"Tara-flu"...OR...An Elixir to Keep Vampires at Bay

Keep those comments coming! The winner of the apron will be drawn on Saturday!! I am LOVING all the fun Holiday Food traditions and favorites!! You can enter here.

But I have to admit to not getting much done the last several days. You see, I started coming down with a nasty cold on Thursday night. This was unfortunate due to the fact that it was the first rehearsal for the Christmas services at my church. I LOVE singing. I LOVE LOVE singing for Jesus.  And I LOVE LOVE LOVE singing at Christmas!! So I was not going to miss the first Christmas rehearsal for anything.

Well, Friday morning, I woke up all yucky. HRH and I had to drive to Sac for the morning and I could not get out of it. So, like the lady I am, I moaned and whined the whole way. Once we were done with our appointment, we had a very, very rare treat of lunch out together. We went to the Cheesecake Factory!! And....I brought almost all of my meal home. Yet I did order dessert, so I brought that home too.

 Let's just say, even with such a big treat, I did not touch those leftovers for a while. Sad...

Then on Saturday, I was even sadder. I was supposed to go with Don and India down to Oakland for the big Diabetic Youth Foundation Gala at the Clairmont. I had ordered salmon......SOB...

I LOVE salmon! But I was too sick to go. India was taking her donation of the funds raised through Showstoppers. She was so happy to be able to donate almost $900.00!! The actual amount raised through ticket sales and donations was nearly $1000.00!! But we needed to pay a janitorial fee (which was greatly reduced by a generous sponser!) and there were some printing, music and costume expenses that needed to be reimbursed. Most people donated their time, talents and gifts-in-kind, so that we could give more of the money to the DYF. Sadly, the DVD recording of the event was accidentally destroyed when the hard drive was purged. I cried over that news. A lot.

But, India was thrilled to make her donation and was so pleased to be asked to be a counselor at the DYF Bearskin Meadows Camp next summer. It really is a wonderful organization. And India got to spend some good time alone with her Daddy. That is very important when a girl is 18.

So, there I was, at home on the sofa, watching Christmas movie (Miracle on 34th Street) after Christmas movie (White Christmas) after Christmas movie (Desk Set). I was alone for a few hours because my in-laws took Ahnalin with them to a different fundraiser.

But then........I got a message on Facebook from my cousin Tara! Tara is an actress in L.A. and is very familiar with the frustrations of being a singer with no voice due to rotten bad colds.

She sent me the recipe for a remedy, that her sister lovingly refers to as "Tara-flu".

Upon first reading, I knew I would love it! I asked Tara if she minded if I shared it, and she said that it would be fine but that it did not originate with her.

SO, to whomever created this concoction, Thank you!!

Tara-Flu

1-2" of fresh raw ginger, grated to make 1 Tablespoon

2 cups cold water

Grate the ginger (I peeled if first, but not sure if that was correct or not)

and add to the cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 1/4 t of Cayenne Pepper.

Simmer 1 more minute.

Remove from heat and add:

2 cloves crushed fresh garlic

2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1-2 T honey to taste ( I am bad, I used raw maple syrup instead)

Let this concoction cool slightly but not a lot.

Strain it and then drink it hot.

Now, this stuff is STRONG!!! But I really liked it. It is kind of like the taste of hot and sour soup, which I love.  But be prepared, because it will make you sweat, A LOT! And the cayenne pepper is really hot! But let me tell you, it helped break up the congestion in my chest!

I finally made it Sunday night, after staying down all day. But, by Monday morning, the congestion was breaking up, and by Monday night, I was able to squeak out a few notes. I drank it again last night and this morning, I am almost back to normal. This is pretty miraculous because I have asthma and am very susceptible to both bronchitis and pneumonia. I think this may have kicked those out before they could get too cozy in my lungs this time!

But let me warn you, the "fragrance" of the garlic is quite strong! So, no self respecting vampire will come anywhere near you after drinking this. That would normally be fine, for me at least.

But, India, like many other teenage girls (and probably some of their mothers), is looking forward to the opening of New Moon of the Twilight series.

So, I doubt she will be drinking any of the "Tara-flu".
I am not a fan, but then I would rather stay home and sew, especially since I lost so much good sewing time when I was sick! UGH!

Do you want to see something funny???? India is in the choir program at her high school and this year they had a local seamstress make the dresses. NOT ME! Thankfully! Well, the measurements were taken by a woman who is not a seamstress. For some unknown reason, after taking the measurements, she added some inches "just to be safe". Well, when the seamstress got the measurements, she also added a few inches "just to be safe". See where this is going? YIKES!!!

Well, some how, my munchkin sized daughter was put in a size XL!!! On the sides, there is at least 12 inches of extra fabric, and the length is a good 10 inches too long! I called to see if this was a mistake, and was told that EVERY SINGLE DRESS was made this much too big!! Thankfully, the local seamstress who made the gowns offered to alter them all. Whew! I did not want to touch this! I will do alterations, but altering something that is at least 4 sizes too big, and doing it in such a way that the dress can be re-altered for a different girl, would be a real pain!

So, we pick up the dress this afternoon and she has to wear it to a choir festival tonight. I hope it fits better after the alterations!

So, what do I need to accomplish this week? Oh my!

I need to smock and construct a custom dream birthday dress for a soon-to-be 4 year old princess from China. The dress above was commissioned by the princess's mommy last year. I will post this years next week before I send it off in the mail.

In addition to this, I need to sew an authentic costume for India to wear as Queen Katharine for her Chamber Choir's Madrigal dinner. Um....other than ordering the fabric, I have not started on this. I am praying the fabric arrives soon! And yes, pictures will be posted of this costume when it is done.

Oh....and then there are Christmas jammies, dresses, presents, etc. to be sewn!

And did I mention that I am writing the instructions for the "Yaya's Apron"? Yes. That is in the works.

On that note, don't forget to enter the giveaway!! I will do the drawing on Saturday and then will post the winner's name here. I hope to get the apron sent out on Monday, so do stay tuned!!

Love to you all, and keep those vampires away!

Sivje