Homemade winter beverages
Spiced Apple Cider
ingredients
1 large orange
4 quarts apple cider
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 whole cloves
10 whole allspice
8 whole green cardamom pods, crushed
5 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
preparation
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from orange in strips. Place orange peel in heavy large pot (reserve orange for another use). Add apple cider, golden brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, cloves, allspice, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks to pot. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until cider mixture is reduced to generous 8 cups, about 40 minutes. Strain cider into medium pot.
Lately in Memphis, it does not get cold until January. Not so cold that thermos are broken out and soups become more of a daily meal anyhow. So to keep warm all throughout that daily commute fill your thermos up with either of this awesome drink recipes I found on epicurious.com.