It’s been a while since I posted a recipe of any sort. I made this tea tonight, wanting something festive without caffeine or whatever else. It helps if you’ve just reorganized your spice cabinet and you remember what the heck you’re working with. Experimentation time!

• Heat a small pot of water. Don’t let it boil, a simmer is fine.
• 1 bag of chamomile tea, or a spoonful of loose leaf.
• 1 spoonful of ground cinnamon, or perhaps a cinnamon stick.
• 1/2 spoonfull of fresh cracked pepper, or a couple black peppercorns.
• 3 cloves. I’ve only ever seen cloves sold whole.

This is warm, delightful, and will help clean out the oncoming sniffles. I actually strained the tea, found it very strong, and watered down each cup I poured myself to make it last even longer. You know:

• equal parts licorice tea and peppermint tea have a similar effect

…but coming up with the above was more fun. Happy brewing!