Sickness... Honey & Cinnamon

OK, so I got hit with the flu Friday afternoon (it's Monday night now) and i'm definitely on the mend. I've been using a trick for years now and figured i'd share it in a place that I can send people for reference.

Disclaimers:

• First off, i'm not a medical doctor, have no clue what the hell i'm talking about, so don't frickin sue me or anything. Duh. 
• Second, everything in here is based on PERSONAL experience and is all anecdotical, so do whatever you will. 
• Third, research stuff before you try stuff. Obviously.

Backstory:

So back in Kansas I used to get sinus infections roughly every season change. I had it down to a process... for roughly fifteen years, I would feel my breathing get warm, notice headaches/congestion, and would check the time of year. If it was a season change, I would call my doctors and get an appointment set for roughly three to four days later. I would do the normal Day/Nyquil, Claritin, 12 hr Sudafed, and Aleve as the sickness ramped up. I'd hit the doctors office, confirm the diagnosis, get on antibiotics, and then go from there. 

Roughly five years ago, a former client/friend (who was a Naturalpath) told me about the Cinnamon and Honey trick. I thought it was crap, did some research, and found out it had some scientific backing. Short version... it's been used since ancient times for multiple things, but immunity boosting is one of the biggest. I've tried to find some good (i.e. reputable) articles, and the best I found so far is www.stylecraze.com. I can only speak to #2 (boosts immunity), so judge the article for what you will. 

Based on the advice, I started mixing two(ish) tablespoons of good quality LOCAL honey (it helps with allergies) and one tablespoon of good quality ground cinnamon (from your local market). I made it into a paste and just licked it off a spoon. The trick was that when I started feeling the downward spiral begin, I would start the cinnamon/honey regiment. 

• When I suspect sickness was in the neighborhood, I would start the regiment by doing the paste three times a day for the first three days.
• As the sickness came on, i'd back off to two times a day as I'd normally supplement with vitamin C and other meds. 
• As the sickness faded, i'd be down to just once a day. 

While this regiment never PREVENTED me from getting sick (at least that I can prove), this was basically the only change I made in my life. The last two years in Kansas, I didn't have another sinus infection. After I moved to Washington, I haven't had one sinus infection. Outside of unique situations, I haven't been on antibiotics since I started this. The way I normally describe this is that while I haven't been fully "hit" by the flu/cold/sinus infection, I've only been clipped while skipping down the sidewalk. 

So, hippie pitch aside, I have discovered a pretty cool alternative that makes this whole process considerably easier. I found a really awesome cinnamon tea that I could add honey too and get the benefits of a hot tea (on a sore throat) and still get the cinnamon/honey. The thing I like most about this particular tea is that they come in "sachets" rather than normal tea bags, so they have a bit more bang for the buck. I've got a mega 20 oz coffee mugs, and I do two sachets plus a tablespoon or two of honey (I like it STRONG).

Assuming I do this right, here is the link to Amazon*.

It's an awesome tea anyway, but it definitely helps. Again, while I can't attest to anything scientific, I will say I have managed to almost recover from a full blown flu in two and a half days. So... check it out if you want!

M

*Quick additional disclaimer. I have a business account set up with Amazon and do receive a consideration for anyone that purchases through the link above. 

Corn Salsa

Corn Salsa

Corn Salsa Recipe PDF

This corn salsa was originally inspired by Chipotle's corn salsa, but this recipe has evolved over the last few years into something that works well on its own. It works well as a stand alone side, a lunch/meal, and a great addition to tacos. Download the recipe above... and view the journey below. 

Important note -- the batch pictured was a QUADRUPLE batch. 

Ingredients:

4 ears (sweet) corn on the cob
2 medium jalapenos 

½ red onion

½ cup cilantro                                    

2 decent sized limes                                                        

½ teaspoon salt                                 

½ teaspoon pepper

• Ingredient amounts above are for one batch. For ease of ingredient shopping, double the batch. It makes life considerably easier.
• Frozen corn cobs can be used, fresh is best. 

Suggested Tools

• Food Processor
• Outdoor Grill
• BIG mixing bowl
• Latex/Plastic Gloves. Use them. 

Prep Work

• Clean/shuck the corn, clean/prep the vegetables. 

Grill Work

• Grill the corn lightly, but enough to establish a good char. Overall, you want about a third of the kernels to be charred. Once grilled, set aside and let it cool. Do NOT wash it with cold water to cool it... just let it sit 5-10 minutes.

 

Prep Elements

• While the corn is cooling, prep the other elements of the salsa. 

• Wash the jalapenos, cut in half (long way), remove stem and seeds. Note -- you can leave the seeds in if you want some heat in the salsa. 

• Once the jalapenos are prepped, check the corn. If it is cooled down, you can start shaving it. The trick I use is to use a corn cob holder in one end (which I hold), but the other end down in the bowl, and use a sharp knife to cut the corn kernels off. Make sure not to cut too deep, as you don't want chunks of the hard cob in your salsa. 

• As you cut the corn off, try to keep all the bits and juice in a/the bowl. In my example, I used a separate bowl (since I had 16 ears of corn to cut) and would dump every 3 or 4 cobs worth into the big bowl. As you finish a cob, set it aside... you will come back to it. 

• Once all the corn cobs are shaved, take each one and plant it in the middle of your corn. Use a fork to rake up and down the cob to release any kernel chunks or any corn juice that is still in the cob. Use decent pressure and normally just one good rake over each side is enough. Once that is done, toss the cob and set the bowl of corn aside. 

• Continue prepping the cilantro and onion for the food processor. On the cilantro, chop off the stems and do a rough chop/dice (but not too big). For the onion, do a rough chop. Note -- chopped onions will draw tears. Use a tea light on the cutting board to help. 

