My husband and I made it through the snowiest and seemingly ‘longest’ winter on record in our part of Eastern Washington without getting any major illnesses.  Now as the weather is starting to warm, the spring flowers are blooming and it’s time to work in the yard…I have come down with a cold.  Unbelievable.

One of the things that I like to prepare when anyone is sick with a cold, is a hot beverage called Sage, Honey and Lemon Tea.  It is like a warm glass of lemonade with a blending of aromatic sage leaves.  The nice thing about sage is that you can usually find perfectly good leaves on your plant even during the coldest of winters, unless it’s covered with 2 feet of snow.  Sage is a long lived perennial herb that grows into a woody plant.  It is frequently used in culinary and herbal products and has been shown to provide some antiseptic properties.  This can help to soothe a sore throat and reduce inflammation of the sinuses.

How to make Sage, Honey and Lemon Tea:

The best part of this herbal tea is that it tastes wonderful.  I found the recipe years ago in a book called Household Wisdom by Stephanie Donaldson.  The recipe is simple, it just calls for a lemon, honey and a sprig of fresh sage.  To make this refreshing tea, place a small sprig of sage in a mug and pour boiling water over it.  Allow to steep for 20-30 minutes.  Squeeze the sage leaves and strain out any pieces.  Add the juice of one-half to a whole lemon and 1-2 teaspoons of honey per your desired sweetness.  Gently warm the tea and enjoy it’s soothing properties.

I often will make a teapot full of the tea when someone is ill.  When my girls were young this was a frequent drink in our home.  Honestly,  you don’t have to be sick to enjoy this warm beverage.  It can be good any time of the year!

So, if you are feeling under the weather you might want to make yourself a pot of this wonderful, soothing herbal tea.  And I hope that you are feeling better very soon.