Fruit Butter

 

     I love carving pumpkins. It’s a family tradition, every October we each get a pumpkin and get to be creative with it. But what do you do with all the pumpkin guts when it’s all over? Cook it of course!

     I thought you might enjoy my recipe for Pumpkin Butter. It’s a crowd favorite every Fall, and can be frozen for use throughout the year. And since we’re on the topic, I figured I’d share a few other fruit butter recipes as well. After all, they’re a great way to sneak a little extra nutrition into your daily routine.


1. Pumpkin Butter is one of my favorite “jams” throughout the year. And I love to kick it up a bit by adding my secret ingredient, cardamom. I eat this on toast, waffles, crepes, and even ice cream. Try adding it to your favorite quick bread recipes to add a bit of moisture and flavor to them. This recipe is not suggested for canning, but freezing it works super well.

Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients

2 15 oz cans Pumpkin Puree (Or make your own)

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Apple Cider

½ teaspoon Ginger, ground

½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

¼ teaspoon Allspice, ground

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

*optional ¼ teaspoon Cardamom, ground

Instructions:
     Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Turn on LOW and cook for one hour. Stir and then cook for another 2 hours, with the lid partially open. Stir the butter every once in a while. It is done when it is reduced by about half, and thick enough to run your spoon across the bottom without the pumpkin running back into the space. Crock pots vary a bit, so your butter might take a little more or less time. Serve warm or cool. It will keep for about 10 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.



2. And here we have the most commonly found fruit butter, at least here in the South. Apple Butter is one of my go-to’s for spreading onto my toast, but it’s so good for so many things. Try on top of your favorite cheesecake (you can also drizzle some caramel with it), spoon a bit onto your Latkes (potato pancakes), even throw some into your baked sweet potatoes. This recipe is not suggested for canning, but freezing it works super well. 

Apple Butter

Ingredients

3 pounds Apples

½ cup Sugar

½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

¼ teaspoon Allspice, ground

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

Instructions:
     Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir well. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Remove the lid, and stir until the apples fall apart. Continue cooking with the lid off for 30-60 minutes, until the apple butter thickens slightly. Crock pots vary a bit, so your butter might take a little more or less time. Serve warm or cool. It will keep for about 10 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.
   


3. What’s better than a tropical vacation? Lounging on the beach, breathing in that ocean air? This fruit butter brings a little of that tropical feel right into your very own kitchen. Monkey Butter is made with Bananas, Pineapple, and Coconut, so it’s like having a taste of the tropics with every bite. Try it over ice cream, on some crepes, or just spread onto your toast in the morning. If you don’t like coconut, you can use ground cashews instead, or simply leave it out. Be careful though, this recipe is not one that you can easily can for long term storage. Try freezing it instead.

Monkey Butter

Ingredients

4 very ripe Bananas, thinly sliced

1 pound Pineapple, cored and crushed

1 cup Sugar

3 tablespoons Unsweetened Coconut, ground

3 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Instructions:
     Combine all of the ingredients in a large nonstick pan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the banana has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly (about 15 to 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Serve warm or chilled. Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks or 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.



4. This may be the easiest of these recipes, and super tasty. Feel free to use whatever berries you have on hand, the berries I’ve suggested are just a good, standard mix. This recipe can be altered slightly for canning, but I like to keep it simple and just freeze it.

Honey Berry Butter

Ingredients

1 cup Strawberries

1 cup Blueberries

½ cup Blackberries

½ Cherries, pitted

3 teaspoons Chia Seeds, ground

½ cup Honey

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

Instructions:
     In a food processor, purée the berries and chia seeds then transfer to a saucepan. Add the honey and the lemon juice and boil the mixture, stirring until it is thickened. Let the strawberry mixture cool to room temperature. Let the butter stand, covered, in a cool place for 1 hour to allow the flavor to develop. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve warm or chilled. Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks or 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.



5. I love peaches and lavender, this recipe combines both! And they taste so amazing together. If you want to switch it up a bit, you can use any stone fruit in place of peaches (apricot, plumb, etc) or any aromatic herb (mint, basil, chamomile, etc). Some other great combinations may be Chamomile Plumb, Mango Mint, Mixed Stone Fruit with Ginger, or Cherry Basil. Play around with it, make some tasty combinations!

Lavender Peach Butter

Ingredients

4 lbs Peaches, peeled and pitted

1 cup Honey (or Agave Nectar)

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Apple Juice

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons food grade Lavender

Instructions:
     Place lavender buds in cheesecloth, and tie up the bundle. Bring peaches, lavender, and water to boil in a large stainless steel pot over medium high heat. Reduce heat and continue cooking until peaches are soft. Taste periodically to check strength of lavender flavor, and remove the cheesecloth bundle when you’re happy. Depending on how you feel about lavender, that may be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend peaches until texture is uniform (or use a food processor). Measure out six cups of peach puree for the butter. (You can use the rest for jam or you can add it to a refreshing cocktail or lemonade) Combine puree, lemon juice, honey, and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat, and keep stirring! Be careful and keep a close eye on this so that it doesn’t burn. When your butter starts to thicken and sticks to the spoon, it’s ready to can. Process for 15 minutes, or according to jar size. Serve warm or chilled. Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks or 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.




     As always, I hope you enjoy these recipes. Feel free to play around with the ingredients and let me know what you think below!



