Cure for the Common Cold

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, and plugged nose.
The Common Cold has struck again.
I'm actually surprised I lasted this long, seeing as how my dad had it pretty bad not too long ago, and Katie just had it last week.

But I don't want this to stick around , so I wasted no time in brewing up Taryn's healing elixir :)

Allow me to share.

When I arrived at Strathcona Park Lodge in early May last year, it was still like the middle of winter. I didn't realize how high in the mountains it was, until I drove up and saw snowy peaks just across the lake.

Needless to say, I was unprepared for the weather, when I had left Kamloops wearing shorts and t-shirts.

So were a few other people. It wasn't long til people were stumbling around, blowing their noses, eyes watering, throats aching.

Luckily, my friend Taryn is amazing with natural remedies. She would make this drink for the poor sufferers, and inevitably they would feel much better after they finished their mug.

I was skeptical, mostly because it looked nasty, and smelled quite strong. And I'm not a huge fan of ginger. I avoided it, until I got home and got a cold. And then remembered what she had taught me, and it works folks....it really works.

Plus its all natural, and tastes better than Neo Citron (and it won't make you drowsy).

So here's the recipe. Its easy. You only need 4 things.

*A thumb-size piece of fresh ginger root
*Half a lemon (I have a theory that using a fresh lemon is better than the bottled juice)
*Honey (to taste)
*Cayenne pepper

I only used a small part of this ginger

1. Peel your ginger, and slice it. Place it in a small pot, and add 2 cups of cold* water


2. Heat to med-high. Boil for 5 minutes, or until the water takes on a distinctly yellow tinge

3. Juice your lemon half.


4. Strain the ginger water into a mug, and add the lemon juice.
5. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of honey, depending on how sweet you like it. Don't leave it out, you're gonna need it.

6. Throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Voila!

Now drink up! Its not the most pleasant thing out there, but it works...

I don't know why the ginger works, but its very soothing to the sore throat. Lemon is full of vitamin c, and I think honey is also used for soothing the throat, as well as improving the flavor. The cayenne pepper is used for something to do with improving circulation . Its actually not as nasty as it sounds. I'm actually acquiring a taste for it.


*I used cold water, because I think it extracts more from the ginger than hot water. For me its the same principal as when making soup stocks with bones. You start the bones in cold water and as it heats up it draws the goodness out. Conversely, when you want to keep the good stuff IN, you start it on something hot, ie: a steak on a grill. There you have it...I DID learn something from a year in culinary school...