| Recipes for Homemade Cough and Cold Remedies |
| HONEY THROAT SYRUP Take several cloves of fresh garlic. (Please don't use the genetically altered, odorless variety. It has lost its healing virtue.) Place the garlic in a blender with the juice of half a lemon. Blend until smooth. Add 1 cup raw honey and blend again. This mixture can be taken as it is in teaspoon doses for a sore throat, or strained through a cheesecloth and bottled for later use. **Old Fashioned Garlic And Onion Soup For Colds, Flu, Respiratory Infections, Or For Prevention During The Winter Months 4 large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 whole heads of garlic 2 tsp thyme 4 Tbsp olive oil 6 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 bay leaf 2 Tbsp honey 4 Tbsp each fresh basil and parsely 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) sea salt, fresh ground pepper to taste Saute the oinons, garlic and thyme in olive oil until golden brown. This step sweetens and mellows the intensity of the garlic and onions. To peel the garlic cloves, smash the individual cloves with the flat side of a che's knife, then slip out of skins. Add the garlic and onions to a soup kettle (or slow cooker) to cook with the vegetable broth, white wine and bay leaf. Slowly cook for 2 or 3 hours (or overnight if using a slow cooker). Strain liquid, and then add honey, fresh basil and parsely, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and cayenne. Sip on this hot soup throughout the day, or have for launch or dinner as a firstcourse. http://www.oocities.org/opossumsal/garlics.html |
| Ginger Tea 1 inch or so fresh ginger root, sliced thin or grated 1/2 a fresh lemon, sliced (peel & all) 1 clove garlic, mashed ~2 c water Very generous spoonful honey Place water, ginger, lemon, & garlic in saucepan; bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 min. Strain into mugs and add lots of honey. The tea *will* get stronger if you let it sit! Most invigorating! The garlic adds a bit of bitterness, but the honey masks that. This tea is very soothing to the throat and warms and opens the chest and nasal passages. Plus there are all those vitamins and other good things! I now make this tea at the first sign of a cold, which helps me fight it off. I find it more effective than the commercial hot lemon remedies, and of course cheaper! Contributed by Kim Goddard, pacific_treefrog@h... |
| Old Fashioned Mustard Plaster Helps relieve chest congestion due to colds. 1 tbsp dry mustard 1/4 cup flour Lukewarm water Sift together mustard and flour in a bowl. Slowly add just enough water to make a paste. Spread the plaster on a piece of muslin big enough to cover chest. Cover with another piece of muslin. Make sure the skin is dry. Place the mustard plaster on the chest. Check frequently and discontinue if there is any kind of allergic reaction. Remove when skin begins to turn red, usually after 10-20 minutes, and don't leave on any longer than 30 minutes at a time. Then rub the chest w/ petroleum jelly to keep the heat in. Treat twice daily until congestion clears up. NOTE: For children, reduce amount of flour to 6 tbsp. From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
| Simple Cough Syrup 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup honey 1/4 cup warm water Combine lemon juice and honey in a bowl. Slowly stir in the water. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator - take 1-2 tbsp as needed for cough. To soothe a sore throat, add 1 tbsp of mixture to a cup of comfrey root,chamomile or rosemary tea. From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
| Cranberry Soup 1 cup cranberries 2 cups water Honey to taste 1 tbsp potato starch Heat cranberries and water together until cranberry skins open. Strain and add honey to taste. Bring mixture close to a boil, then remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix starch with 2 tbsp cold water. Slowly add this mixture to the cranberry juice - stir vigorously. Return mixture to heat and bring to full boil, stirring until it thickens and becomes slightly transparent. Store in refrigerator in a covered container. Serve w/ warm cream. Soothes colds, and is a good source of vitamins C and B From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com. |
| Hyssop Cough Syrup Licorice flavored, soothes sore throats. 2 tbsp dried hyssop (flower tops) or 1/3 cup fresh hyssop (chopped flowers) 1/4 cup water 1 cup honey 1 tsp aniseed In a saucepan combine honey and water. Stir until the mixture is consistency of pancake syrup. Bring slowly to a boil (over a medium heat). Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Use 1-2 tbsp water to moisten the dried hyssop. Crush the aniseed. Stir both into the honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to cool. While the mixture is still a little warm, strain into a jar. When completely cooled, screw on the lid. Should keep for 1 week. From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
| Glycerine Lemon Cough Syrup 1 lemon 2 tbsp glycerine 2 tbsp honey Heat the lemon by boiling it in water for 10 minutes. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Add the glycerine and honey. Take 1 tsp as needed. From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
| Marshmallow Cough Syrup 2 cups water 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup orange juice or juice of 1 lemon 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp chopped dried marshmallow root In a small saucepan, bring the marshmallow root and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain liquid into another saucepan (should result in about 1 cup). Over a low heat, slowly stir in the sugar until it becomes thick and granules completely dissolve. (Stir in more water if the mixture becomes too thick.) Remove from heat and stir in the orange juice. Transfer to a container and allow to cool before covering tightly. From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
| Wild Cherry Cough Syrup 2 cups water 2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (scant) 1 tsp wild cherry bark 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp chopped dried marshmallow root Make a decoction of the cherry bark and marshmallow root. (Boil in water for about 4 minutes. Steep the mixture with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.) Slowly stir in the sugar and cream of tartar, simmer until the mixture becomes thick and sugar granules completely dissolve. Transfer to a container and allow to cool before covering tightly From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com. |
