October 22, 2009
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Herbal Cold Tea
I ruined our dinner the other night--the Caramelized Garlic Chicken.
That hasn't happened in a while... (I used to try to do too many things at one time while cooking dinner!). The worst part, to me, is that I ruined *organic* (read: expensive) chicken. Not good!Since cold season is here, I am going to mix up an herbal tea for my family. This recipe is from holisticonline:
Herbal Cold Tea
One of the Best Cold RemedyThis herbal tea, purported to be one of the best cold remedies, helps handle fever and reduce achiness, congestion, and inflammation associated with common cold.
Ingredients
1 part - elder (Sambucus nigra)
1 part - peppermint (Mentha piperita)
1 part - yarrow (Achillea millefolium)Directions
Combine the ingredients. Steep 1 to 2 tsp of the mixture in 1 cup hot water. Allow it to steep for 10-25 minutes covered. Strain and drink it hot just before going to bed. It may be taken with a pinch of mixed spice and a little honey to soothe a painful throat.
Note: Prepare a fresh cup for each dose. Sip the dosage slowly, never gulp it down. Swish it around the mouth before swallowing. This helps the liquid to mix with the enzymes in the saliva and rapidly assimilates the herbs into the blood stream.
This tea will induce a sweat, and if the cold is caught early enough, may stop it altogether. Even if it is too late for this it will still be very useful. This tea can help the body handle fever and reduce achiness, congestion, and inflammation.
Optional Additions
Other herbs that may be added to the infusion include:
Cayenne (Capsicum minimum): a favorite North American Indian remedy: use 1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) of the powder to really stimulate the circulation. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): use a cinnamon stick, and break it into the mixture of herbs, for a gentle, warming and sweat-inducing effect. Ginger (Zingiber officinalis): grate a small piece of fresh root ginger into the mixture for extra heat.
Comments (4)
Hmm, how hard are those ingredients to find? I'd like to try this and keep some on hand, but I'm the only one who would drink it. I know Steven would not touch it and the boys, well, ha!
Also, I hate it when I ruin supper! I'm sorry it happened to you, especially with the organic chicken!
Hey, that other blog you linked to the other day, the one that tugged at your heart strings, I love her stationery! I'm going to order some this weekend. It's great stuff!
:dancingcow:
Thanks for sharing.
@bethro78 - I am ordering two of the ingredients here (they're out of the elder flower--but I'm hoping they'll have some in stock by the time we order--I'm ordering w/a group of people) http://www.frontiercoop.com/. I was trying to find someone to split them with me, because they come in 1 lb. packages. If no one has answered my emails, would you like to split them?
I wonder if it works as well as an iced tea? It should taste pretty good with the peppermint!
Small Meadow Press--I've been ordering from Lesley for a couple of years now--I love her stuff, too! You might also like her cute banners (check out the one for Autumn!).