Autumn Tea — The Warm Cup That Topped Off a Sunday Worth Remembering

Drove Monday-Tuesday.

Gayle had a decent week.

Josie's cross country meet Saturday. She came in 8th overall. She is thrilled.

Sunday: pot roast. Gayle ate a full plate.

That Sunday pot roast had already done most of the work — Gayle ate a full plate, Josie came home glowing from her 8th-place finish, and the house just felt settled in that rare, good way. All I wanted after cleaning up was something warm in my hands that matched the mood outside, and this Autumn Tea is exactly that. It’s become my quiet signal that the week ended the way it was supposed to.

Autumn Tea

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 4 regular black tea bags
• 1 cup apple cider
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Orange slices or cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Brew the tea. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags.
2. Add the spices and sugar. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg until the sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Add the juices. Pour in the apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
4. Warm and serve. Return the pot to medium-low heat and warm through, about 3–5 minutes. Do not boil. Ladle into mugs and garnish with an orange slice or cinnamon stick if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 90 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 23g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 10mg