Homemade Herbal Cough Drops
It seems that the flu has hit many people pretty hard this year! So far, we’ve gotten by with only minor sniffles, but I’ve got some natural remedies on hand just in case! One recipe I’ve finally perfected and am happy with is this one for homemade herbal cough drops! Most cough drops contain sugar and preservatives, and some even contain artificial colors, flavors or chemicals!
Ingredients
•1 cup of water infused with herbs. I used slippery elm, coltsfoot, cinnamon, elderberry and chamomile
•1.5 cups of honey (I use raw, organic honey from here)
•A candy thermometer (not necessary but very helpful!)
•a medium size sauce pan
•Silicon candy molds (not needed but helpful)
Instructions
• Boil 2 cups of water and infuse with desired herbs. I used about ¼ cup of each herb for a really potent cough drop, but as little as 1 tablespoon of each herb is effective. To infuse: Pour boiling water over herbs. I put herbs in a muslin bag to make straining easier. Let steep for 20 minutes and strain out herbs (or remove bag).
• Pour 1 cup of the herb infused water and 1.5 cups of honey into a medium saucepan and turn on medium high heat. (save the extra liquid and mix with equal parts raw honey for a simple cough syrup)
• Stir the honey/herb mixture over medium high heat until it reaches 300 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, this usually takes about 30 minutes and can be tested by dropping a drop of the mixture in to ice water to see if it immediately hardens. It should harden to the point that it breaks if dropped on the counter. You can also tell because the mixture will start to foam and separate. At this point, it is vital to remove it from the heat quickly so it does not burn.
• Pour into candy molds, or pour into a large baking sheet that has been greased with coconut oil or that has a silicon baking mat on it.
• Let cool until it can be touched and molded and immediately and quickly form into lozenges with your hands (you may need help to do this quickly enough).
• Put finished cough drops/lozenges on a silicon mat or piece of parchment paper to cool.
• When completely cool, I toss in a mixture of powdered slippery elm and stevia to keep from getting sticky in humidity.
• Use as needed for coughing, congestion or sore throat.
Notes
Any herbs can be used. I picked the combination above to help sooth coughing, congestion and sore throat while boosting the immune system. I would also suggest using either cheese cloth or a tea infuser to strain the herbs. I get all herbs from The Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg, Pa 17055.
Do you make any of your own remedies? Has the flu hit your house this year? Let me know below…
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Quick Remedies for Common Problems
I believe this post is perfect for this time of the year. With flu season in full swing here are several natural home remedies. My favorite part about these remedies is that they are cheaper to purchase than the products in drugstores. Many of us already have these in our kitchen cabinets already.
Natural Remedy for Ear Infection
Ear infections can be awful, especially for kids. Antibiotics don’t often work and many doctors don’t want to give antibiotics for ear infects. Thankfully, there is an easy and extremely cheap home remedy. At the first sign of an ear infection (for adult or child) or cold, have the affected person lie on his/her side. Use a dropper to put pure Hydrogen Peroxide into the ear. This will cause a bubbling, tickling sensation that in rare cases stings mildly. Have the person lie there until the bubbling subsides. This can be repeated every few hours until symptoms are gone. I remember my parents putting Hydrogen Peroxide in my ears many times.
Natural Remedy for Stings
A fact of life in the summer for me when gardening or for the kids playing outside! Remove stinger without squeezing it. Rub toothpaste or baking soda/water paste into the sting. Pain should subside within minutes. Alternately, if you know what it looks like, the leaf of plantain immediately soothes bee stings, and this likely grows all over your yard (you think it’s a weed). If you chew a leaf up (it’s good for you anyway) and spit it onto the sting, the pain vanishes instantly.
