Remedy for What Ails You: Ginger, Lemon, Garlic, Honey and Cayenne Teas

When you have a sore throat and are coming down with a cold, ginger and cayenne tea is the way to go. Add lemon, garlic, and honey and you'll be fixed up well quickly.

The strong taste, the heat from the cayenne and the warmth of the garlic will help you sweat out whatever ails you.

Oh, and if you so desire, add a bit of bourbon or whiskey for a little something extra.

Ginger and Cayenne Tea

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, cut in half, juice squeezed into the pan
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (if you must, you can use 1/8 tsp ground ginger)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 cloves garlic, skin removed, cut into chunks

Method:

1. Put everything in a small saucepan.
2. Bring the brew to a boil, reduce to medium and heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Strain through a funnel into a cup or bowl.
4. Drink while still piping hot.
5. Wrap up in warm blankets and sleep the night away.

Beet Marmalade: The Easiest Homemade Condiment

Want to impress your friends? This homemade beet marmalade should do the job. It's incredibly easy to make, and a great flavor combination.

All it takes is some cooked beets, lemon, ginger and sugar. The marmalade thickens as it cools, so don't be surprised at the consistency. Wait for it to completely cool in sterilized jars before spreading it on your favorite toast. Better yet, you can spread it on this great coffee cake to add a bit of savory to the sweetness.

I would like to say thanks to my cook-the-book partners. This is our last installment from Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book. We started in July and ended today, with 13 chapters under our belts. I never would have tried half of what I did, so thanks for the ladies who blogged alongside me: Rachel, Aimee, Emily and Claudie. We had Sammy join us for a good bit of the book, too. It has been a pleasure getting to know each of you and I am amazed at the community that we have formed through our online alliance.

Enjoy the beet marmalade, and have a very happy and healthy new year!

Beet Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-large beets, cooked and peeled
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

Method:

1. Put the beets in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped; or mash the beets by hand.
2. Transfer the beets to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the sugar.
3. Put the lemon and ginger into the food processor and process until finely chopped; or chop them by hand.
4. Add the lemon and ginger to the beet mixture and stir to blend.
5. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the marmalade has thickened a little.
6. This takes about 20 minutes – remember that the marmalade will get thicker considerably as it cools.
7. Remove from the heat and put up in sterilized jars if you are not going to use the marmalade for a month or more otherwise it will keep well in the refrigerator.

To learn how to sterilize jars, click here.

Juice Cleanse....Two Great Raw Juice Recipes

I tend to do a cleanse once or twice a year. This is the first time it's a full-on juice cleanse, with no solid foods for 3 days. My friend and I are in this cleanse together. I made it 66 hours total, pretty close to the 72 hours I had committed. I've been keeping myself going on store-bought raw juices, coconut water, herbal tea, and a small amount of probiotics.

When I re-read that last sentence, I realized just how crazy this cleanse may be. Even though I'm an avid meat eater, there is something I love about eliminating everything but raw veggie and fruit juice for a few days. The challenge of making the smoothies taste good enough to satisfy my desire to eat keeps me going.

I make smoothies regularly, but they always have almond or rice milk in them. I'm using coconut water for the cleanse smoothies. As long as there is some avocado mixed in the texture is similar to the ones I usually make. Nice to know that I can eliminate the milk from the smoothie and not miss the flavor, but cut down on the calories.

The way I see it, if I can get in the habit of making one or two smoothies a day that are primarily veggies and good stuff, I can eat all the other stuff I love without worrying about getting all my nutrients in.

I do have to say that so far I feel great and very calm. That might just be because I'm a little crazy from not eating, but I think it has to do with giving my system a rest. Your body uses up a lot of energy trying to digest meats, grains and processed sugars. Eating this way always gives me perspective on how much and how often I eat or snack. It's a kickstart to remembering portion control and being more aware of my eating habits.

Not to worry, the mouthwatering meats, gluten and dairy free treats and all the other wonderful dishes I love to make will be back shortly. I'm sure to have a new appreciation for them!

Raw Beet, Avocado, Basil, Peach, Nectarine, Ginger, Cucumber, Celery Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 1 small nectarine, pit removed, sliced
• 1 small peach, pit removed, sliced
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 4 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground ginger
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Raw Spinach, Carrot, Beet, Avocado, Peach, Strawberry and Banana Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 15 to 20 spinach leaves (a small handful)
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 2 carrots, skin removed, cut into rounds
• 1 small peach, pit removed, sliced
• 1 banana, sliced
• 2 strawberries, hulled, sliced
• lime juice (about 1/4 of a lime)
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Enjoy!

Featured: The Fruit Guys

Hello There.

I just found out that my post for No-Cook Cranberry Relish was featured on The Fruit Guys' website.

What a nice way to end the year. They are deliver great fresh fruit to our office sometimes and it's always a pleasure when the delivery comes in.

Look into fresh fruit and veggie box deliveries in your area, it's totally worth it. You never know what you'll get in the box. The mystery contents can lead to some great off-the-cuff meals.

Hope you are enjoying this 363rd day of the year.