"Russian Tea": a warm winter drink...

I first encountered "Russian Tea" in the early 70's when I was in high school. I went to an alternative school, so things were very relaxed & it was common to start classes with a cup of tea & a chat with the teacher or friends. Although I do remember drinking this tea in Russian class, I can't imagine it's really of Russian origin, considering the ingredients. It's an easy mix to put together & the flavours can be played-with & fine-tuned to individual tastes or dietary needs. It's a really good alternative to cocoa, too, & requires only hot (not necessarily boiling) water to bring it to life :)

Russian Tea:

2 cups of Tang (instant orange juice mix)

1 envelope of unsweetened KoolAid or lemonade (optional)

1/2 cup of sugar (Splenda?)

1/2 cup of unsweetened, instant tea (decaf works, if you can find it)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp each of cloves & nutmeg (allspice works well, too)

Mix together & store in airtight jar (it's pretty hydrophilic, so will harden-up if kept for a long time)

Use 1 heaping tbsp per cup of hot water (to taste) & mix well.

Enjoy!!