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Citrus Pine Infused Vinegar

     I love trying to introduce healthy and tasty herbs to just about everyone I know. So it's no secret that I love to gift herbal infusions. These are great for just about everyone. Cooks love the flavors, health nuts love the benefits, and people who may never use them still think they're pretty and will display them somewhere.

     Speaking of using them, how do you? There are so many ways. The first, and easiest way to use these is to sprinkle them on top of your salads or add a little bit of oil to them and make them into super tasty salad dressings. I'm also very southern and eat my cooked greens with vinegar on them. Some of these add a nice kick to my greens. You can mix them with honey and water and make a nice lemonade-like drink. This is an especially good idea for the fruit flavored vinegars. I also love to eat cucumbers (and other fresh veggies) that have been drenched with vinegar, but not necessarily pickled.

     Now I make these year round for personal use, but I figured that this Christmas I would gift a few to certain people I know. So here's my instructions for infusing vinegar (or cooking oil) as gifts for the Holidays!

The Vinegar:

What I used in this particular infusion was Apple Cider Vinegar. It's got a great flavor that goes really well with citrus and since I decided to use Lemon Balm, Pine, and Grapefruit for my vinegar, that's what I decided to use. Other vinegars that work really well are Rice Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, and Malt Vinegar. But really you can use whatever vinegar you want.

Herbs:

You can use whatever combination of herbs you want in these infusions, and you can used dried as well as fresh. This particular vinegar uses Grapefruit peel, Lemon Balm sprigs (because of the pretty flowers!), and fresh Pine Needles. Other examples may be a Cranberry Orange Vinegar, Ginger Lemongrass Vinegar, or even an Italian Herb Vinegar with Basil, Oregano, and Garlic. You can even turn any of your favorite cooking herb blends into an infused vinegar. Have fun! For some flavor inspirations, this page has links to over 20 different recipes. Or keep reading because I'll give you a few of my favorite infused vinegar recipes from the past!

Variations:

You can use this same process to infuse other things as well, such as oils, honey, or even some vodka if you're feeling extra spirited. For oils, I like to use a variety of healthy oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, or Cold Pressed Grapeseed Oil.

Citrus Pine Vinegar

1 Cute Bottle (the one I use is a Grolsch bottle that I picked up a few years ago. Check out the bottles at Specialty Bottles if you need to buy some)

A Vegetable Peeler

1 Grapefruit

a few Sprigs of fresh Lemon Balm

a handful of Pine Needles

enough Apple Cider Vinegar to cover your herbs (this bottle is fairly large so I used just shy of a quart)

Instructions:

Sanitize your bottle and allow to air dry. Wash all of your fresh ingredients. Peel your grapefruit and slide it into your bottle. Follow up with your lemon balm sprigs. Clean up the ends of your pine needles and stuff those in your bottle as well. I ended up only using about 4-5 clusters of needles. *Optional, heat your vinegar until just under boiling. Pour your vinegar into the bottle, making sure to cover up all those yummy herbs. Seal and allow to sit 2-4 weeks before gifting/using.

The following recipes use the same set of instructions:

Place the herbs in a clean jar/bottle. Cover herbs with vinegar/liquid of choice (warmed to help speed up the infusion process). Seal the jar/bottle and allow to sit for 2-4 weeks before using/gifting.

A Taste of the Orient

2 cups Rice Vinegar

¼ cup Lemongrass

4-5 slices fresh Ginger

* Optional for a little heat 1 Cayenne Pepper sliced lengthwise

Cranberry Juniper Vinegar

2 cups Red Wine Vinegar

1 cup Fresh Cranberries

¼ cup Juniper Berries

Spicy Chipotle Vinegar

1 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or for some great boozy flavor, use Tequila)

1 Jalapeno sliced lengthwise

1-2 tsp Chipotle Seasoning Blend of choice

Lavender Peach Vinegar

2 cups White Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup Peach, diced

2-3 tsp dried Lavender

¼ cup Honey, raw local honey is best

Mojito Vinegar

1 ½ cups Champagne Vinegar

½ cup White Rum (or more vinegar if you want to keep this kid friendly)

½ cup fresh Mint Leaves (sprigs make it more decorative)

1 fresh Lime, sliced

¼ cup Simple Syrup (equal parts sugar and water cooked on the stove to make a syrup)

Garlic Dill Vinegar

2 cups White Wine Vinegar

about 4-6 whole Garlic Cloves

3-4 fresh Dill sprigs (or 3-4 tsp dried dill)

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Have fun creating your infused gifts! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below! Also, if you want me to cover anything specific, I'd like to know!

Fall Flavors

Living in Central Florida, fall comes slowly. We may have a cold snap in September, but it's highly unlikely. There have been many a year that we've made it all the way to Thanksgiving without even bringing out our light jackets. So cool, icy treats are still a thing for us here. But to help make it a little more like fall, I figured I'd share some of my favorite Sorbet and Sherbet recipes using fall flavors.

Sorbet vs. Sherbet

Sorbets are very basic. Mainly they are pureed fruit, sugar, and water. You can make them more interesting by adding fresh or dried herbs, honey, maple, or even alcohol. Alcohol also has an added benefit of helping prevent the sorbet from becoming one large block of frozen fruit, though if you freeze it on a cookie sheet, break it up, and blend it, multiple times, you can get a good consistency as well.

