HOMEMADE NATURAL COLD ELIXIR| It’s that season again – the time of runny noses, chest congestion, ear aches, and all that other fun stuff that comes with back-to-school and the cooling of autumn. Here in the tropics, a ‘cool’ day is anything below 82 degrees. As you can imagine, the moist warm air is like a germ paradise!
Luckily, I manage to ward off most of the bugs that go around, but this one has got me pretty good. I like to use natural remedies as much as possible, avoiding the potentially hazardous chemicals and unnecessary additives in over-the-counter medicines. I found this homemade natural cold elixir over at the blog Leaf and Grain, which looks to be an amazing site for all things natural/homemade!
I absolutely love the idea of healing what ails us simply by grabbing a few items from the kitchen! This spiced honey elixir soothes the throat taken just as a spoonful of syrup – this is the way my kids prefer to take it. I love it stirred into a steamy cup of decaffeinated chai tea. Any kind of tea would work though. If you need help sleeping through the discomforts of your cold, add a shot of bourbon to your honey elixir tea. (Adults only, of course, and be aware this WILL make you sleepy so make sure you have an extra set of ears ready to reply to kids’ nighttime needs!).
Wondering how this works to help you feel better?!… 
I usually have all four of these simple ingredients on-hand just for use in cooking. The recipe I adapted from calls for fresh ginger root. I don’t normally buy this just because, honestly, I don’t have much practice with using it. In the past, I’ve bought it with the intention to try and then ended up throwing it out because it went bad before I got to it. That needs to change! Meanwhile, I keep a jar of fresh minced ginger in my fridge and that’s working for me. It works perfectly in this recipe too. 
I changed the recipe a little bit just based on what I had on-hand. Here’s how I made mine:
| Servings |
- 1 c. raw honey
- 1 tsp. bottled minced ginger
- 1 lemon sliced, seeded, and slices cuthalf
- 1 cinnamon stick
Ingredients
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- In a mason jar or other sealable container, combine all ingredients. Stir. Store in refrigerator up to 7 days.
- Serve alone as a spoonful of elixir to soothe the throat, or stir into steamy tea for a comforting treat that soothes throat and clears nasal passages. For an adult sleepy-time version, add 1 oz. bourbon to the elixir & tea.
Do you have a favorite DIY natural cold remedy? Please share in the Comments section below!
To your health!!!
