A Tasty Tea to Soothe Cold Symptoms

3:03 pm ByFiled UnderRecipes

Yuck. After having a fever on and off for the past five days and coughing so much I’m waiting for a lung to plop onto the floor with the next hack, that’s about all I can say. Yuck.

I am partially to blame for my misery. After all, I haven’t taken the time to really take care of myself since I’ve been sick (this weekend, when it all started for me, The Hubs was violently ill with something and The Munchkin is still recovering from her ear infection/cold and I’m too slammed at work to miss a day). As a working mom, I have too much on my plate to lay in bed for a day. As a breastfeeding mom, there aren’t a lot of options in terms of cold medicine that I can take to relieve my symptoms. They all either threaten to pass into your milk, or dry it up. Neither of which is going to work for us at the present.

In my quest to find something besides ibuprofen to make me feel better, I did discover one magical little remedy that I am excited to share. It’s a simple (and honestly tasty) tea. Somewhere in my desperate search for relief, I read that honey and strong tea and lemon juice can all help with sore throat and congestion. I had all of these on hand and figured I had nothing to lose by throwing them all together and gulping it down.

My expectations were low. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Shortly after finishing my steaming mug of tea, I began to breathe out of both nostrils. Something I haven’t been able to do since Friday.  My throat, while still sore, seemed to be less irritated, and, I even feel like it helped loosen some of the goop in my chest (sorry if that’s gross for you, but I’m excited to share). It even tasted yummy (I’m referring to the tea, not the previously mentioned goop I just grossed you out by mentioning).

Now don’t get me wrong, this tea is no Sudafed, but when you’re looking for a natural way to bring some relief to your cold, it can help.

Here’s how I made it:

  • Boil water for one cup of tea
  • Add 1 tbsp honey to the bottom of the mug
  • Pour water into your mug
  • Brew a strong black tea using (at least) two tea bags – I used naturally decaffeinated black tea
  • Add 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or the kind in the bottle both are fine)
  • Add 1 pinch of salt (this might sound weird, but it helps counteract the bitterness of the tea – Alton Brown on the Food Network just did an episode about salty/sweet and bitterness if you don’t believe me)
  • Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon
  • Enjoy!

I will be sipping on this, my own personal version of Theraflu, until this damn cold goes away (hopefully soon)!

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Wondering What to Cook For Dinner Tonight? Try Speedy Lasagna

2:27 pm ByFiled UnderRecipes

The Delicious Final ProductWhat’s for dinner tonight? Glad  you asked! While I don’t fancy myself a chef, I do enjoy cooking (most days) and in the process of trying to cut down on our grocery bill and budget in general, I’ve come up with some pretty decent methods of saving time and money in the kitchen. I figured, why not share some of them?

Readers, I’m pleased to christen my blog with its very first recipe: Speedy Lasagna. This meal is a quick, yet tasty alternative to the beloved pasta dish. And it’s pretty easy on the wallet too.

Prep Time: 30 mins. Bake Time: 15-30 mins.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 12 lasagna noodles (more or less depending on the size of your pan – I used a  9 x 9)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 oz sliced mushrooms (that’s approximately ½ a package of a tray of pre-sliced)
  • About 1 Ib Italian sausage (I used the spicy but sweet works great too. Turkey is excellent as well)
  • 1 26 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (flavor of your choice – I used roasted garlic)
  • ½ tsp fresh minced garlic
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (according to your spice preference, omit if desired)
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp dried basil
  • Fresh ground black pepper (according to taste)
  • 7 oz plus 1/3 cup grated Mozzarella cheese (You can also use soy, as I did, because dairy and I don’t get along)

How to Make It:

Boil noodles according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, sautee onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until just tender (about 2 minutes). Squeeze sausage from casing into pan and crumble with spatula. When sausage is browned, drain and return pan to burner.

Speedy Lasagna Stage 1

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper (if desired) fresh ground black pepper and mushrooms. Sautee until mushrooms are tender (approximately 3-4 minutes).  Add jar of spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning according to taste if desired. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. During the last few minutes of simmering, add 1/3 cup grated cheese and stir until it is melted and combined.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in cold water so you can handle.

Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle a bit of sauce into the bottom of pan and spread to cover. Assembling the lasagna as follows:

  • Add a layer of noodles (tip: trim or fold excess if they are too long for your pan)
  • Ladle 1/3 of the remaining sauce and spread over noodles
  • Top with 1/3 remaining cheese
  • Repeat twice.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tip: This is a great recipe to make in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. If you decide to do so, bake covered in foil for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15.


Makes 9 servings.

It may not be your grandma’s lasagna, but for a busy mom on a weeknight, it’s almost as good, and ready a lot quicker than Grandma’s would have been. Even Garfield would be proud. Pair with a crisp green salad, warm savory garlic bread and enjoy!

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