Category Archives: Organic Mama Cafe

Sep 26
2

Garlic Oil for Coughs & Earaches

By | Natural Health, Parenting | 31 Comments

Magic stuff!

When our kids complain about earaches and coughs, we reach for the garlic oil. Garlic has great immune boosting properties but it’s also touted as anti-bacterial and even useful for easing coughs.

Fresh garlic is best because you get more of it’s healing benefits. Plus, it’s already in your pantry!

Here’s what you need to make the oil.

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Carrier oil like olive or coconut

1. Chop the garlic.

2. Add to 1/4 c oil.

3. Swirl to mix & let it infuse for at least 10 minutes. (Some people heat it, we don’t).

I don’t remove the garlic from the oil & it keeps a  few weeks in cooler temps & probably longer in the fridge.

We used this recently when our infant had a cough.

We also use this for earaches. I just dip a q-tip in the oil to saturate it (no garlic chunks on the cotton!) and place 3- 4 drops in the affected ear.

What natural uses do you have for garlic besides cooking? Share!

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Sep 26
0

Natural Congestion Remedy: How to “Hose” Baby’s Nose

By | Natural Health, Parenting | 3 Comments

In babies, the nose, throat, ears are so close together and the passages are small. Congestion can lead to earaches, sinus infections or coughing. When my kids get congested, cough and complain about earaches, I “hose the nose” to move the congestion and avoid infection.

We use Simply Saline for the kids as I’ve not yet figured out how to get such small ones to use a neti pot. I hose their noses before they shower, after they shower and several times throughout the day (when they are too congested to clear it themselves).

Does sticking nasal spray up your little one’s nose (especially when it’s so small) sound intimidating? I thought so too but we’re old pros at it now. It’s so worth it to see my kids get better more quickly.


Here’s how I “hose a baby’s nose”.

1. Make eye contact and communicate.
This is so important. Before I do anything new with my baby – especially if it might scare him, I always hold him close, look into his eyes and talk to him. With the nose spray, I explain that he might not like it but that it will help him feel better. When I exude calm, he feels it and is more calm too.

2. Hold Baby Securely and Comfortably Next, I cradle him in my arms in a way that allows me to hold his body and head firmly so I don’t poke him with the nasal spray can. Before I became a pro at this, I’d lay him on the bed and cradle him with my body and arm. Much more secure!

3. Gently SprayI gently place the tip of the sprayer in his nostril and give it a good spray. I keep eye contact with my little guy while doing this, smile and encourage him.

4. Tip-Top After the good spray, I gently lift my little guy and tip his body slightly back so the saline stays in his nose for a few minutes and has the chance to loosen all that gunk.

5. Wipe & – Done! Finally, I gently wipe his nostrils with a soft cloth (not tissue) so his skin doesn’t get raw.

I always make eye contact with my baby and talk him through the entire process to reassure him I love him and that he will be ok. I didn’t know to do this with my first baby and she was just as freaked out as I felt when we had these experiences. With experience, I have learned! My youngest was scared the first few times we had to spray his nose but within a day, he handled it calmly.

And there you have it. How to “hose a baby’s nose”!

Like this? Then share it!

 

Sep 07
0

Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Scones

By | Recipes | 3 Comments

Perfect with a cup o’ tea!

A delicious Cranberry Orange Scone sounds like the perfect way to start the day. With our homemade yogurt or a plate of eggs, it rounds out breakfast just perfect. If you like a more fluffy scone, this recipe will definitely fit the ticket.

Lately, I’ve been trying to find something my three year old will eat. Previously a very adventurous eater (once she ate about a cup of sauerkraut before we could get her to stop), she’s now too busy plotting her next adventure to sit for longer than a few minutes. “Mom, I think I’ll save this for later, ok?” is her new favorite line. Though bread is not my first choice, if she’ll eat it, I feel relieved that she’s at least eating.

So, on to the scone. Scones are often made with cream but I decided to try a recipe with buttermilk to see how it changed the texture. The resulting creation has a nice crust, fluffy middle and good flavor. My family LOVED them. But after tasting them, I had to admit that I like the texture of a cream scone better. It’s more tender.

Regardless of my not-so-humble opinion about cream scones, this still a delicious scone recipe. They’re perfect for a rainy day like today. The recipe isn’t hard and the use of a food processor speeds the process and evenly distributes the fat, resulting in a more tender scone.

Make a batch, pour yourself a cup of tea and soak up this beautiful weather!

 

Soaking the cranberries in fresh OJ enhances their flavor and texture when baked.

 

Chilling the butter to keep it cold will result in a flaky texture.

 

A food processor speeds the process up and creates a more uniformly delicious scone.

No need to heat up the butter by touching it.

Leaving the butter in bigger pieces = more tender scones.

 

Buttermilk, yum!

A little protein. 😉

 

Just barely stir it together or you’ll have hard rock scones. Hard rock = cool music but not cool scones.

Pat, don’t roll, it into cut-able dough.

Don’t they look so sweet?

