October 17, 2012

Fresh Thyme And Lemon Balm Honey

October 17, 2012/ Angela

The first snow is magical. We were blessed with that special magic just over a week ago. Just a light dusting, it was beautiful. The snow brought huge smiles to my girls' faces in anticipation of winter fun. Preparation for the storm included a trip the garden for one last harvest. My little one followed along side me and helped me bring in our veggies and herbs. As we rambled through the yard we found our way to the fairy garden we planted a couple of months ago during the heat of summer. We found a large amount of thyme and lemon balm all ready to come inside and join us for the winter. We decided to make a little treat for getting us through the long winter ahead ~ herbal infused honey, yummy!

Infusing honey with herbs could not be easier...

Pack the herb into the bottom of a jar.

Pour honey over the top. Use a chop stick or a knife to stir the herbs into the honey because the honey will sit on top of the herbs and need a bit of help making its way to the bottom of the jar.

Some fun gooey bubbles will come up and insight potential giggles from little onlookers.

After stirring you will see the honey level go down and will need to add some more to top it off. Perhaps the fairies took a little sip?

Then comes the hardest part, waiting. Waiting for the honey to be done. If you can, try to wait at least a week before you start eating your honey. Truth be told we have already "tasted" the honeys many times and even had some on pancakes. Ah well...

Make sure to label your honey and stir it every day. Or you can simply turn the jar over a couple of times a day. This great tip and a wonderful video tutorial from Mountain Rose Herbs on making herbal honeys can be found HERE. After a week or so has passed either strain the herbs out of your honey or just eat them along with the honey.

Please Note: When infusing fresh herbs in honey you want to be sure to keep the herbs covered in honey so they don't rot. The water content in the herbs is what makes this happen. By keeping the herbs covered the honey preserves them and prevents spoilage. It is really hard to keep the herbs covered which is why turning the jar over a couple of times a day is just brilliant Because the flipping of the jar doesn't keep the herbs submersed in honey, but it does keep the herbs coated and that does the trick!

How to use infused honey...

Well this is the easy part!

A tasty spoonful here and there... Spread on biscuits and toast... A big dollop in a cup of tea...

It gets even better though because the HONEY is infused with the medicinal properties of the plants, it becomes delicious little immune system boost during the winter. Along with the amazing healing benefits of honey, LEMON BALM is a wonderful antiviral which eases tension in the nervous system and lifts the spirits. Thyme, rich in essential oils, is an antiseptic that is amazing for spasmodic coughs and fighting off infection. The thyme combined with soothing honey should be wonderfully soothing for respiratory issues.

Does it get any better than this?

Shared on: Natural Living Monday, The Woodwife's Journal, Kid's Co-op

August 11, 2012

Back To School Tea

August 11, 2012/ Angela

Lucky am I, my kids love school. We have a wonderful local school for them to attend with caring attentive teachers, excellent technical resources and lots of friends. One of my kids loves school so much that she bounced into the car as we headed home from the last day of school and immediately asked, "Can we go back to school shopping?"

Even so, about two weeks before school is set to start I can feel it creeping in... anticipation and unrest. My kids are ready for and looking forward to school but nervous. And let's face it, waiting for anything can be tough. We have had everything from nervous upset tummies to sleep disturbances to the daytime crazies. This year to help ease the transition we are all drinking a calming infusion of wonderful herbs and it seems to be keeping things in check. Everyone is a bit calmer and sleeping well at the moment. And Mommy is also keeping her cool.

This infusion (strong tea) nourishes the nervous system, calms digestion, encourages restful sleep and eases stress. It is simple and easy to make with a bit of forethought. Really any combination of these herbs would work great. I use dried herbs but fresh would work fine though you may wish to increase the amount you infuse as dried herbs are more potent than fresh.

Ingredients:

Oat Straw
Oat Seed
Chamomile Blossoms
St. John's Wort Flowers

I make this infusion in 2 parts because oat straw and oat seed need to be infused for a long time to bring out their nourishing properties, vitamins and minerals. While the chamomile becomes bitter when steeped to long and the St John can become a bit strong in my opinion.

