For babies and small children especially, treatment options are limited, but congestion and coughing can really interfere with their ability to sleep well.

We used to keep regular Vicks Vapor Rub and the Baby version on hand for illnesses, until I realized that it had PETROLEUM in it.. yuck!

In the name of not consuming or slathering our skin with anything that is more beneficial to a car engine… I’ve been making this really easy homemade version ever since.

If you don’t have the ingredients or don’t want to take the time to make this recipe, mixing the essential oils with coconut oil works almost as well. All ingredients for the recipe below  (including tins or lip chap containers to keep it in) are available here.

Vapor-Rub Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup olive oil or almond oil
• 2 level tablespoons of beeswax pastilles
• 20 drops of Eucalyptus Oil
• 20 drops Peppermint Oil
• 10 drops Rosemary Oil
• 10 drops cinnamon or clove oil (optional)

How To Make Vapor Rub:

1. Melt beeswax with olive oil/almond oil in a double boiler or in the microwave until just melted.
2. Add the essential oils (use half the amount for a baby version or dilute with coconut oil before using)
3. Stir until well mixed and pour into some type of container with a lid to store. Little tins work well, as do small jars. I also always make a few in lip chap sticks to keep in my purse or use on baby feet.

What are your tried and true remedies for beating illnesses? Ever made your own remedies? Tell me about it below!

Liquid stevia extract is a relatively easy tincture to make at home, and it is a much cheaper alternative to the store bought versions. If you grow your own stevia, you can preserve the leaves while still fresh to make the most potent extract. This is my basic stevia recipe, and it is suitable for kids and pregnant women as the alcohol cooks out.

Homemade Stevia Extract Ingredients and Materials:

• 1- Quart or pint glass jar with lid (both boiled to sterilize)
• fresh or dried stevia leaf
• enough vodka, rum or everclear to fill the jar (at least half of the total size of the jar)
• a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
• small sauce pan

How To Make Liquid Stevia Extract

1. Put the fresh or dried stevia leaf in the jar, filling it 2/3 full.
2. Pour vodka/rum/everclear over the leaves to fill the jar and put the lid on tightly.
3. Put in a place where you will see it and leave for 36 hours, shaking occasionally. (I put on the counter and shake every time I’m cooking) Leaving it for longer than this seems to make it bitter.
4. Strain the liquid into the small sauce pan (it will be greenish-brown)
5. Turn heat on low and bring to a simmer. Important: do not boil! It will ruin the taste!!!
6. Simmer for about 1/2 an hour, stirring constantly and making sure not to boil. It will thicken. When it gets to your desired thickness, remove from heat.
7. Store in small jar in the fridge for up to 3 months.

This can be used in baking recipes like Crock Pot Cheesecake or Pumpkin Cheesecake. It is also great in coffee, tea, chai lattes or pumpkin lattes.  It is pretty much the only sweetener we use in our house and by making it ourselves, we avoid the bitter aftertaste in the bleached store versions.

Do you use stevia? Ever made it? 

As we wrap up Crocktoberfest this week, I thought this easy recipe was appropriate. If you haven’t roasted a chicken in your crock pot yet… try it!

Not only is it the cheapest and easiest way I’ve found to make chicken, but you get a couple quarts of chicken broth from it too!

Ingredients and Tools:

• A whole chicken (Usually available for under $2/lb for even organic)
• 1 tbsp butter
• favorite herbs and spices (I add 1 tsp garlic granules or powder, 1 tsp sea salt, and about 1/2 tsp each of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.)
• Crock Pot

How To Slow Cook a Chicken In the Crock Pot (Don’t blink or you’ll miss the instructions!)

1. Rinse chicken and make sure innards are removed.
2. Put butter in bottom or crock pot  and turn on low (butter is to prevent sticking, can use coconut oil).
3. Once butter melts, put chicken in crock pot (putting breast-down will make it cook faster)
4. Sprinkle with desired spices. (I’ve also heard of stuffing the chicken with an onion, apple or orange for more moistness and great flavor)
5. Put lid on and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until well cooked.

To Make Broth:

1. Remove chicken and pull meat off the bones but leave all the juices in the crock pot.
2. Put the bones back in the crock pot and add 1 small chopped onion, 2 ribs of celery, 1 chopped carrot and a little more sea salt.
3. Add 2-3 quarts of water (depending on what your’s will hold)
4. Cook on low overnight.
5. Strain bones and vegetables out.
6. Use within 3 days or freeze for later use.

Some other ideas for using your whole roasted chicken:

• Put a small colander on top of the chicken when almost done cooking and fill with veggies. It will steam them so you have the whole meal ready to serve.
• For the last few hours, put some medium sized sweet potatoes on top of the chicken and put the lid back on. Both will be ready for dinner.
• After making the broth, remove the bones, add some chicken back in along with a few cups of favorite veggies and you have an easy chicken soup (with tons of nutrients)

How do you cook a chicken? Do you make broth too? What’s your secret? Share below!

With flu season around the corner and signs for “flu shots” in every store, this is a natural alternative that is inexpensive and effective. It can be made easily at home.

If you or your child has ever had a bad case of the flu, you know how miserable it can be. Especially for moms, it is awful to see your children feeling so bad and not be able to fix it. Black elderberries (sambucus nigra) have been shown to prevent flu and speed recovery in those who have the flu.

Elderberries contain high levels of A, B and C and stimulate the immune system. Several natural elderberry syrups are available at natural health stores, but usually for around $20 or more for 4 ounces. This recipe makes 16 ounces for a cost of under ten dollars and kids love the taste!

Homemade Elderberry Syrup Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup black elderberries
• 3.5 cups of water
• 2 T fresh or dried ginger root
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp cloves or clove powder
• 1 cup raw honey

How to Make Elderberry Syrup:

Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey!)

Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.

Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey and stir well.

When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a pint sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.

Ta Da! You just made homemade elderberry syrup! Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.

Standard dose is 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp for kids and 1/2 Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

Ever taken elderberry? Will you try this recipe?

I’m a huge fan of Caprese Salad, especially right now when tomatoes and basil are literally growing like weeds in the garden, but it isn’t very high in protein or fat and doesn’t make a good meal by itself. No worries, eggs fix everything! Enter the Caprese Omelet!

This omelet is very similar to the delicious salad version but with a much bigger protein punch. Tired of the usual bacon and eggs (say it isn’t so!), try this Italian variation! An omelet this good can’t be contained to just the breakfast realm, and it makes a delicious lunch or dinner also.

Caprese Omelet Ingredients:

• 2-4 Eggs
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 small/medium tomato, diced
• 3-4 (or more) basil leaves, finely chopped
• shredded mozzarella to taste
• Olive Oil (optional)
• Garlic, salt and pepper (optional)

How To Make A Caprese Omelet:

1. Melt butter in medium skillet over low/medium heat
2. Scramble eggs with fork in a shall bowl and season with garlic, salt and pepper if desired
3. Pour eggs into skillet and sprinkle tomatoes, cheese and basil on one half
4. When eggs are partially set, fold the empty half over to cover the side with tomatoes, basil and cheese
5. Cook until set, flipping if needed
6. Remove and promptly top with more tomatoes, basil and cheese and drizzle with olive oil if desired

This is my favorite omelet (at least for this week!) What’s your favorite? Chime in below!

Shared at Fight Back Friday

Now that we are just on the verge of Tomato and Pepper season, I wanted to share this recipe for cultured salsa. Fermenting salsa is an easy way to make it last longer without canning and it adds a probiotic boost.

We eat and drink a lot of fermented foods, from Water Kefir Soda to Sauerkraut, and fermented salsa is definitely one of the easiest ways to get the benefits of fermented foods in your diet.

If done properly, fermented salsa will last months in the fridge or in cold storage and get more probiotics with age.

Lacto Fermented Salsa Recipe

Ingredients and Supplies:

• 2.5-3 lbs of tomatoes of choice
• 1-2 onions
• 4 (or more) cloves of minced garlic
• Fresh Cilantro to taste (I use 1/2 cup or more)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 TBSP sea salt or celtic salt
• Spices to taste ( I use oregano, pepper, cumin, chili and cayenne)
• Peppers (sweet or spicy.. I use cayenne and habanero but sweet peppers work great too if you don’t like spicy!)
• 1/2 cup whey (make your own!)

How to Make Fermented Salsa

1. Chop tomatoes, peppers, onion and cilantro and mince garlic. If you have a food processor, your could definitely use it to speed up this step!
2. Toss all ingredients into large bowl
3. Add the juice of the lemon and lime
4. Add salt and spices to taste
5. Add whey and stir well to incorporate.
6. Pour into quart of half gallon size mason jars and cap tightly.
7. Leave on the counter for approximately 2 days.
8. Transfer to fridge or cold storage (oh, I wish I had a cellar or basement!)

Will last up to 8 months (that’s the longest I’ve tested!) if kept cold and flavor will intensify slightly over time. I find it actually tastes best after a couple weeks in the fridge to let flavors mingle a little more.

A Fast and Easy Tip

If you don’t have the time or ingredients to make your own salsa, you can get the benefits of fermented salsa by fermenting store bought salsa as well. If possible, use the fresh made salsas in the refrigerated section, but you can ferment canned versions also.

I tried this after reading this tip from Cheeseslave, and it works great. I had a lot of salsa that I had canned last year, and I’ve fermented it all before using it now to up the probiotic balance. I also fermented my homemade ketchup, barbecue sauce, pasta sauce, etc and they all tasted great!

What do you think? Is your kitchen a small scale chemistry lab? Do jars of foods in various stages of fermentation clutter your counter as they do mine? What’s your favorite?

This is another of my favorite homemade tincture recipes. We don’t have to use it often, but when one of the kids is sick, or we are traveling and their schedules are crazy, this natural tincture helps them sleep peacefully.

This recipe is good for adults too, if you struggle with insomnia or anxiety. It is a mildly and naturally relaxing and calming tincture that is great for sleep disturbances.

Homemade Sweet Dreams Sleep Tincture Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP dried Yarrow flowers (relaxing and nutrient packed)
• 2 TBSP dried Catnip (naturally calming)
• 2 TBSP dried Oatstraw (also helps with bed wetting)
• 2 TBSP Chamomile flowers (calming and relaxing)
• 1 TBSP dried Mint leaves
• 1 TBSP dried Hops flowers
• 1 TBSP dried stevia leaf
• boiling water
• 2 cups 80 proof or stronger vodka or rum
• glass quart size canning jar with airtight lid

How to Make Sleep Tincture:

1. Put all herbs in glass jar
2. Pour boiling water to just cover the herbs and mix well
3. Fill the jar the rest of the way with alcohol (don’t use rubbing or grain alcohol!)
4. Cap with airtight lid and leave in cool, dark place for at least 2 and up to 8 weeks, shaking daily.
5. After several weeks, strain the herbs out and store in small tincture bottles for use as needed.
6. Normal dose is 2-3 droppersful for adults and 1 dropperful for kids over two.

Ever have trouble sleeping? What’s your remedy?

You might have seen my recent recipe for Homemade Healthy Sunscreen, which although it is natural and safe, I don’t recommend using often because it limits Vitamin D production. Depending on where you live, something that might be used much more often is a natural homemade bug spray.

At my house, we joke about mosquitoes being the size of birds, and they certainly do seem to come in flocks! Especially with small children who are prone to scratch mosquito bites, keeping them away is a priority.

Also a priority is avoiding chemicals like DEET, which are present in many commercial insect repellents. According to this site:

One of the most widely used ingredients in store-bought conventional bug sprays for personal use is N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide, or DEET, as it’s commonly known. DEET, which is designed to repel, rather than kill, insects. DEET is used by an estimated one-third of the US population each year. Although DEET is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is a known eye irritant and can cause rashes, soreness, or blistering when applied to the skin. Additionally, DEET has been linked to neurological problems; according to the EPA, at least 18 different cases of children suffering adverse nuerological effects, as well as the deaths of two adults, have been associated with DEET. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found that DEET causes diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats.[1]

DEET has been shown to have a negative impact on wildlife and water sources in production and during use. DEET is toxic to birds and aquatic life. DEET has been found in approximately 75 percent of U.S. water sources, including the Mississippi River.[2]

As with practically every household item, natural bug spray can be made inexpensively and naturally at home. (I’m still working on perfecting recipes for shampoo and dishwasher detergent though! any ideas?)

This recipe literally takes just seconds to mix up and can be varied based on what you have available. I’ve included several variations so you can try whichever one you have the ingredients for.

Wellness Mama Essential Oil Bug Spray

Wellness Mama Bug Spray Ingredients:

• Essential oils: choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
• Natural Witch Hazel
• Distilled or boiled Water
• Vegetable glycerin (optional)

How to Make Homemade Bug Spray:

1. Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
2. Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin if using
4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. My personal favorite mix is: Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus… it works great and smells good too!

