Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea
I have felt like GARBAGE all week. I always get sick this time of year but, still, this is NOT. FUN. I had been on such a good streak too. I had meal prepped and been eating right the past few weeks, and have been running a 5K 6 days per week. It’s like God saw me actually doing something productive and healthy with my life and was like “lol, sit down b*tch”.
The first day of my sickness I still tried to walk my 5K on the treadmill and not give in. That was short lived and I have since evolved into a literal potato who just sits on the couch all day and drinks hot liquids, waving the white flag. While soup is a “sick day” staple, tea is probably one of the top things I crave when I am not feeling well. I actually used to be a huge tea fanatic when I still lived with my parents. My mom and I both worked downtown and my office was a block away from David’s Tea. My mom would walk to my office after work so that we could go to David’s and get a tea for the train ride home. When I moved into the new house with J, I bought a ton of tea but never really drank it. I love tea but I guess it doesn’t occur to me to make a cup unless someone else is too. As it has been getting colder, I've started to revisit my tea cravings and use it as a way to warm up on a cold day or a way to curb my appetite when I want to eat everything in my pantry.
While all tea is helpful when sick, there is one that always stands out. Starbucks has a tea called the “Medicine Ball”. It actually has another name on the menu but I learned about it as the Medicine Ball and that is how I have always ordered it. It is meant to be a sick day cure and it is friggin delicious. Even people who don’t like tea seem to like this one. I forced my dad to drink one when he was sick a few years ago and he was pleasantly surprised. It is a pretty sweet tea that is packed with flavor. As much as I love it, it literally hurts my soul to pay Starbucks $5 for what is essentially a cup of hot water with less that a dollar’s worth of other ingredients. I was determined to make my own and, I must say, what I came up with is pretty darn close to the Starbucks one!
To start, you guessed it- boil your water! My mom bought me this tea kettle for Christmas a few years ago and I am obsessed. You can obviously get a cheaper one and it still gets the job done, but I leave mine out on the stove all year as added decor. Plus it matched my dutch oven so do I even need to say more?? Once your water is boiling, add it to your favorite cozy cup (if you know, you know), leaving a little bit of space at the top. If you overfill your cup with water, there won’t be room for the next ingredients and it will overflow once you add them or the teabags.
Now, you want to add your honey. This is an important step and a big part of why this is called the “medicine” ball. Honey is incredibly soothing when you are sick and coats the throat, helping to suppress a cough. I believe that honey is also an immune booster, which is an added bonus. So, if you are coughing or have a sore throat, this does wonders. For that reason, I am pretty generous when adding the honey, usually doing 1.5-2 tablespoons. Once, you add your honey, stir it into the water until it is dissolved and has turned a golden color.
At this point, you want to add your lemonade. This was the hidden ingredient that took me a while to figure out. It is certainly what helps make this tea super sweet and I think that is why everyone seems to love it (who doesn’t love lemonade???). Lemons are full of Vitamin C and antioxidants, so it makes sense that they are a part of this tea. I, however, do not just keep lemonade in my house. Every once in a while I buy it in the summer so that people can use it as a mixer when they come over but that is it. J and I both would drink the whole thing and, quite frankly, lemonade is full of calories and sugar and can be fattening if you consume too much. For this reason, I chose to use a lemonade-flavored Crystal Light packet. This allowed me the same taste with fewer calories and the added storage convenience of a small packet. This stuff is strong so you do not need a whole packet. I added close to a half packet and it was pretty sweet. I would say that adding a larger quantity (half of a packet) gives you more of the Starbucks flavor but, if you don’t want it that sweet, feel free to add less. Once you stir that in, your water should take on the appearance of a golden lemonade.
At this point, you are ready to add your tea. This was not really a mystery to figure out- when you go to Starbucks, the tea bags are literally hanging out of the side of the cup. Starbucks acquired Teavana, so that is the primary tea that they use. Luckily, you can find this tea in most grocery stores. You will need two, the Jade Citrus Mint and the Peach Tranquility. The added fruity/citrus notes are incredibly refreshing, and the subtle hint of mint really helps to soothe a sore throat. I add one teabag of each flavor into the water mixture, and let is steep for at least five minutes. At this point, you are ready to enjoy your Starbucks tea without even having to put pants on and leave your house (you’re welcome)! I like to buy these seasonal, disposable cups at HomeGoods. I had lemon-themed ones in the summer and found these sweet ones for the fall. Is this necessary? No. Is this environmentally responsible? Also no. Does this bring me joy? Abso-friggin-lutely. I usually save these for the times that I am out and about and will need to just throw my cup away but there is something about having a cozy fall cup like this when you are sick that makes everything all better. While I try to be as eco-friendly as possible, I apparently evolve into a selfish B when I am sick who puts her warm-fuzzy joys before the well-being of our planet. My apologies, all.
If you do not have these ingredients, wine is a GREAT substitute. I have a theory that, when sick, wine will cure you. Have a cold? DRINK WINE. Have a fever? DRINK WINE. Broke your bones and are in a full-body cast? DRINK. DAT. WINE. It is filled with antioxidants and I believe that the alcohol will just burn and murder all of the germs that are hanging out in your throat. While this is not scientifically proven, I am basically a doctor so you should totally trust me. Happy Healing, All!
INGREDIENTS:
12-16 ounces of boiling, hot water
1.5-2 TB Honey
1/4-1/2 Packet of Lemonade-Flavored Crystal Light
1 Teavana Teabag- Jade Citrus Mint
1 Teavana Teabag- Peach Tranquility
DIRECTIONS:
Boil water in a teakettle or pan until starting to bubble and steam. Add water to mug
Add honey to the water and stir until completely dissolved
Add Crystal Light to the water and stir until combined
Add both teabags to the water. Submerge in water and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
