Cough Syrup

Whew, it has been a few hectic weeks. Landon brought home the tummy flu 2 weeks ago. We hosted Easter at our house the Saturday before. Then that night Alta and Parker got sick. Then me, then Sam. To say it has been a rough week and a half is an understatement. And now we are all over it. Finally. Thank God!

But then, last night Alta started coughing. And coughing. And crying. So, here comes a cold, I'm guessing, as my throat is a little scratchy. Or maybe allergies.

So I looked across the world wide web for homemade natural cough syrups. And I didn't find any that I liked. So I (think) invented my own.

First, I noticed a lot of recipes called for honey and apple cider vinegar. So I knew I wanted them in my recipe. A lot also called for olive oil or vegetable oil. Nah, not for me. I added my beloved coconut oil instead, I figured that would also make it a bit thicker. I also added some ginger and some cloves.

In a small sauce pan, I put in roughly 2 table spoons of coconut oil.

Next I added 6ish tablespoons of vinegar, and 8ish tablespoons of honey. I also added a dash of ginger and cloves.

I simmered them all together until the coconut oil was melted.

Almost all melted

Then I let it slowly boil together for about 3ish minutes.

After it boiled, I poured it into a jelly jar that I washed. 

It got foamy after I poured it into the jar

Then I put on the ring, then put the lid and ring and let it cool for a while on the counter then I put it in the fridge. 

Right after it was poured in the jar

After it sat in the fridge and cooled down, it became the consistency of really thin honey. It tastes okay. Not great. I just gave it to Alta, we will see if it works!

                                               

Next time, I will add a little more honey and a little less vinegar so it doesn't taste as vinegary. That is, if it works. I will update. But I am hopeful. It has to be better than nothing at all.


UPDATE: It works! She still coughed a little, but not nearly as much as she was!

The Chickens Have Arrived!

Well, all our efforts have paid off. We have now added a mommy hen and 7 baby chicks to our family. The mom is a Buff  Orpington. I guess the chicks are as well, but maybe not, I'm not sure who the rooster was.

But before they could come, we had to get the coop in working order. First, Sam had to clean the coop out, it was filled with trash and general rubbish such as dirt, leaves, mud dauber nests, sticks, and the like. Then he built a door for it and put up chicken wire in the windows. This winter we will cover the windows with plexi glass. He cut out a chicken door and made a clever door that slides up and down and locks for the night. After putting up a temporary run made of chicken wire and fence poles and a few coats of paint, the coop was ready! We put together a kit of nesting boxes and Sam put up roosting poles. We used river sand to cover the floor of the coop, which when it is changed out, it will go in my compost bin (another post).

Sam fixing the door jam

Inside of the chicken coop with the chicken door up

Nesting Boxes

Roosting bars

"Fluffy" and her babies

Baby chicks eating food and proud momma watching.