Make Bug Spray From Dried or Fresh Herbs

Fresh or Dried Herbs Bug Spray Ingredients:

• Distilled water
• witch hazel or rubbing alcohol
• dried herbs: peppermint, spearmint, citronella, lemongrass, catnip, lavender, etc. I recommend using at least one herb from the mint family.

How to Make Bug Spray From Fresh or Dried Herbs:

1. Boil 1 cup of water and add 3-4 TBSP of dried herbs total in any combination from the above. I use 1 TBSP each of peppermint, spearmint, catnip and lavender, and also throw in a couple of dried cloves.
2. Mix well, cover and let cool (covering is important to keep the volatile oils in!)
3. Strain herbs out and mix water with 1 cup of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol. Store in a spray bottle in a cool place (fridge is great because then its nice and cool!)
4. Use as needed. Added bonus: it smells great and is very refreshing to the skin!

Super Strong Insect Repellent Recipe

Fair warning: this stuff stinks when it is wet, though the smell disappears as it dries. It works incredibly well though, and this is the one I use when I’m going to be in the woods or in tick infested areas. It is based on a recipe that was supposedly used by thieves during the Black Plague to keep from getting sick. They used it internally and externally to avoid catching the disease and to keep the flies and other pests away. According to legend, it worked and they survived… but it definitely makes a great insect repellent these days! Its also very inexpensive to make and you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen!

Vinegar of the Four Thieves Insect Repellent Ingredients:

• 1 32 ounce bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 TBSP each of dried Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme and Mint
• At least quart size glass jar with airtight lid

How to Make the Vinegar of the Four Thieves Insect Repellent:

1. Put the vinegar and dried herbs into large glass jar.
2. Seal tightly and store on counter or place you will see it daily. Shake well each day for 2-3 weeks.
3. After 2-3 weeks, strain the herbs out and store in spray bottles or tincture bottles, preferably in fridge.
4. To use on skin, dilute to half with water in a spray bottle and use as needed.
5. Use whenever you need serious bug control!

[Note: This mixture is very strong and has antiviral and antibacterial properties. It can also be used as a tincture for any illness. For adults, dose is 1 TBSP in water several times a day,for kids over 2, dose is 1 tsp in water several times a day. More on this in an upcoming post!]

Other Simple Insect Repelling Ideas:

• Add vanilla extract to either of the above recipes, or just rub on the skin. You can also mix vanilla with witch hazel and water for a spray version.
• Rub lavender flowers or lavender oil on your skin, especially on hot parts of body (neck, underarms, behind ears, etc) to repel insects.
• Rub fresh or dried leaves of anything in the mint family all over skin to repel insects (peppermint, spearmint, catnip, pennyroyal, etc or citronella, lemongrass, etc) Basil is also said to repel mosquitoes and I’ve used fresh basil leaves in the garden with great success before!

What are your tricks for keeping bugs at bay? Which do you think is worse… the insects or the chemicals in most repellents?

I’ve talked before about the link between nutrition and oral health and shared the recipe I was using to make homemade natural toothpaste. That toothpaste works great, and it certainly gets teeth clean, but as I’ve read more about oral health since then, I wondered if that recipe could be improved.

There is a lot of emerging information about tooth remineralization, a process that many dentists previously thought was impossible. This article goes into detail about the science behind tooth reminerlization and the dietary steps necessary also. (It also explains why ingredients in most toothpastes, even natural ones, can demineralize teeth and cause tooth decay!)

The information I found in researching this was mirrored by my own experience over the last few months with natural toothpastes and a remineralizing diet. I didn’t have any actual cavities to try to heal, though one mom was able heal her son’s cavity with diet changes!

I’ve have noticed definite changes in my teeth over the last few months. My teeth are whiter than they’ve ever been and everyone who I’ve asked to try this toothpaste has remarked that it makes their teeth feel very clean.

The most surprising change in my teeth, however, was that they are no longer sensitive to cold! For as long as I can remember, biting in to anything cold (or even thinking of it!) made me shutter and hurt my front teeth. A few weeks ago when we made homemade ice cream, I noticed that I could eat it without my teeth hurting at all! I have never been able to do this at any point I can remember!

I even emailed the recipe to a friend of mine who is a holistic dentist to get his opinion on it. He tried it and told me that not only should it get teeth clean, but it could very well also speed up the remineralizing process.

