sicko: cold remedy drinks

On Sunday night, I walked out in the middle of a blizzard to see The Exiles. The movie was great, but as no buses were running because of the weather (heavy, wet snow), I walked back home with soaking wet boots and a wet coat. When I got home, I could wring out my socks. Not good. I woke up the next morning with a sore throat and a fuzzy head. Since I’ll be in Victoria tomorrow, I had to come up with a couple of cold remedies quick. So I looked in my pantry and made a couple of drinks that I found online. I can’t remember where these were found, so I apologize in advance to whoever created them.

I can’t say they work since my head feels like a balloon this morning, but I’m giving them the ol’ college try. I know I promised banana bread, but that will have to wait until I return. Instead of yummy banana bread you’ll get 2 cold remedies. These aren’t guaranteed at all, but they’re worth a shot. And they don’t taste bad at all. In fact drink #2 is actually super delicious. Really. If you’ve got some secret family cold-fighter cure, let me know in the comments! Cuz baby, it’s time to HEAL.

Oh, one more thing. I have a new post up on the Food Network Canada site. Check it out!

23 comments to “sicko: cold remedy drinks”

  1. 1
    VeggieGirl   January 6, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    Glad you liked the film; but boo to being sick!! Get well soon!!

  2. 2
    Stefanie   January 6, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    Lots and lots of OJ and lots and lots of sleep. That usually works for me. Feel better soon!

  3. 3
    LeisureGuy   January 6, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    Our family remedy:

    1. Use zinc lozenges at the first sign of a cold. Proven to reduce duration of cold.

    2. Drink the following and go to bed:

    1 cup hot tea, into which you put:
    juice of a lemon
    spoonful of honey
    shot of bourbon or Scotch

    The whisk(e)y will make you sleepy, so yu can get some rest.

  4. 4
    Laura   January 6, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    I make “Terrible Tea” also – my recipe is a combo of your two recipes. The garlic really does the trick; I recently cured both my dad and a couple good friends of their colds over the holidays!

    We also use Oscillococinum – a homeopathic remedy so widely regarded as effective that even places like WalMart sell it now.

  5. 5
    Dawn   January 6, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    ut oh, not another cold?
    well if these drinks don’t work have some comfort that they’ll help clean your blood (a lot of the ingredients you used are a good overall tonic for your blood)

  6. 6
    Hayley   January 6, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    I hope the drinks work out, no one likes to be sick on a vacation.

  7. 7
    hag   January 6, 2009 at 2:04 pm

    sorry your sick! My favorite cold remedy involves lots of sleep, good books/mags, good DVDs and OTC medication…especially the drowzy kind. Hope you still enjoy your trip to Victoria…get beeter soon.

  8. 8
    Bijoux   January 6, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    I’m going to second what “LeisureGuy” recommended. I remember being a kid of say, 7 years old and drinking whiskey in that very same way. LOL!! I also stocked up on zinc lozenges after my last cold-like symptoms in November. They really lessen the sore throat symptoms! Too bad you’re not my neighbour, I’d gladly pass them over to you. Get well soon, so you can enjoy your trip to Victoria.
    Travelling and being sick is not fun!

  9. 9
    _ts of [eatingclub] vancouver   January 6, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    How timely! JS is sick too, and we were both too lazy to look up these remedies. But, here they are, so conveniently posted for us! =)

  10. 10
    Melanie   January 6, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    This year, at the first sign of a scratchy throat, I’ve been taking echinacea. It’s really helped reduce the severity of my colds. Of course this is also my fifth year working in a school, so perhaps I’m developing an immunity to all the crud out there. Good luck!

  11. 11
    Shay   January 6, 2009 at 3:21 pm

    You know, I’ve been fighting a cold for a couple of days now two and have been drinking just lemon and honey (and hot water) by the gallon. I can’t say for sure that it’s the thing that’s keeping the cold at bay but something’s doing it! I’m not symptom-free but I’m certainly not bogged down with this bug. And lemon and honey tastes a whole lot better than when mixed with garlic and cayenne and ginger…egad!

  12. 12
    kickpleat   January 6, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    veggiegirl, it was a pretty great movie…the sick part? not so much.

    stefanie, sounds like a great cure!

    leisureguy, i'll definitely pour a shot of bourbon into my tea tonight! thanks.

    laura, i'm eating garlic up the wazoo!

    i know dawn, too many colds this year! prior to 2008 i only got 1 cold a year.

    hayley, i'm hoping everything works out! i even got some chinese yin chiao in chinatown to speed things along.

    hag, i've got season 2 of gossip girl ready to watch. i'll be sacked on the couch tonight in style.

    bijoux, my dad would give us a shot of whisky at night too!

    ts, too bad on the sickness…i hope these recipes make us both feel better!

    melanie, i take echinacea & goldenseal too. let's hope it works!

    semantics, i'm definitely not bogged down either. i love the taste of honey and lemon, but felt i needed an extra kick. try it, it's not as bad as you think.

    thanks chez shoes, i would have never heard about the film if it wasn't for you!

  13. 13
    janeray1940   January 6, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    I’m so glad you got to see the film – I thought it was fantastic. Hope you’re feeling better soon!

  14. 14
    zora*rose   January 7, 2009 at 8:12 am

    tried the garlic-ginger-cayenne one last night on my cold… I do feel better this morning! Oh, and my husband and I both thought it was delicious- maybe I’m just some sort of garlic-lovin’ weirdo but it was quite tasty. I think I’ll make some more tonight. Couldn’t hurt, right?
    Thanks for posting these!!
    Hope you’re feeling better. 🙂

  15. 15
    Daily Spud   January 7, 2009 at 9:48 am

    Wouldn’t you know it – just starting to come down with some kind of head cold myself. Nothing else for it but the classic Irish remedy of hot whiskey (a shot or two of whiskey, a teaspoon of sugar, a couple of slices of lemon with cloves and then topped up with boiling water) – a couple of those babies really do the trick!

  16. 16
    CookiePie   January 7, 2009 at 10:08 am

    Hope you feel better quick!!

  17. 17
    Joy the Baker   January 8, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    Aw! Feel better soon! Nothing is worse than cold, wet boots. Ick!

  18. 18
    Lauri   January 9, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    I don’t have anything to add regarding cold remedies. But one of the most bizarre remedies I’ve heard to fix a cough is to put Vaseline on the bottoms of your feet. People swear by it.

  19. 19
    Katelyn   January 9, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    Cold remedy:

    boil 3C. water with 3 pennies of ginger, cinnamon stick broken into pieces, sprig of thyme and 2-3 sage leaves in a tea bag. Add honey and lemon juice to taste. Drink throughout the day.

    ginger – stomach
    cinnamon – stomach
    thyme – anti viral
    sage – anti viral
    honey – anti bacterial & viral
    lemon – anti bacterial & viral
    (This is what I have read, and it may be 100% wrong, but the placebo effect has worked for me for 2 winters now!)

    http://www.katelynsfood.blogspot.com

  20. 20
    gaga   January 10, 2009 at 7:24 pm

    My mom used to make something similar when I was kid. It was so yummy that I’d ask for it even when I wasn’t sick 🙂

    I hope you’re feeling better!

  21. 21
    kickpleat   January 11, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    Guru, thanks!

    Zora, glad you liked the drinks and hopefully they cured your cold!

    Daily Spud, sounds like a remedy for blissful sleep! Get better 🙂

    CookiePie, thank you!

    Joy, wet boots are the worst! ack.

    Wow, Lauri, that does sound mighty strange! If nothing else, your feet will be so soft.

    Katelyn, sounds good! thanks!

    Gaga, I totally understand. I think i’ll make one of these drinks again…a healthy tonic of sorts!

  22. 22
    born   January 15, 2009 at 10:34 am

    Dude thanks so much for these recipies. It’s -5c outside where i am, and i’ve definitely got a cold coming on. Hopefully a quick blast of your drink will get rid of it. Keep up the good blogging 🙂

    Kitchen Bar Stools

  23. 23
    kickpleat   January 15, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    born, i hope these drinks help to warm and ward off any bugs!

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