What I'm Wicked Into: Clove Tea

Nov 1

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Mornin' guys! How's it going this week?I hope my #MondayMantra—"You're exactly where you need to be"—has been serving you well and you've been able to take it with you through work and your personal life.This week's been fun so far. Work's been steady, we've been getting into watching the World Series every night, and Halloween was a good time. :)I made a couple treats for work—candy corn rice krispies and milano cookie mummies. IMG_20171031_102611_213 I love how the mummies came out, so cute and really easy to make. 20171031_102438_resized How To Make Clove Tea:I've always been a coffee girl, but there are some nights where the ritual of making and sipping on hot tea is simply divine.I feel like I know myself well enough now to know that I really love super earthy, rich, and exotic teas—something with a punch that sets me into a relaxing mood. That's probably why I've always been drawn to teas with cinnamon, chives, nutmeg, and ginger. Those flavors tend to remind me of the fall, too—my favorite time of year.Anyway, that's what today's post is all about—tea—in particular, clove tea.Have you ever had it?Cloves are the aromatic flower buds from an evergreen tree.The pure smell of clove is so amazing to me. It reminds me of holidays, family, togetherness, and fullness. It's crazy how a smell can bring on feelings like that.Awhile ago, I had purchased a huge mason jar of whole cloves and every once in awhile, I'd add a few pinches to my tea kettle when boiling water.Well, once I saw an easy way to make clove tea, I was all about trying it out myself.Really, the only things I had to do were:- Crush the whole cloves in food processor, to make about 1-2 tablespoons of ground cloves. I made 2 because I wanted a stronger mix. (You can easily use a mortal and pestle for this part... I just don't have one.)- Boil the cloves in water (in a mesh tea mix holder) for 20 minutes.- Let the water cool slightly and discard the clove mixture.- Add sugar, honey, vanilla or milk, to taste. Or nothing else!That's it!I was super excited to try this out, and when I heard that clove tea has a ton of health benefits, I was even more pumped to introduce it to my life.Here's just a short list of some health benefits cloves offer:- sinus relief- relaxation- aids in digestion- relieves gum and tooth pain- alleviate fevers- helps treatment aches and pains- better digestion- cure for headachesSo many benefits.After I brewed my tea, I was ready to try it.Soooooo good. I knew I'd love it.Super rich and smooth. I didn't even have to add anything to it. 47694 Maybe next time, I could add some vanilla though for a little more flavor.I definitely encourage you to try clove tea. It'll be something I have more at night to calm down and get ready for bed.You can always have it iced, if that's what you prefer.Enjoy,Ari