The Hot Toddy cure all

Apologies for my absence readers.   I've been off to Yorkshire catching up with friends and neighbours before the season of goodwill - now there's a thought does goodwill only happen at Christmastime?   I think not but it is nice to dedicate a season as a reminder for us.

Anyway the joys of catching up caught up with me in the form of 'dreaded lurgy' or cold/chest infection.

I am now surfacing from the duvet and looking out of my window onto a sunny interspersed with snow showers winter scene - brrrrr.  

I don't know about you but I hate being ill.   Thankfully I only catch a cold about 1/2 times a year which is just about the number I can cope with.

My tips for coping - a strong hot toddy before sleep.   Whilst I'm not recommending this as medication it somehow makes the feeling of being unwell bearable.

This set me thinking where does the 'hot toddy' idea come from.   Google searches turned up ideas such as:

• it comes from India (toddy being a palm from which wine is made) and so like a lot of language did it come over to Scotland as part of our colonial past?
• it comes from Tod's Well in Edinburgh - which used to supply water to the good people of that fair city
• before the cocktail there was 'the toddy'

Does this matter - not a jot I say all I know is that when I'm feeling grumpy with a cold a 'hot toddy' eases my discomfort.   Here is my version:

A good slug of whisky (you might choose rum or brandy - your preference)
Add a dollop of honey and tsp. of fresh lemon juice (your preference might be sugar)
Add hot water to fill your mug
A sprinkle off nutmeg to finish and voila!