The Paleo Mama

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Soothing Elixir for Cold and Flu Season

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The moment I feel myself getting the sniffles, I grab a few lemons, some ginger, some green tea, cinnamon, and some local, raw honey and I make myself this Soothing Elixir for cold and flu season.  It’s so deeply nourishing and easy to make and helps to boost immunity. 

You can make it in the crockpot and let it simmer all day, ladle a hot glass when you want, or you can make it on the stovetop. Either way works great and there are many “add-ins” you can put it in to add more nutrition.

Soothing Elixir for Cold and Flu Season

Ingredients: 

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Instructions: 

  1. Pour the water in a pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the lemons, ginger, tea bags, and cinnamon sticks. Cover and let steep for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Pour the apple cider vinegar into a pitcher or a large half gallon mason jar .
  4. Dump the tea into the mason jar. You can keep the lemons and ginger in, but remove the tea bags.
  5. When ready to drink, warm up, and add in a teaspoon or two of raw honey.
  6. OPTIONAL Add-ins: tumeric, coconut oil, and gelatin.

Soothing Elixir for Colds and Flus
Serves 8
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 lemons, sliced in circles
  2. 8 Echinacea tea bags
  3. 3 cinnamon sticks
  4. 2 inch piece of ginger, sliced thin
  5. 1/4-1/2 cup of raw apple cider vinegar
  6. 6 cups of water
  7. Raw Honey
  8. OPTIONAL: turmeric, coconut oil, or gelatin.
Instructions
  1. Pour the water in a pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the lemons, ginger, tea bags, and cinnamon sticks. Cover and let steep for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Pour the apple cider vinegar into a pitcher or a large half gallon mason jar .
  4. Dump the tea into the mason jar. You can keep the lemons and ginger in, but remove the tea bags.
  5. When ready to drink, warm up, and add in a teaspoon or two of raw honey.
  6. OPTIONAL Add-ins: tumeric, coconut oil, and gelatin.
The Paleo Mama https://thepaleomama.com/

Slow Cooked Pears with Lemon and Thyme

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I’m honored to have Julie from Real Fit Mama over here on my blog today sharing a simple, yet decadent recipe.  Julie loves sharing her passion for fitness, health and well-being and I’m so grateful to have her sharing a beautiful recipe with us. Julie authors an amazing book, Real Fit at Any Age, A Fitness Guide to Optimal Health from 1 to 100. Please give Julie a warm-welcome and be sure to follow her Facebook page to keep up with all she is doing! 

Slow Cooked Pears with Lemon and Thyme

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Simple to make, the soft warm pears will melt in your mouth.  A perfect desert for any night, they are naturally sweet and full of flavor without any concentrated sweetener.  The thyme adds just a hint of complexity, and boosts the immune enhancing quality of this dish.  Cinnamon is warming and promotes circulation.  It also helps to relieve cold from the outer layer of the body.  Pears themselves nourish the lungs and moisten the body, enhancing skin quality and large intestine function.  To dress them up, simply serve along side vanilla ice cream or top with homemade whipped cream.

All of this in a delicious dessert? Sign me up! Plus, with the slow cooker, they are so easy to make it’s just ridiculous.  Like all good desserts (in my humble opinion), these pears make an awesome breakfast too.  Slow-cooked pears with some warm homemade pumpkin bread, anyone? Or how about with a big side of bacon? Yes yes yes, please for me!

Added bonus: These pears are an adaptation of a traditional Korean cold remedy.  Cooking them fills the house with a rich soothing aroma that stokes your appetite.  With no concentrated sweeteners, they are naturally flavorful and full of health benefits.  Ready to dive in to Autumn? Here we go…

 Ingredients for Slow Cooked Pears:

  • 6 pears, medium ripe and firm
  • 1 TBS butter
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 TBS raisins
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ lemon

ingredients

How to prepare:  

  1. Wash and peel pears.  Then quarter them and remove the cores.
  2. Place in a slow cooker.
  3. Mix juice of ½ lemon with vanilla extract and cinnamon.
  4. Pour over pears.
  5. Sprinkle in raisins.
  6. Add butter.
  7. Place thyme sprigs on top.
  8. Cook on low for 3 ½ or 4 hours.
  9. Serve warm.  Drizzle with juice at bottom of the slow cooker.

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Enjoy!

cookedpears

realfitmama

Julie de Lagarde, Real Fit Mama

Conceived in the belly of my integrative wellness practice, Real Fit Mama was born in early April 2013 as the next generation in my wellness family. I recently started writing and blogging, ready to share what I’ve learned through decades of living and nearly a decade of clinical acupuncture practice. Real Fit Mama has opened doors to allow me a more personal and intimate connection with a broad base of people, based on my experiences as a mom, Real Food eater, athlete, and acupuncturist.  My mission is to inspire and empower people to find connection, joy, and optimal wellbeing.

