Honey Citrus Ginger Cough and Cold Syrup

I've been meaning to make this for some time now. I finally got around to it this weekend.

This syrup can be used for cough and cold symptoms. It can be taken a tablespoon at a time right out of the fridge. You can also mix a tablespoon into hot tea or hot water and drink it. This syrup actually tastes pretty good. Here is how to make it:

Slice citrus fruits into half moon shapes, thin. I used orange and lemon.
Add some to the bottom of a pint sized mason jar (or similar container).
Add in 2 tsp of dried ginger powder.
Pour honey into jar to fill and ensure you cover the fruit.

Once you have added your honey to the jar stir it all up very well. It may help to use a skewer or butter knife to get through the fruit. You are trying to make sure you get the ginger powder stirred well into the honey.

For mine I also added 8 drops of Thieves essential oil blend. If you do not have this, it's okay. I believe that it works, but many make it without this oil. I also add in 8 drops of lemon essential oil. You could substitute with just a small squirt of real lemon juice.

Once it seems well blended, seal tightly. Turn jar upside down and let sit for an hour in fridge that way. Then turn it right side up and store in the fridge. This cough syrup should always be kept in the fridge. Honey may crystallize. If this happens, just heat the honey, stir well and store. As you use the syrup, you can add more honey to the jar. Keep in fridge for 3-4 months, then make more. This syrup may get thinner as it sits. The honey will pull the juice and all the "good stuff" out of the fruit. It's okay if it's thinner in a week!

I'm sure you already know, but I'll say it anyway. If you can use a good local honey, that is best. Since this recipe is not heated, the honey will keep all it's special "powers" and so it pays to use the local honey if you can find it.

~Kymber

Homemade Sugar Scrubs

So this weekend I spent a LOT of time making sugar scrubs and bath salts. I've been asked for the recipe for Sugar Scrubs, and will post that here. These are SO easy to make at home with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. I made a few different types this weekend, but you can make thousands of different combinations.

The basic recipe for these Sugar Scrubs is as follows:

1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Oil (olive, liquid coconut, jojoba, almond, grapeseed, etc.)
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of liquid soap (Castile Soap) - totally optional
5 drops essential oil
Coloring - optional

You will want to add your sugar to a bowl, then add in the coconut or olive oil and mix well. Next add the honey and soap (if you're using it). Mix well again. Next add in the coloring and mix well. Lastly add in drops of essential oil and mix again. You may also want to add a teaspoon of something extra like mint flakes, dried rosemary, dried orange peel, dried lavender, etc.

Here are the ones I made this weekend:

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Scrub:
Basic Sugar Scrub recipe as shown above. Add in 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I also added in 3 drops of cinnamon and 3 drops of clove essential oils. Please be careful here - cinnamon oil is a strong one and you only need a little. If you don't want to use this, the recipe works just fine without it. I used no coloring in this sugar scrub. It smells delicious! And when you use it in the shower or bath, the hot water causes the smell to really get stronger. My bathroom smelled like a cinnamon roll factory! It was divine.

Mojito Sugar Scrub:
Basic Sugar Scrub recipe as shown above. Add in 5 -10 drops of lime essential oil (start with 5) and 3 drops of peppermint essential oil, mix well. I used a lime green coloring in mine. I also added in some mint flakes. After mixing, if you need a few more drops of lime add those and mix again. The peppermint overpowers the lime so do not use too much of that.

Coffee Sugar Scrub:
This one goes away from the above basic recipe. Instead use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 coffee. I used dry coffee or you can use Instant Coffee if you're concerned about the coffee going down your water drain. Everything else in the basic recipe is the same. I added in 5 drops of cinnamon essential oil, and a teaspoon of vanilla. No coloring is needed. This one needs to be stored in the fridge and used rather quickly. Make small batches as wet coffee will mold if left out.

Orange Ginger Sugar Scrub:
Basic Sugar Scrub recipe as shown above. Add in 5 drops Sweet Orange and 3 drops Ginger essential oils. I use an orange coloring for this one. I also added in 2 teaspoons of dried orange peels (finely chopped).

Note that you can use plain white sugar, raw sugar and even brown sugar. Mix and match as you like. Remember that brown sugar has a smell all of its own so you may not want to use that in some blends as it will overpower the essential oils. It might be great in the coffee scrub or the cinnamon roll scrub!

