My Favorite Herbal Remedies

Below is a round up of my go-to home kitchen  herbal remedies and their recipes. Everyone can make their own medicine! Our ancestors made their own food and their own medicine. It's my hope that more people find their way back to these old ways and in doing so reawaken to the deep wisdom within their soul memory, finding more health and vitality in the process. 

 Fire Cider is a wellness tonic made from unfiltered apple cider vinegar (ACV) and a variety of raw and organic medicinal plants and spices. A popular herbal folk remedy, it is used as an anti-inflammatory and digestion-stimulating tonic and to boost overall health. Used either daily or at the first sign of a cold, Fire Cider is like rocket fuel for your immune system and digestive health. I love using it in homemade soups and salad dressings. 

Ingredients

• ½ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger (from two 4-inch pieces)
• ½ cup peeled, diced fresh horseradish (from a 5-inch piece)
• 1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 2 jalapeno or serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ small onion, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces (⅓ cup)
• 1 lemon, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
• ½ orange, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
• 2 cups raw, unfiltered apple-cider vinegar, such as Bragg, plus more as needed
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey, preferably local, raw and unfiltered

 Directions

1. Place ginger and horseradish in the bottom of a 1-quart Ball jar or similar resealable glass container. Add garlic, rosemary, chiles, peppercorns, cinnamon, and onion; then add lemon and orange pieces, pressing down to firmly pack ingredients in. Add vinegar, adding more as necessary to fully submerge ingredients and fill jar. Seal jar (if using a metal lid, place a piece of parchment between jar and lid to prevent a corrosive reaction with vinegar). Store in a cool, dark place, shaking for a few seconds every day or two, at least 3 weeks, but longer if you have the time.
   
2. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids. Stir in honey. Store in a sealed container in a dark place for up to 18 months.

Homemade elderberry syrup is easy to make!  Skip the store-bought versions that are loaded with sugar and try this simple recipe.

Ingredients

• 1  cup dried elder (Sambucus canadensis or S. nigra) berry
• 6  cups water
• 3 tbsp fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, chopped
• 3 whole cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
• 3 sticks cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)
• 1 Tbsp Astragalus Root
• 1 Tbsp Fennel
• 2 Tbsp Chaga mushroom
• 2 Tbsp Cordyceps mushroom
• 2 Tbsp Rheisi mushroom
• 1 1⁄2 cups raw honey

Directions

• In a large, covered stock pot, bring the filtered  water, berries, fresh ginger root, cloves, and cinnamon
  sticks to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and 2 cups remains in the pot.
• Allow the mixture to cool just enough to handle.
• Strain the herbs and return the liquid to the pot.
• Add honey when slightly cooled and stir to dissolve.
• Pour the syrup into glass jars, label, date, and refrigerate.

Suggested Use:
Suggested usage for adults is 1 tablespoon up to 3x/day and for children (over 1 year) is 1 teaspoon up to 3x/day.

Shelflife:
Refrigerate and use within 3-4 weeks.

This is an herbal syrup is prepared by combining a concentrated decoction and/or infusion with honey. The honey works well for any kind of cough and increases the shelf life of the decoction. Use local honey for the greatest benefit.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root, dried
2 tablespoons marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root, dried
2 tablespoons plantain (Plantago spp. (esp. P. lanceolata and P. major) leaf/ seeds, dried or fresh
2 tablespoons hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) calyces, dried
1 quart of water
1 cup raw, local honey

Directions

• Grind the herbs in a mortar and pestle.
• Prepare a concentrated decoction with the licorice and marshmallow root:
  Combine the dried roots with a quart of water in a saucepan as follows.
  Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the liquid volume reduces by half.
  Keep an eye on the decoction to ensure it stays at a gentle simmer and be sure to remove it from the heat before the mixture becomes too thick or scorches.
• Prepare an infusion with the plantain and hibiscus, using the finished root decoction (Should be about 1-2 cups): Pour the hot, strained decoction over the plantain leaves and hibiscus calyces.
• Steep for at least 1 hour though not more than 8 hours.
• Strain with a tea strainer, cheesecloth, or French press and return the liquid to the saucepan. 
• Add the honey to the liquid in your saucepan.
• Warm the mixture just slightly to enable the liquid and honey to mix.
  (not heating above 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Transfer syrup into a clean, dry, sterilized glass bottle(s) or jar(s) ideally, a dark-colored jar or bottle to protect from light exposure) using a sterilized funnel. 
• Label and store in the refrigerator.

To Use

Take 1 tablespoon every 4 hours for adults, 1 teaspoon every 4 hours for older children.

Shelf Life: 

Refrigerate and use within 3-4 weeks.

Once you make this, you'll be hooked. It is my go to for helping ease my kiddos (and myself!) into a restful sleep. Apply to the feet and the back of the legs for best absorption. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Butter 
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Cup Magnesium Oil (I make my own but you can buy it too)
• 10 – 15 Drops of Essential Oils (I like to use Lavender and Cederwood)

Directions

1. Use a double boiler and melt the coconut oil and cocoa butter over medium heat.
2. Once both oils are melted, add liquid carrier oil and magnesium oil.
3. Stir the oils and allow them to cool.
4. Once the oils are cooled and hard you will want to whip them into a body butter.
5. Use a hand mixer and whip the oils together.
6. Add essential oils and continue to whip until the body butter is light and fluffy.
7. Store body butter in a air tight container.
8. Keeps for 6 months.

This chest rub is a family staple in my home. It's the first thing my girls ask for when they start to feel a cold. It smells divine and opens up all the airways. It feels so nurturing and nourishing for the skin, 

DIY Chest Rub Ingredients

• 2 ½ tablespoons Olive Oil 
• ⅓ cup Coconut Oil 
• ¼ cup grated beeswax
• 12 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil  
• 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil 
• 5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil 
• A small container

Directions:

1. Melt the coconut oil, olive oil, and wax in a double boiler while stirring constantly. 
2. Once melted, remove from heat and add the essential oils. I use DoTerra essential oils for quality and ethical sourcing.
3. Pour into your container and let set. 

To Use

Rub onto your throat, chest, and under your nose whenever you’re suffering from congestion or a cough. It also works great as a balm for sore muscles or feet.