My sweet little grand-daughter Elsa came to visit last week...and she was teething...and she had a cold...so she was fussy and since her mom was at an all day seminar for three days in a row, Elsa wanted to be held every minute...and now, guess who has a cold, too?!?
Elsa would not let me out of her sight - so the two of us were stuck together, probably by snot...Elsa is watching her mom on the ipad, the girl was on Creative Live last week with some famous photographer from Australia - the girl was picked to be on the show with him and she said it changed her life...and having Elsa here with me changed mine...at least for a week! I've gone through boxes of Kleenex, and am eating DayQuil like it's Skittles...nothing has helped, except for this - my own Head Cold Home Remedy...it's not for sissies.
Here's what's in it...ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice and bourbon...they are brought to a boil in 2 cups of water...then honey is added...once it's strained through a sieve, it's ready to sip...aaaaah...instant relief!
This really is an old family recipe...from what I remember and I could be wrong...I don't think cinnamon was ever included but the rest of the stuff was...I'm sure my mom will let me know if I'm wrong? Sipping this elixir with a couple of my Valentine's Creamy Bon-Bons is the best way to get all of the curative properties ingested quickly...you know, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...and if you slather Vicks Vapor Rub onto the bottom of your feet and then cover your feet with thick socks...you are going to feel better in no time! Oh, put some Vicks around your neck, too, and then using a really big safety pin, pin a thick mens sock around your neck...that's how my mom always did it and it worked great! I don't think it necessarily has to be a clean one either! (You're all stuffed up, can't breathe, can't smell, who's going to know?!?)
Head Cold Home Remedy - Pots and Pins
2 cups water
juice and zest from 2 lemons
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger, fresh or bottled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon bourbon
In a small saucepan combine water, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne and bourbon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in honey, simmer for 3 minutes. Pour mixture through a sieve into a warmed teapot (fill teapot with hot water to warm it, pour out water before filling) or jar. Makes 3 cups; 6 servings.