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This month
birthdays, blizzards, baking
and
blessings of beauty this season.
I pray your holidays were as lovely as mine.
Merry Christmas
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Archive for 2013
Herbal Viral Syrup
Thursday, November 28, 2013
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It comes to this family with force, five
coughing, dripping, flushed, cranky kids. It often heralds it's arrival sometime
during the darkest parts of night, you know that restless cry that wakes a
reluctant parent and soothing a little-one
will be the fallowing mission of mid-night.
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And if any of you mama's treat the common
winter ills naturally you will know the wild expense of the smallest bottle.
The last cold our family had, we were travelling, so I bought a bottle from a
natural food store, it took two bottles of this remedy to get all five kiddos
back to health. Thirty dollars my friends, for one simple cold!
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Once the snowflakes start falling I prepare a winters worth of herbal remedy. It works for
nearly all symptoms, fever, coughing, sneezing, earaches, runny or goopy nose, sore
throat, restlessness, immunity builder. It works, and my kids love it, like
candy like it. If one of the babies see it in the fridge they will bring it to
me and plead for some 'tandy'. It is easy to make, and affordable, two canning
jars worth cost me ten dollars.
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I had
the pleasure of using some of the herbs I harvested this spring from our woods,
which saved some in cost, but most herbs for this recipe is less than half a
cups worth, which keeps costs affordable even if the loose herbs are purchased
from a health food store.
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My children love being involved, Marion did most of
the work (while I took pictures) she said after a slow-dramatic inhale that it
smelt like winter, she associates the smell of this recipe with the coming of
winter.
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Herbal Viral Syrup
1 cup Alder-Berries
1 cup Rose Hips
1/4 cup Chickweed
1/4 cup Dandelion Leaf
1/4 cup Devils Club
1/4 cup Sorel
1/4 cup Bedstraw & Yarrow
1/4 cup Echinacea Flower
1/4 cup Echinacea Root
1/4 cup Astragals Root
1/4 cup Chamomile Flower
1/4 cup Elecampane
1/8 cup Fresh Ginger, peeled and diced
1/8 cup Cloves
A few fresh sprigs of Rosemary
Ten Cinnamon Sticks or 1/8 cup powdered Cinnamon
Mix all the above ingredients together.
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Pour
into a sauce pan, cover three times the herbs with water.
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Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer off the majority of water.
It will turn dark, once the
herbs have expanded and the water level is half the size of the herbs (this
will take around 4-6 hours, the longer you simmer the more nutrients will seep from the herbs) remove the herbs
from the heat, let cool.
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Strain the herbs from the liquid, I use a milk bag but
cheese cloth works just as well. Make sure all the little pieces of herbs have
been strained out of the liquid. When the liquid is clear of herb particles put
back in a cleaned sauce pan, add a shot of whisky or vodka and two cups of
honey, bring back to a boil so you simmer off the alcohol, and the honey is
dissolved. You may add more or less honey if you prefer, you need enough for a preservative
which works alongside the alcohol, and
too add a pleasant taste for your children. Put in a clean jar, label and place in the
fridge. I give a tsp 4-5 times a day to my four years and younger kids and a
TBSP 4-5 times a day for my older ones. This recipe has always lasted me six months
before going bad.
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This recipe is safe for little children, I have
seen how quickly my children recover from an illness when taking this recipe
compared to battling a cold without.
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Enjoy
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Lachlan & Jeriah's Room
Thursday, November 21, 2013
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My heart is still
held in great wonder at a God who's blessing were given in boys.
Two fine boys may I
add.
Healthy,
plucky, strong and noble.
Lachlan
finds his way
to me early, before the sun, he puts his hand's to my cheek and whispers
"Mom, are you awake, do you want to
talk about hunting or guns?”
I know to cherish these times with my son, in
those dawn breaking moments, because some day he won't come to my room, or need
early morning whispers.
Jeriah
can laugh,
boyhood tumbling from his belly.
When it starts its contagious,
it is best just to join him on the floor and let his joy run over you. Take
him, the giggles and joy onto arms and treasure a moment of child laughter.
These
are my boys
Another thing I am enjoying, while it lasts, is a nursery
for two, a boys room to share.
Some day it will be a
smelly mess filled with beds for lengthy
teens, a place where a mother no longer treads.
Now in this room there are
treasures, a wardrobe I refinished for Roger long before he took me
as his bride. A wooden train sent from relatives in Holland three decades ago,
a gift for my older brother generously passed down to my boys, quilts from London, a bunting sewn
from thrifted material stitched by this mama who loves details. Pictures and nick-knacks all telling a
story, collected with thought, some saved long ago while my boys were still a
prayer!
When night comes and
two boys get tucked in,
lullabies
and prayers,
in a cozy room.
I feel
content and full with the love of a Mother of boys.
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