Sherbets are very similar to Sorbets, the main difference is a creamy/dairy element. Adding cream, yogurt, buttermilk, coconut milk, etc to fruit puree, sugar, and water, then freezing will give you a decent Sherbet.

1. Perfect Persimmons

Hachiya Persimmons are a great fall fruit here in the South. Just make sure that you wait until they are fully ripened, almost too ripe, or they'll be to astringent to really eat. Just cut the top off and scoop out the ripe, jelly-like, insides. This makes them super easy to make sorbet with.

Persimmon Lemon Balm

Ingredients List

2 pounds of Persimmons (hachiya persimmons work best, allow to ripen until they are as soft as jelly)

1 cup Honey or Sugar
1 cup Water

1 tablespoon Lemon Balm leaves

1-4 tablespoons Lemon Juice

*optional ingredients

¼ cup Almond Milk or Whole Milk

2 tablespoons Vodka

Instructions:

In a pot, on the stove, combine honey and water. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the lemon balm leaves. Cover and allow to come to room temperature. Once your persimmons are nice and soft, cut the tops off and scoop out the insides, into a blender. Add the lemon juice and strain the lemon balm syrup into the blender as well. Blend well. To make it a Sherbet instead of a Sorbet, here is where you add your milk and keep blending. If you are making this without the aid of an ice cream machine, adding alcohol will help keep it at a nice consistency. You can still make it without alcohol or an ice cream machine by freezing it on a cookie sheet, then breaking it up and blending it again several times (minimum 3 freezes to get the right consistency). If you're using an ice cream machine, just add this mixture to the machine, turn it on, and wait.

2. The Quintessential Fall Flavor

This time of year you can find Pumpkin Spice flavored everything. Why not join in the fun! This makes a delicious, cool treat, for the warm fall seasons we tend to have here in Central Florida.

Pumpkin Spice

Ingredients List

2 pounds Pumpkin Puree (roughly 2 cans)

1 cup Honey or Maple Syrup

1 cup Water

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground Ginger

½ tsp ground Clove

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped
1-4 tablespoons Orange Juice

*optional ingredients

¼ cup Almond Milk or Whole Milk

2 tablespoons - ¼ cup Bourbon

Instructions:

In a pot, on the stove, combine honey and water. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the spices. Cover and allow to come to room temperature. Put your pumpkin puree in the blender with the orange juice and syrup. Blend well. To make it a Sherbet instead of a Sorbet, here is where you add your milk and keep blending. If you are making this without the aid of an ice cream machine, adding alcohol will help keep it at a nice consistency. You can still make it without alcohol or an ice cream machine by freezing it on a cookie sheet, then breaking it up and blending it again several times (minimum 3 freezes to get the right consistency). If you're using an ice cream machine, just add this mixture to the machine, turn it on, and wait.

3. Figgy Goodness

I love figs! I grew up eating fig preserves with my toast in the mornings, dried figs on hiking trips, and fresh figs every chance I could get. So it's no surprise that this is one of my favorite homemade sorbets.

Elderflower and Fig

Ingredients List

2 pounds ripe Mission Figs, stemmed and quartered

1 cup Honey or Sugar

1 cup Water

2 tablespoons dried Elderflowers

1-4 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

*optional ingredients

¼ cup Almond Milk or Whole Milk

2 tablespoons - ¼ cup St. Germain or other Elderflower Liqueur

Instructions:

Clean and quarter your figs. In a pot, on the stove, combine figs, honey, and water. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the elderflowers. Cover and allow to come to room temperature. Add the apple cider vinegar and strain the mixture into a blender. Blend well. To make it a Sherbet instead of a Sorbet, here is where you add your milk and keep blending. If you are making this without the aid of an ice cream machine, adding alcohol will help keep it at a nice consistency. You can still make it without alcohol or an ice cream machine by freezing it on a cookie sheet, then breaking it up and blending it again several times (minimum 3 freezes to get the right consistency). If you're using an ice cream machine, just add this mixture to the machine, turn it on, and wait.

4. Apples Apples Everywhere!

Another flavor found everywhere this time of year, is apple. Apples go well with so many flavors, mint, cardamom, cinnamon, basil, and sage are just a few. Here I paired the roasted apples with sage, to give it a slightly different, yet still fall-like flavor. Feel free to use any of the herbs I listed, or one (or more) that I didn't.

Roasted Apple Sage

Ingredients List

2 pounds of Apples (Cortlands of Fujis work well), cored and quartered

1 cup Honey or Sugar

1 cup Water
½ teaspoon Sage

1-4 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

*optional ingredients

¼ cup Almond Milk or Whole Milk

2 tablespoons - ¼ cup Dark Rum

Instructions:

In a pot, on the stove, combine honey and water. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the sage. Cover and allow to come to room temperature. While you're working on your simple syrup, clean and quarter your apples. Place them on a cookie sheet with a little butter or coconut oil and bake, at 450 degrees, for 10 minutes then place them into a blender. Add the apple cider vinegar and strain the syrup into the blender as well. Blend well. To make it a Sherbet instead of a Sorbet, here is where you add your milk and keep blending. If you are making this without the aid of an ice cream machine, adding alcohol will help keep it at a nice consistency. You can still make it without alcohol or an ice cream machine by freezing it on a cookie sheet, then breaking it up and blending it again several times (minimum 3 freezes to get the right consistency). If you're using an ice cream machine, just add this mixture to the machine, turn it on, and wait.

