Herbal Bone Broth
Nourish your body with this delicious nutrient-dense bone broth. All of that gelatinous goodness will fuel your body. Warm bone broth in a large coffee mug was my go-to during those early postpartum months to get my mineral stores back in a good place and re-hydrate. After pregnancy, birth, and nursing - your minerals really take a hit.
Sourcing quality products is what you'll want to focus on when making bone broth. This version is a little extra. Feel free to add or subtract what you have on hand. My best bone broth hack is to add vegetable and bone scraps to a bag in my freezer for a few weeks as I use them for dinners. Once the bag is full, it's time to make broth.
Try fire cider for another option to boost that immunity.
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Homemade Fire Cider
Homemade Fire Cider
If you've never heard of fire cider before, it is a spicy tonic that is used to fight colds and flus and boost the immune system. It's a mixture of fruits, vegetables, and herbs all topped with vinegar. After steeping for a few weeks, all of these beneficial ingredients are strained out and the liquid is used to add to soups, stews, sauces, marinades - but I most often use it as a tea or as a shot.
Use a variety of ingredients in your fire cider, whatever you have on hand or prefer. Common additions are ginger, honey, lemon, oranges, red onion, elderberry, garlic, horseradish, turmeric, and cayenne. Other beneficial ingredients that can be used are black pepper, jalapeno, echinacea, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, thyme, rosehips, pomegranate, and limes.
A large glass 64-70 ounce jar is best. Apple cider vinegar is going to be the best tasting and beneficial vinegar to use. As always, use high quality ingredients.
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Homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball Recipe
Homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball Drink
Let's make this popular order - the Starbucks Medicine Ball - into a drink that is actually nourishing for the body. Kick your winter cold with this homemade version.
The Starbucks version has 30g of sugar. There is honey in the Starbucks version, but it is not up to the standards you would want to provide a medicinal benefit. It contains potassium sorbate (a preservative), gums, and "natural flavors" (can be a unknown variety of lab-made flavorings). Nothing about those ingredients set your body up healing.
Let's stick to the good stuff that will actually support our bodies. That's the whole reason we would order the Starbucks Medicine Ball over your usual double-pump, cold foam, latte-blah-blah triple espresso, right?
Ginger, honey, lemon, and peppermint are the ultimate tried and true threat for cough, cold, flu, congestion, and overall funkiness. Take a drink if you feel something coming on or if you need a little immunity boost.
I like to swap out the tea depending on how I'm feeling or what I have on hand. Ginger, honey, and lemon - you really can't go wrong adding it to any tea blend. I prefer loose leaf tea. You can typically find it for much cheaper than bagged tea, plus you avoid chemicals and bleach that are used in most tea bags. My favorite tea balls are durable and reusable. Plus, you can mix and match single varieties of tea to make your own custom blend, depending on your needs.
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Fermented Garlic Honey
Fermented Garlic Honey
Cold and flu season is here. This fermented garlic honey great home remedy to have on hand to boost your immune system. Garlic is a powerhouse and widely recognized for its anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-viral properties. Garlic is a great addition to any garden, too. It doesn't take up a lot of space, and while it does have a longer growing season, it doesn't require much care. Choose varieties that store well for homegrown garlic all year long.
Fermenting garlic in honey makes it easy on the belly and compounds all of those lovely benefits. Take a spoonful when sick or when you feel a funk coming on. This fermented garlic honey is a perfect for kiddos - a spoonful of sugar, right?
While I'm totally on the slow living train, this garlic chopper saves so much time - it works great with ginger too, and has everything you need to chop, mince, and dice without sticky garlic paper fingers.
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Disclaimer: As with anything, do your research and choose the best route for your family. Do not give honey to children under one year of age.
Essential Oil Bath Bombs
Essential Oil Bath Bombs
Doesn't it just add to the relief to have bath bombs that aren't filled with toxic chemicals and fragrances? While a lot of self-sufficiency is learning the basics - growing and preserving food, natural remedies, etc. it is nice to learn those things that make you feel like you're at a fancy spa. Minus the hormone disruption.
These bath bombs can be customized using whatever essential oils that make your skirt fly up. I'll throw a few of my favorite blends at the bottom, but these make great gifts. Once you get the hang of the texture, they are easy peasy.
Some things you may not have on hand are linked: citric acid, bath bomb molds, and jojoba oil.
Bath Bomb Essential Oil Blends
All essential oils can be found at Young Living.
Relax:
4 drops of Lavender
4 drops of Cedarwood
2 drops of Grapefruit
2 drops of Marjoram
Deep Breath, great for stuffy sinuses or cough
4 drops of Eucalyptus
4 drops of Lavender
2 drops of Peppermint
2 drops of Tea Tree
Sleepy Time, great for kiddos
2 drops of Orange
4 drops of Lavender
2 drops of Gentle Baby (Young Living)
Moody
4 drops of Evergreen Essence (Young Living)
3 drops of Copaiba
2 drops of Pine
2 drops of Bergamot
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Homemade Garlic Salve
Homemade Garlic Salve
It's only been in recent years that modern pharmaceuticals have been the only avenue for healing. Garlic was actually the preferred method to treat bacterial and viral infections up until the wave of vaccinations and medications. This homemade garlic salve will be a staple during cold season.
Garlic (specifically the compound allicin) is an incredible healer of the lungs and respiratory system. And, since it's from nature, this homemade garlic salve is safe to use on everyone in your family - from babies to the elderly.
Here is our go-to recipe for this homemade garlic salve. Use lard or coconut oil depending on what you have on hand and your family's sensitivities. Make it before the sickies hit so you have it on hand. Salve lasts four weeks or until completely used. Store in pantry or fridge for a longer shelf life.
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Homemade Oregano Oil
Homemade Oregano Oil
Make your own culinary oils is such an easy and simple skill that makes you feel like you've made leaps and bounds toward self-sufficiency. If you're like me, you'll think, "How did I not realize it was this simple sooner!?". You can apply this homemade oregano oil recipe to any culinary herb oil. Be sure to always use dried herbs though, or it will spoil. This homemade oregano infused oil makes a great gift for your favorite home-cook in your life. It's also a great way to add a depth of flavor to any dish.
In addition to being a great culinary addition, oregano has incredible medicinal benefits. Note that this is a homemade oregano-infused oil, not an essential oil.
Oregano-infused oil is also great for your livestock - particularly chickens. Add a few drops to their water to ward off any respiratory issues.
Benefits
- Respiratory Support
- Skin Issues
- Muscle Pain
- Insect Repellent
- Cramping
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How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade vanilla extract was one of those things I spent years intending to make and never got around to doing. Plus, I'm not a huge baker - how would I ever use all of it? Turns out, I'm not the only one who has it on their long list of to-dos. This makes a perfect gift for any holiday!
Short on time? Put it all together and gift it with a note that says "Use in Six Months". A jelly jar with a cute burlap ribbon is all you need for a sweet homemade gift. This homemade vanilla extract is a great addition to your kitchen in your step towards cleaning up ingredients, making things yourself, and taking one more step toward self-sufficiency.
Snag these vanilla beans from Amazon. This 10 pack of Tahitian Vanilla Beans will get you through a batch of this recipe, with a few to spare. Dust off that bottle of rum you've never cracked open and you have everything you need. This recipe is so simple, you'll wonder why you hadn't tried it sooner. Trust me - you'll be amazed at the difference!
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