Under the weather foods

As much as I love the cooler weather and the longer nights (mostly because the kids go to bed earlier), I don't like all the viruses that tend to make it's way into our home.  I'm still figuring out lots of the "preventative" remedies and how to boost our immunity, but when anyone in this house gets sick there are 2 things that get made.  1. Soup 2. Tea.  Both these vary each time, but there is something so comforting in soups and teas when you're not feeling well.

Soup

We tend to make either a chicken soup or an ox tail soup.  This time we made a chicken soup with lots of stuff to increase immunity and give us some comfort food.  Once again, the pressure cooker came in handy for this one.  The little one eve tried to chop up carrots and celery.  I like to brown my chicken in some olive oil and garlic before I add the onion, celery and water. I use lots of garlic (about 8-10 cloves, or more).  I also add peppercorns and salt before closing it up for about 30 min.  After the pressure is released, I add the carrots and potatoes.  This time we did a mix of Asian sweet potatoes and Yukon.  I also added a pinch of saffron this time.  After a second round for 15 min, I added zucchini and corn.  I wish I had a can of white beans to have added but since we've switched to dried beans, I wasn't ready for it at the last min.

Other wonderful things to add/ substitute are:
Rosemary (or any herb)
Ginger
Beans
Squash (winter or summer)
Tomatoes
Turnips
Spinach
Rice
etc..

 I added a few tortilla chips to my bowl of soup

Tea

Tea is a staple in this house.  We drink mostly black tea with milk and sugar.  When we get sick we make "herbal" teas with lots and LOTS of honey.  We get our honey in bulk from the farmer's market.  Honey is really used for everything here from waffles and pancakes to oatmeal and just a spoonful (as medicine).

Each time I make a "sick" tea it's different, but in general it consists of either honey and lemon, or honey and ginger; sometimes it's all 3.  This time, I added a few extras to boost immunity and circulation.  This morning's tea consisted of: fresh ginger pressed through a garlic press, orange peel and some orange pieces, cinnamon, clove, and honey.  I pour hot water and let it steep for 5 min at least before drinking.  I think it's best sitting and steeping all day and I top off with hot water as it goes down.  When I run out of fresh ginger we also use candied ginger.  I let the kids have a piece of it now and then also even when we're all healthy

Other things to add/ substitute are:
Candied ginger
Cranberries
Lemon peel/juice
Pomegranate
Coriander seed or leaf
Chamomile flowers (fresh or tea bag)
Cardamon

If you're daring you can try a pinch of chili powder or a slice or two of jalapenos.

Please feel free to share your "sick" foods and teas.  It's always nice to hear other home remedies for feeling better.

shared on Small Footprint family, Fresh Eggs Daily,  gnowfglins