Saturday Spice Spotlight: Ginger

In honor of a belly ache, today's spice is my beloved ginger.

The reason I became so infatuated with ginger is because of it's healing properties of the stomach.  When I was younger I had stomach aches a lot, and a little bit of flat ginger ale would always make me feel better.  When I was older, I discovered Reed's Jamaican Ginger Beer while working at a health food store.  I was hooked.  Between that and crystallized ginger, I discovered my favorite spice.

I don't only like ginger coated in sugar, though.  I love it ground in oatmeal.  Grated in stir-fries.  Mixed into carrot cake.  I actually like it in everything, every which way.

Ginger isn't just for belly aches.  It has a plethora of benefits.

• Relieves motion sickness and morning sickness
• Eases the pain of arthritis
• Ginger is antiviral and antibacterial, and can be used much like turmeric to help alleviate or prevent colds and the flu
• Ginger has been shown to prevent coronary heart disease 
• Full of antioxidants, ginger helps to prevent cancer

My favorite way to consume ginger is in these Triple Threat Ginger Cookies.

I also like to sprinkle ground ginger on sweet potatoes and roast them in the oven.

Right now, though, to help my stomach woes, I'm drinking ginger tea:  a slice of ginger mixed with almost boiling water and a bit of milk.  I also just had a slice of ginger dipped in some honey.

With ginger on my side, I know I'll feel better soon.