To use these sugar scrubs, just scoop a little into your hand and rub over skin while in shower or bath. Rinse well. A little goes a long way. These are great for daily exfoliating. Use before you shave to keep skin smooth (no bumps) or use before getting a spray tan! These are also great foot scrubs or hand scrubs.

~Kymber

Easy Homemade Bath Salts

Bath salts are relatively easy to make. You can make them with just a few simple ingredients. The basic ingredients for a simple bath salt are salt and baking soda. In fact, you can have a salt bath with just salt!

For the bath salts I make, I normally stick to this basic recipe:

2 parts salt, 1 part baking soda, Essential oils, Coloring

So if you want to fill one PINT and one 1/2 PINT size jar, you would need to use the following measurements:

2 cups mixed salts
1 cup baking soda
10 drops essential oil (depending on the type)
3-4 drops coloring (depending on the type)



Mix well and store in sealed jars. Note: When you make these salts, let them sit out for 24 hours in a cool dry location unsealed. This will help the essential oils and coloring "dry out" a bit before you seal them. Because they are all natural, the salts MAY harden up a bit over time. No big deal and they still work just fine. Mine NEVER last that long! But remember to keep them well sealed so that moisture doesn't enter the jars. Use within about 3 months.

Before I give the recipes let's talk a little about salt as I always get asked what KIND of salt. The answer is - ANY KIND of salt! Really! You can use Epsom Salts, Rock Salt, Sea Salt, Kosher Salt, Canning Salt - basically any type of salt you can get your hands on. I normally mix different types of salts together for mine. I always mix in some Epsom salt because it's great for bathing. If you can find different "textures" of salt that works great. For example, the next time you to to the grocery, see if they stock Ice Cream Salt. It is sold in a box and the salt is larger crystals. I like to add a bit of that into mine with the other salts. You can always order specialty salts online - pink sea salts, etc.  It's up to you how far you want to go with this one.

Here are a few different ways to use the above recipe.

Candy Cane (Cooling Peppermint):
Basic Salt recipe plus 5 drops of peppermint oil. Mix well and then see if you need a few more drops. Peppermint oil is very strong and cooling. You do NOT want to use too much of this one. I add mint flakes to mine but it is totally optional. I use red coloring for soaps/salts and/or a mica coloring. You can buy this type of coloring online or at a hobby/craft store. You can also use regular food coloring but only use a little. You don't want to stain your skin or the bathtub. To make the candy cane salts look pretty, try mixing half these ingredients without coloring and the other half with red coloring. When you put it into your jars, layer it to make it look striped or swirled inside the jar. You can see from the picture above how mine looks. They never look the same, they never look perfect! That's the beauty of homemade products!This mint salt is very energizing, and is great for sore muscles, and for opening up the sinuses!

Citrus Mint:
Basic Salt recipe plus 10 drops of Sweet Orange essential oil, 3 drops Peppermint, and 3 drops Spearmint. (If you only have one mint, that's OK!) Mix well. I used orange coloring in mine and left half white so that I could swirl them into the jar. I also added mint flakes to this recipe. These bath salts are very energizing and invigorating.

Flu Bomb:
I love this combination of essential oils when suffering from flu or cold symptoms! Basic Salt recipe plus 10 drops Eucalyptus, 5 drops Peppermint, 6 drops Lavender, 5 drops Bergamot, and 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil. I use the mint flakes in this one as well as a little chopped/dried rosemary. If you do not keep Bergamot on hand, it's okay, it's not a common essential oil I know. You can replace that with rosemary, lemon, pine, cedarwood, frankincense or just leave it out. I don't know why, but I always use a pale blue in my flu bomb bath salts. Of course you can make these any color you want, or leave them white.


....and here are a few more essential oil combinations that you can try. Once you start using essential oils or just making bath salts, you can research other combinations that you might want to make.

• Sensual - Mix patchouli, cedarwood, and sandalwood essential oils.
• Lavender & Chamomile for rest, relaxation, and sleep.
• Lemon and Rosemary to help clear your mind.
• Lavender, Geranium, and Rosemary to help with anxiety, stress - very calming.
• Cedarwood and Lemon, or Lemon and Orange to uplift your mood.
• Lavender, Peppermint, and Frankincense when you have a fever.

Hope you have an enjoyable bath! Oh and by the way, packaged in cute jars, these make great little gifts for friends and family.

~Kymber