5. Cranberry Bliss

I love how versatile cranberries can be. Even though most people only have them at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinner. Cranberries can be used in so many ways and combined with various fruits and herbs, they can be either sweet or savory. Here's one of my favorite ways to use cranberries during the warm winters we tend to get here in the South.

Cranberry Juniper

Ingredients List

24 oz (or 2 bags) of Cranberries (fresh or frozen)

8 oz White Grape Juice (or Apple Juice for added sweetness)

1 cup Honey or Sugar

1 cup Water
1 tablespoon Juniper Berries

1-4 tablespoons Orange Juice

*optional ingredients

¼ cup Plain Greek Yogurt or Dairy-Free Yogurt

2 tablespoons - ¼ cup Red Wine of your choice

Instructions:

Rinse your cranberries, removing any stems, dirt, or rocks that may have gotten into your batch. In a pot, on the stove, combine cranberries, honey, and water. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the juniper berries. Cover and allow to come to room temperature. Add the orange juice and strain the mixture into a blender. Blend well. To make it a Sherbet instead of a Sorbet, here is where you add your yogurt and keep blending. If you are making this without the aid of an ice cream machine, adding alcohol will help keep it at a nice consistency. You can still make it without alcohol or an ice cream machine by freezing it on a cookie sheet, then breaking it up and blending it again several times (minimum 3 freezes to get the right consistency). If you're using an ice cream machine, just add this mixture to the machine, turn it on, and wait.

I hope you enjoy making these Sorbets and Sherbets! Feel free to play around with these recipes, try different herbs and fruit, make lots of icy desserts! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!

Resources:

10 Delicious Ways to Infuse Honey: Ready Nutrition: http://readynutrition.com/resources/infused-honey_13062015/

How to Make Herb Infused Honey: The Kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-herb-infused-honey-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-180890

How to Make Sorbet with Any Fruit: The Kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sorbet-with-any-fruit-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-205746

How to Make Sorbet without an Ice Cream Machine: Busy in Brookyln: http://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/tag/how-to-make-sorbet-without-an-ice-cream-machine/

Honey Syrups and Summer Cocktails

     Honey is a great ingredients for drinks now. It's a great way to, not only increase the flavor, but also bring some local ingredients to your summer cocktails. But it doesn't mix very well in it's normal state. So here are some ways to make honey syrups for your cocktail bar, and a few recipes afterward.

The Syrups:

Just Honey

This is the basic recipe for a honey syrup. It has a fairly mild honey flavor, and if you want to boost the honey flavor over the top, simply double the honey in the recipe. You can also use whatever other natural sweetener you'd like instead of honey (agave, turbinado, etc).

Honey Syrup

1 cup Water

1 cup Honey

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly until honey completely dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 min). Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Honey and Rose

This recipe combines the amazing flavors of honey and rosewater. For a simple twist, try it with orange blossom water instead.

Honey Rose Syrup

¾ cup Water

1 cup Honey

¼ cup Rosewater

Combine the water and honey in a saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly until honey completely dissolves. Remove from heat, pour in the rosewater, stir, and allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 min). Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Herbed Honey

This recipe starts with a basic herbal tea and combines it with honey for a great, herb infused flavor.

Choose whatever herbs you'd like. I like to use single herbs sometimes, or sometimes I make a mixture of herbs to use. Mint is great, so is Lemon Balm. Try Lavender or Hibiscus. Or make it with Chai Tea Spices, or Apple Pie Spice. Quite often I'll also throw in some herbs that no one thinks about like Thyme, or Basil. Anything goes!

Herb Infused Honey Syrup

1 cup Water

1 cup loosely packed Herb(s)

1 cup Honey

Combine water and herbs in a saucepan. On medium heat, bring just to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Add in honey and bring mixture to a boil, continuously stirring, until honey is completely dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Strain out herbs and store syrup in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Fun with Fruit

This can really be done with any of the previous recipes, but if you just want fruit and honey, here it is! Try with cucumber, berries, apples, citrus, you name it!

Honey Fruit Syrup

1 cup Water

1 cup Honey

1 cup Fruit

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly until honey completely dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 min). Strain out the fruit and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

The Cocktails!:

Blackberry Thyme

     It's a great thyme for Blackberries! (Sorry for the pun) This modern take on a traditional Tom Collins uses a honey syrup made with fresh blackberries and thyme. To make the syrup, use 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup thyme, 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, and follow the above honey fruit syrup recipe (but throw the thyme in with the fruit). It's delicious and refreshing, perfect for a summer party!

Blackberry Thyme Collins

1.5 oz Gin (or Vodka if you prefer)

.75 oz Lemon Juice

1 oz Blackberry Thyme Syrup

Top with Club Soda

Combine Vodka, Lemon Juice, and Syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour into a pint glass, top off with fresh ice if needed. Pour the club soda over mixture. Garnish with a fresh blackberry and thyme sprig.

Rose and Grapefruit

     The traditional Paloma is a great cocktail made with tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. In this version we are making our own grapefruit soda by using a Grapefruit Rose Syrup. For the syrup, simply follow the above Honey Rosewater Syrup recipe, but throw in ½ cup of fresh Grapefruit to the mixture as it boils. If you want it to have more of a rose flavor, double the rosewater at the end.

