Eureka!

I've got it: homemade, almost-natural, Russian Spice Tea. Jumping off from a Cooking Light recipe I found, I have created my closest rendition yet to that childhood, Tang original.

Try this:

Mommy Hungry's Own Russian Spice Tea

1 cup boiling water

1 Lemon Zinger tea bag

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon (or less) sugar (I had raw)

I have a Keurig, so I just used the tea bag in the machine and had it drip into all the other ingredients mixed in a cup. WOW! Even Mama says it's pretty close. The right color, the right, well, grit, the right smell, almost the right taste sans all those chemicals and fake flavors.

And just in time for the cold/allergies that seem to have taken over my head (caused by my own hubris, as I was caught saying this weekend that the next time I am sick or injured, I don't want it to affect my mobility--head cold, broken arm, whatever--just so I can stand, sit, and walk. Well, here we go with that head cold. Hope these things don't come in threes).

Enjoy the tea!