This tasty homemade ginger syrup is made with just two easy-to-find ingredients and is a snap to mix together! It’s excellent for: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is anti-viral, antibacterial, and antifungal – so it’s also great for taking as a preemptive measure if you’ve been exposed to a stomach flu or other particularly nasty bugs. Making…
A ginger tincture is super easy to make and is useful for treating: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is also antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. The best part is that you can usually buy fresh or dried ginger right from your local grocery store – so it’s a readily available and accessible remedy for most of us! More…
Pine is a traditional herbal known to be warming and helpful for respiratory congestion. Today, we’re going to turn your locally gathered pine needles into a chest rub salve using pine-infused oil and (optional) essential oils. Pine needle infused oil has traditionally been used to help with congestion, and when optionally combined with essential oils,…
Here’s how to make a pine needle, honey, and brandy elixir – a natural remedy for coughs and sore throats that combines the respiratory benefits of pine with the throat-soothing and antimicrobial properties of honey. Pine trees (Pinus spp.) have long been used in traditional medicine, especially for respiratory conditions and immune support. The needles…
Today, I have a printable quick reference sheet (“cheat sheet”) for you to save for the next time a cold or flu strikes your house! Plus even more natural cold and flu remedy recipes and tips below! A couple of weeks ago, our family came down with co-vid, and the intense brain fog and fatigue…
Learn to make a quick and easy throat spray using tinctures (or herbal tea) and honey. It’s a delicious way to treat sore throats, coughs, and colds! Today, I’m sharing how I make customized herbal honey throat sprays to treat my family’s scratchy and sore throats. I use raw honey in these, but you can…
Learn how to make homemade elderberry syrup using fresh (or dried) elderberries and honey! (Updated for 2021, since I’ve reduced water amounts and cooking time since my original recipe in 2015.) Over the past few weeks, we’ve been harvesting from our elder bushes, making lots of goodies, including tincture, oxymel, and salve. Check out my article at…
Learn how to make your own yummy antiviral herbal cough drops with this easy, customizable recipe using honey, sugar, herbal tea, and peppermint extract! Recently, I made up a batch of this favorite cough drop recipe using beneficial plants and weeds growing around my house, plus a ton of antiviral extras thrown in, including several…
Learn how to make a yummy ginger and lemon balm honey syrup to help fight cold and flu bugs. Herbal syrups are one of the easiest (and tastiest) things you can make for your natural medicine cabinet. Basically, they’re composed of a strong herbal tea, mixed with at least an equal measure of raw honey. (The…
These yummy herbal candy drops are made with lemon and honey to help soothe sore throats and coughs. A common home remedy for soothing sore throats is lemon juice mixed with honey; however, that isn’t always easy to swallow, especially if you’re a kid. That’s where these tasty little sore throat candy drops come in….
Learn how to make an effective, non-greasy, and natural cold care chest rub cream featuring essential oils and menthol. It’s peak cold and flu season around here, and I’ve been sharing jars of this natural vapor rub cream with loved ones. I originally created the recipe especially for my Handmade Lotions & Creams Course, but…
Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) are a fantastic home remedy for colds and flu and are backed by both science and traditional use. They’re often turned into a sweet and tasty syrup, like homemade elderberry syrup made with honey, but can also be preserved and dosed in other ways, including this elderberry tincture. I chose to add a…
Recently I had the good fortune to view the inside of Rosalee de la Forêt’s upcoming book, Alchemy of Herbs. As expected, it’s absolutely wonderful, filled with all sorts of helpful herbal information and beautiful photos. This is definitely a volume for your home library that you’ll refer to time and time again! I’m so excited to be able…
This Ginger Lemon Honey Tonic is one of the easiest, tastiest cold and flu remedies around! Raw honey helps fight infection and soothes inflamed tissue; fresh lemons are full of healthful vitamin C and antioxidants (plus, they taste great!); and fresh ginger root helps fight the sore throat, cough, lung congestion, chills and stomach-ache that…
Combine whiskey, lemon, honey, and roses to make a tasty and effective remedy for coughs! Some time back, one of my nieces brought a beautiful rose back from her grandfather’s house and presented it to my brother. He made a joke to her about giving it to me so I could make something from it….