Paloma Rose

2 oz Tequila

.5 oz Lime Juice

1 oz Grapefruit Rosewater Syrup

Top with Club Soda

Rim a pint glass (or margarita glass) with salt and fill it with ice. Combine tequila, lime juice, and syrup in a shaker with a little ice. Mix and strain into the pint glass. Top off with club soda, garnish with a thin Grapefruit wedge, and enjoy!

Misty Mornings

One of the more popular drinks this year is a Moscow Mule, which is typically made with Vodka and Ginger Beer. This take on it uses a Lavender Earl Grey Syrup, lending it a slightly British flair. For the syrup, use 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, ½ cup lavender, and ½ cup Loos Leaf Earl Grey Tea.

Misty Morning Mule

1.5 oz Vodka (Sweet Tea Vodka works well with this)

.5 oz Lime Juice

.5 oz Lavender Earl Grey Syrup

Ginger Beer (non alcoholic)

Fill a copper mule mug (or pint glass) with ice. Combine ingredients (save the ginger beer for last, you won't need a whole can) and give it a few stirs. Garnish with a lime wedge and lavender sprig. Enjoy!

Jalapenos?

Jalapenos add a little kick to any cocktail, and this take on an old fashioned has a great kick. For the Hibiscus Ginger Syrup, use 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, ¾ cup Hibiscus, and ¼ cup fresh Ginger slices.

Jalapeno Hibiscus Old Fashioned

2 oz Bourbon

1 oz Hibiscus Ginger Syrup

2-4 Slices Fresh Jalapeno

3 dashes Aromatic Bitters

In a shaker, combine Bourbon, Hibiscus Ginger Syrup, and Jalapenos. Shake moderately. Strain into a rocks glass with a giant ice cube in it. Add a dash (or 3) of bitters. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of jalapeno.

A Winning Combination

Cucumber and melon go together so well, especially during the summer. So of course I have to include a Cucumber Melon Mojito on this list! For the Cucumber Mint Syrup, use 1 cup water, 1 medium cucumber, 1 cup of fresh mint, and 1 cup honey.

Cucumber Melon Mojito

1.5 oz Rum

1 oz Cucumber Mint Syrup

1 oz Pureed Watermelon

.5 oz Lime Juice

Top with Club Soda

Combine Rum, Cucumber Mint Syrup, Pureed Watermelon, and Lime Juice in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour mixture (including ice) into a pint glass and add a little more ice if needed. Top with Club Soda and garnish with fresh Mint leaves. Enjoy!

     In any of these recipes, feel free to change the ingredients around. Play with different fruit, sweeteners, and herbs. All of these can also be made using fresh juices instead of alcohol for the kiddos. Try using pineapple juice instead of Bourbon in the Jalapeno Hibiscus Old Fashioned, use orange juice instead of Tequila in the Paloma Rose, or simply leave out the vodka in the Misty Morning Mule. Have fun, play around, and let me know what you think below!

5 Natural Ways to Combat Seasonal Allergies

     I don't know how things are in your area, but so far this year Central Florida has seen record breaking pollen counts. This means that my husband's seasonal allergies have been acting up worse than usual. Even my allergies, which usually don't bother me all that much, have made themselves known. So I thought that I'd share with you some of the things I do for allergies in my home.

1-Dietary Changes: There are some foods that can actually make your allergies worse. If you know what you are allergic to, do a little research and find out what foods could be causing oral allergy syndrome, a reaction to your food due to pollen allergies. Even if you don't have oral allergy syndrome, there are a few thing you can do to improve your allergy symptoms. Cut back on the dairy! Dairy products can increase the bodies mucus production and make the mucus much thicker. Cutting back on the dairy can help to manage this aspect of your allergies. Also, quite a few allergy symptoms can be caused by, or compounded by, issues in the gut. Probiotics can help relieve many of the issues that may be the underlying cause of allergy symptoms.

2-Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a wonderful tonic for the whole body, but by far it shines when dealing with seasonal allergies. ACV is packed full of beneficial vitamins, including lots of B vitamins. Make sure you get the raw, unfiltered ACV with the mother (the mother is the bacteria that helped make the ACV), the bonus for this is that you get some amazing probiotics in with it. Take 1 teaspoon in water 3 times a day for maximum results. It works (and tastes) even better if you use ½ teaspoon of raw, local honey in the mixture.

3-Nettles: Urtica dioica, or stinging nettle, is a natural antihistamine. Nettle can be made into a tea, tincture, or capsules, and in many places it's a common cooked green. However, to best use nettles for allergy relief, you should find an alcohol based tincture. The natural antihistamine found in nettle is best extracted using alcohol, so a tea won't have as much. If you eat the herb or take a capsule of dried nettle leaves, you'll still get all the antihistamine properties as well, but you'll need to consume more to get the same effect that you would get from just one dropper-full of the tincture.

4-Goldenrod: I know it seems strange that the plant most known for causing hay fever can actually help, but it really can. Solidago spp. is a great herb to use on a regular basis to help prevent and control allergy symptoms. However, it does not work if you are taking any synthetic allergy medicines with it. Goldenrod works well as either a tea or a tincture. If you're worried about a pollen allergy, make sure that the tea/tincture is made with leaves that have been harvested before the plant has flowered, to keep from accidentally getting pollen on the leaves.

