Ginger and Lemon Infused Honey

Welcome back friends! I find homeopathic preventative care and remedies absolutely fascinating, and I am more than willing to give them a try!

This lemon and ginger infused honey is deliciously healthy for you! Ginger contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that have been known to help remedy stomach issues, combat cold and/or flu viruses and improve brain and heart health. Lemon is a natural detoxifier and contains antibacterial and antiviral properties. It’s also full of antioxidants and vitamin c to help boost the immune system. Raw honey has (you guessed it) even more antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties! It also contains enzymes that promote healthy gut flora and can help boost immunity and fight infection.

So many preventative and cleansing properties and it’s so easy to create and implement into everyday use! I personally create and use it to sweeten my tea. But it can also be taken by the spoonful or incorporated in to dishes!

Let’s make some!

INGREDIENTS
  • Fresh ginger, peeled
  • Lemon, sliced
  • Unpasteurized raw honey
  • Wooden spoon
  • Jar
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. First, sterilize the jar and lid. Wash them thoroughly with hot, soapy water and rinse well. Then submerge the jar lid in boiling water for 5 minutes and the jar for 10 minutes.
  2. Wash the ginger and peel it with a spoon, then thinly slice it into rounds. 
  3. Wash the lemon and thinly slice it into rounds.
  4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey to the jar, then begin alternating layers of ginger, lemon and honey until you’ve used all the ingredients and the ginger and lemon have been fully submerged (leave a small space at the top for the gases to build up).
  5. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir and move the ingredients around. This is to make sure the honey fully reaches all of the ginger and lemon with no air bubbles.
  6. Seal the lid and leave it to ferment for about two weeks in a cool dark place. During this time you will need to “burp” the jar daily. This means you must open the lid briefly to allow any built up gasses to release, then close it back up!
  7. Once fermentation is done and the honey has reached your desired taste, move the whole jar into the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process.

*Like most fermented foods, just keep an eye out for bad smells, mold, and other signs of spoilage. This doesn’t happen often, but if it does, it’s time to start a new ferment.

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

Welcome back friends! Who wants some warm and comforting hot cocoa on a cold winter morning or evening? Maybe with some homemade marshmallows and a good book or movie? I know I do, so let’s make some mix!

HOT COCOA MIX
  • 3/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder 
  • 1 1/2 cups of dry nonfat or whole milk powder
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Whisk together the cocoa powder, milk powder, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add the white chocolate chips and stir again to evenly distribute them.
  2. Add the mixture to a food processor and pulse until everything is finely ground and smooth.
  3. This dry cocoa mix can be store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
  4. To make hot cocoa, put 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk (whichever milk you prefer).
  5. Top with whipped cream or miniature marshmallows, if desired and enjoy!

DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds

DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy MoldsDuring these Summer months, and even into Fall, we get some pretty warm and sometimes uncomfortably hot days. To cool Zoey off and soothe her teething gums, I thought it would be fun and refreshing to make some frozen treats using the food she already eats and candy molds!

DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds

SUPPLIES
  • Candy mold of your choice (I used Mickey and Minnie)
  • Baby food
  • Yogurt (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Wash and dry the candy mold.

    DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds
  2. Choose the flavor of baby food and/or yogurt you would like to freeze and spoon it into the candy molds until it’s even with the top of the mold. I wiped the top of my mold down to make it look better, but you do not need to do this.

    DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy MoldsDIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds
  3. Place the mold in the freezer for an hour or more until the contents are frozen.

    DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds
  4. Remove the mold from the freezer and pop out one or two frozen treats at a time for baby to enjoy!

    DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy MoldsDIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds