Something happened to me that hasn’t happened in a very long time. I got sick. I hardly ever get sick and actually pride myself on that fact. On the rare occasion that I do get sick I am an excellent patient and do exactly what the doctors recommend you do; get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids.
This week is different. After a week of traveling with my boys, and returning to a pollen-filled Connecticut, I caught a cold. Not only am I sick, but so is my hubby AND five month old twin boys. Lots of fluid, I can handle that. But rest??? That is out of the question… Not when I’m taking care of three other sicklies.
Now any doctor will tell you that there is no real “cure” for the common cold. Over the counter medicines (like NyQuil) will soothe some of your symptoms but they will not cure you. Years of trying all of these drugs have proved that to me, so I’d rather save my money and avoid drugs, and instead focus on rest and fluids. But when I don’t have time to rest, I turn to a trusty home remedy that won’t necessarily “cure” the cold, but it will certainly sooth my symptoms, help me relax, and make me happy! A strong drink!
To me, it would be wasteful to drink wine when I can neither smell nor taste gods nectar, but after taking care of coughy sneezy crying boys all day, I do need something to help me relax when they are finally sound asleep. And that remedy, my friends, is the Hot Toddy.
A Hot Toddy is basically a hot soothing mixed drink. At its most basic it is a mix of honey, lemon, booze (usually whiskey), and hot water. I like to add a little bit more to my Hot Toddy, for flavor and zing.
“Go Away Cold and Don’t You Come Back” Hot Toddy!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of hot tea (prepared using your favorite tea, according to instructions). I prefer a neutral flavored black tea (and usually decaf if drinking at night… The last thing I need is caffeine keeping me from getting much needed rest).
- 1 heaping tablespoon of honey (or more if you prefer it sweeter)
- 2 slices of lemon (one for garnish, one to squeeze into the cup)
- 1 oz dark liquor (whiskey, bourbon, brandy, or rum are good choices. Bourbon would be my preference, but we sadly have none in our repertoire at the moment, so I went with whiskey)
Instructions:
Prepare your hot tea in a large mug and discard the tea bag. While still very hot, add in the honey, squeezed lemon, and liquor. Stir together with a cinnamon stick.
Drink slowly, and breathe in the soothing vapors as you relaxingly sip this beverage.
Why does this work for a cold?
Hot beverages are soothing to your chest and help to relieve blockage while also helping to increase body heat to aid in sweating out those cold symptoms. The warm melted honey is soothing to a sore throat and may help calm your cough. If you use spice (like cinnamon) it will help your sinuses and also has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any spice (bonus!). The booze will help you relax and doze peacefully off to sleep (which is necessary after a long day of taking care of a sick family). Voila. There you have it. Feeling better now?
Now I’m not a doctor (I just play one on TV) but I do know from experience that though a Hot Toddy may not “cure” a cold, it most certainly helps sooth the symptoms of a cold and tastes a lot better than swigging a shot of NyQuil (plus it has more natural ingredients too!). It’s also cheaper and doesn’t require a trip to the drug store late at night!
I enjoyed this very beverage last night, and although I still woke up this morning suffering from my cold, I did get a decent night sleep (for the first time all week)!
So now I am curious, what are your favorite cold remedies? And to all you parents out there, how do you deal with being sick when your youngins are also sick? This sucks! And don’t say rest, I have two twin boys. I don’t think I’ll be getting any “rest” for the next twenty years 
