Elderberry Syrup

In the midst of an illness it is easy to forget the remedies you know.

My poor little guy keeps having coughing fits at night making it hard for most of us to sleep.

In the middle of the night I found myself reading my favorite herb book for children:

First thing this morning we removed the last of the elderberries from the freezer and made our 3rd bath of 

Elderberry syrup.

Elderberry Syrup:

Elderberry Syrup Recipe:

1 cup frozen elderberries

3/4 cup honey

1. Remove as many of the stems as possible. (The thick stems are toxic if eaten, mine have many of the small stems but I strain them out of the juice) Cover with water, about 2 cups. Simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Strain juice through a sieve pressing the berries to remove all the juice.

3.Let cool until wrist temp and mix in honey.

4. Bottle and store in refrigerator.

5. Take a teaspoon once a day or when needed.

I read many recipes in the fall that added other herbs or spices for colds.  My first batch I added 2 tsp cinnamon.  Elderberries have so many health benefits that I just keep it simple like above.  It doesn't last long enough in our house to worry about preservation.

I have a really hard time getting little guy to take anything like a decongestant, but he will happily eat a spoonful of elderberry syrup.  Children are so smart!

as they went into the freezer

dye bath with a few elderberries for fun

Our Elderberry bush in the garden.

Sumptuous Caesar Salad

I have played with Caesar Recipes for many years.

I started making them when I worked at a restaurant that offered table side Caesar Salad Preparations.

I have changed it according to different dietary considerations.

I removed the raw egg in place of mayo when I was pregnant.

I omit the cheese when we are not eating dairy and it is very good.

Following is the recipe I now make each time, sometimes omitting the cheese:

Caesar Salad Recipe:

1/2 lemon

3 anchovies

4 dashes Tabasco

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons garlic oil (3 garlic cloves 3 tablespoon olive oil)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

fresh ground pepper

1-2 head of Romaine

Garlic Oil:

Mince 3 cloves of garlic. Add to a ramekin and pour 3 tablespoon olive oil over.

Place in a toaster oven at 350 F for 5-7 minutes until bubbling and fragrant. Let cool while you prepare dressing.

I use a wooden Caesar bowl, but any shallow wide bowl will work.

Place anchovies in bowl, add lemon juice, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce.

Using two forks smash anchovies until a paste forms. Now stir in garlic oil and Mayo.

Taste by dipping a bit of lettuce. Sometimes I add more Tabasco or oil.  Then add cheese to thicken.

Clean and spin torn lettuce.  Mix by hand in bowl until coated.

Add to bowls (2 large or 4 small), add fresh ground pepper, and a little more cheese if your wish.

NO Fear of the Fever

I started the morning at 5 am, with my sweet eldest (3 1/2 years old) asking for his dinner and chewing on the garlic bread he had left behind the night before.  At dinner he was listless, drank his diluted juice and wanted to be excused to play his harmonica.  He happily fell asleep at 7:45 to awake at 11:30 with a high fever crying for Mama.  I managed to plop Belladonna in his mouth between cries, held him, and soothed him into a deep sleep that lasted until 5 am.  Fever gone, hunger back.
Fast forward 5 hours and little brother (almost 2) came down with the fever.  His hands were cold, his head slightly warm, he nursed to sleep.  He awoke 40 minutes later screaming Mama with a fever of 104 F. I slipped Belladonna and Aconite onto his wailing tongue. 1 hour later he was sleeping in his bed.

It has taken me 3 1/2 years to learn that I do not need to fear the fever.

I took a class years ago from an Anthroposophic nurse at a Teacher's Conference. She described the home
remedies to do for a fever and that the fever is there for a reason. But for many reasons, mostly my loved ones and pediatrician suggesting the Tylenol, I often gave Tylenol or Advil if the fever was over 102.
I wish I kept an accurate journal of the middle of the night fevers and treatments we have been through.
I am quite certain that the fevers that were medicated with Tylenol and Advil lasted longer.
The experience has given me the observation skills and trust to no longer, FEAR THE FEVER.

Here are a few tips I heard about but now know are true:

1.  If the hands and feet are cold the fever is still rising.  Keep them comfortable without chill.

2. If hands and feet are about the same temp as the stomach, the fever is done rising.  Now you can give cool wash cloth, bath, or lemon wrap on the feet.