 

Follow Julie on Social Media! 

 

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A Day in the Life of “Homeschooling”: From Sheep to Sweater

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My favorite thing about having my kids at home with me is the opportunity to teach them valuable lessons from everyday life. I feel it is so important for them to understand the process of hard work…learning that an egg just doesn’t come from the grocery store…or that a sweater isn’t just as easy as grabbing from Walmart. No, I believe in teaching them the process behind things so that they can fully appreciate what they have.

Lesson from the Land: From Sheep to Sweater – grab your kids and do this with them!

Today’s random lesson came when I saw this picture of a Valais Blacknose Sheep from Switzerland. I called my daughter over to come look at how adorable they are.

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This started the conversation of their wool and how we use their wool to make many, many kinds of clothes. I grabbed my son’s wool sweater and put my new wool socks on and proceeded to tell them the process from sheep to sweater.

Thank God for You Tube! First we talked about sheep and the many uses for them. They have delicious milk, they provide meat, but most of all, people have been using their fur for many, many years. I told them how the farmer let’s their wool grow all year long, but when winter is over, in the spring, he SHEARS them.

“Does it hurt?” asked my daughter.

“Not at all! The farmer has special scissors or clippers that make the job easy. ” Then we watched this video of a farmer shearing his sheep.

They watched it intently for the whole 8 minutes. We watched how carefully he held the sheep and how good the sheep was.

Then we talked about what happens after the sheep is sheared. All the wool is now spun into yarn. Today, it’s easier to do this cause man has machines. But, back in the day, it was a careful process that was all done by hand.

We watched this video of a lady spinning wool into yarn by hand.

We finished off our lesson reading a beautiful book called, “A New Coat for Anna.” I was happy to have this book in our collection and we all snuggled together and read the story. It is about a little girl who needs a new coat. Her mother sets out to find a good farmer with sheep and purchases the wool. She then takes the wool to a lady to spin. Then she takes it to a lady to weave it. And finally she takes the cloth to a tailor to make a special red coat for Anna. The whole process takes a little under a year! It made me realize how much we have forgotten about this whole process of waiting for things to come into season.

If you don’t have the book, you can CLICK HERE to watch a book reading on You Tube.

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It was a wonderful lesson that just randomly happened when we saw a cute little sheep! These opportunities are always available to us…we just need to have a watchful eye for when they pop up!

 

Butternut and Sweet Potato Puree

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Squash-Sweet Potato Puree 2-1

Today I’m excited forJennifer of Sweet Plantains to share her Butternut and Sweet Potato Puree recipe with us.  Jennifer shared her Chocolate Pecan Pie Energy Bars with us a few months ago and it has been a HIT. Please head over to Sweet Plantains and check out Jennifer’s amazing recipes and don’t forget to follow Sweet Plantains on Facebook! Please welcome Jennifer! 
I just love butternut squash – of all the squashes…it’s my favorite. When Fall rolls around, I’m always the most excited to break open a lovely butternut squash and let that sweet scent fill the air around me. Mmm…

One of the first dishes I made this season was this Butternut and Sweet Potato Puree. A complete experiment, it was the perfect accompaniment to my beef stew one weekend. Now it’s made a weekly appearance at our table!

At first, I called this a mashed potato substitute, but I had to stop myself. Sure, it’s got an amazing thick texture reminiscent to that old standby. And it’s perfect to serve with almost any main course. But this delicious Fall side dish has a personality all it’s own…how could I do it such a disservice, I ask you?

This recipe makes such a nice big batch, that it’s just the thing to serve for the holidays – and unlike mashed potatoes, it’s perfect to make ahead! Just pull it all together the day before, and it’s just as wonderful the next day. How awesome is that?

Butternut-Sweet Potato Puree

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
3 lb Butternut Squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into 1″ chunks
1 t. dried, ground Lemongrass
1/2 t. ground Cumin
3 T. Butter or Ghee
Salt and Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the sweet potatoes and squash in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and let simmer until both the potatoes and squash are easily pierced with a fork. Drain. Wipe down the pot with a cloth or paper towel to remove any remaining pieces.

2. Working in batches, if necessary, puree the potatoes and squash in a food processor until quite smooth. Pour the puree into the pot.

3. Add the lemongrass, cumin, and butter/or ghee to the puree and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or whisk until the butter is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Enjoy!

Jennifer is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four. She is an avid cook, health enthusiast, and lover of all things homemade! At Sweet Plantains she shares original recipes, homeschooling tips, parenting thoughts, and anything else that strikes her fancy. In her spare time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, reading nutrition books, and being barefoot outdoors with her little ones!

