Still sick, but feeling better today. Really, any day that doesn’t have a Migraine as well is better than the alternative. And one of the things that has been lovely and helpful has been Hippie Tea. (Also there has been some oil pulling. That’s marvelous, too.) I’m all about these sorts of remedies and helps to get through the occasional cold because even non-drowsy cold meds turn me into a bubble-headed idiot who isn’t safe alone with heavy machinery (like her car). As it is, the Hippie Tea, taken at first signs of a cold, seem to cut both the length and severity of my colds by about 3/4.

So, on with the recipe!

There are four main ingredients to Hippie Tea, and they are as follows:

1. Hot Water – this makes the rest remotely palatable.
2. Cayenne – this numbs your throat, and is an anti-inflammatory.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar – this removes toxins from the body, among other things.
4. Garlic Honey – this kicks your immune system in the unmentionables and gets it going again.

Now, the Garlic Honey isn’t something you find in the store, though it’s super easy to make. It will take a couple of days for it to finish doing its magic, but then you’ll have a year’s supply, or more. If you don’t want to go through the process to make it for yourself, just dice up some garlic and stir in some honey in your tea, no harm, no foul.

Garlic Honey:

Get a small jar, the prettier the better. Finely dice 2-5 large cloves of garlic. More is better. Put in jar, top with any kind of honey you like, but local honey will help you more than imported honey. Put in warm place (top of fridge, for instance) for two days or more. Stir before use.

Hippie Tea:

I like to use a smaller cup, because over time a human being can get used to ingesting this, but the first several times, trust me, 3 oz will seem like a gallon. So, in an espresso-sized 3 oz cup,

1 T apple cider vinegar
1/8-1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t to 1T garlic honey, and make it heaping
Hot water to fill the rest of the cup

Other ingredients can be added, of course, but these four ingredients are the primary ones that form a great base. Others can be added as you see fit. You can make the tea without the garlic honey but it will have an even more wretched taste. It does however kick ass and I’ve seen people voluntarily drink it by the quart. I’d recommend a three ounce cup of it three times a day, if you can stand it. Fiddle with the proportions as necessary, and don’t forget to stir before each sip – the cayenne likes to drop to the bottom and that won’t help you at all.

Also good for use in marinades. :)

EDIT: Six years later and we who have mild cases of COVID-19 are still drinking this amazing immune-system boost, only now we’re also adding ground tumeric and rubbed sage at about the same amounts as cayenne. The sage makes it taste better. The tumeric is another immune-system booster.