Instructions: Place a palmful each of oat straw and oat seed to a quart jar. Fill the jar half way with hot water. Let sit for 4 to 8 hours. I start this in the morning when I am making breakfast. Then strain the resulting liquid into another jar or tea pot and add a palmful each of chamomile and St. John's wort to the quart jar. Fill again half way with hot water and put a lid on top to keep the chamomile's essential oil from escaping. Let sit for 3 to 6 minutes, no more as it will get bitter. Strain into the container holding your oat straw/seed infusion. I add a little bit of honey, maybe a 1/2 teaspoon (more or less to taste), to the infusion and serve it at the dinner table in fancy tea cups.

The result is a mild flowery tasting tea calming to the nerves that my kids love!

About the herbs in your tea:

Oat Straw and Oat Straw~ Often used as a long-term nervous system tonic, oats are extremely nourishing to frazzled nervous. They ease stress, irritability and anxiety.
Chamomile Blossoms ~ Chamomile is soothing for the nerves and supports healthy digestion easing that nervous tummy some kids get. It is high in vitamins and minerals which strengthen the nervous system.
St. John's Wort Flowers ~ St. John's Wort is most commonly known for its usefulness in easing depression. I find it is also useful in easing acute stress when drunk as an infusion and something about combining it with Chamomile enhances its sunshiny properties. My kids have responded time and again to St. John's and Chamomile combined for nightmares and night terrors. Please note that there are some contradictions when combining St. John's Wort with pharmaceuticals, consult your doctor. St. John's Wort is also reported to increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun.

Enjoy and best wishes for a beautiful school year.

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March 05, 2012

A Sniffle and a Sneeze...

March 05, 2012/ Angela

When I hear "a sniffle and a sneeze" coming from one of my kids, my brain starts to spin with questions about what action if any I should take in regards to the sounds/signs their body is making.

"Is Violet getting sick or did she just inhale a bit of something that is making her sneeze?"

"Nyssa has coughed five times this morning, how is she doing?"

I try not to be an alarmist because I know the innate vitally of my kids is strong and that they will be fine. And further, that sometimes, we need to be sick. We need a break and that is ok too.

Everyone has their own protocol for how to help their sick kid. For my family I do try to catch things early if I can. I have a general idea of what my kids' normal is.... how does their tongue normally look? Are their eye's sparkly and their cheeks rosy? What does the temperature of their skin usually feel like when they wake up? I pay attention as best I can and when things begin to look/feel a bit off, I take measures to help them right away and I start to give my kids things from the following list. This is my first line of defense for my kids. If a cold or flu settles in we move on to other remedies.

Here is what I have found works well for my kids and my family.

Elderberry Syrup ~ Click Here to learn all about elderberry and how to use it.
Catnip Tea ~ When my kids need catnip tea, they suck it down like soda pop. Great right before bed to aid sleep and fight infections. Brew one tablespoon in a big cup of just boiled water for 10 minutes. You might want to sweeten it with honey or agave.
St. John's Wort/ Lemon Balm Tea ~ Blend together a small handful of each, cover with just boiled water and steep for at least 20 minutes. These herbs are great antivirals and relaxants. My girls have their own little personal tea pots and they love having a special pot all brewed up just for them when they are feeling crummy.
Umcka ~ I found this product recently. All I can say, is that it really works! My kids love the taste of the syrup so it is really easy to give it to them.
Vitamin D ~ Wonderful for prevention during the winter months. Check out this video from one of my amazing teachers, Paul Bergner, for info about using vitamin D.
Essential Oils ~ Lavender & Spearmint for kids age 2 to 6 years with the addition of Ravensara & Eucalyptus for older kids. Use any of these in the bath and in a humidifier, are great. But my favorite thing to do is to dilute a couple of drops of essential oil in a generous teaspoon of carrier oil and use this mixture to give my child (or myself) a nice firm foot massage before bed. Follow up with snuggly socks and sweet dreams.
Homemade Soup ~ Chicken is my favorite with lots of veggies, garlic and medicinal mushrooms.
Increase Liquids ~ Lots and lots, really anything they will drink as long as it is not sugary, though I will give them diluted juice, if that is all they will drink
Hot Apple Cider ~ Speaking of juice... I make this with diluted apple juice, cinnamon chips and fresh ginger. I just combine about a cup of juice, a cup of water, up to an inch or so of chopped ginger and a tablespoon of cinnamon chips in a pan. Simmer for at least 20 minutes and serve. Warming, immunostimulating and yummy!
Oscillococcinum ~ for flu exposure. My homeopathic doctor friend told me that taking a third of the tube through out the day is the best way to take it rather then taking the whole remedy at once.
Eliminate ~ refined sugar, dairy, and citrus.
Promote Rest
Love ~ the most important part!
For Parents ~ Raw Garlic is great. I mince it up with a bit of salt and add it to whatever we are eating or putting it on a piece of toast with olive oil. Everything else above is great for mom and dad too.

