Fire Cider! The newest member of my cold and flu arsenal. (THM friendly)

I first saw this recipe floating around the web last year. I made it and threw it away once it was done. I admit it. Fear got the best of me. That and a person's negativity. Ugh... I'm not a fan of being wasteful, or fearful for that matter. It was a sad time for me.

This year I did some more research and was determined to try it again. The negative person is no longer in my life and I knew what I had to do. I had to squish fear where it hurts and I'm so glad I did!

This stuff is awesome!

 It does take weeks to reach its proper potency but when it's done, in the words and inflection of my 7 year old, "It's awesooooome!" lol

I have kicked one sickness already this week by taking this every hour for a day and a couple times the next two days. Praise God for a break from all that garlic cutting!!

And... it's THM Friendly!! You can even drizzle it on a yummy salad as a dressing.

Here's the recipe...

• 1/2 cup grated Horseradish
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Ginger
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (I love me some cayenne, cher. For those of you wondering what I just said, I'm Cajun French and cher is a French people term of endearment ;) It translates to "dear.")
• Zest and juice (or juice only) from one lemon
• 1 Tbsp. Turmeric powder
• Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Cut it all up and place in two large jars. Fill bottles with Apple Cider Vinegar. Use wax paper to keep contents from touching the metal lid.
2. Shake daily. Store 4-6 weeks.

*You can also add honey to yours when its done. I didn't and we all love it! (well, not hubby, but I never thought he would. lol) My 2 and 4 year old beg for it! They love the kick it gives you. lol

How our family takes Raw Garlic, a natural Antibiotic.

 

With the recent success our family has had kicking sickesses where it hurts with raw garlic, I have had many mama's asking me exactly how I give it to my family.

 

 I didn't  know how to take it either when I started. It was kind of a trial by error thing. I knew you could take it with honey but that was the end of my knowledge.

 

Today I'm writing this post to share with others how our family takes garlic. :)

 

Here are a couple things you need to know.

 

1. Do not take raw garlic on an empty stomach.

(It's best to take it after you eat something)

(You can and I have but I don't advise it. Your stomach won't feel good at all. I did this and actually thought I might throw up. O.O Not a happy moment from me.)

2. Follow taking garlic with some sort of milk chaser.

(This will ease your tummy)

3. Mixing with honey really does help it go down.

(however, I don't take it with honey since it's sugar)

4. Do this at least 3 times a day (if not 4 times) if you are already sick. Continue to do this for at least 3 days. The garlic will alleviate your symptoms before the sickness is totally gone. Think about an antibiotic the Dr gives you. The pharmacist tells you to take all 10 days worth no matter how great you may feel on day 5. Garlic will need some time to kill the illness. In my experience it still didn't take as long as Dr. prescribed antibiotics.

 

The next picture will show you my set up.

 

 

1. Chop a clove or two of garlic per person, finely.

 (When I'm fighting something I use one large clove for me or two regular size ones. You can see in the top picture how much I cut for 4 of my 5 daughters, my hubby and I) The finer you cut it, the easier it is to take. Plus it helps the allicin come out. My barely two year old daughter takes it happily.

2. Set a timer for 10 minutes so that the garlic can release the allicin. That is what helps you from what I've read.

3. Make a milk chaser while you wait. You can either take just plain milk or if you're really interested in kicking something you can do what I do and make a turmeric milk chaser. (Ingredients: milk, (I use unsweeneted almond milk for me) organic turmeric, pure white stevia, and cinnamon. Just add some of each. The turmeric is great for you and this drink tastes great. my girls love it!

4. Get a bowl and your honey ready.

5. When the 10 minutes are up, mx your garlic with some honey (local, raw is best but you can use whatever honey you want)

6. Open up and swallow. (You can chew it, but I wouldn't suggest that either. I did the whole, 'put a garlic clove in your mouth, bite down and extract juices' thing and I wasn't too fond of it. Maybe I'm a wiener but it burned my mouth bad.)

 

Like I said earlier, I don't take mine with honey since I don't want the sugar. I just put mine in my mouth and take it with my turmeric milk. It's way easier than I would have thought. :)

 

You can google the benefits of raw garlic. It's incredible!  There are some sicknesses that aren't responding to antibiotics and yet garlic is proven to kick them. I have witnessed its power as its healed my family this year and it has helped me not catch what my littles had. I even make a garlic rub for the baby. The garlic has allowed them to break up and expel the build up of mucus from their sicknesses. I really can't say enough good things about it.

 

*One last note* I did read somewhere that it's best to use the raw garlic within 24 hours since it's most potent then. I typically cut enough for a day at a time. Garlic rub for a baby can last one week in the fridge.

 

P.S. I am not a doctor, I'm just a mama sharing what has worked for my family. :)

Homemade Vapor Rub

Cold and flu season is here and so is my arsenal. Every year before the season begins (or after it starts lol) I began preparing for the possibility of my family getting sick. This year we've already had a pretty fun cold come through our family. One that knocked 4 of my 5 girls down. Runny noses, fevers, and throwing up from the crazy amount of mucous their little bodies were producing.

Vapor rub is a must during this season as far as I'm concerned.

I was a Vicks Vapor Rub girl growing up. My mom loved that stuff. It wasn't until last year that I discovered what it was made of and that it wasn't necessarily something I wanted to use on my family. Especially when I found out that there have been cases where it has hindered a sick baby's breathing as well as adults. (this was using both the infants and also the adults) Don't take my word on it, google it. It isn't pretty. 

