Homemade Medicine Keeps Me Writing!

Yeah, it's true. I've kind of got the crazy, "new age" thing going on. Sometimes I walk barefoot through the meadow and play in trees...I make daisy chains with my girls. I've, uh, been known to hug a tree, or two--literally--and I save baby bunnies and feed stray cats (seriously, all the pregnant cats on my country mile say, "Hey, go pop your kittens out at that human's house. She'll make you a warm bed and feed you and stuff.")

Sometimes, me. Sadly, without Flynn.













I grew up with naturalist parents. My mother had an admirable interest in and knowledge of medicinal herbs. This was something we loved to read about--and practice--together, and grew lots of helpful herbs in our vegetable garden. Because I'm a slacker, I haven't increased my knowledge much since my mother's death, but I do know this--

The settlers and Native Americans were onto something, man!

It's crazy to me that we're just now beginning to really, really understand the properties of plants that make them kick-ass medicine. I guess it's easier to pop a few chemical pills made from horse urine and nuclear waste, right?

 
 Heh. Ok, Ok, I'm all for modern medicine, of course--but I avoid it when possible. 

Cold and Flu Remedy from Simple Green Smoothies

Well, it's flu season. Colds. Ugh, strep throat. Pneumonia. They all suck. Because I want to be healthy enough to keep writing for you, and because I want you to be healthy enough to keep reading what I write, here's a wonderful recipe for an immunity-boosting, throat soothing "medicine" that I keep all year long. But especially in the fall/winter. I originally found this lovely recipe on Pinterest, and have modified it a little.

I *promise* that this "medicine" tastes better than radioactive horse pee. Promise!

I'm sharing the original recipe, which I found on Simple Green Smoothies.Click on their beautiful website for the recipe. You won't regret it. Their site is beautiful.




Here's what I do. I use the ingredients called for, lemons, honey and ginger. I only use local honey because I want to be exposed to all the local pollen I can get--it helps my seasonal allergies. Then, I brew three bags of green tea in a small amount of water (like 1 1/2 cups for 3 bags) so it becomes like a concentrate. In a quart mason jar, I mix a batch of the honey, lemon and ginger and then add hot tea concentrate over the top. Shake a little and set in your fridge. When you want hot tea, simply pour some in a glass and add hot tap water to taste. All the goodness is there, in a simple, easy step.

Even better--as long as  your lemons are covered with honey or tea, they won't spoil, so you can keep this remedy on hand for weeks at a time. I always make more so we're never without.

Enjoy and hey, wash your hands and cover your cough. PLEASE!

Happy cold and flu season. :)