Lemon honey ginger tea – for one

Put about 1 tablespoon freshly shredded ginger in a tea pot or other steeping vessel. Pour 1 cup boiling water over it and let steep 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, depending on juiciness and your love of lemon, into a large mug. Strain ginger tea into mug. Add honey to taste – you want to use a lot to help coat your throat. During the day, sip to soothe. At bedtime, add a shot of bourbon or whiskey or brandy or cognac if you like.

Of course, you don’t have a large gray mug with a blue stripe around the top that a college roommate once gave you for your birthday that survived the mass mug-culling of 2004 (the year we decided we didn’t really like to drink our coffee out of mugs but preferred these things called “coffee cups” which we find oddly better suited to the task with their thinner rims and whatnot, but that’s us and we’re sort of dainty and persnickety like that) that you kept specifically for when you are sick and need honey lemon ginger tea but that always makes you a wee bit nostalgic and wondering what ever happened to that long-lost friend.* But you probably have some sort of mug or cup around which you can wrap your fingers to warm them as you slowly sip this elixir.

* I just used the google-machine and found her in a snap. Somedays I just love the internets.