Remedies and Food for Sore Throats

{As it gets colder outside, I like to have the ingredients on hand to make some of the recipes that work to soothe all our cold and flu symptoms so that we don’t always have to revert to medications; here are a few of the best that we’ve found for sore throats.}

Honey Spoons

Little spoons, dipped in honey and set on a saucer in the freezer to cool and harden. I make these in batches so that they’re ready when we are. Honey has been proven in multiple studies to be effective on sore throats and coughing. In fact, it’s shown to be as effective as over-the-counter medications! I’ve cited two trusted websites for more information, but the verdict is in on this one – honey works!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/honey/AN01799
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/90594.php

Chicken, Lemon and Garlic Soup

{I have been making some version or another of this soup for years now and it never fails to lift the spirits and make everyone feel a little bit better. This version is the latest in a long list of options (I’m sure that you, too have a chicken soup recipe buried somewhere!) but I like it especially because of its ingredients, all therapeutic, and the ease with which you can toss it together.}

Chicken carcass + at least two chicken thighs with the bones in.
½ lemon, washed, with the skin on.
1 onion, peeled and halved.
1 clove of garlic, peeled.
Bay leaf
Peppercorns
Salt to taste (we probably use about 1 Tbsp for a large pot.)

Cover your ingredients with water, bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is falling off the bones. Strain and serve as broth, or, if little upset stomachs can handle it, finely cut up some of the meat and vegetables and add those in as well. Stores for a few days sealed in the fridge.

Popsicles and Gelatins

The trick with little bodies that are sick, I’ve found, is to discover ways in which you can hide healing ingredients into much-coveted foods. Popsicles and ‘Jello’ both work well in our family, but you could use the same theories to attempt ice cream or sorbet, soft breads and puddings.

For popsicles, I use a set of molds I picked up last Summer. I fill them with a mixture of healing foods that I know Samuel will eat without a problem, and I also try to incorporate some calories in there as well, because sick bodies need fuel to get better. Some combinations that have worked well for us have been natural ginger ale and honey, pureed strawberries and frozen rice milk, all sure favourites. If you don’t have popsicle molds, a banana frozen with the skin on and peeled when you need it works just as well.

For gelatins, we often make our own using gelatin powder and juices. If you like this idea, make sure to add something sweet, especially if your little person is used to Jello-style gelatin, because unflavored gelatin powder is just that, very unflavored! We’ve done this in the past with grape juice, and by steeping ginger and lemon tea bags in water and using that, but coconut milk or fruit juices would work as well.

Hot Lemon, Honey and Ginger Infusion

My mother made a version of this drink for me when I was little and home from school with a cold.  It's a much better, not to mention healthier, version of the hot lemon drinks that come in little packages and always taste metallic to me.  There isn't a recipe, per se, but the ingredients go something like this.

A few lemons, washed and chopped.

A piece of ginger root, peeled (this can be done with a spoon if you don't have a peeler) and chopped.

Honey to make it sweet.

Water to cover.

Keep your pot of hot drink simmering on the back burner for an hour or so and then turn it down to just keep it warm. 

Warm Apple Drink

Another warm drink to soothe aching bodies and put everyone to sleep.

Unsweetened Apple juice (you can make this in a juicer, if you like, or buy a good quality brand)
Your choice of a stick of cinnamon, grated nutmeg and several cloves or a good teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

Heat and serve.