Hot Buttered Cinnamon Tea

Now that the weather has turned and the days are chilly I long for a cup of hot tea in the morning. Coffee usually gives me the jitters and causes my blood sugar to dip - so black tea it is. I love it. I'm not sure any other word can describe my relationship with tea. There's something about savoring a few moments of quiet in the morning with my hot cup of tea and a brief prayer as I begin my day. Now, to be honest those moments hardly happen around here with three little ones, but a girl can dream, can't she? It gives me the boost to get going in the morning without the horrible crash later in the day, and it taste ooh so delicious.

A beautiful Tibetan woman drinking Yak Butter tea.

A few weeks back my sister told me she was drinking butter in her coffee. I immediately thought, "Eww!" But after some convincing, I had to try it, and maybe it was good after all? I was out of cream as usual so I made my tea, blended it with butter and honey and was immediately hooked. Thanks sis!

I looked up hot buttered coffee and found a bit of information on it, apparently it's an Ethiopian tradition to drink butter in your coffee and in Tibet they drink Yak butter in their tea. So I'm not crazy after all!

When I told my mother about my newest obsession she said, "Like hot buttered rum? Oh yeah!" Yes Mom, just like hot buttered rum. :)

According to a travel and leisure website it's considered one of the world's strangest street foods. "It's made by churning or shaking yak butter, black tea, and salt together in a covered container; the result is best consumed when it's hot and foamy." Locals usually drink dozens of cups a day and if you are a guest in their home local custom dictates that your cup is filled after every sip.

So interesting!

Now, I don't have yak butter, but I do have delicious Kerrygold butter made from cows grazing on green grass in Ireland. It's a slice of heaven if there ever was one and taste wonderful in tea. Here is my "recipe" if you are interested in trying it out:

 
Hot Buttered Cinnamon Tea

12 ounces hot black or Rooibos tea (or coffee if you prefer!)
1- 2 tbl butter
1 tbl honey
A dash of cinnamon

Blend your tea, butter and honey with an immersion blender or countertop blender. Blend till creamy and frothy. Pour into your favorite mug, top with a dash of cinnamon and enjoy!

Let me know what you think or if you have tried this before, I would love to know!

~ Sarah

"You learn about great food by finding the best there is . . . then you savor it, analyze it and discuss it with your companions . . ." - Julia Child

Linking up with Party Wave Wednesday and  Pennywise Platter

Favorite Cold Remedies

Growing up my mom would make us take an Echinacea tincture for our colds. She would give it to us strait from the dropper undiluted. It was SO gross, but I think it really helped!
 
Now that I am a mother I still use Echinacea for colds and immune boosting benefits, but it's not the most frugal option out there. It's not easy to get the kids to take it unless it's a children's formula, but one small bottle will run you about $15.

Echinacea is also more of an aid to boosting your immune system rather than a kicker for colds. What we have experimented with in our household are different frugal cold remedies that really kick the cold before it gets bad.





So here are our favorites:

Raw Garlic. As soon as I start to feel a cold coming on I chop up a few cloves of raw garlic and swallow it. This works best if you do it several times until you feel the cold going away. Garlic has very strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. It also boost your immune system among many other things. Not to mention this remedy cost cents and really works. It's a little spicy going down, but worth it!

Raw Ginger - this is another really potent food remedy for colds. Even spicier than garlic so it may be hard to swallow. A great way to ingest it is through making your own ginger tea. Finely chop a few tablespoon of ginger and add to your hot water to make ginger tea. After steeping for a bit, strain the tea and add raw honey to balance out the spicy ginger. It will feel great on your throat and help fight that cold. You can also buy quality ginger tea if you don't want to mess with it raw.

Raw Honey - honey is very soothing to the sore throat and has natural antibiotic properties. It also contains vitamins and minerals to help you heal faster. This mom uses  honey mixed with cinnamon for her children's colds.  If there is one remedy my children will readily take its raw honey, they love it!

Bone Broth - being sick depletes your system of much needed vitamins and minerals for healing. Homemade bone broth made into soups or sipped in a mug help the healing process move faster. This is a little more time consuming if you don't have some on hand, but I try to make a big batch and freeze the extra. There's nothing tastier than a chicken soup made with homemade bone broth, food for the soul! Here's a great tutorial on how to make it. 

Apple Cider Vinegar and Raw Honey

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar - last but certainly not least, this is my favorite remedy! Apple Cider Vinegar is considered the cure all remedy. It's the best I tell you!  You can read all about the uses here.  For our coughs and colds this remedy has been the best. I can mix it with raw honey and water and my children will drink it happily. I cannot praise it enough. In the winter we are going to take it daily to keep the colds away before they even come around.




Do you have a favorite cold remedy that's not listed here? Let me know in the comments!


I am linking up with Hallie's Five Favorites, Party Wave Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday and Pennywise platter. Make sure to check out all the other links for some great posts!

"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible"
-St. Ignatius of Antioch

Chamomile Teething Tincture

I'm not sure about your house, but over here teething gets a lot uglier than this ---->

My son was getting three teeth at once and I had had no teething remedies in the house. What was I thinking? 

I wasn't!

Luckily he is a very sweet tempered baby, or I might have more gray hair. (did I just admit that?!)

I looked up herbal remedies for teething and found different tinctures were recommended. Have you ever bought one? They are expensive! So I took a leap and ventured to make my own, it's a LOT easier than it seems. Here's the recipe:

Chamomile Teething Tincture

1 oz. dried Chamomile. 

5 oz. Brandy

Mix together in a jar - let it sit for 3 weeks. Strain the chamomile through a thin cloth or cheesecloth.

Put it in an old container and pat your baby's gums with it when necessary. And there you have it, you made a tincture!