| Lemon Cayenne Throat Soother Mix 1 tsp honey with 1 tsp lemon juice and dash of cayenne pepper. Take like cough syrup. This does not prevent cough, but does relieve throat pain in two ways. First, the honey and lemon coat the throat. Second, the cayenne pepper brings blood cells needed to fight off infection to the throat area. From: "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
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| Herbal Steam 1 quart water 3 drops eucalyptus , tea tree or lavender essential oil Heat water in a pot until it boils. Remove from heat. Add essential oil. Place child's face over the steaming pot, put a towel over the back of the child's head and tuck the ends around the pan to create a mini-sauna. Caution: Make sure that the steam is not too hot-it should be comfortable for the child. And make sure she keeps her eyes closed so that the essential oils do not sting. Some children think steaming is fun, but others will object. If so, it may help to eliminate the towel. What is important is to have the child breathe the steam twice a day, or as needed. Covering your child's chest and throat with a vapor rub of these same herbs is another way to reduce congestion, fight infection and increase blood circulation in the chest area. If you read the label on any commercial vapor balm, you will notice that it contains components of many antiseptic essential oils, including thymol (from thyme), menthol (from mint) and eucalyptol (from eucalyptus ). You can buy a commercial balm that contains these essential oils at the natural food store, or you can make your own. Once you apply the Vapor Rub, you can increase its warmth and action by laying a warm piece of flannel on your child's chest. Vapor Rub ¼ teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil 1/8 teaspoon each peppermint and thyme essential oils ¼ cup olive oil Combine ingredients in a glass bottle. Shake well. Gently massage onto chest and throat. A sore throat can also be soothed with preparations of licorice and slippery elm. To stop your child's coughing, add anise, peppermint or eucalyptus to these treatments. As useful as coughing is to breaking up congestion, it can interfere with breathing or sleeping and can irritate the throat. The herbs discussed above are thought to work by suppressing the brain's cough reflex. As an added benefit, they are also antihistamines (which relieve sinus and lung congestion). Two more herbs, rose hips and lemon grass, provide the "anti-infection" vitamins C and A, respectively. These herbs can be taken as tea, but cough syrup or lozenges will work better to soothe your child's sore or ticklish throat, since they coat the throat. You can purchase herbal cough syrups and lozenges at natural food stores and most drugstores. Or you can make your own herbal cough syrup. "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
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| Honeyed Licorice Sticks ½ cup water 2 pieces of licorice root, about 5 inches long (available at natural food store) 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon lemon extract or 5 drops lemon essential oil (optional) Place water, licorice and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the extract or essential oil, if desired, and let sit 5 minutes. Strain out sticks and let cool. Store in refrigerator. Note: Remember not to give honey to children under 2 years old. You can also do what Don does for his nine-year-old daughter, Libby. After taking a number of my classes, he learned how to make all sorts of elaborate herbal concoctions. However, when he or Libby comes down with a sore throat, he sticks to his tried-and-true method: sage tea. He learned of this treatment during his vagabond days traveling across the United States. A man offered to drive him to Don's next location, and Don's throat was so sore that he could barely manage a "thank you." The stranger told Don that a tea of common garden sage would soothe his throat. It worked so well that Don never forgot this simple remedy. Because this tea is fairly bitter, he sweetens it with a little honey before giving it to Libby; she readily drinks it, knowing that her sore throat will soon be gone. You probably already have some sage in your kitchen spice rack. "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
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| Sage Tea 1 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon garden sage leaves ¼ teaspoon honey (optional) Pour boiling water over leaves and steep for 15 minutes. Sweeten with honey to taste (remember not to give honey to children under 2 years of age). For a 50-pound child, give at least half a cup (if she wants more, that's perfectly okay). Although incidences of whooping cough, an infectious illness marked by a spasmodic, convulsive cough often followed by a noisy intake of breath, have greatly decreased with the advent of a vaccination against it, some children still contract this bacterial disease. According to the Merck Manual, the United States began seeing more cases of whooping cough in the 1980s, and in the early 1990s an epidemic of whooping cough spread through parts of the Pacific Northwest, hitting children who had been fully vaccinated as well as those who had not been. The Manual also says that the disease is rarely serious in children over two years old, but the characteristic high-pitched, "whoop-like" cough is enough to worry any parent. For whooping cough, follow the treatments suggested for coughs in general. Be sure to use the Vapor Rub (see above), since thyme has long been considered an effective treatment for whooping cough. "mistynights234" <mistynights234@yahoo.com |
| Ease Your Tummy Tea * 8 oz peppermint leaves * 8 oz lemon balm leaves * 8 oz fennel seeds (bruised) Mix the herbs thoroughly, and store in an air tight container. For a cup of tea, use 1 tsp in a cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes and strain out the herbs. ~*~ In Love, Laughter, and Moonlight ~*~ ~*~ Lady Garnet Moon ~*~ |
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| I know that we all have busy lives...and like many, I'd rather not spend it shopping. Anytime I can shop at home makes me able to get other important things done.....like playing with my daughter. Mountain Rose herbs has all the herbs, essential oils and other bulk supplies you need. I shop there and have always been satisfied with my orders. I hope you will visit them today. |