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Happy Fall, Y'all!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

It's impossible not to know it's fall. Even if you didn't look at the calendar yesterday - like yours truly - or the leaves in your area aren't turning - not like yours truly; Germany does fall really well - I'm guessing your Facebook or Instagram feeds were hoppin' with pictures of pumpkin spice lattes, boots and scarves. Mine were. 

Side note about pumpkin spice lattes - they are good enough and I know people love them but what I'm super stoked about is the caramel apple spiced cider. It's my absolute favorite. Some people are all about the pumpkins; this girl is all about the apples. One of the baristas at my local Starbucks messed up last year and made it with cinnamon instead of caramel, and letmetellya - that was one delicious drink, too!

Lots of resources for natural cold remedies
Oh, how I love apples...


But back to the original topic - fall. I hope you all had a great first day of fall. I woke up with my first cold of the season. As beautiful as I think this time of year is, I am just not built for cold weather. So I spent the day cuddling under my favorite blanket and looking up natural cold remedies. And, hey, sharing is caring, right?

A few years ago I started using this honey & cinnamon syrup the moment I start feeling a cold coming on. I made a big(ish) container of it yesterday and will keep some in the fridge for the rest of the winter. If you want a little extra immune boost, you can add some organic apple cider vinegar to the mix (I use Braggs, but I think anything with the mother would work). Also, I don't think the proportions matter much; I just eyeball it. Every time my nose or throat tickles, I take a spoonful. It can also be mixed into tea or if you use the ACV, just mix some with hot water - that feels amazing on sore throats. And, yes, I do actually feel quite a bit better today. (:



A friend who lives here made this elderberry syrup and you can read about how much her kids love it here. Annnddd she has a great source for elderberries in case you can't get them locally. This recipe is next on my list; I just have to get the elderberries.

I found this Golden Milk Recipe that uses turmeric, ginger and coconut milk and doesn't that sound amazing? This might just be my bedtime treat tonight since I have everything already in the kitchen. And as soon as I get some cute little jars, I'm totally trying these honey infusions. They are pretty similar to what I'm doing with the honey & cinnamon syrup, but with the addition of heat and variety of other flavors.

I am also really interested in trying kombucha since it's probiotic benefits would be immune building, but, frankly, the process to make it seems rather involved and I have a lot going on from now until the end of the year. I think this project will have to wait until after we've moved. I've seen kombucha in supermarkets but I've heard it's not as potent as a health drink. Thoughts, anyone?


So that's my life today - curled up under a blanket with cozy socks on drinking what Mike calls my "weird hippie vinegar drink." I have borscht simmering on the stove and if I continue to feel better, I might go to the market and grab a few things to make chicken and dumplins tomorrow. We all know the benefits of bone broth, right? And the dumplins - those are just comfort food. ;)

Hopefully after a couple of days of nutrient rich soups and some of mother nature's finest cold remedies, I'll be ready for the weekend... and a trip to Starbucks for an apple cider! 

I hope your fall started off healthier than mine did, but I'm curious - do you have any magic remedies to share?