Wondering what the heck Chamomile is? I have to say it is one of my favorite herbs. After a long day there is nothing better than chamomile tea.

Chamomile has calming, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. You can tell after you've had a cup of tea. It's wonderful. I fall asleep faster, relax easier and simply LOVE the taste. 

Another cool thing? According to this book, it was recommended in 900 BC by Asclepiades, a physician skilled in using herbs. So long ago!


What else helps a teething baby or upset toddler?

Kids Rescue Remedy!

I held off for so long buying this because it really IS expensive...but I have to say it works. Now I just need to remind myself to give some to my toddler when she gets upset, and MYSELF when I get upset! It's a homeopathic remedy that uses herbs to calm the nerves. it's wonderful. 

I am simply amazed at God's goodness and divine providence. He has and always will provide all that need.  Thank you Lord. 

For further reading:

Hildegard's Healing Plants: From Her Medieval Classic Physica 

Growing 101 Herbs That Heal

Country Herbal - Lesly Gordon

Where to find Chamomile?

Most specialty stores should carry it or you can purchase some at Mountain Rose Herbs. They carry very tasty chamomile, I love it!

"Father, you told me, I have committed many errors, I have made so many mistakes.
I know, I replied. But God Our Lord, who also knows all that and has taken it into account, only asks you to be humble enough to admit it and asks that you struggle to make amends, so as to serve him better each day with more interior life, with continual prayer and with piety, and making use of the proper means to sanctify your work." - St. Josemaria Escriva

Herb Spot: Lemon Balm

If you want to start an herb garden, start with Lemon Balm. You can basically neglect it and it will still grow! It will grow in the shade, sun, in a pot and even with the weeds!

My first experience with Lemon Balm was when a friend brought me her handcrafted, backyard tea. It makes the best tea!! Since then I have been in love and planted my own.

After a little research, I found that Lemon Balm is a great stress reliever. YAY! Not only does it taste great, it helps soothe the mind.  It's beneficial for winter illnesses, children's overall health, the digestive tract and a boost for the immune system. ALL in one plant! It's like God telling us, "I got this, just use what I give you!" hehe.

You can buy a plant at almost any nursery or you can buy the dried herb from a wonderful herb company.

Amazon also carries Lemon Balm tea! I have not tried this brand, but I'm sure it's wonderful.

Want to know who else has something to say about Lemon Balm?? 

St. Hildegard of Bingen!

I found the recipe below in the book, Saint Hildegard's Kitchen. I have yet to try it, so if you do let me know how it taste!

Lemon Balm Soother

Take 1 part lemon balm to 3 parts fennel leaves, boil together in water, strain out the plants, and drink the remaining liquid. This is an elixir used to combat mental confusion. Lemon balm reduces the effects of harmful humors and prevents them from gaining the upper hand, says Hildegard. The juice from the fennel plant puts the person in a proper, cheerful mood!

If you haven't already, enter to win 4 bars of handmade soap, they are lovely!

“Prayer is the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God.”

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Do you know what im talking about?? I bet you do! If you are a mother or have a mother you probably know exactly what im talking about. The mother is the heart of the home and if that heart is happy and functioning well, then, so are the legs and arms!

I don't know about you but recently I have learned some huge lessons. One being that I need to take care of myself. I say need because it's not really an option. What I really want is someone to take care of me all the time, darn it! BUT, that's also not my vocation as a mother. We are lovers and givers, continually sacrificing all that we have for our husband and children - so let's address this happiness part.

There are so many ways to make a Momma happy. Take her out, buy her some pretty things, let her read a good book, go on a spiritual retreat, etc. They are all great and very helpful but I am going to address the food aspect of making Momma happy.

 At times I deal with mood swings, low blood sugar, food allergies, painful teeth and extreme exhaustion. DO you have a hard time getting out of bed? Do you have a hard time being cheerful to your hubby in the morning or evening? I certainly do! 

When I don't take care of myself regarding food I have a very hard time being virtuous.

When I put things into my body that harm, rather than help me it affects my spiritual life! When I eat too much sugar or processed foods I don't have energy to do the dishes and forget about that laundry! It's not only the household chores, my patience with the kids goes right out the window. It's very hard to take care of myself in this manner. I simply want to "treat" myself at the end of the day, but it's not a treat in the end!

SO what foods DO make me happy and want to love my family more?!? 

Here are some of my favorite "super" foods that I won't go without:

1.       My number one choice: Coconut oil!  There is SO much information out there about coconut oil and its all good to know but it has helped me with: Blood sugar regulation, clearer thinking (its a brain food), losing weight, (oh ya!) and most importantly it helps with my energy! You can use it in cooking and baking but if you really want a boost just melt it and swallow it, you won't regret it!

    2.  I would say my number two choice: Fermented Cod Liver Oil. I don't know about you but I start to
         get pretty moody without my vitamin D! This cod liver oil is the most usable form of Vit. D (among
         many other good things) there is out there. YES, its super expensive but I swear by it. You will get
        sick less, (what mom wants to be on the couch feeling useless?!)  your hair and nails will be awesome
        and you won't be visiting the dentist much! (I will tell that story later)

   3.  It's hard to pick, but I gotta hand it to: Raw Milk. If you can tolerate cow's milk that's awesome. I
        drink raw goat's milk. Yes, it also is very expensive but this is treating myself. This is taking care of  
       myself. There is nothing more comforting to me than a big glass of milk and a good book. (or blog
       post!)

   4.  This is not a super food but it also makes me happy. Get yourself some good relaxing tea! It does
       calm the nerves and it puts you in a good mood. :)

Here's to a happy Momma!

This post was first shared over here at my dear friend, Kate's blog. Be sure to check her out!