Home remedies for the holidays

Elderberry syrup for coughs and colds

Elderberries are easy to find growing wild in the eastern forests of the United States. The dark purple, tiny berries are rich in antioxidants and have valuable medicinal properties.

Elderberries are ripe for picking from late summer through early fall. Pick and freeze berries for winter remedies. If you don’t have ripe of frozen berries, use reconstituted dried berries to make elderberry syrup.

Ingredients

• Ripe elderberries or dried elderberries, reconstituted in water
• Sugar
• Cinnamon sticks

Directions

1. Wash elderberries. If using dried berries, soak in water until plump to reconstitute.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Place berries in a large pot with lid.
4. Cover and bake until juice begins to run.
5. Strain juice into saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar and one cinnamon stick for every 3 cups juice.
6. Bring saucepan to boil. Cook liquid until reduced to syrup consistency.
7. Cool completely. Pour into glass bottles.

Teas calm and restore

The holiday season may be full of joy and cheer, but it also brings stress and digestive woes. Tea is an effective natural way to calm and restore your body.

• Chamomile tea calms and sooths an upset stomach.
• Peppermint tea refreshes and restores mind and body.
• Ginger tea fixes sluggish digestion.
• Dandelion tea detoxes the entire body.

Nourishing skin oil with lavender

Chapped, flaky winter skin will soak up this nourishing skin oil. Lavender essential oil calms inflamed skin and adds a fresh floral scent.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. dropped bottle
• Jojoba oil
• Vitamin E oil
• Lavender essential oil

Directions

In a one-ounce bottle combine .7 oz. jojoba oil with .25 oz. vitamin E oil and 40 drops lavender essential oil. Mix well before use.