Equipment Needed
- Your favorite mug (a ceramic one retains heat beautifully)
- A kettle or small saucepan to heat the water
- A citrus juicer or reamer (or just your strong hands!)
- A measuring spoon
- A small spoon for stirring
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I put the kettle on. While it heats, I always take a moment to roll my lemon on the counter under my palm—this softens it up and makes it so much easier to juice. I slice it in half and juice it right over my mug. I want every precious drop! One tablespoon is the perfect amount of tartness to balance the honey, but I always sneak in an extra few drops because I love that zing.
Once my water is hot—and here’s a key tip I learned the hard way—I let it sit for just 30 seconds off the boil. Pouring absolutely boiling water can sometimes compromise the delicate, beneficial properties of the raw honey. So, I pour the hot water into the mug over the fresh lemon juice. The immediate citrusy steam that hits my face is part of the therapy.
Now, for the most important step: adding the honey. I drizzle that glorious golden honey directly into the hot lemon water. This is where patience comes in. I stir, and stir, and stir some more with my spoon until I cannot see a single swirl of honey. It must be fully dissolved. The first time I made this, I got lazy and didn’t stir enough, and I ended up with a super-sweet gulp at the bottom of the mug. Not ideal.
Finally, I add my pinch of cinnamon. I sprinkle it right over the surface, and sometimes I’ll grate just a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg on top if I’m feeling fancy. If I’m using a cinnamon stick, I drop it in now as my natural stirrer. Then, I wrap both hands around the warm ceramic, take a deep breath of the spiced, lemony aroma, and take that first careful, comforting sip. Pure bliss.(See the next page below to continue…)