favorite cold remedy

Its been awhile. I've been calling the last few months "the vortex." Getting used to a new full time job, continuing the tea business and settling, once and for all, old chapters. I'm around a whole new set of germs and woke up this morning with that little tickle in the throat that just might be the beginnings of the cold/flu that I'm seeing all around me already. Here is what kept me from getting seriously sick during the three years of running my restaurant:

Echinacea Kamikaze

1)

in a small 4 oz cup, combine:

juice of 1/2 lemon or large lime

1 generous dollop of honey - sugar can be used, but honey is much better

2-4 squirts of liquid echinacea with golden seal (I use a no-alchohol variety)

optional: large pinch of cayenne (about the size of a lentil)

2)

fill the cup with hot water (about 2 oz)

and add more sweetener or lime/lemon juice to taste.

the cayenne will settle to the bottom and will be a final "hit" to the drink, so go easy the first time.

You can buy liquid echinacea with or without golden seal at most health food stores and I always have a bottle on hand.

Good luck with those colds!