Natural Remedy for Fever
In most cases, fever is a good sign that the body is fighting illness. While our first instinct is to treat the fever, this can actually slow down recovery from the illness as the body uses the heat of the fever to help kill the virus or bacteria. That being said, a high fever, especially in children, can be very dangerous. To lower a fever without drugs, put pure peppermint essential oil (adults) or diluted peppermint essential oil (babies and children) on the bottom of the feet and back of the neck. A cool ice pack on the back of the neck is another effective method, as the heat center of the body is located there.
Natural Remedy for Sore Throat
To alleviate a sore throat in a day or less, mix 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar with a couple teaspoons of raw honey (optional) and drink in 8 oz water six or more times a day until symptoms disappear. The vinegar kills the bacteria in the throat and soothes irritation. It is better to forgo the honey if possible, but the taste can be rough!
Natural Remedy for Congestion
Congestion is another frustrating condition that is often caused by a cold and can’t be cured with medicine. Rather than taking over the counter drugs to mitigate the symptoms, start taking Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic Acid in 1,000 mg doses every couple hours until symptoms start to fade. To battle acute congestion, boil a large pot of water. When boiling, take off heat and drop in peppermint leaves, peppermint tea bags or a couple drops of peppermint oil. Cover head with a towel and place over the pot. Breathe in the steam for 10-15 minutes using slow, deep breaths. This will help loosen and drain congestion.
Natural Remedy for Nausea, Morning Sickness or Motion Sickness
This is great for woman who are pregnant or someone who isn’t keen on flying or riding in boats. Peppermint tea or Ginger tea do wonders for these ailments, as do their essential oils. A tincture of peppermint, ginger and fennel is extremely effective as well. For kids with motion sickness or nausea, mix a couple drops of peppermint essential oil with a TBSP of a carrier oil like almond or olive oil and rub on the feet, chest and back of neck.
Natural Remedy for Bleeding
For cuts, scrapes and other causes of bleeding that don’t stop, pour Cayenne pepper powder (make sure cayenne is the only ingredient and get organic if possible) directly into the wound. It will burn for a couple minutes, but will greatly help the body’s clotting ability. After the bleeding has stopped, rinse with cool water and treat as you would any other bleeding wound. This one has saved us several trips to the ER.
Do you have any home remedies, leave me a post below. What would you like me to post next week?
Natural Remedy for Ear Infection
Ear infections can be awful, especially for kids. Antibiotics don’t often work and many doctors don’t want to give antibiotics for ear infects. Thankfully, there is an easy and extremely cheap home remedy. At the first sign of an ear infection (for adult or child) or cold, have the affected person lie on his/her side. Use a dropper to put pure Hydrogen Peroxide into the ear. This will cause a bubbling, tickling sensation that in rare cases stings mildly. Have the person lie there until the bubbling subsides. This can be repeated every few hours until symptoms are gone. I remember my parents putting Hydrogen Peroxide in my ears many times.
Natural Remedy for Stings
A fact of life in the summer for me when gardening or for the kids playing outside! Remove stinger without squeezing it. Rub toothpaste or baking soda/water paste into the sting. Pain should subside within minutes. Alternately, if you know what it looks like, the leaf of plantain immediately soothes bee stings, and this likely grows all over your yard (you think it’s a weed). If you chew a leaf up (it’s good for you anyway) and spit it onto the sting, the pain vanishes instantly.
Natural Remedy for Fever
In most cases, fever is a good sign that the body is fighting illness. While our first instinct is to treat the fever, this can actually slow down recovery from the illness as the body uses the heat of the fever to help kill the virus or bacteria. That being said, a high fever, especially in children, can be very dangerous. To lower a fever without drugs, put pure peppermint essential oil (adults) or diluted peppermint essential oil (babies and children) on the bottom of the feet and back of the neck. A cool ice pack on the back of the neck is another effective method, as the heat center of the body is located there.
Natural Remedy for Sore Throat
To alleviate a sore throat in a day or less, mix 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar with a couple teaspoons of raw honey (optional) and drink in 8 oz water six or more times a day until symptoms disappear. The vinegar kills the bacteria in the throat and soothes irritation. It is better to forgo the honey if possible, but the taste can be rough!