Perfect with a cup o’ tea!

If you like it, be sure to share it!

Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Scones
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
A fluffy, flavorful scone
Ingredients
  • Dry ingredients
  • 4 c. flour
  • 3/4 c. sugar
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • 1/2 t. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk
  • 3/4 c. cranberries
  • 1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)*
  • zest and juice of one orange
  • 1 c. salted butter (A chef’s no-no. but I’m not a chef! Add a 1/4 tsp more salt if you’re using unsalted butter)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F
  2. Zest an orange and juice it. Keep separate.
  3. Roughly chop cranberries.
  4. Add cranberries to orange juice to infuse.
  5. Cut butter into small squares and place in freezer to keep cold.
  6. Place dry ingredients and orange zest in food processor and pulse to mix.
  7. Whisk eggs into buttermilk and set aside.
  8. Squeeze juice out of cranberries and add drained cranberries to flour mixture. Pulse till cranberries are incorporated throughout flour. (Place juice in glass of ice and drink.)
  9. Pull butter out of freezer and add to flour in food processor and pulse till butter is integrated evenly throughout the flour and is the size of little peas. Don’t overmix!
  10. Unceremoniously dump flour mixture into a bowl.
  11. Pour buttermilk and eggs into the flour. Gently and quickly whisk the liquid into the flour until just incorporated. **The key here is not to overwork the dough once it’s mixed. So do it fast and do it right the first time or you’ll end up with tough scones.
  12. Once scone dough is ready, sprinkle some flour on your work surface to keep dough from sticking.
  13. Scoop out 1/3 of the dough and gently shape to 3/4″ thickness and cut as desired, triangles, squares or – like I did -hearts. <3
  14. Place on baking pan.
  15. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with cream and dust with sugar.
  16. Bake scones 12-15 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown.
  17. *Keep an eye on the scones. Temperatures can vary by oven so let the golden brown color be a guide. You might need a little more or a little less time in your oven.
Notes
Remember: The secret to tender delicious baked goods like biscuits and scones is to keep the butter cold and not to overmix. Resist the temptation to overhandle the dough. The less you touch it, the better![br][br]*Regarding the chocolate chips. I didn’t actually add them this time but if you have a sweet tooth and are looking for more of a dessert-esque scone, some dark chocolate would be amazing in these. I would add chocolate after incorporating the butter and before the buttermilk.
Sep 06
0

Natural Sore Throat Remedies

By | Natural Health | No Comments

When you’re wakened in the night by the cries of a small child with a sore throat, a simple, fast-acting, natural remedy is just what you need. Last night was such a night for us. Around midnight, we were wakened by one of our little ones complaining her throat hurt. As usual, we turned to our natural medicine cabinet.

We are not “anti-allopathic medicine” in our family but when sickness strikes, we tend to reach for what is in our cupboards first. I would not hesitate to see a good DO or MD if necessary but most of the time,  a little common sense (rest and fluids) and herbs from our cabinets – cures what ails us without a doctor visit.

Here is what we used last night.

1. Echinacea Angustifolia tincture 

When our kids show any signs of illness, I offer echinacea tincture in water to  stimulate their immune system. Usually this either allows them to avoid being sick at all or significantly shortens the length and severity of their illness. While Echinacea has been known to boost the body’s ability to fight infections that have survived a few rounds of antibiotics, it really shines at the beginning of an illness when it can stimulate the body to address the onset of an infection.

2. Usnea lichen tincture 

Usnea has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years. It has a long use as an expectorant and is used today to treat inflammatory illness of the mouth and throat.  According to Mountain Rose Herbs, Usnea is “antibiotic, antifungal, antispasmodic, antipyretic, and analgesic”. We first used it, at the advice of an herbalist, to treat strep throat in my husband. He took it for two days and in conjunction with the next remedy, recovered without antibiotics.

3. Red Hot Honey 

This last remedy is a combo of Honey, Garlic and Cayenne pepper. Think of it as kind of a garlicky hot tamale. While I’ve no problem getting Rob to take this remedy, getting kids to take it takes a bit of doing. But, as soon as my little one took a spoon last night (after resisting for a few hours), she fell fast asleep and only woke after 7 hours.

The dark honey we use works to ease sore throats & to stop coughs too.

My kiddo is feeling a lot better today but we’ll keep an eye on her and continue to give her Echinacea and Usnea till it’s clear she’s completely well. Also, we’ll avoid dairy, orange juice and sugar. Dairy and OJ cause the body to create more phlegm. NOT what she needs when she’s already feeling congested.

Isn’t it great to know that good health can be just as close as your kitchen?

What natural remedies do you use when your family is feeling under the weather?

If you liked this post, please pass it on!

*As always, I’ll remind you that I am not a doctor.  These are common sense choices I have made for myself. I have taken the time to research any health decisions I make and have consulted with my local herbalist. I encourage you to always do the same before choosing to take or administer any kind of remedy, whether herbal, prescription or off the shelf at a local drugstore.*