Dirty Hippie DIY: Cure for the Common Cold

'Tis the season for coughs due to colds.  And a doozy of a cold has been going around my workplace.  I think I've caught it (or a mutated version of it) 3 times.  I think I'm starting on number four now.

But I don't like taking all sorts of chemically stuff when I'm at home and I can rest away my illness.  So I go the good old fashioned route and sleep and drink gallons of tea.  I have a special recipe for a mixture I drink in hot water-- it always makes my stomach feel better, and it usually soothes my throat.  And the hot water helps my stuffy nose.  And, it tastes good.  AND, there are no chemicals in it. 

There is no name for it.  I call it the "tea jar" in our house.  There are a few different versions that I've used, but this is my favorite.  You can make your own "tea jar" with 3 ingredients:

1/2 cup of honey
2 inch piece of ginger root
1 lemon

That's all you need for some soothing tea.

Peel the ginger root and slice it really thin.  Wash the lemon, squeeze some of the juice from the lemon into the jar and then slice it really thin.  Put the lemon and ginger in a mason jar, and shake it to distribute it in the jar evenly.  Pour the honey over the whole thing, and seal the jar.  Store it in the fridge.

You could probably use it right away, but it is better if you wait.  I usually wait over night, but a couple of hours is okay too. 

To use it, boil some water, and put a heaping teaspoon of the honey in your mug.  Pour the hot water over it, and sip. 

I think I'll go make some now, I feel an itch in my throat...