Last night I was going to write this about the joy of old fashioned coziness. This morning I have woken up with a cold and now I simply want to feel better.
At times like this there is only one thing to do: make a hot toddy. I can’t remember where I got the recipe for this but it works better than a simple hot whiskey/lemon combo. Make sure you use your favourite mug. This is about feeling better, not adding to your suffering. You need comfort right now. You need:
- A shot of whiskey
- The juice of half a lemon
- A tablespoon of honey
- Three cloves
- A good pinch of nutmeg
- A good pinch of ground cinnamon (this is not a place to be messing about with cinnamon sticks – cinnamon bark in your mush is the opposite of soothing)
Combine in your mug and add hot water. I advise drinking in bed as done correctly this will knock you out in a delightful way. Obviously, you can adjust to taste but it’s the combination of alcohol, vitamin C and spices that get the blood pumping. You are killing this cold with kindness, not inviting it to stay.
Alternatively, if you want to skip the booze then you can go with the half inch of fresh ginger, a slice of lemon and honey in hot water trick but that doesn’t have the punch of a proper hot toddy. I shall mess around with this and see if I can improve it. I will report back.
Finally, in an emergency, there is Teapigs lemon and ginger tea. They sell this as a summer tea. If that paddles your canoe, great, but in my experience, this has got a kick to it that is exactly what you are looking for when dealing with a cold.
Wrap up warm, get some rest, drink something delicious. Feel better soon.
photo credit: Gaelle Marcel