Tis the Season to Sneeze

Ten days into meat free mania! 

Woohoo. 

I wish I could say I have more energy and feel great, but I'm pretty sure my body is too busy using any extra energy to fight off this cold/flu that seems to be going around.

Everywhere I turn someone is coughing (Cover your Mouth!), sneezing, or sniffling. Lucky for me I don't get colds during cold season... No, I only get summer colds. Why? I have no idea. But it's true. It has been years, and years, and years since I had a cold that wasn't made all the worse by 95 degree heat. But I digress..sort of. Anyhow, I have a "remedy" that has been working this winter, and worked all last year, too. It is, for me at least, an instant pick me up. A vitamin c, antibiotic, flavour packed tea that can get you drunk, if you want. 

The original recipe that I found on Pinterest (I forgot to pin it, or I'd give credit where credit is due) called for the addition of whiskey, of which I was fresh out. A little improvisation, and a lot less alcohol went into my version, which is best since I took it to work. You really oughtn't get tipsy while teaching, it is considered a no no. 

Bug Battling Brew:

Makes 1 large, or 2 small mugs worth

Juice from 1/2 a lemon (or 2 Tbsp)

Your choice of tea, brewed (I used English Breakfast and Chinese green teas interchangeably, but it would be good with almost anything) 

1/2 tbsp honey

1 inch cube ginger, cut into thin slices or diced (this is pretty strong, but I like ginger. Cut back to 1/2 inch cube, if that seems like too much) 

1 shot whiskey (OPTIONAL) 

And voila! That's really it. Just combine those ingredients in your mug or cup, and drink it down. I drink/eat the ginger pieces, but if that's too much for you, you can let them steep for up to five minutes, then strain them out. Drink it warm for the lovely, soothing properties. 

**I've never made this with the whiskey, so don't hold me accountable if it's foul. I've heard it's great, and works like magic for colds and flu symptoms, so I included it. If I were to make it with the whiskey I might be inclined to get that new honey whiskey I saw a commercial for somewhere... That might be good.** 

Also, eat lots of garlic (roasted, toasted, raw, it matters not) for its anti-everything-yucky properties. 

Oh, garlic, you are my staple, my culinary base, and my favorite medicine. 

There you have it! 

Of course these aren't going to help if you're doing silly things like running around in the snow without shoes on and overly taxing your immune system, but they'll give you a boost, or be the difference between a bad day, and a day, and sometimes that's all you need. 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!
It is officially 2014.
We rang in the New Year by throwing coins and orange peels into our front entryway.
I then had a bowl of ice cream and went to sleep.
What a way to begin the year.
I woke up this morning and made what I hope will become a tradition: New Years Day Pancake Buffet.
Regular syrup, cinnamon sugar sauce, pecans, dulce de leche, and three different jams were all available for toppings. Had I thought about this yesterday I might have prepared more, or stocked up on fresh fruit. Alas, this was a last minute happening.

We've been asked a few times over the past couple of days what our New Year's Resolutions are. I'm sorry to disappoint, but we don't really have any. None that we've stated as such, anyway.
Super Husband has been flirting with a return to vegetarianism for the past two weeks, and now that the new year has started he is cutting meat out completely.
I will be joining him on this dietary journey.
We've purged our fridge and freezer of all meats (except for some tilapia in the deep freeze for ceviche. Mmmm. Ceviche).

I am also in possession of a beautiful new road bike, shiny red and black. And of course the helmet, gloves, bike pants, water bottle, water bottle cage, and... no, I think that's it. Who knew you needed an entire store's worth of inventory to go on a simple bike ride? Super Husband did, of course and he's been very diligent in making sure I have all of it.

So, while we haven't necessarily said "Our resolutions are to eat better and exercise more" we are taking steps in those directions.
If I were being totally honest I'd say we probably make some small commitment to that end every year, and then we allow life to get in the way.

There are a few other things on my list for 2014, but I didn't consider them "resolutions" until I was typing this up and realizing, that that's exactly what they are.
a- I'd like to be tidier around the house, better about washing clothes because the basket is getting full, instead of because I want that shirt that's buried 3/4 the way down.
b- I'd like to be better with our money. Don't get me wrong, we don't spend frivolously, but like most people, we could cut out the extras and still be living a perfectly happy life. We really need to up the amount we're saving, and then stop digging into it.
c- I want to get back "into" cooking. I love to cook, but the size and layout of our kitchen means that some of the grander designs aren't plausible. I have begun to look for recipes less for their excitement, and more for how many dishes they'll dirty. This is unfair to my palate and my pans.
d- That vegetable garden I've been planning for three years is finally, really, truly going to become a reality. Maybe not in it's originally planned state of grandeur, but by golly I'm going to have squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and carrots by the end of this summer!

According to our horoscopes 2014, and the coming Year of the Horse, should be favorable ones for this Leo-Dragon and Pisces-Snake couple. Hopefully, that's true, and we'll be doing everything in our power to make it such...
Did someone just say Spring Break in Chiapas?

Once again,
Happy New Year!