How to Dye Your Hair with Henna

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Henna is the safest way to color your hair. Henna is a plant that grows in hot, dry climates. It’s leaves are harvest, dehydrated, and then made into powder. When Henna is mixed with an acid medium, henna will stain your nails, skin, or hair into a reddish-brown color. This makes it a safe, non-toxic way to dye your hair. Henna has been used for thousands of years to keep hair healthy and to color white or gray hair. There is only ONE color of Henna, however, there are different ranges of that color depending on the climate and soil of that plant and I’m happy to show you how to dye your hair with henna! 

There are so many amazing benefits of using Henna…

hennameme

What Kind of Henna Should I Avoid?

You may have seen various types of commercially produced “boxed” Henna treatments that specifies for “blond hair”, “black hair” or strawberry-blonde hair”. I’ve learned over the years of doing Henna on my hair that these are very poor quality of Henna. They are produced by adding synthetic dyes, metallic salts, and other plant dyes to a poor quality of Henna. You want to steer very clear of anything that is labeled for a specific hair color. Look for Henna that is 100% Henna. The best quality you can get is Henna that is labeled “body-art Henna.” It has the highest dye content of Henna.

What will Henna Look Like On My Hair? 

See all my white/gray hair?

Because the red-orange dye molecule is binding to the keratin that surrounds the pigmented hair core, the resulting color is different for every strand of hair, and for every person. The henna stain is translucent, and blends with your own color. Hennaed hair looks like you grew it yourself! The color you get on your hair will vary depending on your hair color you have now and the chemicals you already have on your hair. Many ask if it is safe to apply Henna on color-treated hair and the answer is YES! But it’s only safe to use high quality, body-art quality Henna.

My Hair: Henna IS permanent if you use 100% Henna. See the pic below. Kinda embarrassing that I waited so long to color my roots, but you can see my white roots coming out and you can see the red Henna “highlights”. It had been 3 months since my last Henna treatment and the color was still going strong (other than my new roots). I do want to add, I use a natural shampoo and conditioner. It is wild-crafted, raw and vegan and I love it on my hair!

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If you have course hair, Henna will be amazing for it! It won’t dye your hair completely red, but it will give it red highlights, loosen the curl, and make it silky!

How to Apply Henna to Your Hair 

You can purchase your high-quality henna from here. 

You need to use a acid medium to apply henna. Lemon juice does this very well. When mixed together it releases the dye and bind to the keratin in your hair. This makes Henna permanent.

Step One:  MIX IT! Mix enough henna with lemon juice to make it like the consistency of mashed potatoes (see photo below). If lemon juice is too harsh on your skin, use something less acidic like grapefruit or orange juice. You could use vinegar or wine, but your hair will be a little stinky for awhile. Don’t use boiling water or your Henna will fade and be an ugly orange.

  • Short Hair (use 100g or 1 cup)
  • Collar Length Hair (use 200g or 2 cups)
  • Shoulder Length Hair (use 300g or 3 cups)
  • Waist Length Hair (use 500g or 5 cups)

If you have thick hair, add an extra 1/2 cup to a cup of Henna powder. 

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Step Two: REST IT. You need to let your Henna paste rest for several hours. I usually mix the Henna in the morning and apply to my hair at night. Letting it rest allows the slow dye release and will give you the BEST results. Cover your Henna with a plastic wrap and let it stew.

Step Three: MIX IT AGAIN. It’s been several hours and you are ready to apply. Mix some more lemon juice with the paste mixture until it is the consistency of yogurt.

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Step Four: APPLY IT. WEAR GLOVES. Henna is permanent and it will stain everything it comes in contact with. This is the messy step. I have a few suggestions to make it easier. Get in your bathtub and fill it up with water. Apply the Henna while standing in your tub. Or, you can go outside and apply. Bring a mirror.

  • Do not be stingy. Apply generously and thick for a deep, rich color.
  • Comb your hair and divide it into sections.
  • You can put the Henna in a piping back, squeeze bottle, or just use your fingers and apply. I find the latter to be the easiest.
  • Start at the back and work the Henna down to the scalp. Apply it thick! Then bring down the next section and Henna it. Make sure every bit of hair is THICKLY coated…like cake frosting. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of Henna and don’t be afraid to get messy.

hennasteps

Step Five: RELAX. When all your hair is covered with Henna, wipe your skin clean of any Henna, and wrap everything up in a plastic wrap. This keeps the Henna warm and moist and allows the hair to take in the dye. I then wrap a large DARK towel (remember Henna will stain anything it touches) around my head. This is when I go to bed. Yes, I sleep with the Henna on my head all night. This is not necessary but I have found that it covers my gray hair the best when I leave it on for, at least, 6 hours. The recommendation is 2-4 hours, but if you know that your hair is resistant to dye or has gray, then you may want to leave it on a little longer. I lay a dark towel over my pillow and sleep. I actually sleep really well with Henna on my head and it is also known that Henna can soothe headaches. So, just relax and enjoy the full benefit that Henna can give you.

