Mohonk Mountain House (Photo Source: Mohonk.com)

We spent a tranquil Thanksgiving weekend at the historic Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Being deep in nature every day was rejuvenating and breathtaking. Hiking, ice skating, horses, and hot chocolate by the fireplace. A horse-drawn carriage to the mountain top with Sean and Liam was like a dream. When I first moved to New York City in the late 1990s, people would always say how important it was to leave the city from time to time. Nothing could be more true, and New Yorkers are lucky to have spots like this one just 90 minutes from Manhattan.

When we weren’t outdoors, we were cozying up by the fireplace inside. There is a charming shop that sells everything from handmade soaps to herbal teas. After dinner the first evening, Sean immediately eyed this sign, specifically ‘Ginger Turmeric Tea’ (to help healthy digestion and inflammation).’

We found it so soothing and satisfying that we both ended up getting two large cups of it every night. Both turmeric and ginger are excellent, natural antidotes that promote digestion and settle tummies after large meals (which is so uncommon at Thanksgiving). For thousands of years turmeric has been used as a part of Ayurvedic medicine. An active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin, which has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory action, curcumin has a potential healing effect on chronic diseases such as diabetes, allergies, and arthritis.

Once we returned to Manhattan, I figured that I since I always have fresh ginger root in my fridge and ground turmeric in my pantry, what could be better than making it from scratch? Sean and I found ourselves missing our evening post-dinner Mohonk Mountain herbal tea, so I brewed up a small batch. Because turmeric has an astringent flavor, this tea has an earthy taste, rather than a sweet tea, but you can add honey to it if you like. It took 15-20 minutes, and let’s just say, nothing can really compare to homemade, no matter how terrific a store-bought tea bag is!

Mountain House Elixir: Homemade Ginger Turmeric Tea

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 cups of cool water
• 3-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Preparation

1. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a saucepan.
2. Add ginger root slices and ground turmeric. Simmer for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
3. Strain into mugs and serve immediately.

All you need: fresh ginger root, ground turmeric, a small cutting board, a knife, and a whisk

Just look at that golden color

Slowly pour it into your favorite tea mug using a small sieve to filter the pieces of ginger root

Homemade ginger-turmeric tea. Glorious.