How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Have you heard all the crazy news about the 2013 flu epidemic? I'm about as excited as you are about the prospect of getting the flu. Which is to say: not at all!

This then poses the question to families: What are you going to do to stay healthy?

Whether or not you choose to get a flu shot (we personally choose not to get flu shots), you'll still want to make sure your immune is in tip top shape and equipped with everything it needs to go to battle for you. Elderberry syrup is full of good-for-you stuff like bioflavanoids, antioxidants, vitamin C, beta carotine, calcium (the list goes on!). The bioflavanoids help prevent cold and flu viruses from infecting cells to keep you from getting sick. If you do get sick, people who take elderberry juice during illness report less severe symptoms and a shorter duration of sick time than those who don't.

So how do you get it? If you're short on time or looking for convenience, you can buy ready-made elderberry syrup (like this Organic Elderberry Syrup from Nature's Way). But making your own is really easy and costs a lot less per ounce than buying pre-bottled stuff. Buy the dried elderberries in the bulk bins of your favorite natural foods store or you can even order them from Frontier via Amazon.

This recipe will make about 3 cups  of syrup. I doubled it when I made mine.

The standard dosage is 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for kids daily and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon for adults daily for prevention. If the flu strikes, take the normal dosage every 2 to 3 hours until symptoms disappear.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup dry elderberries (you can get organic or regular elderberries online if your local store doesn't have them)
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 inch piece fresh ginger (The recipe says 2 Tbsp. I calculate 1 inch = 1 Tbsp)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp clove powder
• 1 cup raw honey (local honey is best if available)

Recipe
Get the recipe from fellower blogger, Alica Voorhie's site: The Soft Landing [Homemade Elderberry Syrup for Colds and Flu]


Like my bottle? It's the SLOM Bottle from IKEA. The labels were made using contact paper and my printable label template from my pantry organization post.

A Green Family's Gift Guide

Have you seen the piece that Fox did this week on the 7 foods you should never eat? These are things green moms have been talking about for a while, so I'm glad to see it getting some mainstream attention! Seeing lists like this can be overwhelming, though. I mean, how do you live without canned tomatoes?! (ps I have an answer).  If you have a green family on your list who is interested in cleaning up their family's food act, these might be some great presents to consider giving (or putting on your own list for Santa!).

What: A Pressure Canner (and canning supplies)

Why? Commercially canned foods almost universally contain the hormone-disrupting chemical, BPA. High acid foods like tomatoes, cause even more BPA to leach into food than with lower acid ones. BUT you can can your own tomatoes, beans and more at home. In glass jars. This severely reduces the amount of  BPA that your family is exposed to - especailly if you are big on canned food items like diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Where to get it: This pressure canner from Presto  is affordable and basic. For a little bit more you can get a canning starter set that includes everything you need except for jars. You'll want to make sure you get a pressure canner that comes with a pressure gauge. You can pick up jars in varying sizes at your local grocery store.


What: A Glass Popcorn Popper

Why? Chemicals that line bags of microwave popcorn like PFOA are linked to human infertility and certain types of cancer. Manufacturers are promising to phase these chemicals out by 2015. But let's be honest. That's a long ways away. In the meantime, do microwave popcorn the non-toxic way with this rad popcorn popper  (which on my personal Christmas list this year). There are a variety of air poppers on the market, too. But this one won't blow a fuse and it can also go in the dishwasher.

Where to get it: This is pretty much the only glass popcorn popper I've seen on the market. Pair it with a sampler of different kinds of popping corn. You can pick up fun popcorns at Whole Foods or Target, or get a ready-made sampler from Etsy Seller DellCoveSpices.


What: A CSA Membership

Why? Many kinds of non-Organic produce like apples and potatoes still retain traces of the pesticides used to grow them on or even in the fruit or veggie itself. Plus when the fruits and veggies at your corner store had to fly halfway across the globe to get there, the carbon footprint is high and their nutritional value is reduced. Enter the CSA: CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." You pre-pay a local farmer for a share of the harvest and every week you get a box full of locally grown (many times organic) produce and sometimes eggs or milk, too!

Where to get it? Check out Local Harvest for more information about CSAs and for help locating a CSA program in your neck of the woods.


