Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2020! I have been ringing in the new year with a bit of a cough and sore throat. As a singer/songwriter and performer, obviously, that’s not a good place to be. I was struggling for about a week and actually lost my voice for a few days. I had a show coming up and, needless to say, I was worried. Going to do a show with no voice is like going to school without your books.
When I was in college, I used to have dreams that I was going to class but didn’t know what class to go to. So I showed up in all the wrong classes and come to find out I wasn’t even registered for classes. I was like a fish out of water. That’s kind of the same feeling I had a few days before my show with no voice to speak of, pun intended.
Thankfully, I talked to my sis, Sonya! I’m calling her my herb specialist. She told me what herbs to get from the whole foods store and how to concoct an herbal tea for my allergies. She called it a Witch’s Brew. Don’t let the name scare you though. This tea is everything!
If you feel yourself getting sick, this is the tea you need to make. It cleared my issues up with the quickness. Here’s the recipe…
Elderberries 2 TB
Star anise 2
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Lemons (1)
Oranges (2)
1 stick of cinnamon
Whole cloves (3)
Bay Leaf (1)
Marshmallow Root (optional)
Slice the lemon and oranges and put them in the pot along with the hulls. Put all the ingredients in a small pot and fill it with water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer. I simmered it for about 15 minutes. Strain everything and drink it like a tea. Make sure to squeeze the juice from the ingredients into your mug as well, especially the elderberries. The main ingredient, elderberry is used to treat cold and flu symptoms among other ailments. Star anise is also used to treat cold and flu. Ginger aids in preventing infection and has many other health benefits. We all know about the vitamin C in lemons and oranges. This tea is chock full of beneficial herbs that can relieve the cold and/or flu like nobody’s business. I’m a witness.
Here’s a pic of all my ingredients. Be sure to get organic everything whenever possible. I was able to perform at my gig with no problem. Ironically, they had us outside in a windy courtyard and it was cold. By the end of our gig, my fingers were tingling. I went home and made another batch of elderberry tea right away.
