Poor thing - I had the same problem last week and it turned out to be strep throat.
Hope it isn't the case for you! Try lots of hot tea, ginger ale (the bubbles felt good on my throat), chicken broth, etc. That concoction your mom suggested sounds helpful but if you can't handle that try some Honey Lemon Tea losenges from Robitussin - great cough drops will help you through a lot. Make sure you don't get any other cold symptoms, too! Keep up with your zinc and Vitamin C tablets, and eat right. The last thing you need is a full-blown mid-winter cold!! Feel better soon!
