Make Your Own Hot Tea

Making hot tea in the Winter is super easy, and well worth the extra few minutes it takes to prepare. There are three varieties- spiced chai, lemon-green, & apple-cinnamon, that I make often - usually when I'm reading the current news in the wee hours of the morning. Yes, I still read it in the printed form.

Spiced Chai Latte
- 2 Tbsp of your favorite loose black tea (my husband Santa put some from the Central Market tea bins in my stocking)
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1/2" piece of vanilla bean
- 1 Tbsp locally produced honey
- 1/4 c hot (not scalding) skim milk
Place tea, cloves, and cinnamon stick in French Press. Add the boiling water and steep for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the honey and the hot, not the wanta-sue-McDonalds-scalding, but hot milk. Makes 4 luscious cups. Sit next to a sunny window and people watch on your neighbors just like you would at Starbucks. 

Lemon-Green Tea 

- 2 tsp loose green tea
- 3 thin slices of fresh ginger
- 6 thin strips of a Meyer lemon, for the optimum of lip puckering
- 2 Tbsp locally harvested honey
- 2 c boiling water - I microwave for 2 minutes
Place tea, ginger, lemon and honey at the bottom of the French press. Pour boiling water on top and steep for 3-5 minutes. Push down on the press, & pour into a clean, washed cup (oh, please do), and enjoy the lemon aroma. 

Apple-Cinnamon Tea

slightly adapted 

- 1/3 c loose green tea

- 3/4 tsp of your BEST cinnamon, not bragging (ok, I am) but mine came from France

- 3/4 tsp nutmeg, grated & minced

- 1 gorgeous in-season Honey crisp apple, thinly sliced

- 1/2 small Clementine orange, zested

- 2 Tbsp locally produced honey- you want the good stuff. Does not have to come packaged to look like a bear

- 4 c hot, hot water

In a medium pot, add green tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 of the apple slices, and orange zest; pour 4 c water on top. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer for 2 minutes.  Cover pot, and remove from heat. Let steep for 15 minutes. Take out a colander and place cheesecloth in the bottom. Place colander with cheesecloth on top of another medium pot. Strain tea over colander, yielding delicious tea in the bottom pot. Sip tea and snack on remaining apple slices and bits of Gouda cheese toast. 

Enjoy it!