I am still struggling to understand the icy mornings of a Melbourne winter, defiantly padding about the kitchen without socks, my bare toes as frozen as the ground outside;I am always one sweater short of being warm, or one pair of tights away from being comfortable, leaving the house in an optimistic t-shirt and jeans only to discover that even sunshine can be cold in this arctic city.

Despite my ignorance when it comes to temperatures below 18⁰C, I have embraced one wintery habit to get me through the dark mornings and seasonal colds. After a few weeks of studying, exams, and, most importantly, post-exam parties, I was feeling and looking dreadful. Enter what could be called a detox tea, though it really is just a nice way to start the day. With dandelion, fresh ginger, lemon, cinnamon, and a little black pepper, this homemade brew has been getting me through those 6am starts when all I want to do is lay in bed. Plus it tastes pretty damn good.

Jessica’s 6am Tea

·         Piece of ginger, peeled and grated

·         Half a lemon

·         Cinnamon, ground

·         Black Pepper, ground

·         1tsp dandelion root

Put it all in a big, pretty mug and pour boiling water over. Stir and drink up!