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Step Six: RINSE IT. Time to rinse out the Henna. I have shorter hair so this step isn’t too difficult. I take a nice long shower and rinse it out completely. I follow it with a wash and condition. When my hair was much longer, I used to fill up the bathtub and lay down in the water. This helped get the Henna out of my hair.

A few things…

  • Henna may seem really bright at first. Do not panic…it will darken over the next few days if you used the acidic mix. It will take about 3 days to settle into the true color.
  • Once again, DO NOT be stingy with the mix. More is always better with Henna.
  • You can use this on beards too if you would like!
  • Some people can’t stand the smell of Henna. I, personally, love it. It’s earthy and sultry. If you can’t stand the smell, you can add 1 TB of powdered ginger, clove, or cinnamon to your Henna mix.

Where to Buy Henna: 

  1. Order high quality henna from HERE.
  2. Check a local Indian store to buy it SUPER cheap!!! Just make sure it’s 100% Henna!

The day after I slept in Henna.

 

https://www.hennaforhair.com/techniques/deb/

https://www.hennaforhair.com/freebooks/hennaforhair.pdf

What Does 125 Gallons of Donated Breast Milk Look Like?

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donated breastmilk

A friend asked me yesterday what my most popular, or most viewed post was. I shared with her THIS POST. It was written about a little under 2 years ago during a very challenging time. I re-read it and was in tears. Every emotion came back to me and I remembered every terrible detail of that period in my life.

I’ve shared with you all that I lost my younger sister 2 years ago to suicide. My son was a newborn at the time, well, he was 2 months old, and I was breastfeeding him. He actually was so easy to breastfeed compared to my daughter. I had horrible issues with my daughter, including her completely taking a chunk of my nipple off. And, yes, stubborn me, I nursed right through it all. I was super-mama. I could nurse with a missing nipple…even though I, secretly, despised every whimper or cry my daughter made to nurse when she was hungry.

My son was a completely different story. I was so happy that we had such a good nursing relationship from the start. I guess this is how it usually is with your second child. However, the day my sister died, my supply immediately tanked. I talk about my experience more in depth in THIS POST. But, I remember sitting on the curb outside my sister’s house 15 minutes after we discovered that she had taken her own life. My son was hungry and I had to feed him. I had to give life in the midst of death….and I couldn’t. I couldn’t.

I will never judge another mom who I see give formula to their baby. I was so ashamed. I felt so guilty. I felt so inadequate as a mother. I drove myself crazy trying to get some milk out of my deflated breasts. I pumped while I was grieving. I took herbal supplements while eating care-meals that were delivered to us. I wore an Supplemental Nursing System in the middle of my sister’s funeral. I tried and I tried and I tried…and I failed. My body was telling me I needed the rest. My body was telling me to focus on myself…on my grief…on my loss. But I could not just let it go. Here I am trying to care for my 2 year old and my newborn baby …but my body was not able to keep up with the high demand that I was giving it.

Embarrassed by what I had to do…I shamefully, purchased baby formula in secret. I put that formula in my Medela bottles so people would think that it was pumped breastmilk. I even wore a nursing cover while feeding my son out of a bottle UNDER THE BLANKET. I was so ashamed.

My healing…

This is what 125 gallons of donated breastmilk looks like…

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Two years later my son is a brilliant, strong, and healthy little boy. I made it. I got through the toughest season of my life. For a short while, I thought he was my curse. How could something so tragic happen when I had a newborn? I was so mad at God for giving me this “burden”. I loved my son so much, but, why? How? How could I celebrate this new life given to me while grieving the death of my sister? We think miracles are flying angels, or healings, or someone someone walking out of a wheelchair. But, I’ve come to realize they aren’t always like that.

Miracles come in the form of plastic baggies and styrofoam coolers and little notes saying that 10 ounces is all I could pump. They come in the form of a stranger handing you a cooler of pumped breast milk and giving you a hug. They come in the form of friends pumping while nursing their babies then giving you their milk. They come in the form a UPS man handing you a regular package, but inside you know that there is 2 months worth of milk for your baby that you weren’t able to produce.

Two years later I have a new appreciation for the community of mothers. They pump and they nurse and they drive 50 miles to give you something that you so desperately need. They don’t ask questions and they don’t ask for anything in return and when you give them flowers to say thank you, they say that they didn’t think twice about it.

My son is thriving today, 2 years later, because of those mothers. You are the reason I got through this. You are the reason I have hope in mankind again. You give birth to your own babies and then you nurse them and pump for mine. Who does that?

This is what 125 gallons of breastmilk looks like…

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This is because of you. Thank you for donating. Thank you to all the mothers who have ever donated to ANYONE. You are amazing. You are the angels that walk this earth. Thank you.