Joy's Winter Lemonade!

So it's looking like I'm getting sick a third time this season. I've got a throat that feels like sandpaper and I feel like once that happens there's no turning back. I'm currently plunging head first into a volcano of scratchy, drippy, fiery doom.

I read somewhere that the best thing to do for a sore throat is to gargle salt water and because that ranks in the top 5 list of things that make me want to die, I'm turning to Joy the Baker instead and her recipe for Winter Lemonade, which I'm making and drinking hot hot HOT. 

Homegirl's a genius.

Can you feel it working already? Stir Stir Stir!

Winter Lemonade with Ginger and Cloves

You Will Need:

 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 7 lemons)

4 1/2 cups filtered water

1/2 cup honey

2 inches fresh ginger, unpeeled and coarsely chopped

5 whole cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

In a medium saucepan combine lemon juice (no worries if you have seeds in your juice - you'll strain everything out in the end!), half of the water, honey, ginger, and spices. Bring to a simmer, stirring until honey is dissolved and remove from heat.

Cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Add the remaining water.

You can drink it at this point if you're choosing to have it hot.

Or refrigerate until chilled through and serve over ice!

I mean... bourbon would be an addition to consider too...

And I guess because you might be wondering, here's the list of top 5 things that make me want to die:

1. gargling salt water

2. drinking warm milk

3. getting into a really hot car in the summer

4. really bad animal farts (because those never come with a warning)

5. when your clothes get wet and cling to you like a million unwelcome lampreys all over your body.

I stopped by Amphora's Bakery yesterday and picked up a few of these gorgeous almond horse-shoe rings and I'll most definitely be whipping up a batch of these in the near future!

Perfect with this hot lemonade or coffee! 

I feel better already!