Hello! Welcome to the cottage...
Mornings have always been my favourite time of the day...
but they are certainly crisp and cold at this time of year!
The wind has picked up (the kind that takes your breath away!), which is sure to bring colder weather.
I'm making sure to be prepared for the colder months, by putting together my "apothecary".
One of the easiest and quickest things that I love to make if I'm feeling under the weather is ginger and lemon tea...
I grate the ginger, adding hot water; or boil slices of ginger on the stove for a more intense ginger flavour, adding a squeeze of lemon afterwards.
The falling leaves always look so magical to me :)
I found this book on herbs in a second hand book store.
It is full of information on herbs and how they can be used medicinally.
It describes a number of herbs and berries which are believed to have antibacterial properties, or support the immune system.
Using this book (and more recent publications :)), I compiled a few recipes for a "natural medicine chest".
First, I'm making an elderberry tincture by mixing dried elderberries in vodka.
It should be left to infuse for at least 6 weeks (shaking regularly) before use.
No medicine chest is complete without a cough syrup! :)
This one is made by layering lemons, ginger and thyme, and covering these with honey to infuse.
A teaspoon of the infused honey can then be taken as a traditional cough syrup.
It can be kept in the fridge for up to a month, according to the recipe.
But if I don't need it all, I enjoy adding a spoon of the flavoured honey to tea to use up the remaining syrup.
The final item, is a vapour rub.
This is made by melting coconut oil, olive oil and beeswax together.
Once melted, essential oils can be added.
I used eucalyptus, mint, lavender and rosemary.
Beeswax is very difficult to clean once it has hardened, so I try to clean it as soon as possible with hot water
I hope this gave you some inspiration for your own "medicine cabinet".
May your week ahead be wonderful!