Bloggy Progressive Dinner: Wellness Tea

I am not a holistic girl--just not there yet.  On the other hand I HATE being sick and going to the doctor.  So as we go in to Christmas season this is my defense against all those little bugs we often get to share with family.

A friend recommended to me to try taking Echinacea or drinking Echinacea tea.  She used it last winter to battle the little colds that came in their house.  She also has a house full of kids and realizes one little cold can last for a month or two once it makes the rounds to each little person.

Her method

Harvest the leaves from her plant and dry them.  At the first sign of sniffles, sore throat or runny nose start drinking the Echinacea “tea.”  It is much more effective if you can do this before the sickness takes hold.  It strengthens your immune system and helps it fight off the illness. 

How to make the tea.   Boil a mug of water.  Place a 1-2 teaspoons(estimate here) of leaves in a paper towel or coffee filter and place it in the water to steep for 2-3 minutes.  My friend’s kids would just drink this as their “tea” several times a day for about 7 days.  Don’t stop drinking the tea early or the cold may come back.

My method

Tea(real tea) with breakfast.  As we’ve had some sore throats and sniffles around here I have been faithfully making a pot of Echinacea “tea” each morning.  Sometimes we will have a pot later in the day but we have been pretty faithful to drink it at least 3-4 mornings a week.  Everyone, not just the sick one.
My favorite tea is French Vanilla from Bigelow.

I boil a kettle of water on the stove as we wait for muffins, oatmeal or eggs.  Then in this cute tea pot I have I put 3 tea bags & then put my mesh strainer in filled with dried Echinacea leaves.  

Pour the boiling water over the top of the leaves & steep for 2-3 minutes.  I add a teaspoon of honey to my kids mugs and I use a few drops of liquid Stevia.  However, you wouldn't need to do the sweetener because my kids claim that there is virtually no taste.  That is all there is to it.  My little people and I haven’t caught the bugs that Daddy and big brother have caught.  The guys don’t drink the tea as they are out of the house when we have breakfast.

Usually I post a money saving Monday tip so this is a two for one post!  This tea is saving me money because my mother-in-law has flower gardens full of Purple Coneflower(aka Echinacea) in the summer.  I went over there as all her plants were done flowering and harvested a TON(well not really) of leaves for our “wellness tea”—totally free.  It also has saved us at least one or two trips to the doctor.  Money saved!!!

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Cooking During Stolen Moments @ the Bloggy Progressive Dinner: Drinks/Appetizers