Author Notes
This ain't restorative in the cleanse sense - it's restorative in the "I'm too sick to leave the house, but I've had these pantry items since 1997 and I'm craving something hot and sweet to drink" sense. My mom made a batch of this every winter, and I still drink it whenever I'm feeling sick or down.
If you grew up (or had parents who grew up) in the 1960s in the Midwest or the South, you might recognize this hodgepodge of mysterious powders as Russian Tea or Spice Tea. It was popular during the Cold War, and could probably survive the nuclear apocalypse.
Unlike many recipes, my family's recipe doesn't have any added sugar (you don't need it) and has a much more generous helping of spices. We officially call it Trog's Russian Tea, but nothing about it's very Russian. Who (or what) Trog is has since been lost in the mists of time. All the ingredients can usually be found lurking together in some forgotten aisle of your saddest and most out-of-date grocery store. I typically use decaffeinated tea, and ground ginger and allspice can also be added, if you want to get fancy. Just don't use instant beverage mixes with artificial sweeteners, which will make the tea bitter. —LeeLeeBee
Ingredients
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2 cups
orange drink powder (Tang)
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1 cup
unsweetened instant tea (such as powdered iced tea mix)
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1/3 cup
instant lemonade mix
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1 tablespoon
cinnamon
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1.5 teaspoons
ground cloves
Directions
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Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container (indefinitely).
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To serve, mix approximately two to three tablespoons into hot water and stir well. The tea will be murky from the ground spices.
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