Friday, March 6, 2020

A little of this and that . . .



I'm pretty sure that March came in like a lamb here in my neck of the woods!  The sun is shining, it's beautiful and It's not too cold outside. Right now, it's 45 beautiful degrees and in Idaho . . . that's suntan weather!!  I just talked to my daughter and she told me that she saw more than one car in town with it's top down!

March is a super busy month for us with birthdays.  Most of our grandchildren have birthdays in March, starting with March 1st and ending on March 30th.  Nathan was first!  He's a wonderful boy who is smart and kind and marches to his own drummer...we sure do love him!
 

March is also my mom's birthday month so I always feel a little nostalgic in this time of year.   I love this picture of her, it was taken on her on her 89th birthday, she was such a good sport to wear a crown...she really was a queen!  I miss her every single day.


I am almost 1/2  Irish ;0) so I thought I would make a traditional Irish dinner on St, Patrick's Day.  My mom loved to make corned beef, so in honor of her, that's what I'll make.  This is the recipe I use, it's super easy and super delicious! https://diethood.com/corned-beef-cabbage-recipe/

I'll make a loaf of Soda Bread to go along with it, you can find the recipe here.  This recipe is so easy and it just melts in your mouth.  I  always put a few raisins and caraway seeds in mine, it's so good.

Doesn't this cake look divine!?  This cake has been on my radar, so this is a perfect time to make it!  You can find the recipe here , enjoy...yum.

Now on to more serious things...the Coronavirus.  I will tell you a few of the things I'm doing personally.  I'm not a doctor, these are just the things that I am doing to stay healthy.

We make Elderberry syrup and take it every day.  I will share that recipe with you, but you can find it online, or you can also buy it at most drug stores.  We also drink milk kefir.  It's full of probiotics!  Here is a great article that can explain it's benefits of drinking kefir much better than I can.   It's delicious and well worth the investment of the kefir grains that you can purchase online or at most health food stores.  We love it!!  I feel like the Elder Berry syrup and the milk kefir have helped us boost our immune system a bit.  Neither of us has been sick this winter.

My recipe for Elderberry Syrup

2/3 cup of dried elderberries - up to a cup ( I order mine online)
3 1/2 cups of water
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger root (I have used powdered, just use 1/2 tabl.)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup of RAW honey

1. Add water, elderberries, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a medium saucepan. Do not add the honey yet.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes until the liquid is reduced by almost half. Cool.

3. Mash the berries using a spoon or another utensil (I actually use a potato masher). Pour into a glass jar (mason jars work great!) using a strainer or a piece of cheesecloth, making sure to capture every last bit of liquid. Fill a mason jar about halfway, allowing room to add the honey after it cools. This recipe will generally make about one quart of syrup, so you can use either a quart sized mason jar or 2 pint sized ones.

4. Discard or compost the elderberries and let liquid cool a little then add the honey.

5. Mix the liquid and honey. The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months. Of course, three months is an estimate. If you notice it turning funky before then, discard it! You can also keep a small amount in the refrigerator and freeze the rest for later.
Caution: Do not eat the raw elderberries since they can cause nausea and vomiting.

We take this daily, so ours has never gone bad.  Make sure to start the increased dose at the first signs of flu symptoms!

Adults:

Prevention: 1 tablespoon once daily
Treatment: 1 tablespoon four times a day

Children:

Prevention: 1/2 – 1 teaspoon once daily
Treatment: 1/2 – 1 teaspoon four times a day

Caution: Do not give to infants less than one year old due to the honey content. Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum which can cause botulism in infants under 12 months.

(Again, I am not a physician and this information should not be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Please consult with your physician before using any herbal or dietary supplement.)

 I believe that we just need to use common sense, wash your hands and your cell phone, keep your hands away from your face, if you are sick...STAY HOME. Don't shake hands, elbow bump :0) 

I think it's important to be prepared and have a supply of food in your pantry.  I don't think you need to have a 2 year supply, but I do think you may need a 2 week supply in case you can't get out or you are quarantined. 

Stay calm. Don't panic.  Pray and count your blessings, because they are many!

Be safe XOXO

Hugs and Love,
Barb










7 comments:

Terra said...

Corned beef and cabbage, yum. My youngest son already requested that, and it would be fun to add soda bread, which I have never made. I ordered some face masks in case the virus turns virulent, their main function is to stop us from touching our face and getting infected. Apparently people touch their face very often!

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Barb. I totally agree with your advice that good common sense and a few extra supplies go along way. We just had our first case announced and a state of emergency declared by our governor here in Utah. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I had never heard of that. Stay well. See you again soon.

Vee said...

Love that photo of your mom! It is odd that so many in your family have March birthdays? What’s the next busiest birthday month? Hope that the weather continues to be temperate. I think we are all ready for a good spring.

Sue said...

Corned beef and cabbage sounds delicious, as does the dessert, and Irish soda bread! Birthday blessings to all of your family this month.
Loving thoughts as you remember your Mom on her birthday, Barb!
We too are taking precautions as this terrible virus seem to be getting worse. We are taking lots of supplements to build our immune system Elderberry is a good one too! Thanks for sharing,
Have a blessed evening.
Sue

Cindy said...

Quite a birthday month for your family! Lots of people to celebrate! I've heard a lot about the Elderberry syrup. I haven't tried it yet but I have some co-workers that take it every day. We usually take EmergenC once a day and that helps us. Every body is different and I'm glad you've found the thing that works for you! And of course common sense. I wish that could be sold in stores!! :)

Just Ramblin' said...

Reading your recipe for Elderberry Syrup brought back memories of my growing up years in Midway. My folks had an Elderberry bush in the back yard and we would make jelly and syrup. I think Mother may have even made some juice for us to drink, but not sure. There is nothing better! I have never made Irish Soda bread so may just have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Love the picture of your sweet mother. I really miss my mom and that daily visit on the phone. Have a great day.

Christine said...

Barb, Thank you for sharing the photos of the Corned Beef and Cabbage. Like your dear Mother, my own Mother really enjoyed making this each March. Sadly, it is not as popular here and my husband isn't too keen, so I no longer make it.
I had to have a wee chuckle when you spoke about people in your area driving with the tops down in their cars :-) It is the same here. The minute the sun makes an appearance and there's a bit of warmth, you can see all manner of people trying to pretend it's summer by dressing in shorts, tank tops... I'm afraid I am not that brave when most of us are still going about in jackets!
Enjoyed you post very much, and I wish you a lovely week.
Blessings,
Christine

Happy Spring!

  Outside my window . . .  Two weeks ago this is what it looked like.  We had a  huge winter storm, and got 12 inches of new snow!  It was c...