Super winter tea

December brought Sacramentans some strange weather: lots of cold and rain interspersed with random days of warm sunshine and high pollen—basically perfect conditions to give us cold, flu and allergy symptoms. Fortunately, there's a honey, lemon and ginger tea recipe that can help relieve runny noses, sore throats and upset stomachs. First, the simple (leafless) “tea”: Just peel and slice some ginger, and boil it in a pot of water. It's widely known that ginger helps relieve stomach aches. Pour a cup of this into a mug, then squeeze in a wedge of lemon—which will help with a sore throat. Adding a spoonful or two of local honey also helps soothe the throat and fight allergies. If it's a hot day, pour this same drink into a cup full of ice for a zingy lemonade (and you can even add a shot of liquor to turn it into a cocktail).