Recipe: Winter Wake-Up Tonic

Is it just me, or is waking up on winter mornings especially difficult? To me, there's nothing more alluring on a cold winter morning than being in my warm, snuggly bed with my warm, snuggly puppy.

To combat my morning sleepiness, I always like to drink something something hot to get my system going. But whenever it's especially cold outside, or I feel like I have the sniffles coming, I make myself a cup of my Winter Wake-Up Tonic. 

It's super easy to make - all you need is hot water, lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed), honey, and cayenne pepper. These four ingredients combine to make a drink that is invigorating but not too "in your face" about it. To make:

1. Squeeze a dash of lemon juice into your cup of hot water. Personally, I don't like too much bitterness, but you can adjust it to your preferences. The lemon acts as an energizing agent, in addition to cleansing your system.
2. Add in a teaspoon of honey. Again, you can add more or less depending on what you like, but too much sweetness will counteract the effects from the lemon and cayenne. The honey is used to balance the bitterness of the citrus and the spiciness of the pepper.
3. Add just a pinch of cayenne pepper. A little goes a long way here! Cayenne helps clear out your sinuses, as well as kickstarting your metabolism.

Cheers!