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How to Make Elderberry Syrup with Fresh or Dried Elderberries

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Easy, homemade elderberry syrup recipes for colds and cough. Give your kids elderberry syrup you can trust made with real elderberry and nothing artificial.

In this post we'll share how to make elderberry syrup  with fresh or dried elderberries or elderberry juice. I noticed years ago that the ingredient lists on most commercial elderberry syrups for kids doesn't contain much elderberry. Now we make our own so we know it's the real deal. Studies have shown that elderberry syrup helps treat the flu virus. (See more information on those studies at the end of the post.)

Note: If you're looking for the elderberry jelly recipes, those have been moved to their own post at Elderberry Jelly Recipes – Low Sugar and Sure-Jell Options.

Scroll down the post for print friendly versions of the elderberry syrup recipes.

[Read more…]

9 Home Remedies for Congestion – Natural Decongestants That Work

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Try these natural decongestant options and home remedies for congestion to relieve your stuffy nose and sinus pressure so you can breathe.

Less daylight, cold weather and busy schedules often lead to colds and flu making the rounds. The discomfort (and even pain) associated with nasal congestion is one of the most common symptoms. (Not to mention that the inability to breath is just plain annoying.)  I've gathered together several home remedies for congestion to relieve your stuffy nose and sinus pressure so you can breathe easy. I don't like the side effects of over the counter decongestants (they either make me jittery, knock me out or make my head feel like it's going to shrivel up like a raisin), so natural decongestants are my option of choice. [Read more…]

Common Plantain – Weekly Weeder #14

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Common plantain - Range and identification of plantain. Plantain as food and habitat for wildlife. Medicinal uses of common plantain. Plantain folklore.

Today's featured plant is Common Plantain, Plantago major.

Common Plantain is also known as broadleaf plantain, plantain, dooryard plantain, Ripple Grass, Waybread, Slan-lus, Waybroad, Snakeweed, Cuckoo's Bread, soldier's herb, Englishman's Foot and white man's foot. [Read more…]

Common Mullein – Weekly Weeder #13

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Common Mullein - Weekly Weeder #13 - Verbascum thapsus, range and identification, Food and Habitat for Wildlife, Medicinal Uses of Common Mullein

Today's featured plant is Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus.

Common Mullein is also known as Great Mullein, Aaron's Rod, candlewick plant, flannel plant, flannel leaf, lungwort, feltwort, cowboy toilet paper, shepherd's staff, velvet dock, woolly mullein, torch plant, torches, miner's candle, big taper, blanket mullein, “Hig candlewick”, “Bullicks lungwort”, “Hare's-beard”, “Ice-leaf”.”Beggar's blanket”, “Moses' blanket”, “Poor Man's blanket”, “Our Lady's blanket” or “Old Man's Blanket”.

(There are more names, but this list is getting pretty long already. Do you get the impression this thing is pretty widespread?)  Note:  This is not the same plant as Lambs Ears (Stachys byzantina), which also has fuzzy leaves and grows low to the ground.) [Read more…]

New England Aster – Weekly Weeder #12

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Weekly Weeder #12 - New England Aster - Fever reducer and decongestant, and food for migrating monarch butterflies.

Today's featured plant is New England Aster, Aster novae-angliae or Symphyotrichum novae-angliae.

New England Aster is also known as starwort, blue chamomile, blue daisy, New England aster, fall-rose and frostweed.

Range and Identification of New England Aster [Read more…]

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