The Annual Fall Cough


Fall is upon us and with fall comes all the things I love - cooler weather, apple picking, lovely smelling candles, sweaters and of course, amazing colors. There is one thing about fall that I could do without though - sinus issues.
 
Every September I get a sinus infection or virus or pretty much anything else you can get that will lead to a stuffed nose, post nasal drip (sorry, gross I know), that annoying throat tickle/scratch and of course my fave - the voice change. I go from my normal voice to this weird deep smoker voice. Super cute. The last few days I have felt like complete crud. I even called the doctor so you know it's drastic. I hate the doctor and I hate it even more when I have to drag Macie with me and it's cold season. I was desperate. I love my doctor but seriously, I almost punched him. He gave me a quick exam and then said this "it's a virus, it'll run it's course." Least.Favorite.Words.Ever. I want it fixed now. After four nights of coughing like a chain smoker, not being able to sleep and waking Allen up, I was starting to become completely delirious. I was willing to try anything. And then I found this...

A home remedy. More importantly, a home remedy that I had every ingredient for. Thank you Good Food Matters for giving me a glimmer of hope! I grabbed a jar and whipped this little concoction up and then started to chicken out. I mean, how is cayenne pepper going to make me stop coughing? Allen (who needs 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to be his normal happy self) gave me a look and told me to drink the stuff - now. After his gentle encouragement, I got out a big ol' tablespoon and gave it a swig. To my surprise (and relief) it tasted pretty good. Keep in mind I like hot food and I live in North Carolina, home of East Carolina BBQ and vinegar based sauces. This cough remedy tastes a lot like East Carolina BBQ Sauce to me. After taking my swig, I was still skeptical that this would cure my cough and congestion, but you know what? I didn't cough as much that night. I still did cough and did wake up but that's the key. I fell asleep and then would wake up. I didn't sit awake all night wondering if my lungs were going to come up at some point from all of my coughing. A friend of mine commented on my pin that she makes this every year so I got on Facebook and asked her about it and she swears by it. She uses it all winter when she starts to feel the ick coming on. I am going to keep on making it and see if the cayenne will kick this cough right out. Fingers crossed!!!

Cough Remedy

¼ tsp Cayenne
¼ tsp Ginger (dried)
1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar (an organic one, like Bragg’s, is preferred.)
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Honey (use a locally produced raw honey, if possible.)

Dissolve cayenne and ginger in cider vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well. Take 1 Tbsp as needed for cough. It isn't going to be perfectly dissolved so you need to shake it every time before you use it.


Apparently this can be doubled or tripled and will keep for a little while since there isn't anything that is perishable in it. I made a regular batch since it was only a test. Do you have any home cold remedies that your family swears by?