• For the food processing, I tend to layer all three in the food processor in thirds. Do a good pulse/chop to get everything well processed and a good size. I tend to put it on high and then shake the hell out of it to get everything chopped (I'm looking at you onions!). 
•  A word of warning -- food processing onions/jalapenos will bring tears/stinging when you open the lid and/or dump into the mixing bowl. Don't put your face near it... it huuuuuurts!

• Once everything is processed, dump it in to the mixing bowl on top of the corn. See warning above. No face melting!

• Once everything is in the BIG mixing bowl, prep and then juice the limes directly into the bowl. 

• Once all of the limes have been juiced, do a very thorough mix of the salsa. Make sure to scrape and mix of everything, grabbing all the Klingons on the side of the bowl. Once well mixed, it's done!

Final Thoughts

• This salsa is best if you make it ahead of time. Minimum of several hours, best if it is the day before. Store it in an airtight container, refrigerate, and shake the hell out it before opening/serving. 
• Serving Options:
• Add in an avocado or two and mix well. The lime juice will keep the avocado from going brown. This makes a great side for a lunch or eaten with chips (scoops!).
• Add in a grilled meat... I prefer grilled chicken or a grilled sausage/wiener. 
• Add in with tacos or burritos for a nice additional flavor. 
• I normally can these using a water bath. There have been instances of the red onion bleeding a bit, but otherwise it keeps well when sealed/canned properly. 

Important Elements

Ok... there are words. Lots of words. Not really a TL:DR version. Sorry. Bite my soggy bottom. 

Recipes

• For some/most of the posts, I will provide a recipe (I hope). When I write a recipe, I am very methodical and include notes and methods that make it very easy and efficient (at least for me). Hopefully it will make your life easier too. 

Will's Scratch Scale

• On a scale from 0 to 10, the Will's Scratch Scale determines how much of the recipe is "from scratch". When I started playing around in the kitchen, I made a comment that the enchiladas I made were home made. Will commented that I used canned sauce, packaged cheese, and all I did was just put them together... so it while it was made at home, it wasn't from scratch. Later, I commented that I made some cake cookies from scratch, but Will commented that I used a pre-made cake mix as an ingredient... so it wasn't truly from scratch. 
• When I choose a recipe to go in my book (see below), for me it is practically perfect in every way. There are some recipes that are best for quick and easy and a high "cheat" factor (meaning 0-3 / 10 on the Scratch Scale), while others are almost entirely from scratch (8-10 / 10). 
• Please note that while I do this to honor Will, everything on this blog is basically Who's Recipe Is It Anyway... and it is all made up and the points don't matter. 

Cookbook "Grimoire"

• My cookbook is inspired by my dad (Dennis). The short version of the long story is that I realized that while memory, sight, sound, and smell fades when someone is no longer with us, hand writing remains. I cherish the letters and cards and notes from my family members, so I started my cookbook so that I could have a legacy to pass onto my friends/family that could potentially outlast me. Not going to lie... I'm hoping for a jello wrestling contest for it. 
• The book I found was on Etsy and was hand shaped leather with linen paper. All of the recipes are written in the book by me and that is where they stay. I will be typing out recipes for this blog, but this is where the magic happens. 
• Side note -- linen paper absorbs liquid and slashes and pops when cooking. 
•  

Cooking Magic

• As a wise mentor of mine taught me, magic comes from your heart, your will, and your intentions. Making magic in the kitchen is easy... simply believe that you are doing well, and it should turn out well. Intend to make good food for people you know, love, and respect and the magic flows from you. Granted, it's hard to serve horribly overcooked and burned mac and cheese, but if you honestly tried your best, it will be reflected in your cooking. Along those lines... if you aren't feeling it... the cooking reflects that too. 
• At least that is what I tell myself. I can't really believe that my stuff is better than others. I'm just a scrub. I don't know what the hell i'm doing... but yet i can't keep stuff in stock. 

Blog Quality

• I'm just dinking around on here too. Hopefully it's enlightening and entertaining, but i'm still learning. #sorrynotsorry

Lame Introduction

Hi. I'm Matt. And I'm a snark-a-holic. Puns, dad jokes, puns, word play, puns, and other stuff that makes one's head hurt. I'm an uncle, a resident of Seattle, and I dabble in the kitchen. I'm a rank amateur with no professional skills, but I enjoy dinking around the kitchen and sharing what works... and hiding what doesn't. 

The primary point in attempting this half-baked project is to be able to share a bit of the magic that happens in my kitchen. Most recipes I'll share, some I keep close to the chest. Most of the time anything that goes on here will be "perfected", but i'm always open to suggestions on improvements. 

As far as what brought me here... I blame Facebook and a college friend. A gentleman named John used to post pictures of home made salsa on Facebook and every time I saw them I just kept thinking to myself... I could do that. It always came down to the fact that the recipes were intimidating and it would be easier to just spend $4.00 on a bottle of Pace salsa at the store and it would taste just as good... right?

After I moved to Seattle, I lived above a grocery store for several years and got to the point that I had a nice kitchen and a roommate willing to taste test anything I tried cooking. I decided it was time to rise to the occasion and try salsa. I researched fifteen or twenty recipes and took bits and pieces from all of them and decided to give it a try. I decided to invest the dough, buy good quality equipment and materials, and gave it a whirl. Six months later, I have jars of happiness that leads to spontaneous salsa dancing. 

Since then, I see things stuff in the store and I think... I can try that. After all, why would I spend less than $2.00 for a box of pumpkin bread mix when I can spend $10-$15 to make it from scratch? And that is where i'm at now. 

Great British Bake-Off intimidates the hell out of me, but it's awesome to watch. For me, I want simple and easy and amazing cooking. 

Enjoy!

M