Green Tee Readings

Is winter getting you down? Is it too cold outside for you? Do you need something to warm you, body and soul? Here’s something, somewhat courtesy of a Making Light thread, and my own questionable kitchen skills.

Take a medium sized pot, put a bunch of water in it and start up a fire underneath it, remember, global warming can’t happen without you burning fossil fuels, so if you want winter to ever end: burn, baby, burn. Toss in some sugar, like 1 tbsp (brown, preferably, white sugar’s for rich people with taste and refinement), if you don’t have honey, make it 2 or 3 tbsps. Get some (3) lemons and zest them. (Note: do not grate your fingers while doing this, later you’ll be squeezing the lemons and that will HURT.) Take a chunk of ginger and, after peeling it, slice it into thick medallions. Put the lemon zest and ginger medallions in the by now hot water. Lid that shit up tightly and turn the flame down to low. Now walk away for at least 10 minutes, more like 30 if you have even the slightest tolerance for strong flavors. If you don’t, suck it up anyway, this shit is good for you.

Now that your house smells like ginger and lemon and it’s overpowered the vindaloo curry you had for dinner two weeks ago, take the lemons and roll them a bit to get their juices flowing. They like that. Ahem. Cut them up and squeeze the lemon now, all into the pot (don’t freak out if seeds get in there, you’ll be filtering them out later. It’ll be okay.) Add some honey, half a cinnamon stick, a couple shots of tequila* and re-lid. Walk away for another 10 minutes. I’m serious, go play Guitar Hero or annoy your cat or something.

Get 5 stars without using star power? Good, I’m glad for you, now go taste your hot beverage. If it’s good, strain it, drink up and enjoy, if it’s not sweet enough, add some more honey, if it’s too sweet add in more lemon juice, or if you’re a wuss, more water (more booze is always an option, too, Vodka’s a good grab)

Remember, a lot of this happens with fire under a lidded, unwatched pot, so keep your fire at an appropriate level. You don’t want to have to clean this off your stovetop. Also, to re-cap the ingredients: water, ginger, lemons, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, booze (tequila, vodka, whiskey, whatever.)

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* I probably actually can’t taste the tequila at all, but I need to add booze to almost everything I cook. It’s a problem, I know that. I’m still not getting any help. You can pry my beer bread, brandied apples and booze bars from my cold, dead hands.

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