4 C powdered Tang
1 C sugar
2 C Lipton instant tea, unsweet
1 C powdered Country Time lemonade, yellow
1 ½ T ground cinnamon
1 T ground cloves
½ T allspice
1 t nutmeg
1 t cardamom
Get out your biggest bowl and whisk. Mix all the ingredients keeping away any moisture. If you are unable to find unsweet tea you can use the sweetened instant tea and omit the sugar. Pour the dry spiced tea into clean, dry mason jars, a wide funnel helps. Seal tightly with the lid, decorate as you choose. Include a label with the following instructions: Mix 2-3 teaspoons of tea to 1 C of hot water. Enjoy!
If you have extra, store in an airtight container.
This was a tremendously popular recipe when I was a kid, back in the “olden days” according to my 11 year old, you know the 1980s. My mom used to make this with my sister and me between Christmas and Valentines Day. We’d re-use our empty jam and jelly jars and fill them with the spiced tea powder. For Valentines gifts Mom would spoon in a teaspoon of the tiny cinnamon red hearts before putting on the lid. We’d tie little satin bows around the jar and give them out as gifts to our teachers, choir director, neighbors, little old ladies from the church, moms of friends, and we’d usually keep a jar four ourselves. It’s sort of like a hug in a mug, but probably more because of the nostalgia surrounding this recipe. It’s simple enough for kids to make and even though it’s appears heavy on the Tang, it is an enjoyable beverage especially shared with friends on a chilly day.
