I suppose one of the principal
reasons why I enjoyed having my breakfast with Father was because he always had
the things I liked. To be sure, there was corn-meal must and milk, which was no
great treat, but there were also hot doughnuts and syrup, codfish gravy which
Mother was very adept at making and which Father loved, squabs from the pigeon
house, and some little delicacy from our own garden. Brother Staines the
gardener was a genius at making things grow under glass, and the first and
finest strawberries or other fruits of the season naturally found their way to
Father’s table. His only hot drink was composition tea made from herbs and
spices. . . . The composition tea was used by Father not only as a
medicine but for his usual hot drink, since our religion teaches us not to use
ordinary tea or coffee. I still drink it myself and have given the recipe
to hundreds of friends. Here is Father’s own recipe for it: 4 oz. each of
ground bayberry, poplar bark, and hemlock; 2 oz. each of ground ginger, cloves,
and cinnamon; and 1 oz. of cayenne pepper. I take a small bit on the end of a
spoon fill the cup with hot water, and use plenty of cream and sugar. (Clarissa
Young Spencer with Mabel Harmer, Brigham Young at Home [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Company, 1940], 17, 77-78, emphasis in bold added)