I admit – I am a habitual, all-day-long tea drinker; I run cold, so having something hot in my hands is a must. If I don’t have tea, I will literally drink hot water all day to keep warm. I don’t know about you, but when it’s chilly outside all I want is a cozy, soothing concoction to defrost my body from the inside out. An elixir that will thaw my fingers, and make me believe, for just an instant, that warmer weather is right around the corner.
Y’all, I have finally found something that works better than tea! Wine, obviously. Actually, tea is still a component of it, but it’s a wonderful elixir of turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, apple cider vinegar, lemon, honey, a ginger tea bag, and hot water. It sounds like a lot, but it’s really not.
At first, I was skeptical – that’s several strong-flavored ingredients in one cup. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at how all the ingredients work together to make this wonderful aromatic warming elixir. I stumbled across the recipe from Oh She Glows – she calls it Hot Detox Tonic. I prefer to think of it as “defroster in a mug.”
I have literally drank one mug of this a day since I found the recipe. I personally have a palate that enjoys strong flavors, so I tend to increase the amounts of each that the recipe calls for. And I especially like spicy, so I get a little carried away with the cayenne sometimes. To each their own.
Recipe (from Oh She Glows):
- 1 ginger tea bag or 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 cups boiling water
- Few dashes cinnamon, to taste
- Few dashes ground turmeric, to taste
- Few dashes cayenne pepper, to taste (use less if you don’t like heat)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 small lemon slice
- Pure maple syrup, to taste (1 teaspoon)
While your water is on to boil, add everything else to the mug (besides the lemon slice and the tea bag), and mix together until well combined. I personally happen to replace maple syrup with local, raw honey. I also increase the amount of apple cider vinegar. Experiment to see how you prefer it. Add the lemon, tea bag, and hot water. Let tea seep for at least 5 minutes – I keep my tea bag in there, but you can remove it prior to drinking. As you’re enjoying this magical elixir, stir periodically as the spices will sink to the bottom.
In addition to enjoying the flavor combination, I love the fact that the ingredients are detoxifying in nature and many of them act as an anti-inflammatory.
It’s like a hot toddy without the alcohol. And is good for you. ….ok ok, it’s not like a hot toddy at all.
What are some of your favorite elixirs to keep you warm?
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