Sore Throats and Hot Spiced Honey Lemonade

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottfeldstein/ / CC BY 2.0

 

This past week I've been battling a sore throat. A nasty head cold was brewing on my end after watching three of our kids go through the same scenario.  But I was prepared...my special hot-spiced-honey-lemonade brew.  Simple ingredients that do your ailing body good:  lemon juice for Vitamin C, cloves for their antimicrobial and antiseptic benefits, honey for its soothing  and antimicrobial properties, and ginger for its warming action beneficial for the respiratory tract. So here's the procedure.

In a saucepan or microwave proof glass container, pour in one cup water, a heaping teaspoon of whole cloves, and a slice of ginger (I keep candied ginger on hand since I don't always have access to raw ginger at a moment's notice). Bring this all to a boil, and then continue to boil for three minutes.  Strain into your beverage mug.  Add two tablespoons lemon juice (yes, fresh squeezed would be lovely or use reconstituted if that's all you have on hand) and two tablespoons of honey.  Stir until the honey is dissolved. If upon tasting it's a bit strong, you can dilute it with additional water.  

From here you can make the recipe your own.  More cloves.  Less honey.  Adjust it to your personal taste so that you will drinks cups of it during your bout with a sore throat.  It's pretty much guaranteed to take the edge of your sore throat and fill you with warm goodness.