Natural Remedy for Congestion
Congestion is another frustrating condition that is often caused by a cold and can’t be cured with medicine. Rather than taking over the counter drugs to mitigate the symptoms, start taking Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic Acid in 1,000 mg doses every couple hours until symptoms start to fade. To battle acute congestion, boil a large pot of water. When boiling, take off heat and drop in peppermint leaves, peppermint tea bags or a couple drops of peppermint oil. Cover head with a towel and place over the pot. Breathe in the steam for 10-15 minutes using slow, deep breaths. This will help loosen and drain congestion.
Natural Remedy for Nausea, Morning Sickness or Motion Sickness
This is great for woman who are pregnant or someone who isn’t keen on flying or riding in boats. Peppermint tea or Ginger tea do wonders for these ailments, as do their essential oils. A tincture of peppermint, ginger and fennel is extremely effective as well. For kids with motion sickness or nausea, mix a couple drops of peppermint essential oil with a TBSP of a carrier oil like almond or olive oil and rub on the feet, chest and back of neck.
Natural Remedy for Bleeding
For cuts, scrapes and other causes of bleeding that don’t stop, pour Cayenne pepper powder (make sure cayenne is the only ingredient and get organic if possible) directly into the wound. It will burn for a couple minutes, but will greatly help the body’s clotting ability. After the bleeding has stopped, rinse with cool water and treat as you would any other bleeding wound. This one has saved us several trips to the ER.
Do you have any home remedies, leave me a post below. What would you like me to post next week?
Natural Beauty Tips
Natural Beauty Tips Did you know an average beauty product contains dozens of harmful chemicals? Many of which have not even been tested for safety in humans. Fortunately, there are natural alternatives every beauty product and most work better than the chemical loaded alternative.
■For a quick and natural facial, give yourself a honey mask. Take a warm shower, or hold your face over a bowl of steaming water to open pores. Rub warm honey on face and sit for 20-30 minutes, Rinse with warm water and splash with cool water to close pores.
■Instantly clarify and remove oils from your hair by mixing 1 part white vinegar with 5 parts distilled water and pouring over hair after conditioning. Add 5-10 drops of favorite essential oil to make a fresh smell. I recommend lavender, lemon, orange, or peppermint.
■For an intensive hair conditioner, blend avocado and coconut milk or cream in a blender and apply to dry hair. Leave on up to 30 minutes and rinse.
■For oily hair, massage baking soda into hair, shampoo as normal and rinse.
■For a quick and natural facial, give yourself a honey mask. Take a warm shower, or hold your face over a bowl of steaming water to open pores. Rub warm honey on face and sit for 20-30 minutes, Rinse with warm water and splash with cool water to close pores.
■Instantly clarify and remove oils from your hair by mixing 1 part white vinegar with 5 parts distilled water and pouring over hair after conditioning. Add 5-10 drops of favorite essential oil to make a fresh smell. I recommend lavender, lemon, orange, or peppermint.
■For an intensive hair conditioner, blend avocado and coconut milk or cream in a blender and apply to dry hair. Leave on up to 30 minutes and rinse.
■For oily hair, massage baking soda into hair, shampoo as normal and rinse.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Making your own laundry soap is one of the easiest parts of a transition to natural living. It is also a great way to save money on laundry detergent and is incredibly easy to do. The total cost to make laundry detergent is $7. Why switch to natural laundry soap you ask? Conventional laundry detergent is loaded with chemicals like sulfates, fragrances, phenols and more. Fragrances in these detergents are made of a mix of harmful chemicals. Luckily, making your own laundry soap is an easy and fast process! I am encouraging everyone to at least try to make the detergent once, you will be hooked. You only need three basic ingredients to make liquid laundry soap:
■Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer Brand available at most stores)
■Borax (20 Mule Team Borax available at most grocery stores)
■Bar Soap (Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, or other natural, unscented bar soap) To make liquid Laundry Soap:
1. Grate one bar of soap with cheese grater or food processor.
2. Put grated soap in pan with 2 quarts water and gradually heat, stirring constantly until soap is completely dissolved.