5-Local Honey: There may not be any scientific evidence that consuming raw, local honey lessens allergy symptoms. However, it has worked like a charm with my family. The thought is that local honey contains the pollen from local flowers and consuming it will help your immune system to acclimate to this pollen. Whether or not this is true, honey is packed full of amazing vitamins and minerals that help to boost immune function and improve symptoms such as congestion.

     I hope these tips will help you and your family through this allergy season! If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

Resources:

Earth Clinic : Apple Cider Vinegar for All Allergies : https://www.earthclinic.com/allergies/apple-cider-vinegar.html

Know Your Roots : How to Take Goldenrod for Allergies : http://www.knowyouroots.com/ijustgottashare/2015/07/08/how-to-take-goldenrod-for-allergies/

Naturopathic Physicians : Natural Treatments for Your Seasonal Allergies : http://www.naturopathic.org/content.asp?contentid=117

Wellness Mama : 7 Effective Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergies : https://wellnessmama.com/8370/allergy-relief-remedies/

Rose Elixir

     Herbal elixirs are fabulous things to keep around the house.  Not only are they great for first aid and sore throats, but they’re tasty and can be made into some fabulous cocktails and delicious food.  I even pour some over my favorite desserts.  Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I figured that I would introduce herbal elixirs with one of my favorites, Rose Elixir. 

     Rose elixir is one of my most indispensable items in my home first aid kit.  Not only is it great for burns, poison ivy, bug bites/stings, rashes, sore muscles, and minor wounds.  It’s also great for sore throats, menstrual cramps, panic attacks, shock, and helps to calm people down after trauma.  Combining this with Rescue Remedy is a very effective way to help people stay calm in traumatic situations. 

A quick word about the 3 basic ingredients:

Rose is a great herbal ally to keep in mind.  Its astringent (which makes it great to use in beauty products), anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and cooling.  Rose helps to elevate the mood and move the blood.  It is a fairly well-known aphrodisiac that also helps to calm and soothe the nerves.  Just remember that when you use roses, you want to make sure they haven’t been sprayed with herbicide or insecticide. 

Honey is one of the best first aid remedies around.  It’s antifungal, antibiotic, antimicrobial, helps initiate the healing process in skin, speeds up the healing process, nourishes skin, and is full of vitamins and minerals.  Honey can improve athletic performance and makes a great sugar substitute.  Honey is also a great, natural preservative. 

Vodka/Brandy is used to help extract the beneficial constituents (natural chemicals) from the rose petals, but it also acts as a preservative.  When shopping for alcohol for elixirs, you want something that is a minimum of 80 proof.  Any drinkable alcohol can be used, vodka and brandy are my usual choices, but sometimes I switch it up and use gin (for that refreshing juniper flavor), tequila, or rum.  Whatever you feel is good for you. 

Rose Elixir

1 pint Mason Jar

Rose Petals

Honey

Vodka/Brandy

Plastic Wrap

Fill the Mason jar with rose petals, leaving ½ inch at the top.  Fill 2/3 of the way with alcohol of choice.  Fill last 1/3 with honey, leaving a little space at the top.  Cover the jar with plastic wrap before sealing it with the lid.  Roses have a tendency to eat through metal, the plastic wrap will protect your seal.  Allow your elixir to sit in a cool, dark place for 3-6 weeks.  Shake daily.  After the time is up, strain the elixir through a sieve/coffee filter.  Enjoy!

Vanilla Rose Martini

3 oz Vanilla Vodka

1 oz Rose Elixir

Rose Petal garnish

Combine the Vodka and the Elixir in a shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass.  Garnish with a rose petal.

 

Honey Rose Lemonade

1 cup Honey

1/2 cup Rose Water

1/2 cup Rose Elixir

1 cup Lemon Juice

2-3 cups Sparkling Water

Combine honey, elixir and rose water in a pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and stir until completely dissolved.  Allow mixture to cool.  Add in lemon juice and dilute with sparkling water.  If you want it sweeter, add more honey dissolved in warm water. 

     Like all of my recipes, these can be modified to suit your needs or taste buds.  You can use whatever herbs you want.  Some good ones to try when you feel adventurous include hibiscus, elderberry, lemon balm, rosemary, violet, or lavender.  Get creative!  Have fun!  And let me know what you think in the comments below!

Resources:

Bach Flower Remedies: Rescue Remedy Information: http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-information/

Healthy Green Kitchen: Rose Petal Elixir: http://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/kivas-rose-petal-elixir.html

Herbs of Grace: A Rose is a Rose: http://www.herbsofgrace.com/Homeopathy/tag/rose-elixir/

Medicine Woman’s Roots: Wild Rose Elixir: http://bearmedicineherbals.com/wild-rose-elixir-a-favorite-first-aid-remedy.html

Organic Facts: Health Benefits of Honey: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/health-benefits-of-honey.html

Steth News: The Many Benefits of Rose Elixir: http://www.stethnews.com/1408/the-many-benefits-of-rose-elixir-how-to-make-your-own/

Grapefruit Honey Hairspray

     I have difficult hair, to say the least.  Its crazy curly and throughout my early life I tried EVERYTHING to straighten it enough to be manageable.  Nothing ever worked.  I even practically destroyed my hair with a variety of chemical treatments.  Still not straight.  About 10 years ago, I finally gave up the fight and started down the road to loving my hair.  When I began learning about herbs and the natural way to do just about everything in life, I made it a point to learn about natural hair products.  I have now been making my own hair gel for about a year, but for some reason I never considered trying hairspray.  

