One of the things I love about winter is all the yummy hot drinks.  I’m a sucker for all kinds of hot tea year round, but this is one that always seems most suited to the holidays.  It’s great to serve at a party, but I also just make it for us to drink on cold nights.  I often make a double batch and refrigerate the remainder so I can pour a cup in the mornings and pop it in the microwave.


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Christmas Tea

6 c. water
1-2 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
2-3 bags of black tea
1 c. orange juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar or sugar substitute (I often use Splenda.)

Bring water, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a boil.  If you have a tea infuser, you can put the cloves and cinnamon stick inside that for easy removal; if not, just toss them in and you can strain the finished tea or fish everything out with a slotted spoon later.  When the water is boiling, add the tea and let it steep for 5 minutes.  Remove the tea bags.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir.  Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves and enjoy!