Starbucks Medicine Ball – Ginger Honey Tea Tonic Recipe

Otherwise known as, the cold buster! Or the Starbucks medicine ball. YES.

Or, MY Starbucks medicine ball recipe. I’m sort of obsessed,

Seriously who comes up with these amazing combos? I think we should develop some crazy coffee recipe here and see if we can get Starbucks to add it to their secret menu and then add it to their real menu, Apparently thats what happened with the medicine ball. I propose bacon coffee.KIDDING.

MY OTHER RECIPES

A quick google search will tell you what the ingredients are. They are simple, but not things that I had in my house. And I was majorly desperate, because when I ordered one of these last week? They were all OUT. Noooooo.

I don’t know how we made it through the entire winter and most of flu season without any of us getting sick. I mean, I’m majorly thankful! But the last few weeks have been a little rough. Max has pretty much never been sick up until a few weeks ago, and he’s had all sorts of colds and coughs that we’ve been passing around to each other. I woke up last week with a sinus infection and started freaking out, because the book tour started this week. No way did I want to fly feeling like death.

So this is my version of the Starbucks medicine ball. The only thing I don’t add is the peppermint syrup. Sometimes, when I get this at Starbucks, I do add the syrup. But I didn’t feel like I needed it at home, plus I sort of avoid major peppermint things at the moment since I’m nursing. I also really love it without the peppermint syrup!

And you know that I’m totally not a tea person, but this is one tea that I adore. I can drink the entire thing. Most times, I swear that tea just tastes like dirt and grass and there is nothing to save it. No milk, no sugar, nothing.

But this one? It’s perfect. Probably because the base is steamed lemonade and water. Yes yes, lemonade! There’s already a bit of added sweetness there so it’s perfect.

For the teas, you need a minty tea and a peachy tea. That’s one of the reasons that I don’t add the extra peppermint – the mint tea is more than enough for me. I used the Tazo refresh mint and am now loving it. Like I may even drink it on its own.

Since I didn’t do the peppermint, I added a bunch of my own freshly grated ginger.

YOU GUYS. Last week I was so desperate that I actually chewed raw garlic and ginger. So many of you have told me over the years that it works. I think that you have to chew cloves like every hour or something through? I couldn’t do that. Eeeep.

I ended up spreading Manuka honey on a cracker and added a chopped garlic clove with a ton of fresh ginger. It was not pleasant, but I got it down. I did two of them. Maybe that also contributed to my sinus infection/cold only lasting like four days. Oh oh oh and this elderberry syrup stuff! LIFE SAVED.

Anyhoo, back to the tea. I made it a bunch last week but I made a big batch to photograph a few days ago – and I just couldn’t stop drinking it. I might have found the tea that I finally enjoy. I want to make it all the time now! That may defeat the purpose but… who cares. It’s DELISH.

Ginger Honey Tea Tonic

Yield: serves 2 to 4

Total Time:15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups lemonade
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 bags mint tea
• 2 bags peach tea
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 to 2 teaspoons honey (or more)
• 1 lemon wedge or slice for garnish

 

Directions:

Bring the lemonade and the water to a gentle boil (in a kettle, or heck, in a saucepan!). Place the tea bags (in separate mugs or in a large measuring cup/pitcher) and ginger in the mugs/pitcher and pour the lemonade water over to steep. Steep for about 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags and stir in the honey.

Add a slice of lemon and drink!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.

And I also might just make it to drizzle honey like that.