     Early this month, when my husband and I were sick, we picked up a bag of organic oranges at the grocery store.  I took one with me to my day job and cut it open to find out that it was not an orange at all.  In fact, it was a grapefruit.  Gross!  I am not a big fan of grapefruit, in fact it’s pretty safe to say I detest the taste of them.  I do use the essential oil in a few oil blends, and I like grapefruit in some bitters that I use.  However, I was now the proud owner of an entire 5lb bag of grapefruit.  There’s only so much grapefruit bitters I can make, and I do not have the proper licensing to make my own essential oils.  So I started looking up alternative ways to use grapefruit and found a few recipes for hair products.  After looking at several recipes, some of which did not include grapefruit as an ingredient, I came up with a recipe to test out.  Let me tell you, this hairspray really works!  I washed my hair and left out my usual gel, instead I sprayed my hair with this homemade hairspray and let it dry.  No frizz, nice hold (without the usual crunch that gel leaves), and smells great!  So I’m sharing this wonderful recipe with all of you in hopes of spreading the joy of homemade, good for you, hair products!

A Quick Word on Ingredients

Grapefruit promotes hair growth, removes buildup, naturally lightens hair color (any citrus fruit does this, but it works best with just the juice, adding the grapefruit to your hair recipes do not lighten to the same degree), detangles, treats dandruff, and makes your hair shine.  It’s also great for those of you who have oily hair. 

Coconut Oil is an ingredient I added to the recipe because grapefruit can strip your hair of oils, and my hair is quite dry (like most curly hair is).  Small amounts of coconut oil can also help reduce, or even prevent, frizz.  But if coconut oil is not for you then you can substitute argan oil, avocado oil, or even olive oil.

Honey is great for your hair, it nourishes your hair to make it shine.  It also makes a great moisturizer because it attracts moisture.  So for my fellow Florida girls, honey is great because it uses the humidity to help your hair!

High Proof Alcohol is my preservative in this recipe.  However, small amounts of alcohol can also make your hairspray work better.  While larger amounts of alcohol can dry your hair and create frizz, small amounts of alcohol can help ensure an even spread of your hairspray for a better hold.  It can also decrease the time it takes for your hair to dry. 

Essential Oils not only make this hairspray smell great, but they can also help your hair needs.  Some good essential oils to look into include: lavender, geranium, vetiver, cedarwood, rosemary, sandalwood, chamomile, and clary sage.

Grapefruit Honey Hairspray

Ingredients:

4 cups Distilled Water

1 Grapefruit, quartered

4 tablespoons Raw Honey

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 tablespoons High Proof Alcohol of your choice

10-15 drops essential oils of your choice (my favorite blend is 6-8 drops lavender, 3-5 drops vetiver, 3-5 drops rosemary)

Instructions:

Combine water and grapefruit into a pot and boil on medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to half.  Reduce the heat to low.  Remove the grapefruit quarters, squeezing until all liquid is squeezed out.  Add in the honey and coconut oil.  Cook on low, and stir until coconut oil and honey are well incorporated.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let cool, but don’t let the solids form completely on top, if this happens, just heat up on the stove until melted.  Using a funnel, pour cooled liquid into container of your choice.  Add in the alcohol and essential oils.  Close up with a spray top.  Shake well, and shake before each use. 

 

    This recipe will last for several months, however if you think it is beginning to smell funky, throw it away and make some more!  I hope you enjoy making your own hairspray and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Resources:

Cosamo: Benefits of Using Grapefruit on Hair: http://cosamousa.com/Benefits-of-using-Grapefruit-on-your-Hair

DIY Natural: Homemade Hairspray: https://www.diynatural.com/how-to-make-hairspray/

Hair Buddha: Top 5 Essential Oils for Hair and Scalp: http://www.hairbuddha.net/essential-oils-for-healthy-hair/

Honey Fanatic: Is Honey Good For Your Hair?: http://honeyfanatic.com/401/honey-good-hair/

How To Hair Girl:  Honey Silk and Shine: http://www.howtohairgirl.com/2013/07/honey-silk-and-shine/

Naturally Curly: Alcohols and your Hair: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curl-products/all-about-alcohols/

No Poo Method: Essential Oils for Hair: http://thenopoomethod.com/essential-oils-hair/

WebMD: Wave Bye-Bye to Damaged Hair: http://www.webmd.com/beauty/natural-oils

Wellness Mama: Coconut Oil for Hair: https://wellnessmama.com/2162/coconut-oil-for-hair/

Wellenss Mama: Homemade Natural Hairspray: https://wellnessmama.com/11624/natural-hairspray-recipe/

'Tis the Season

    This is a great time of year.  People are typically more generous to each other, there are many family gatherings and holiday parties, and good spirits are shared all around.  However, there are also other, not so pleasant, things shared.  Welcome to cold and flu season.  The CDC releases information about cold and flu season every year.  Usually it starts in October and can continue on into May.  The worst part of it is February with December being strong in second place.  So now is the time to pump up your immune system in preparation for the hard times. 

