How I Soothe Sniffles + The Best Chicken Soup on the Planet

Oh, cold season. It’s heartily upon us. Geez. Sniffles and sore throats and the incessant lingering cough. I hate it when the kids get a cold. And I hate it even more when my husband gets one, because of course, it’s the dreaded man cold.

Well, I have a few things in my arsenal against the BIG BAD COLD. (even a man cold)

And they work every time!

(And I also break all these babies out again during allergy season, which is just around the corner.) 😉

1. Up first. Hot tea with honey and lemon. My kids and husband know as soon as they come down with a sniffles or a cold, they get a steaming mug of tea and honey with lemon. If they have more of a flu, they get honey, lemon and ginger in the tea. (And if it happens to be a man cold, the tea is a full-fledged Hot Toddy.)

2. Next. Bundle up and rest. Snuggling up in a warm afghan and watching a favorite show does wonders for the kids. They usually snap out of it and want to play after one or two episodes of Sponge Bob. (Man colds typically take a bit longer, sometimes as long as binge watching entire seasons of Lost or Breaking Bad.)

Ahhh! I have one in training!

3. I push even more fluids and a hefty supply of Saline Soothers. Ok, these things were new to me and I found them just in time. I will not be without them. They’re an amazing lifesaver. They break up and thin mucous while soothing poor red noses. My kids and husband have super sensitive skin and they are always wiping their noses raw! It looks terrible. And painful. Saline Soothers have natural saline, vitamin E, aloe and chamomile to soothe and moisturize tender noses and reduce irritation. No more blowing noses with toilet paper for us. They ask for these now. Plus they come in handy little resealable packs, so I can throw them in the car, or my purse or stash one in Kevin’s coat pocket.

4. And lastly. A steaming bowl of ‘The Best Chicken Soup On The Planet.’ This is not an exaggeration. This stuff is amazing. I have adapted it over the years after having it at a Mexican restaurant near my house. I like mine better. 😉 My whole family….hubs, kids, parents, siblings. Everyone gets this when they get sick. They beg for it. It’s like magic. No more sore throat. No more cough. Head colds are banished. Chicken, broth, onions, limes and avocados. It’s like heaven. And it’s super simple. Here’s how you make it.

The Best Chicken Soup on the Planet

What you need:

1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and diced
6 cups of chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
2 cans of tomatoes with chiles (I use mild)
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust down if you don’t like spice – but this stuff helps the cold so sometimes I add more!)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped (I usually use the jared kind)

Add these last things just before serving.

Fresh cilantro
1 avocado, sliced and chopped
Lime juice from half a lime. (But I like mine super limey, so I usually save the other half for my bowl.)

Optional. Warm tortillas, chips and rice are nice additions depending on how sick your patient is.

What you do:

Ok. Pay attention. This gets super hard from here.
Add everything together in a large pot and bring to a boil. (except the last three ingredients.)
Reduce heat and simmer on low for 2 hours. Add the last three ingredients just before serving. (if you add them before, it’s no big deal. Because I eat leftovers the next day after everything has been added and its just as good.) That’s it. Sometimes I simmer longer, or shorter depending on how long I have until dinner. It’s a very forgiving recipe. I LOVE SOUP!
Feel better.

Try Saline Soothers Today

If you’re sick and tired of the painful irritation and redness that comes with allergy and cold symptoms you’ve got to check these Saline Soothers out on their site or on Facebook. They are so soothing. And the best part is you can even get a FREE pack so you can try out the soothing wonderfulness! Check it out here!!

Soothe your sore nose and get back to your day.