn't mind. Then I became pescatarian (a fish-eater but no meat), and things didn't change. If my mother wasn't at Starbucks, I wasn't. It wasn't addiction, the habit was rooted socially. I switched to soy milk but continued using. (The syrup, that is)
At UC Davis I would only go once or twice a week. Once in the early morning after a 6 AM exercise class, but more often depending on how much relief I needed from my dorm mates. And of course, inescapably, I would go when I visited home. I was vegan by this time.
Then something wonderful happened! Late Fall of 2010, I decided to strip my diet of refined sugar. Including evaporated cane juice, brown sugar, and Starbucks syrups. This posed a problem, because I love tea lattés. I tried to make them at home but they never tasted right. I used black tea, soy milk, almond milk, stevia powder, maple syrup, honey, and even liquid stevia. These various attempts tasted good, but not great.
Today I figured it out. My host mother here in France bought Rooibos, unflavored unfortunately, but that doesn't matter. I also had on hand my liquid stevia from NuNaturals, and some vanilla oatmilk, sans sucre ajouté (without sugar added).
In France, when something says "Bio" it means that it's organic.
Heat a very small amount of milk in a sauce pan. I like to boil the water, then move the tea kettle and place the sauce pan with milk on the still-hot burner. You don't need to turn the stove on again for the milk, it gets plenty hot from the excess heat from the burner!
Meanwhile, the Rooibos is steeping. 5 minutes with boiling water (100 degrees C, or 212 degrees F)
Leave room in the mug for the milk, unless you want clean-up.
Start with 3 or 4 drops of the liquid stevia. This stuff is potent. I usually use 5 or 6, because I am hopelessly addicted to sweetness.
Stirstirstir
There it is, cooling down in front of my giant postcards of "Les Couleurs de la Rouille" and "Les Murs en Provence".
Tea lattés bring general happiness
In case you're wondering, I do still go to Starbucks on occasion. I always ask for unsweetened, even though I know a little evaporated cane juice is in the soymilk they use. At least I have my own liquid stevia to replace their sugar syrup. And there's always the humorous aspect:
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