     Prevention is the best medicine.  But how do you prevent the cold or flu? 

1.       Proper diet is paramount to health.  Most people should avoid grains, sugars, and other starchy foods, but everyone has different needs.  Good basics include eating organic as much as possible, drinking plenty of water, and “eating the rainbow.”  Eating the rainbow is my number one rule for daily consumption.  If you eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables from each of the colors of the rainbow, you are consuming a good variety of nutrients.  This season, focusing on the yellow and orange fruits and vegetables will also help you boost your immunity because those colors are associated with higher amounts of vitamin C. 

2.       Wash up often.  Wash your hands for 20+ seconds at a time, don’t forget between your fingers and around your nails.  Hand sanitizers can also help prevent the spread of these viruses, I make one at home that works well, if you are using my recipe, add in the optional rubbing alcohol for this time of year.  Also adding in 10+ drops of peppermint essential oil can help target viruses instead of bacteria. 

3.       Regular exercise helps boost the body’s immune function.  All you need is 45 minutes of stretching and/or moderate-intensity exercise a week in order to increase your immunity.

4.       Herbs can also be a huge help in prevention.  Garlic is great to help prevent and fight viruses, it is best raw and crushed because that releases the allicin which is the main compound that fights off viruses and the allicin can be destroyed by excessive heat.  Ginseng and Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) both can help to boost immune function to prevent viral infections.  Astragalus has also been used in Chinese medicine to prevent viral infections.  Astragalus can be combined with garlic for a great broth, especially if you are making a bone broth which has many health benefits all its own. 

5.       Bone broth helps to boost immunity in addition to its other amazing benefits.  This is why chicken soup is so effective against colds and flu, it’s all in the bone broth. 

     When prevention is not enough we have to look at treatments.

1.       Avoid dairy.  Dairy increases mucus production which can slow healing.  And let’s face it, we’re already producing excess mucus while we’re sick, we really don’t want to produce any more. 

2.       Consume lots of hot liquids.  Warm teas, warm lemon water, soups, these are all beneficial while we are sick.  Our bodies really don’t need to be focusing on digestion much either, so drinking the warm liquids and eating mostly soup will help build up the body’s strength while not burdening it with lots of digestive issues.  Not to mention, bone broth is great at boosting immune function and herbal teas can have benefits all their own. 

3.       Herbs are wonderful remedies as well.  Adding fresh herbs to teas or soups can help speed up the healing process greatly.  Ginger helps with nausea, vomiting, high fever, and headaches.  Ginger goes well in teas and soups alike.  Nettle is a great multivitamin and can also help ease symptoms in upper respiratory infections.  I add it to most foods and it’s great in a tea with red raspberry leaves and peppermint.  Elderberry is so good in treating the flu that you can now find elderberry medicine in your neighborhood drug store.  However it’s easy to make your own, Wellness Mamma has a great elderberry syrup recipe here and elderberry syrup is delicious so you should not have a problem getting your child to take some.  Yarrow is great whenever a fever is involved, and it’s especially good for children.  Unfortunately it is a bit bitter, so adding in peppermint and honey are a good idea, they are both also really good for colds and flu so they can add their own benefits as well.  All the herbs previously listed for prevention are also good to continue while you are ill.

4.       Increasing vitamins C and D intake can also be a great benefit.  These two vitamins help strengthen our immunity and fight off colds and flu. 

5.       Don’t hinder your body’s natural defenses.  We are coughing because our bodies are trying to expel virus-laden mucus from our respiratory track.  Keep coughing and try not to suppress it with over-the-counter medications.  Instead try thinning the mucus out with steam (essential oils can be beneficial here, eucalyptus and peppermint are two good ones) and drinking plenty of fluids.  It may be annoying and, in some cases painful, but as long as your cough is productive (you’re coughing up mucus) it’s beneficial to keep it up.  Same thing goes for your runny nose.  I like to make sure that I don’t sniffle back the mucus in my sinuses.  It can prolong sickness and possibly cause a sinus infection later on.  I just invest in the good tissues (I prefer to use the ones infused with vicks) and blow my nose often. 

6.       Hydration and rest can be the best medicine!  We need several additional hours of rest a day when we are sick, but we also need more liquids to help support immune function. 

     I hope you find this helpful and useful this season.  Enjoy your gatherings, your family, and your friends and stay healthy!

Resources:

Breaking Muscle- Flu-Buster Bone Broth for a stronger immune system: https://breakingmuscle.com/fuel/flu-buster-bone-broth-for-a-stronger-immune-system

Center for Disease Control- Cold and Flu Season: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm

Dr. Axe- Healing Power of Bone Broth: https://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/

Life Hacker- What it means to “eat the rainbow”: http://lifehacker.com/what-it-means-to-eat-the-rainbow-1594799068

Mother Earth News- 19 Ways to prevent and treat cold and flu: http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/herbal-remedies/colds-and-flu-zm0z12djzhir?pageid=1#PageContent1

Mother Earth News- Natural, effective remedies for cold and flu: http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/natural-effective-remedies-for-colds-and-flu-zmaz07djzgoe

Wellness Mamma- 25 Natural remedies to help beat cold & flu: http://wellnessmama.com/1499/natural-remedies-for-illness/