3. Put 4.5 gallons of really hot tap water in a 5-gallon bucket (available for free in bakeries at grocery stores, just ask them) and stir in 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda until completely dissolved.
4. Pour soap mixture from pan into 5-gallon bucket. Stir well.
5. Cover and leave overnight. (The detergent will harden don’t worry just shake)
6. Shake or stir until smooth and pour into gallon jugs or other containers.
7. Use 1/2 to 1 cup per load.
■Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer Brand available at most stores)
■Borax (20 Mule Team Borax available at most grocery stores)
■Bar Soap (Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, or other natural, unscented bar soap) To make liquid Laundry Soap:
1. Grate one bar of soap with cheese grater or food processor.
2. Put grated soap in pan with 2 quarts water and gradually heat, stirring constantly until soap is completely dissolved.
3. Put 4.5 gallons of really hot tap water in a 5-gallon bucket (available for free in bakeries at grocery stores, just ask them) and stir in 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda until completely dissolved.
4. Pour soap mixture from pan into 5-gallon bucket. Stir well.
5. Cover and leave overnight. (The detergent will harden don’t worry just shake)
6. Shake or stir until smooth and pour into gallon jugs or other containers.
7. Use 1/2 to 1 cup per load.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Magnesium Foot Scrub
Good morning, I have decided to try to make a natural version of a Soothing Magnesium Foot Scrub and a Scouring Powder. Both of these recipes are quick and simple. A homemade magnesium scrub is a perfect solution to dry winter skin. I love using it to exfoliate feet, but it can really be used on face and body as well. It leaves skin tingly and smooth and is completely natural.
For the foot scrub you will need Liquid Castile Soap, Epson salts, and essential oils. The oil base moisturizes skin, which the roughness of the magnesium exfoliates. A few of my favorite oils are lavender, vanilla, lemon, citrus and peppermint.
1 cup of Epsom salt
¼ cup olive oil or almond oil 1 teaspoon liquid Castile soap (optional, makes texture slightly smoother)
10-15 drops of essential oils
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients and add essential oils or scents until desired scent is achieved.
Store in airtight container and use a teaspoon sized amount to exfoliate feet or body as needed.
Rinse after use.
Check back later this week for the recipe for a Natural version of Vicks and cough drops. If you have tried this recipe let me know how it worked for you.
For the foot scrub you will need Liquid Castile Soap, Epson salts, and essential oils. The oil base moisturizes skin, which the roughness of the magnesium exfoliates. A few of my favorite oils are lavender, vanilla, lemon, citrus and peppermint.
1 cup of Epsom salt
¼ cup olive oil or almond oil 1 teaspoon liquid Castile soap (optional, makes texture slightly smoother)
10-15 drops of essential oils
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients and add essential oils or scents until desired scent is achieved.
Store in airtight container and use a teaspoon sized amount to exfoliate feet or body as needed.
Rinse after use.
Check back later this week for the recipe for a Natural version of Vicks and cough drops. If you have tried this recipe let me know how it worked for you.
Cleaning the Filters Above the Stove
So in the past few weeks I have decided to change my family’s life style. I also am trying to save money where ever possible. I feel that it is important to have a natural and healthy life style. In my future blogs I will be posting recipes for all natural cleaning products, first aid kit and much more. My first attempt was to clean my nasty and greasy filter above my stove. To do this I boiled hot water, I then added slowly baking soda. Add two tablespoons, and then insert the filter. You will see a difference in just a few minutes. Turn the filter upside down and do this again to the other side. See pictures below. Be sure to visit my site next week for exciting new natural recipes.
Do you have an idea that you would like to see let me know.
Do you have an idea that you would like to see let me know.
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