To emerge after a week of Flu I was greeted by beautiful winter light over fresh snow. Perhaps I felt it more deeply after being laid-low – but there’s something magical about the way early light plays across the snow. For some reason, it felt more like New Years than it did 2 weeks ago…at least I am in line with some astronomers who would argue the we’re all living in the past – to a degree – anyway.
All told, I drank lots of herb tea and homemade chicken broth – but the one combination I found myself returning to again and again was that of Anise Hyssop and Lemon Balm tea with some homemade ginger/turmeric honey.
Both Anise Hyssop and Lemon balm are good for reducing fevers, and Lemon Balm has the added benefit of having some anti-viral properties – great combinations for the strain of the flu that I had. It is easy to put together:
equal parts of each dried herb,
and a cup of boiled water for each tablespoon of herb mixture.
I love the taste of this mixture – especially with the honey. It tastes a bit like the summer, lemony, fresh, hot and warming with each gulp. In my mind I can remember the way the oils of each plant permeated my hands and my clothes during harvesting, and the robust way the plants roared back with new growth after an early trim. Looking at the image below of the “wild medicinal” garden, I am reminded how robustly all the medicinals grew and how that part of the garden was the most alive. Every morning, there was a loud drone of pollinators that I loved to go and listen to. It’s wonderful to think that that same energy you see in the picture helped heal months later. It gives me a deep level of satisfaction and gratitude to have grown and harvested these herbs from our garden. My family had nourished these plants from seed and through these teas, we were nourished and comforted.
