Homemade Spiced Tea

• 2 to 3 cups of sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
• 2 packets orange kool-aid mix
• 1 or 2 packets lemon kool-aid mix (depending on your sour tooth)
• 1/2 cup instant tea
• 1 or 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Get out a large dry bowl. Measure the sugar into the bowl. Open up the kool-aid packets and add them to the sugar. Stir well with a wire whisk or a clean dry fork. Add the instant tea, cinnamon and cloves. Stir again to mix well. This makes about 4 3/4 cups of mix. Store it in a well sealed container.

To Prepare: Combine a tablespoon of Spiced Tea Mix with hot water in a cup or mug. Stir to dissolve. Serve hot.

Be sure to use the small fruit flavored soft drink (kool-aid) packets, the ones without any sugar added. I buy an off brand at 10 for a dollar. The name brand ones are about a quarter each. Regular recipes for Russian, or Spiced tea usually call for lemonade mix and Tang. I developed this recipe using the same flavors, but without the higher priced, sugar added, mixes. Use your own sugar, and save a bundle. This mix may be packaged in small plastic bags and given out as a gift at Christmas. Be sure to include instructions on how to prepare it.

Note: I prepare this recipe with 4 cups of sugar and 2 packets of lemonade mix which makes it very sweet. When I make a cup of it for myself I add a large dash of bottled lemon juice for flavor and tang. The rest of my family prefers the tea plain and sweet. I note this for reasons other lemon lovers will understand, especially if they have been subjected to over sweetened lemon concoctions as often as I. The extra dash of lemon juice gives this beverage just the right amount of “pucker”. It tastes especially good on a sore throat.

I hope you are enjoying these inexpesive drink recipes. Here’s another good one for rich hot cocoa. Enjoy!