This recipe is kid-approved, and since it has no fluoride, its safe on babies, toddlers, and those with thyroid problems.

If you want to whiten teeth, improve an oral health problem or just try a natural alternative to commercial toothpastes that contain harmful ingredients, definitely try making this toothpaste!

Homemade Remineralizing Toothpaste Ingredients:

• 5 parts Calcium powder (I used powdered Calcium Carbonate that I bought from iherb.com in my most recent batch, but to try the recipe out, I also powdered Tums antacid tablets(there is a mint version) and calcium tablets in a food processor to make the powder. Chalk also works, just make sure it isn’t colored! UPDATE: a couple of my awesome readers have noted that Tums contain aluminum and should not be used!)
• 1 part Diatomaceous Earth (optional- contains trace minerals and silica. UPDATE: A reader noted that DE can be abrasive and is not needed with the baking soda, so if you don’t have DE… no worries!)
• 2 parts Baking Soda
• 3 parts xylitol -I got this from iherb.com also. Xylitol is supposed to have beneficial properties for the teeth, though I also tried stevia powder and even just powdered actual stevia leaf and both also worked. This ingredient is not completely necessary, but just keeps it from tasting bitter.
• 1 part liquid castille soap
• 3-5 parts coconut oil to get desired texture
• Optional ingredients: Essential oils for flavor (mint, cinnamon and orange are all good), Grapefruit Seed Extract, Myrrh and Trace Minerals

[Note: To keep things simple, I just use a teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on the size batch I'm making, so the above recipe would read 5 TBSP calcium powder, 2 TBSP Baking Soda, etc]

How To Make Natural Remineralizing Toothpaste

1. Mix all powdered ingredients (calcium, Diatomaceous Earth, Baking Soda, Xylitol) well in a bowl. If you are starting with calcium tablets, powder them in a food processor. If you are starting with capsules, dump them out into the bowl.

2. Add Liquid Castille Soap and mix well.

3. Add Coconut Oil one part at a time until you get desired consistency.

4. Add any optional ingredients, including Essential Oils for flavor (my favorite is Peppermint Orange)

5. Store in small container like 1/2 pint glass jar. To use, either dip clean toothbrush into it, or use Popsicle stick or spoon to put on toothbrush. I’ve also thought of storing in a plastic bag with a corner cut off to be able to squeeze like toothpaste, but haven’t tried it yet.

If you don’t want to try making your own toothpaste, consider using one of these simple one-ingredient alternatives.

What do you think? Worth a try? Do you already make your own toothpaste? Join the conversation below!

This is by far the most used tincture in my homemade herbal remedy cabinet. It is simple to make, but very effective against early pregnancy nausea, motion sickness and tummy aches that happen when the kids eat unhealthy food when we are not at home.

I’ve used this tincture in transition during labor when nausea hits, to curb morning sickness, and even for stomach bugs to help stop vomiting. It also works great for indigestion, heartburn and other digestive disturbances.

This digestive remedy can be used externally on babies tummies for colic and gas and externally on the head (adult or child) for headaches.

This digestive remedy, along with my homemade chamomile tincture are two that I always keep on hand, especially with kids.

Herbal Digestion Remedy Tincture Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried peppermint leaves (available here or grow your own!)
• 1/4 cup-1/2 cup very finely diced fresh ginger root
• 1/4 cup dried fennel seeds
• Approximately 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• Approximately 1 1/2 cups vodka or rum
• quart size glass jar with airtight lid

How to Make Herbal Digestion Remedy Tincture

1. Put peppermint, ginger and fennel in glass jar and pour boiling water until they are just covered.
2. Fill the rest of the jar with vodka or rum (food grade only! no rubbing alcohol) and put on air tight lid.
3. Keep in a cool dark place for at least two weeks, but up to six, shaking daily.
4. After 2-6 weeks, strain through mesh strainer or cheesecloth and store in vials or small jars.
5. Dosage: for adults up to 1 tsp can be taken straight or in water as needed. For heartburn indigestion or nausea, one dose is usually sufficient, though sometimes a second dose is needed. In pregnancy, 1/2 tsp in the morning often helps with morning sickness, with additional doses if needed throughout the day. For children, 10-20 drops is usually enough, or it can be used externally.
6. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition, you should check with your doctor or midwife before using any herbal remedy or supplement.

Have you tried any herbal remedies instead of conventional methods? How did they work? Will you try this one? Let me know below!