Anywho :)

I began looking for an alternative, (after already buying a brand new jar of each type of Vicks) and low and behold women all over the world were smarter than me. They already knew that Vicks wasn't really great for us or our precious babies. With this being said, I found what seemed to be endless recipes for homemade vapor rub. I settled on this one and we all love it! My kiddos actually ask for it. I found it so long ago that I don't even remember where I got it. Just know, I didn't create this. :) The credit belongs to some smart mama who was well advanced in her healthy walk before I was in mine.

I would totally hug this woman if I could!

You will need:

• 2 parts coconut oil
• 1 part beeswax (I have made this using both pastilles or a 1 oz little bar)
• Eucalyptus essential oil (about 10 drops per ounce)
• White Camphor Essential Oil (about 5 drops per ounce)

Directions:

1. Melt the coconut oil and beeswax in a double boiler (You can really use any pan you'd want. I use a double boiler so my ingredients aren't directly on the heat)
2. Then add the essential oils.
3. Pour into your metal tins or containers. (You can purchase metal tins at most health food stores. If you don't have one by you, you can order them online. Google metal tins and find the best price for you. They're everywhere:)
4. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes voila, homemade vapor rub. It really couldn't be more simple!

Military Life-When Your Hubby gets the Flu from the Flu Vaccine. What to do.

 

It's that time again. Every year my husband is forced to receive the flu vaccine. Now I know from experience that the subject of vaccines can stir up some crazy heated debates. You won't get that from me. I have an opinion and I'm allowed that. So is everyone else. :)

What I'm writing about today is that every year my Air force husband is forced to get a flu shot and every year my husband gets the flu. I know some people who would say it's just a coincidence but I don't think so. (Remember, I'm entitled to my opinion) I can also tell you that every year my elderly mother gets her flu shot and every year like clock work she too gets the flu.

 If the shots are so wonderful then why does everyone we know get sick after taking them? (Don't feel the need to answer. I have my own assumptions. :)

I'm not going to rant and rave about our world and the force of their opinions on others. What I will tell you is what I did to heal my husband.


I gave him raw garlic.

If you're a health conscious mama like myself, you are no doubt already familiar with garlics incredible properties and just what it can be used for. If you're not, take some time and research it. It's really incredible. Garlic works as an antibiotic and works fast!

When my hubby started showing signs of the flu coming on I cut up a clove of garlic. I drizzled raw honey (you can use any kind) on a spoon and put the garlic on it. I did this for him every two hours and by the next day there were no more signs of the flu. I had caught it fast and kicked it out!

Now if you're later in your flu cycle, you might have to take it more than 24 hours to kick yours. I'm not doctor so I'm not sure. All I can tell you is my experience and my experience is pretty awesome.

Another story: Last month my girls came down with some nasty cold thing. My eldest and I were the last to catch it. During this time was when I remembered reading about garlic so we tried it. My chest had been hurting and I could only cough dry. After taking the garlic and honey twice I began to clear my chest. I didn't take it as often as I gave my husband but I felt better by that night. I took it only once the next day and was all better by the next morning. So was my daughter!

My one tip: Garlic is some potent stuff. I took one dose with the clove not chopped as fine as I would assume they should have been. I also took it on an empty stomach and instantly my stomach didn't feel the best. After I realized that my decision hadn't been the best I started trying to think of what I could do to feel better. All I could think of was milk and I'm glad I did. I put some raw milk into a glass and drank it. In less than 5 minutes I felt better.

Kristy's garlic tip of the day: Chop it small, and don't take it on an empty stomach. ;)

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Last year in Blog Land I stumbled upon a recipe that would change my life and the life of my family. Homemade Elderberry Syrup. I had just discovered Elderberry syrup and experienced its great benefits during cold and flu season when I also discovered its high cost. O.O At $11-$14 a bottle depending on brand and where you buy it, that can and will add up for a family as large as mine. I knew we couldn't keep buying it so I began researching online to see if I could make it and voila, thanks to Wellness Mama's Post Here I could.

My girls had such good memories of taking it last year that my house was filled with ooo's and aaahhh's this year as the elderberry syrup was cooking. They all told me that it was the smell of Christmas coming. LOL

 

Each day my kids beg for this syrup. When I tell them its time to take it they line up like they're in line for some new toy. It's adorable!

 

Thank you http://wellnessmama.com/!

 

2/3 cup black elderberries

3.5 cups of water

2 T fresh or dried ginger root

1 tsp. cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp cloves or clove powder

1 cup raw honey (you can also replace with all natural strawberry or raspberry syrup but it won't have the healing qualities as it would with honey. I've been out of honey and in need of elderberry syrup so I made a batch replacing honey with one of the above syrups and it still worked great!)

1.Pour water into a medium pot. Add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Do not add honey yet.

2.Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the liquid has reduced by almost half. When it's ready remove it from the heat and let it cool until it is cool enough to be handled. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl. I use cheesecloth and pour it into a large bowl. I squeeze the cheesecloth as to get as much of the juices as possible.

3. Throw away the elderberries. Or if you like you could always compost them. :)  Now it's time to allow 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.

Standard dose is 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp for kids and 1/2 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.