As the winter weather lingers, I frequently make my favorite cold-weather, hot beverage of choice, Lemon-Ginger Heart-Warming Tea. If it were possible, I'd love to come over to your house and pour you a cup right now, because it's always fun to share tea with friends.  But since I can't, I'm doing the second best thing by sharing my recipe with you, in hopes you'll make some for yourself sometime soon:
 
1 quart boiling water, poured over
1-2 tsp. of green tea leaves (Dragon Pearl Jasmine Green Tea is my favorite for this, but any unflavored green or black tea will do.  And if you prefer to avoid caffeine, you can use Chamomile instead)
1 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick (or cinnamon powder)
3-4 whole cloves (or clove powder)
 
Let the tea mixture steep for 5-7 minutes, preferably in a well-insulated teapot.
Pour into large mugs, each containing 1-2 tsp lemon juice (to taste), and 1-2 tsp of pure maple syrup (or honey).  If you're daring enough, your tongue (and stomach) will thank you and dance with joy if you add a pinch of cayenne powder to the mug, too! 
 
This tea is guaranteed to warm your heart and soul from the inside out, even on the coldest, wettest, windy-est of days.  In addition to being refreshing and energizing, the ginger and spices are good for your digestive system and can really help ground your energy if you're feeling too busy or too tired to relax.
 
With Valentines Day coming up, I can't think of a nicer gift to give you loved ones (or yourself!) than to pour them a nice cup of tea, then sit back and relax for a few minutes, feeling loved and loving.  Ahh...
 
I hope you'll be able to join us this Sunday as we celebrate Valentines Day with a special love-filled morning service - as well as our Dance and Tea Party from 2-4pm that afternoon.  But wherever you are, whatever you do, here's wishing you a Happy, Healthy Valentines Day spent feeling loved and loving.
 
With blessings,