Pardon my delay in blogging. We went away as a family to a local Christian campground last week. Upon returning, I felt (and still somewhat feel) like I was drowning in laundry, cleaning, getting things back to normal, animal chores, house chores, filling the fridge up again … and suddenly, it is August. And I’m a bit panicky inside my head thinking over the to-do lists for August … canning, homeschool prep, canning, garden work, canning, harvesting, canning … thankfully, it is all things I truly enjoy. And the girls are such helpers to me. I really appreciate them.
Anyways, upon our return of camping, one of the first things on my to-do list was harvest some of the herbs from the garden. I have mullein, sage, basil, lavender and catnip drying in the kitchen. I wanted to make some sage-infused honey for the winter months and so that was also on today’s project list.
Thinking ahead to cold and flu season is sometimes hard to do in the midst of a sticky, hot dry August summer day – but we, as mothers, all know, those winter days will be upon us in the blink of an eye.
With seven little (and bigger) ones, a cough, sore throat, cold or two is definitely a possibility with the seasonal change. A great remedy for sore throats and the likes is sage-infused honey.
We all know (or should know) how fabulous honey (especially local honey) is for you. It constantly amazes me to think of how God did not just create honeybees- but he created them to pollinate and produce such a valuable, healthy resources – honey! It has been proven (if you did not believe it yet) that honey is better for a sore throat and cough than regular “store bought” cough syrup.
Infused with sage, this honey will work wonders this winter.
Sage, meaning wisdom, does wonderful things to the body. It reduces inflammation, aids in the relief of asthma, arthritis, has vitamins A, B,C, potassium, zinc, manganese, calcium and iron all packed into those pretty green leaves. It can help with menopausal hot flashes (nursing mothers, beware – it can aid in drying up your nursing supply, so digest with caution). It can be used to treat fevers, promote sleep and is calming internally and externally. It will help clear up mucous so therefore is valuable in the cold season.
By infusing it in your local honey, it works as a beautiful natural cough/cold medicine.
To make this lovely medicine, simply pick your sage leaves (wash them, if preferred), pluck them from their stems and push them into your jar. Squish as many sage leaves as you can into your jar. The more sage leaves, the more potent.
Pour your honey overtop of the leaves…
And that is it. Let it sit for a few weeks and it will be infused. You can strain the leaves out if you wish or leave them in the honey. When your little one (or yourself) is feeling sick, simply add the honey to your tea or administer in a cup of warm water. You can also simply spoon a little bit into your little one’s mouth.
This will keep for quite a while (in fact, honey does not go bad), but I’m sure it will be used up within one season or so.
Place your jar in your natural medicine cabinent with joy, knowing your family will be healthy and well taken care of this upcoming winter.
Whoever works his farmland will have abundant food, but whoever chases fantasies will become very poor.
The faithful man will prosper with blessings, but whoever is in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.
Proverbs 28:19–20
by Gigi
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