Healing Honey Spread For Waffles When A Cold Is Around

I had planned to make waffles today for breakfast without usual toppings.  Regularly, I would use what we have in hand like strawberry syrup or mixed berry syrup, yogurt, whipping cream, maple syrup, flaxseed sprinkles, the variations are endless.  But when I heard everyone sniffling this morning, I decided to make a healing honey butter spread for the cold their immune systems re fighting.  It was very delicious as we spread it over our chocolate waffles.  My toddler would have three servings of the spread to one serving of waffle.  Yes, a little too much.  But again, when you know what's in it,  it doesn't hurt you.  It is more a matter of teaching him some table manners.

Cinnamon and Honey

The combination of cinnamon and honey has been used ever since the times of Noah or before.  Who knows if Adam and Eve used them together!  I'm sure they got sick.  Cinnamon's essential oils and raw honey's enzymes which produces hydrogen peroxide make up the two "anti-microbial" foods with the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. Both are used as alternatives to traditional food preservatives due to their effective antimicrobial properties.

This is a recipe you must try.  It is irresistibly good on pancakes, waffles, toasts and biscuits.

 

 

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup soft butter

• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

• ½ cup cream honey

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese or heavy whipping cream (optional)

Directions:

• Blend ingredients in a bowl and beat well until mixture is smooth and creamy.

• Spread it on piping hot toasted bread or biscuits.

• This recipe makes more than enough to serve 10 persons. An all time favorite for the family!

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Elderberry & Echinacea Tincture for the Sick Days

Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis.  I make sure to always have this handy.  My children take it regularly as a vitamin C supplement.  Then, at the first signs of a cold or flu, I add Echinacea for an extra strength immune booster.   Echinacea stimulates the overall activity of the cells responsible for fighting all kinds of infection.  Unlike antibiotics, which directly attack bacteria, echinacea makes our own immune cells more efficient at attacking bacteria, viruses and abnormal cells, including cancer cells.  It increases the number and activity of immune system cells including anty-tumor cells, promotes T-cell activation, stimulates new tissue growth for wound healing and reduces inflammation in arthritis and inflammatory skin conditions, among other things.  I thank God for giving us these powerful herbs!  If flu persists and develops into cough, I may add some golden seal.  Golden seal has a strong bitter taste and quite pricy, so I will only use it if I have to.

To make the tincture, you will need:

2 cups dried elderberries

1 cup echinacea dried herb

3/4 cup vegetable glycerine

1 1/2 cup hot water

16 oz glass jars with lids

crock pot with a dish towel

fine strainer

coffee filters

glass bowl

warm water

A dropper tincture bottle

Instructions:

Combine 1 cup of herbs, 1/4 cup glycerine, 1/2 cup hot water in each glass jar.  Shake and cover with lid.  Place them in a crock pot that has been lined with a dish towel (this is so the jars and pot won't crack).  Fill pot with warm water all the up to just about under the lids of the jars.  Set the crock pot to it's lowest setting like "Warm" and leave it for three days.



After three days, take jars out to let them cool.  To strain the tincture for the herbs, set glass bowl, strainer and coffee filter on a table and pour  about 2-3 tablespoons on the coffee filter at a time.  Then squeeze very slowly with your hands to make sure the coffee filter doesn't come apart.  You may use two filters at a time too.   Pour the tincture into glass jars separating the elderberry from the echinacea. 

I use am empty dropper bottle for the elderberry that I give my kids everyday.  On a separate dropper I have mixed about equal parts of elderberry and echinacea for sick days.

This recipe can be modified to different herbs.  Also you don't want to take echinacea everyday.  It is a very powerful herb.

Herbs can be ordered through Mountain Rose for freshly harvested organic herbs.

 

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