Fall Medicine Cabinet

It's that time.  Sniffle.  Sniffle.  Cough.  Cough.  Here are the recipes we use over the cold months to help with those cold-weather illnesses.

Elderberry Syrup - cold / flu- The Wellness Mamma

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup black elderberries
• 3½ cups of water
• 2 Tablespoons fresh or dried ginger root
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ½ teaspoon cloves or clove powder
• 1 cup raw honey (we get from our farmer's market)

Instructions

1. Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey!)
2. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
3. Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey and stir well.
4. When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a pint sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.
5. Ta Da! You just made homemade elderberry syrup! Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.
6. Standard dose is ½ tsp to 1 tsp for kids and ½ Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

Bronchitis / Penumonia

Ravintsara     20 drops
Eucalyptus     40 drops
Tea Tree     40 drops
Thyme     16 drops

Add oils to a dark colored glass bottle.  Shake and allow to sit for a day.  When needed, add 3-6 drops to 1 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil and massage into chest and throat.  Use 2-3 times per day.

Sore Throat / Strep
1 cup raw honey
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix together in a glass jar.  Take 2-3 tsps every 6 hours.  Store in the refrigerator.

Feel Better Tea 
to soothe a sore throat and stuffy nose

8 oz. apple cider
2 tsps. chai tea

Heat the cider and steep with chai tea.  That's it.  It feels amazing.

Vapor Rub
1/2 cup   Coconut oil
10 drops Eucalyptus Oil

I put about 1/2 c. coconut oil and 10 drops or so of eucalyptus oil in a half pint sized canning jar and mixed them together. I found that the coconut oil stayed solid enough to use as a rub, but if yours is too liquid, you can add a little melted beeswax to it and it will harden.