Secret Family Recipe

Ok - so it's not really "secret." And it's not really your typical recipe.

It's a special one that I only pull out for really significant occasions.

More specifically, only the nights when I am up all night coughing away.

Yep - it's my great-grandmother's recipe for cough "syrup." And it consists of equal parts sugar and lemon juice, with a good splash of bourbon (although whiskey will work as well).

Growing up, I was a pretty sick kid. During the elementary years, I was allergic to pretty much everything (non-food related). I spent one night a week at my next door neighbor's (who happened to be an allergist) getting my allergy shot. I'm addicted to a sound machine because I've listened to the sound of a humidifier in my room since I was 5. I had exercise induced asthma. And then they diagnosed me with chronic rhinitis.

The latter is what caused the late night coughing fits. They happened at home. They happened at friends' homes (where I would sit on the floor of a bathroom trying to cough it out so I wouldn't wake my friend). I would sleep practically sitting up with the help of one of these. But once the fit started, it was hard to get it to stop. Eventually I would make my way to my mom's room, and she'd fix me up my favorite night-time coughing, itchy, stuffy nose, so-I-can-sleep concoction. Honestly, I loved the stuff. Who wouldn't love something that was made up of mostly sugar?! And then the fact that my mom was giving me alcohol! Plus, it actually helped.

These last few days I've been getting over a cold. On Tuesday night, my elementary school nights were re-lived with a late night coughing fit. I tried water. I tried sitting up. I really didn't want to get out of bed. And finally, I remembered the old remedy. And let me tell you, it works just as good today as it did back then. It still tasted pretty good too. :)

So if you're ever in need, try it out. (Sidenote - Although equal, it's only a small amount of sugar and lemon juice. I'd say about 1/4 cup.)