Thursday, January 9, 2014

Cough syrup

I decided I wanted to make my own cough syrup this year and I was pleased to see I had all of the ingredients already in my pantry!

Grab an 8 oz glad jar with a lid - I used a Ball jar. 

2 Tablespoons each dried:

Ginger root

Echinacea root

Dandelion root

Marshmallow root

Fennel seed

4Tablespoons dried Elderberries

Pour enough bourbon to cover herbs (check a few hours later and top off as they may soak up the liquid and swell above the liquid - this is bad because they can mold). Place jar in a paper sack or in a dark cabinet. 

Shake daily or every few days for 3-4 weeks. 

Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the herbs and roots. Using a coffee filter or cheesecloth as a second step will remove any tiny fibers the mesh strainer left behind. 

I keep this infusion in a dark cabinet until we are in need. When we begin to feel the sniffles I will add honey and lemon to taste and refrigerate for up to a month. 

I've tasted this concoction (before adding honey and lemon) and it definitely needs flavor but it smells just like the cough syrup my mom used to buy at the pharmacy. 


Please keep in mind - I am no doctor and this should never replace a visit to your naturopath or family physician if you're feeling ill. 

Sunday, January 5, 2014

An ode to summer... soup!

We're waiting for a major freeze here in Ohio and the Bengals are in the playoffs. This is a great day for hot soup! I am so thankful that I froze the leftovers from our summer garden because today's soup is an ode to summer in deed. I suppose this meal started a few days ago when I roasted an organic chicken, placed the leftovers (bones, neck, meat, onion, etc) in a crockpot and simmered it for 24 hours. Today, I strained the bones and bits through a mesh strainer and poured the broth into a stock pot. I like to stretch my broth by adding water (a lot will steam off anyway). A couple tablespoons of Celtic sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to start the soup while I chop veggies. I sift through my freezer and realize I have enough summer veggies to make a beautiful soup. Chard stems (used as I would celery), kale, corn, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, onion, garlic; seasoned with thyme, rosemary, tarragon, salt and fresh ground black pepper. After an hour (or so) of simmering I add a package of egg noodles and set off making some butter swim biscuits. 
I hope this gives you inspiration to save your summer veggies for an ode to summer soup, leaving the snow and cold outside your window!