Note ~ There are a lot of wonderful products on the market for helping us to stay healthy. When the above measures don't stop illness in its tracks, I move on to Wish Garden Herbs formulations, they have some wonderful formulations for both kids and adults. All of their products are amazing. I have tried many for myself, my kids and recommended them often with consistent wonderful feedback. My favorites for kids are their Ear Combo for ear infections. I keep this one on hand. It is really effective and helpful when you are awakened in the middle of the night by a kid in pain. Also, their Kick-It products and Cold Season Symptoms are wonderful. I had many parents give me rave reviews about the Cold Season remedy when I worked retail.

What do you do to keep yourself and your family healthy? I am always looking for great tips and suggestions!

January 18, 2012

Elderberry for Winter Health

January 18, 2012/ Angela

Nature has blessed us with so much. Looking to Nature we can find a multitude of amazing plant allies that can help the whole family stay nourished and healthy during the winter months. A favorite is elder berry which has an extensive traditional use as a preventative for the flu and as a support during the flu. In fact modern research has found elderberries to be active against the flu virus. You can easily make a yummy syrup from elderberries to take on a regular basis during flu season. This is something that most kids really enjoy taking which is a major plus! If you don't want to make your own syrup a ready-made preparation of elderberry Sambucol can be purchased at most natural food stores. And if despite your best efforts, sickness should take hold, syrups can be used during a bout of the flu to hasten healing.

We make the following easy delicious recipe for syrup every year.

~ Elderberry Syrup ~

One cup of fresh or ½ cup of dried elderberries
1 to 2 tsp of whole cloves (use less if you are using ground cloves)
1 to 3 tsp of cinnamon chips (use less if you are using ground cinnamon)
1 inch of fresh ginger root, chopped
the peel of one organic orange
3/4 cup of raw unprocessed honey which acts as a preservative and enhances flavor
3 cups of water

Directions: Simmer the elderberries and spices in 3 cups of water. Once the berries have softened smash up the berries and spices in the water. This is a fun part to have children help with. I use a potato masher and closely supervise my kids while the squish away to their hearts delight! Cook at a low boil for about a ½ hour or until the liquid reduces by one-half. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Make sure to get all the seeds out, which can be somewhat irritating to the digestive tract. Return the liquid to the pot and add the honey. Heat until the honey just melts. Then bottle, label (include the date!) and refrigerate your new syrup. It will keep in the refrigerator for about three months. Take 2 to 3 teaspoons for adults and 1 teaspoon for children (ages 2 and up) 3 to 5 times a week as a prophylactic during flu season. If you do happen to get sick with a bout of the flu take the same dosage about four times per day. Only the blue elderberries (Sambucus nigra) should be used as the red ones are toxic. Elderberries are generally considered to be quite safe though they can be drying and irritating for folks suffering from migraines. If you have a reaction, stop taking it immediately.

Recipe and information from Brigitte Mars's Elder.

A highly knowledgeable herbalist, Brigitte Mars lovingly offers her treasure trove of information for us to all learn from. Her classes are lively, fun and interesting. Her books offer an extremely valuable resource to those wishing to study herbs and learn about healthy living.

Make your syrup special

The spices included in this recipe not only make it taste delicious but also help to warm the body, decrease inflammation and support healthy digestion. Other herbs can be added to this syrup to increase its protective properties. Rose hips are soothing and will provide nourishing vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Astragalus has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a tonic to the immune system particularly to prevent illness. However, this herb should not be used during illness as it can drive infection deeper into the body. So do not take astragalus during the flu or cold. A great herb for children’s health is lemon balm. This yummy plant is antibacterial and antiviral, while also calming the digestive and easing nervous energy. Add any of these herbs by the handful to the pot with the elderberries be sure to also add a little extra water during the simmering and a bit more honey.

Enjoy!

Note that this information is in no way meant to take the place of professional medical care. Please use common sense and see a doctor if you need one. See Healthy Use of This Information.