Well kids, I think I might be getting sick.

The strange thing is, I’m kind of excited about it in a way. No, I don’t enjoy wallowing in misery with a box of tissues in one hand and bowl of soup in the other, lying languidly on the couch watching bad day-time TV.

No, what I’m excited about is that I finally have a reason to share with you my recipe for a cure-all drink that I make whenever Jeff or I gets sick that manages to knock out our illnesses within 2 days every time. Yes, I have been waiting to get sick to share this recipe. My posts need context!

(Stuff you already know:  I’m not a doctor and though this drink may or may not make you feel better when you’re feeling icky, it is not meant to replace real medicine.)

Anyway, here it is in all its healing glory:

Cold cure drink

I make this drink anytime I'm feeling ill. Especially good for clearing up colds and sinus problems.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• apple cider or juice
• slices of lemons and/or oranges
• a handful of cinnamon sticks
• about 10 whole cloves
• as much fresh grated ginger as you can stand (seriously, put a lot)
• a tablespoon or two of maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I got crazy and used red pepper flake too!)
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 to 2 bags of your favorite tea (chai or black teas taste best in this)

Cooking Directions

1. Heat everything up in a large pot and allow to simmer for several minutes.
2. Either drink it strong as is or dilute with water as desired.

What you need to do is get a big pot and fill it 3/4 of the way with the cider and start bringing it up to a high simmer.  Add everything else and let it simmer for a few minutes.(I don’t know how long, just do it until the tea is steeped and you can smell that the cinnamon and clove have infused into the liquid.) Discard all the citrus slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and tea bags.

What you’ve just made is a very potent and intensely-flavored drink.  There are two methods for using it: either drink it as-is two to three times a day in a small quantity, or dilute the whole thing with lots of water and sip on it constantly all day.  Option one will really help to give you an immediate jolt to be able to face the day, option two is good if you have to force yourself to go to work so you can just take it in a travel mug and sip on it all day. It’s up to you what method will suit you better, I personally like to drink it strong once in the morning and once after dinner but not too close to bedtime.

Now, if you are really laid-up and don’t wanna crawl yourself to the store to acquire all of this stuff don’t worry, you can make an abbreviated version with just a few things. The absolute most important ingredients are the fresh ginger and cayenne pepper, and if you do nothing more than add a bit of those two things to a cup of tea, you’ll at least be on the right track.

The ginger does a few things: it calms your stomach so you don’t feel on the edge of puking all day, it snaps you awake without caffeine, and it will make you feel slightly more energized immediately. I know it sounds gross to put cayenne pepper in a beverage, but it’s really important! It helps to clear up mucous, not just in your nose but also in your stomach as that’s part of what makes your tummy feel nauseous in the first place.

The one I made today was insanely spicy because I put both cayenne pepper and red pepper flake in it. The spicier the better though. This ain’t a martini folks, it’s medicine!

I’m pretty sure this is not the kind of recipe they had in mind for Vegan MoFo, but since it is technically vegan and I am technically not making anything else today, it’ll just have to work.

Hope it’s as amazing and fantastic and magical for you as it has been for me!