Garlic, Broth, Booze
Ugg. You guys, I don't feel so good. I was planning on telling you about my trip to the Buttermilk Truck. About the pumpkin pancakes that were delightfully spicy and nearly custard-like on the inside. About the apple cider donut holes with the most incredible texture: crunchy on the outside, crumbly on the inside. Not too sweet with a subtle jab of apple flavor. And about the Hawaiian Breakfast Slider with Portuguese sausage and eggs on a Hawaiian roll. I ordered it on a whim and it ended up being the stand-out item of the morning.I was going to tell you all about that stuff, but the only thing I can think about now is my compromised immune system. I have The Great Walk LAthis weekend, plus the 30th birthday musical revue (you read that right) of a friend. And on Tuesday, I'm flying to Philadelphia to spend Thanksgiving with my brother, his wife and our families. This is no time to get sick. Therefore, commence Operation Wellness. Operation Wellness is my 3-pronged approached to avoiding illness: garlic, broth, booze.
Garlic. I'm the kind of person that rolls her eyes at the words "toxins," "cleanse" and "ear candling," but runs to her homeopathic healing index at the first sign of disease. What do they call that kind of person? Oh yeah, a hypocrite. Anyway, garlic has all kinds of amazing curative properties. But don't take my word for it, next time you think you're coming down with something, put a spoonful of garlic paste on a cracker, or cut up a couple cloves into pill-sized pieces and down the hatch. It's not an initially pleasant experience, but you will feel better, trust me.
Broth. Marthasuggests keeping a container of kitchen scraps in the freezer for making broth. I'm not talking egg shells and coffee grounds, more like the ends of carrots, the outside layer of onion, or cast off Brussels sprout leaves... stuff you maybe don't want to eat on its own, but that is still perfectly edible. It took me less than a month to accumulate two cups of such scraps. I covered them with water in a pot and simmered for maybe an hour, topping off the water once or twice. I considered it done when the water was tinted and it tasted vegetal. Voila, vegetable broth. My two cups of scraps made three cups of broth and is the closest I've come to making something out of nothing. A hot bowl of the stuff has to be good for the infirm.
Booze. Two words: Hot Toddy. Whiskey, hot water, lemon juice and honey. I once found a recipe online that called for brandy. Below the recipe were tens of comments about how blasphemous was the recipe and how idiotic the writer for not using whiskey. There may have been mention of Scottish grandmothers rolling in their graves. I think the lesson there is do what you want, but don't tell the internet. But seriously, the warm honey and lemon are good for your throat and the warm alcohol will help you sleep.
Garlic, broth and booze. Keeps the Dr. away. Hopefully.