What: Glass Food Storage Containers

Why? Even if you use BPA-free plastic containers for your leftovers, other hormone disrupting chemicals called phthalates can still be lurking. In fact, some BPA-free plastics have even higher levels of phthalates than those that kept BPA in the mix (read: bad news). In a world of green-washing and marketing hype, go with glass. Know for sure that you're keeping crazy chemicals out of your leftovers and use pretty containers that can also go in the freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher.

Where to get it? The Pyrex set above is available online and at most department and home stores like Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. Other brands make similar products but Pyrex is the one we use and love in our home.


What: Non-Toxic Nail Polish

Why? Most nail polishes contain a long list of highly toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, phthalates, actone and more (read more about it here). These chemicals don't just go on your nails - they get into your lungs even long after the polish is dry as the chemicals continue to off-gas for days. Keep toxic chemicals off your hands and out of your lungs by using non-toxic polishes like the ones from Piggy Paint or Gaiam.

Where to get it? Amazon sells lots of colors and gift sets from the Piggy Paint line. Also check naturals stores like Whole Foods or your local cloth diaper store (the Cotton Babies store in Vancouver carries these!). Hint: "Like" Piggy Paint on Facebook as they frequently post promo codes for discounts on certain colors or sets.

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I hope I've given you some great ideas as you shop for loved ones or put together your own wish lists. If you're a green mom or dad, leave a comment and share what you're jonesing for this year!

This is a non-sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. No free products or compensation were given by the companies mentioned above for including their products or naming them in this guide. Some of the links above are my affiliate links. See my affiliate links note in the sidebar.

Countdown to Spring: Two Buck Tuesday Redux

Last week, I posted my $2 bathroom touch up project.  This week, I tweaked it a little bit:

Before:

Now:

Really, all I did was add rocks to the bottom of the vases and take out the fake ivy (I tried to love it...but it wasn't happening).  This gives it a little bit more of a clean zen feeling and I'm digging that. Not too shabby for $5.

Countdown to Spring: Two Buck Tuesday

Have I mentioned yet that I'm excited for Spring? Bring on the mossy verdant decor! I spent $2 at Dollar Tree over the weekend and was able help get our downstairs bathroom one step closer to spring:

Now, I only had to spend $2 because I already had a few of these things on hand. If you're going for a similar look from scratch, you might need to spend a tad more. Most of the stuff up there is from the Dollar Tree, though.

Countdown to Spring: More Great (and Thrifty!) Ideas

I love Spring for lots of reasons. I get to start my garden after a long cold winter, I get to swap out the red winter decor for some great green stuff, and Easter, the high Christian holiday.  I found one great craft from each of these categories that I'm totally loving and thought I'd share for my fellow spring lovers.

For the Garden: Plantable Seedling Pots

While I love the idea of plantable seedling pots, I feel like they frequently don't work out because the bottoms  usually decompose slower than the roots grow to the bottom of the pot and need more space.  That's why I love these. You put paper towel tube pieces in a water proof tray and fill with dirt.  There is no bottom so when it's time to plant you don't have to worry about cutting out the bottom or dealing with plants that don't have enough root space. While the twine is pragmatic (keeps the tube from unrolling when it's wet) it makes it look super cute. I found these over at Homework: Today's Assignment, Be Inspired.

For the Green: Split Pea Centerpiece

I love staggered height candle holders. These are easy to make, super cheap (way better than the $10+ for each piece you'd pay even at IKEA prices) and GREEN. Check out the tutorial over at Two Twenty One.

For Easter: Treasure Rocks

Cindy actually made these to be treasure "blarney stones" for St. Patrick's day. Which is cool if you celebrate St. Patty's (we're actually not big St. Patty's day people). Why I think these are AWESOME though, is because you could make them egg shaped and do these for Easter. If someone can't find an egg, you don't need to worry about it starting to smell or attracting animals. They are made with non toxic ingredients (can't say that about plastic eggs). AND smashing your eggs open with a hammer is a ba-zillion times cooler than opening plastic eggs (especially when you have a family full of little boys like we do).  Check out Cindy's brilliant idea and tutorial over at Skip to My Lou. 

Countdown to Spring: Front Door Decor

Only 16 more days until the first day of spring!  I'm so excited to bust out some awesome spring green decor to cheer up my home.  I've been seeing some fab wreaths around the blogosphere lately and wanted to highlight a few of my faves. Each of the wreaths I found come with tutorials, so read the rest to grab the links and whip up some fabulous front door decor yourself!