3. Treating with Tylenol or Advil may make the child more comfortable to sleep for a bit, but when it wears off the temperature will probably try to rise again to ward off the illness, making the illness last longer.

4. It seems a whole lot easier to hold my children, help them sleep, and give them some homeopathic remedies, rather than to convince them that the gooey, sticky medicine they don't want is good for them. (Especially now, that I feel that it isn't)

5. The Homeopathic Travel Kit from my local Homeopathic Doctor has been one the the best purchases of my life. $90 and it will last for years.  They will refill the bottles for $2 when needed.

6. Belladonna for sudden onset of high fever with flushed face.  Aconite for fever with pale face, intense thirst and restlessness. Pulsatilla for fevers with low thirst and clinging whining babes.

7. Rescue Remedies Pastilles are a great distraction from their ailments.  My little guys think they are a treat and it calms them.

8. If their throat hurts after the homeopathic medicine has been given, Tylenol can be comforting, but I try to use it very sparingly and not for the purpose of bringing down a fever. (Our last illness turned to sore throats and coughing for a week.  I did give them Tylenol when my boys were crying in pain and so they could drink fluid. I had to take an ibuprofen myself one night in order to get my head and throat from hurting so I could fall asleep.)  So I do use it as pain relief when necessary to keep comfortable while the body battles the illness, but not to cover the illness or fever.

Which would I rather give to my little guys?  The pretty ones without red #5.

Home Christmas Celebrations

Christmas Eve

Simple pasta and meatballs that everyone loves

and for dessert Peppermint Star Ice Cream

Peppermint Star Ice Cream:

Break up one- two candy canes (we happened to have organic which are actually so much more flavorful)

Soften a pint of Grater's Vanilla Ice Cream.

I placed the broken candy cane piece in a cake pan then gently pulled the ice cream out of the pint.

I sliced a circle placed it on the candy pieces, cut out with a star cutter and then added some of the softer ice cream to fill in all the way. After making four I quickly placed them in the freezer with some ice cream left over for another time.

They were a big hit.  Our chocolate lover got a little chocolate sauce on his.

Little Chamomile tea, cookies, and wine to finish up some gifts at the last hour.

The special gifts I made for the boys.

Santa brought the boys a town and candy canes

They would have been just as happy with only shovels.  They had to go out in their  pajamas

Christmas Kugelhopf

Merry Making

This is the first time I have made salve and lip balm, but I am hooked.

Once I find a good source for containers my dear friends can count on these every year.

Hand Salve:

1 cup olive oil with dried herbs (comfrey, slippery elm, calendula)

simmer for 20 minutes.

Then slowly melt beeswax (about 3 tablespoons) in a double boiler or in my case a little stainless steel bowl over a copper pot.

Add beeswax to oil and 1/2 tsp Vitaman E oil. Let cool a little and put in containers.

When I do this again, I will either use powdered herbs or strain them from the oil before adding the beeswax.

Lip Balm:

From Soulemama   http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/12/elving.html

But I changed it a little bit:

I made half a batch:

4 tbls. coconut oil

1.5 tbls beeswax

2 tsp raw honey

10 drops of Thieves (Clove, lemon, cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary)

A about a teaspoon of pink lipstick that had some sparkle to it.

Melt everything together, let cool slightly before pouring into containers.

I used a small funnel and needed to rewarm a few times.

Little Big guy requested star eggs for Breakfast.

While preparing and eating Star eggs I thought of how blessed I am to be at home with my boys

and we can get completed diverted with making things a little special.

Of course the Star eggs needed birthday candles because this is what they usually get for their birthday breakfast.  But that was fun too.

Auntie Nettie's Birthday and Christmas:
The boys painted the apron last year and I finished the edging last week.
She requested Chocolate Brown Curtains.
I was very happy to make something useful.

Winter Walk

We are blessed to live a short distance from The Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Every time we get to Kendall Lake or the Ledges I feel

immersed in beauty and awe.

I love this big field.

As soon as the little guys shoes were on they ran as fast as they could down the hill.

It was a warm Sunday winter walk (58 degrees in December) and so much fun.

Chickens and boys on the roam

Our lovely chickens have decided they would rather roam.
We take little walks with them around the yard.
The boys love picking them up and holding them. Umm, and also helping them with their dust baths.