In Preparation Of The Cold Season

These days, the sun sets earlier, and getting out of bed in the morning is getting very much harder. Apples and pears are replacing tomatoes and eggplants at the farmers market, and I just (tearfully) bid farewell to the last of this summer’s okras. Autumn has made its grand entrance, and we can’t really do anything about it.

Don’t get me wrong… I love autumn, I really do. Autumn means birthday presents (well at least for me), chilly gusts of wind (hello new wardrobe!), a colorful carpet of expired leaves in our parking lot. But it also means some time before the year ends, I will take a week off from work because I’ll catch a cold.
You see, I have the immune system of a baby before its first set of vaccines… A work in progress, really. I am usually the first one to start wheezing with bronchitis and asthma, and I will blow my nose until my skin peels. As much as I appreciate the wet season, my body really isn’t made for it.

This year, I’m hoping to save some money that usually goes to prescriptions of Z-pacs and Cipro, and am going the DIY route – I vow to not let my hachimitsu remon (honey lemon syrup) supply run out this season.
It’s redonkulously easy – just slice some lemons, veeeery thinly, lay them out in a tupper ware, and drown it in honey. Throw the lid on, and leave it over night. When you wake up in the morning, you will see the lemon slices immersed in syrup. Stick your finger in the syrup and have a taste… Did you catch that exciting zing! hidden behind the sweet, wholesome honey flavor? It’s simply delicious.
Plus, as you may already know, lemons are chock-full of vitamin C, and honey contains small amounts of antioxidants. This has got to be good for cold prevention!

This honey lemon syrup has about a bajillion uses. You should try it first by mixing it with hot water to make yourself some honey lemon tea. But you can also eat the slices of lemon after a workout, or mix the syrup in some gin n’ tonic for a fresh and girly twist. A lot of people like to marinade peeled cherry tomatoes in the syrup and serve it cold. Cucumber marinade is pretty darn refreshing too!

Orrrr you can use it in baking, like me.

The Embarassingly Easy Honey Lemon Loaf - serves 4
adapted from the homemade pancake mix recipe by Miyapon

standard pancake mix
A. 300 g flour
A. 15 g baking powder
A. 50 gram sugar
A. 3 g salt
A. 1-2 drops vanilla essence

1/2 cup hot water
3-4 tbsp honey lemon syrup
couples slices of lemon from the honey lemon syrup

1. Throw contents of A in a tupperware. Put on the lid, and shake vigorously.
This is the standard pancake mix that you will see me use. Or if you’re fortunate enough to have a Japanese market in your vicinity, purchase the pancake mix from Morinaga. It’s the red one with a cherub logo.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F.
3. Mix honey lemon syrup with hot water. Then mix that with 200g of your standard pancake mix. Don’t over mix, otherwise it will turn out hard and un-fluffeh and flat and all things sad.
4. Lay out lemon slices on top of the batter to make it look pretty.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top becomes golden. Then cover it with an aluminum foil and bake for another 10.
6. Jab the tallest part with a toothpick and pull out, if you have any goo on it, it needs more baking time. If not, take it out and let it cool.
7. Make yourself a cup of good earl grey and put on your best monocle: it’s time to nom on honey lemon loaf!

I like this recipe because it’s dry and crumbly but moist enough – it toasts to a nice crunch, so all it needs is a tiny pat of buttah. But if it’s too dry for you, you can add 2 tbsp of melted butter when you’re mixing the whole thing.

Sometimes I like to brew a really really strong tea with the water and mix in some syrup. And ta-dah, you have a honey lemon tea loaf. Don’t forget to mix some ground tea leaves into the batter.