Beat the Cold & Flu Season Blues with Bigelow Tea

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions on how to use Bigelow Tea to beat the Cold and Flu Season Blues are mine alone. #AmericasTea #CollectiveBias

I’ll say it….moms don’t have time to be sick. Between our kids, our work and our daily responsibilities, we don’t get sick days. Down time is non-existent. We are expected to keep going no matter what, both by ourselves and by the people who rely on us. That’s what makes this time of year so hard. Because in all honestly, no matter how well I take care of myself, it’s inevitable that one winter morning I will wake up with a cold or the flu. So instead of trying to pretend that it’s never going to happen (because denial doesn’t make something true my friends) I’ve focused this year on finding ways to beat my cold and flu season blues with the help of Bigelow Tea.

When sickness does hit in my home, I know that attacking it quickly is my best line of defense. And while for some that may mean heading for the medicine cabinet, for me natural remedies are always my first line of defense. Why is that you ask? Because when I feel bad, I want comfort that is instantaneous. It doesn’t matter whether germs strike in the middle of the night, when the kids are napping or when my hubby is at work, when that balloon head feeling starts, I know without a doubt that it’s time for three important things; hydration, comfort and something to soothe.

Now I’ve experimented over the years with different ways to feel better when I’m under the weather. And I’ve discovered that some things never change. And one of those things is the fact that from a pesky cold to the take-you-down flu, Bigelow Tea is my trusted friend.

Bigelow Tea has been a part of my daily feel better routine for quite some time. For years now I’ve had a cup of tea before bed every single night. It’s the perfect soothing way to end my day. It makes me feel warm. And comfortable. And like a little girl sitting in my daddy’s arms. In fact, in elicits all the feelings that you long for when you’re not feeling well. So the minute I start to feel less than great, I reach for my box of Bigelow Tea. It’s a perfect way to ensure I stay hydrated while offering comfort and soothing my sore throat. It helps beat the chills and wraps me in warmth. Yes, Bigelow Tea is my first line of defense when it comes to the cold and flu blues. But a soothing and comforting cup of Bigelow Tea is only the start of how I make myself feel better.

You see, this cold and flu season I’ve been experimenting with ways to feel better fast. Knowing that my Bigelow Tea is always the first thing I reach for, I wanted to find more ways to incorporate it into my treatment when a cold or flu descends. After doing a little research and thinking about ways to use Bigelow Tea other than simply drinking it, an idea hit me. I thought about the fact that my tea is always gone too quickly when I’m not feeling well. I always want a way to take it with me; to be able to have the comfort of it no matter where I am. And the only way I could think of to do that was to turn two of my favorite blends, Bigelow Peppermint Tea and Bigelow Salted Caramel Tea, into soothing cough drops that I could take on the go!

Now, why two varieties you ask? Well it’s simple! Bigelow Salted Caramel Tea is a black tea with caffeine in it - perfect for those moments when life refuses to slow down regardless of how icky I feel. On the other side of things, Bigelow Peppermint Tea is soothing and calming for my night time sore throat, helping to ensure that I get the rest I so desperately need. And since I discovered how to easily turn both of these 100% American Made teas from Walmart into soothing lozenges, it was clear to me that they were BOTH essential additions to my cold and flu fighting armory!

Filled with inspiration and knowing that I was about to find a new and fabulous way to beat the cold and flu season blues, I headed to Walmart and picked up my two favorite varieties of Bigelow Tea.

Knowing that my tea bags were made especially for me by a fellow American family and that the leaves were grown at America’s largest working tea garden in Charleston, South Carolina (that’s even near where I live ya’ll!) gave me a feeling of being taken care of by someone who was like family. After picking up my boxes of tea, I headed home to enjoy a hot and delicious cup while I turned my tea into perfect cough drops!

The process for both of my cough drops was very similar.

What You Will Need:

4 Bag of Bigelow Tea (Flavor of Your Choice)

2 Cups of Water

1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup of Light Karo Syrup

Cooking Spray

1 Tablespoon of Confectioner’s Sugar

Candy Thermometer

Candy Molds

How to Make It:

I started by adding four tea bags to two cups of boiling water and allowing it to boil for about fifteen minutes to ensure a strong tea.

Once my tea was brewed, I removed the bags and added 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar and 1/3 Cup of Karo Syrup. I stirred my mixture till all the sugar had dissolved and then brought it to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, I continued boiling my mixture until it reached 300 degrees.

Then I lowered my heat and allowed the mixture to simmer and thicken. While I was waiting I prepared my candy molds by using cooking spray and dusting them with Confectioner’s Sugar.

Once I could clearly see that the liquid had crystalized (it should be a sludgy consistency when stirred with a spoon) I used a measuring spoon to add one teaspoon of the liquid to each candy mold.

I repeated the process until my molds were all filled with my cough drop mixture.

Then I placed the cough drops in the refrigerator to allow them to harden (you can leave them at room temperature as well but it does take longer). After leaving the cough drops in the fridge for about an hour, I removed them, turned the candy molds upside down and popped out each cough drop. They easily came out and were perfectly formed into bite sized pieces of comfort and relief!

So that they could be stored individually and to keep them from sticking together, I wrapped each drop in wax paper and placed them in a container.

After my first batch was made, I repeated the process using my Bigelow Salted Caramel Tea.

The result was very similar but with the black tea, I achieved a much darker and richer cough drop. After both cough drops were set and wrapped, I stored my container full of sore throat relief in the fridge to ensure that they retained their shape and remained cool and ready for any time they were needed.

Now, when my throat gets scratchy, when a fever starts or when the general feeling of yuckiness begins, I know that I can reach for both my trusted cup of Bigelow Tea and my Bigelow Tea Cough Drops. That paired with some tissues may not make my symptoms disappear but it is sure to help me beat the cold and flu season blues and feel better even when I’m not feeling my best!

So this cold and flu season, be prepared. Pick up your favorite Bigelow Tea blend from Walmart, create your favorite flavor of Bigelow Tea Cough Drops and tell your symptoms that while they may be strong, as a mom you’re stronger!

Want to know more about Bigelow Tea? Discover a hands on experience! Guests are invited to the Charleston Tea Plantation for weddings, tours and even a variety of music festivals. It’s a tea-riffic way to experience historic Southern culture and a living piece of American history! And even better, you can find out more about Bigelow’s Tea for Troops program which has sent almost 4 million bags of tea to troops overseas! So take time today to learn more about Bigelow and discover why they are so much more than just an amazing tea!

Want even more tea-riffic ideas? Check out the Pinterest board below for ways that you can make your Bigelow Tea even more amazing!

Now tell me, what are your tricks for feeling better fast?