Flu Busters!

Tis the season....to get sick.
Here are my top five household remedies to help you get through the next few months.....

1. Garlic: Stock up on garlic’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-oxidant properties. It is stocked with nutrients (especially vitamin B6, C, and manganese) and highly beneficial sulfur-containing compounds such as allicin - which are also found in onions and other similar-looking plants. In addition to being an important food that fights those nasty bugs, studies also show it to enhance immune function. .
2. Lemons:  Not only does this citrus fruit give you a good dose of Vitamin C, the vitamin of the season, but it also has antimicrobial effects to help your body get rid of foreign invaders. As with so many “healthy” foods, lemons (and it’s green relative, the lime) have antioxidants to help protect your cells so that they are stronger and more apt to defend. Add lemons (and garlic) to dressings, sauces, tea, and water.
3. Honey: You may have heard that you should be decreasing your sugar intake when you’re sick. It is true: sugar can impede our immune response. But honey is different! You need to get RAW or unpasteurized honey as it contains propolis, a natural antimicrobial (it will attack everything from viruses, bacteria, and fungus).  And the soothing properties? Honey is also anti-inflammatory, which is why you’ll find it in a lot of natural cough and throat syrups and lozenges too. Use it with your hot lemon water, add it to herbal tea, or coat your garlic with it! Remember not to give honey to gives 1 and under and I still stick by an older blog post on my homemade onion and honey cough syrup! http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/01/cough-syrup.html  and here is the research on honey's anti-spasmodic properties! http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-on-honey.html  
4. Ginger: It can be added to smoothies, made into tea, add it to stir-fries, and pile it in soups! From a Western-medical standpoint, it’s properties are anti-nausea, digestive, and cardiovascular benefits.  From a Chinese Medical perspective, fresh ginger root is a warming food that stimulates sweating.  Ginger can warm you up from the inside out, and prevent this invasion. You can make your own ginger (simply grate some into a mug) with lemon and honey, and get three powerful foods in one!
5. Green Tea:  Green tea protects our cells with it’s high anti-oxidant value, boosts the immune system with it’s catechin content, and will warm you up when you have the chills. Research shows that it will reduce the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms. If you don’t want to drink it, I still have good news. An interesting study recently found that gargling with green tea tends to help prevent flus. Note: green tea does contain caffeine, but in amounts much less than coffee.

and then he turned six.....

one excited bday boy!

we had a really busy weekend!  2 parties for the newly six year old boy; one for friends and one for family.... there was lots of fun to be had and way too many presents (which is always very kind and generous but also makes me feel rather spoiled in our western culture.....)
This year I made chocolate cupcakes (I cheated and used an organic cake mix) and made the vanilla icing.   The icing was super easy and really yummy and had all relatively good ingredients.

 

2 cups icing sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla

we are currently in a star wars phase (i hear this can last into adulthood....)

here they are all dressed up!

and being eaten up!

Not to Judge.....But...

I was at a birth all day today and at one point the mom-to-be asked for her make-up bag to get her lipbalm.  I expected lip balm and then she pulled out a small tub of vaseline!  In my head I am thinking, YUCK! (and I am really trying not to judge!) but that is petroleum! let me dissect the ingredients.

Mineral Oil: it is produced as a by-product of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil.  It is the left-over liquid and it is inexpensive. It is actually more expensive to dispose of it than to purchase it!  It is often found in baby products (what do some apply to newborn bottoms?  vaseline!) Mineral oil acts as a thin layer on the skin.  It is difficult to absorb and clogs the pores.
Paraffin: is also derived from petroleum and can be found in creams and skin care products (like vaseline) to act as an emolliant but it can also be found in crayons and the coating on fruits and vegetables, keeping them shiny and stopping them from spoiling quicker. 
Microcrystalline Wax:  is produced by de-oiling petroleum, as part of the refining process.  It has tiny particles that make it more flexible (and thus smoother) then parrafin wax and it is used as a binder.

To summarize by-products of crude oil!

Some wonderful alternatives are cocoa butter, shea butter, natural lip balms found at your local health food store (there will be so many to choose from), even straight up olive oil on your lips (or overall skin, even a baby's bottom!) is way way better then vaseline.  You could also, look for healthy alternatives for your baby's bottom, face, and skin in general. 
Here are some examples:

raw cocoa butter (smells like chocolate!)

my all time favorite; Evan Healy's Fair Trade Whipped Shea Butter

 if you must have a vaseline than pick up the un-petroleum jelly made by Alba Botanica

My Fall Harvest

Back in the spring we dug up part of our front lawn and put in a little vegetable garden.  Good friend's of ours grow garlic, 2000 bulbs!  They gave us a whole bunch and we have been storing them for the last few months until they were ready to plant.  This afternoon we cleared out the old garden and made new for the new one that will be ready next summer.  Here is some pictures of the process.....

 

28 cloves = 28 bulbs (we hope)

buried (tip points up)

 covered and watered (with help!)

 

I'll be sure to keep you posted next summer!

Crafting 101

My brother had his 3rd baby a few weeks back and when thinking of a gift to get this little guy, I came up with nothing.  We all have so much and need so little so I attempt to make presents and give something meaningful.  This past weekend we went to visit our friend's Jill and Jamie, and Jill is always coming up with fabulous ideas. (You can take a peek at her ideas on her blog http://sayyippie.blogspot.com/ ) She made a collage for a new baby that was so sweet that I decided to try do something similair for my newest nephew.  It was super easy and fun to do.  I picked up some nice scrapbooking paper from Winners, and got the essential collage supplies from Michael's (a leaf hole puncher, some canvas and mod podge glue).  Here is what I came up with!

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

I enjoy having soup but must admit I put all this effort into making a good soup and am usually left somewhat disappointed.  I will eat it but Ewan is never a fan and often opts for a canned option (ouch!).  Then I discovered this mixed vegetable lentil soup and it is delicious!!  Ewan even asked for me to make a second pot (unheard of!).  So I thought I would share it and if you do make it, let me know what you think!

 Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

 1/8 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 onion, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cinnamon

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 cups carrots, chopped

2 cups butternut squash, chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped

8 cups of water or stock

½ cup almond milk (can be cream or any milk alternative)

¼ cup fresh basil

¼ cup fresh cilantro

2 cups of green lentils (I cooked this first in a separate pot)

1. Add olive oil, garlic, onion, curry, cumin and cinnamon to a large pot and sautee for a few minutes
2. Add in celery, carrots, squash and sweet potato and sautee for a few more minutes.
3. Add 8 cups of water or stock, bring to a boil and then simmer on low for about 45 minutes.
4. Once vegetables are soft, puree with a hand blender.  Then add in almond milk (or alternative), basil, coriander and lentils.
5. Blend again. 
6. Season with salt and pepper
7.  Enjoy!!

Lice Protection!

Now that the kids are back in school, lice will be prowling the halls once again.  So far we have been fortunate to avoid these little critters.  Apparently lice like clean hair, not sure if this is true or not, but we tend to only wash the kids hair a few times per week.  I also made a lice spray that I quickly shake and spray onto their hair before we walk out the door for school.

This is what I did.  I kept an old toner bottle to re-use.
Added the following essential oils:

Rosemary 10 drops
Tea Tree Oil 10 drops
Lavender 5 drops
Lemon 5 drops
Geranium 5 drops
I topped the bottle with water and am ready to go.  You need to remember that the essential oil and water will separate.  So give the bottle a good shake before each use.