In preparation for winter time

Thankfully, ever since we began homeschooling, my kids have rarely been sick, which in turn has made it where hubby and I rarely get sick too. Not that hubby ever really does, that man is made of something extra special LOL

We do get the occasional sore throat even though it doesn't develop into anything more. But we all know that sore throats can be the absolute pits. There is nothing worse than trying to swallow through what feels like sharp knives lodged in your neck.

I'm all for natural remedies and using what is around us to help with simple ailments, matter of fact I tend to use a lot of the things I learned growing up.

One for example was my grandfather's *treatment* so to speak, for a cold or flu. He would give us a small glass of warm milk with a little shot of whiskey right before bed. We would get all snuggled up in our blankets and would sweat like crazy during the night, but come morning, we were all better.

I've always used a teaspoon of honey with a drop of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

But about a year ago, I came across a simple recipe (if we can call it that) for this wonderful marmalade sort of concoction to make a tea base for when you start getting sick.   It seems to be very popular in Asian countries.  Catherine from A Little Life shared how she had first tried this at a Korean neighbor's house. 

Funny thing, is that I just saw this mentioned on Facebook again and realized I hadn't shared it with you all.  I follow so many wonderful blogs and if I had to post about every single thing I have tried over the years, I'd probably be cranking out 10 posts a day LOL

You need a small mason jar, fresh ginger, fresh lemon or lime and honey.

Slice the lime and the ginger thinly.  I like to make layers not only because it looks so pretty but also to get it mixed up nicely.   So I started with lime slices on the bottom, then added a layer of ginger, then more lime and then ended with more ginger.

Now you're going to take honey and you're going to pour it in.  There's no set amount, I just poured enough to get all the way to the bottom, up the sides and barely covering the top layer.

Pop the lid on it and place it in your refrigerator.  I like to let mine sit for at least 48 hours.  The cool thing about this is that it starts forming a jelly, almost like marmalade.

Ginger can be very powerful/overwhelming, so if you don't like a strong ginger taste, add just a slice or two.  We love ginger so I add quite a bit to mine.

To use this tea base, use a teaspoonful of the jelly in a cup, pour in hot water.  I've also added it to my cup of tea.

The first batch I made, I actually kept going in the fridge for almost a year, all I did was replenish the lemon/lime slices and the ginger.  You could keep it going for years, as honey is a natural preservative, but I am kinda iffy about stuff like that, so I'm making a new batch for this winter.

Nothing like a hot cup of honey/lemon/ginger when you're feeling under the weather, or have a sore throat, or just on a cold winter night :)

Does it not look pretty already?  Just you wait until the lemon and ginger start dissolving into the honey, it is gorgeous.  I will have to take another picture to show you :)

NOTE:  Please remember not to give honey to children under 1 year of age.  And to be on the safe side, if you are prone to allergies, organic honey may be the best way to go for your family.

Just to answer a few questions you guys left in the comments......

Jenplusfive asked how long it will last in the fridge?
Jen, it will last for years and years, all you need to replenish really is the sliced lemon or lime and the ginger if you use it. I like to make a fresh batch every 6 months to a year though, just because, I don't know lol

Tammy asked how much I take, if it's a cup or just a tablespoon or two.
Tammy, I use a heaping tablespoon of the jelly/marmamale and add it to a cup of hot water, stir it up and drink that. OR I add it to my cup of tea.