The Christmas cards are ready to be sent. Even though I paint and make my own cards, at Christmastime I love to purchase the Leaning Tree brand cards. Full of sweet country houses, and farm scenes, and adorable animals, the glossy cards are carefully selected for each friend and family member from the box. I would like to send Christmas cards every month! What a fun surprise to receive a card in the mail. I bet receiving a Christmas card in April would really be a surprise!
With all the fun of Christmas starting, I was discouraged to have woken up with a cold yesterday. It is almost gone today thanks to elderberries! Here is a recipe for Elderberry Honey or Cold/Flu Honey as we used to call it when we did farmer’s markets.
2 Tablespoons of dried elderberries (if they don’t grow near you, you can purchase some online or at a health food store)
1 Tablespoon of dried peppermint
2 teaspoons of dried Echinacea
1/4 teaspoon of dried ginger
Place in a saucepan and cover with about 1 cup of honey. Heat over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, swirling pan often to avoid burning. Store in a small glass jar.
To use, spoon a big dollap into a tea strainer and pour boiling water over it to infuse into a mug. Drink to your heart’s content and kick that cold!
Farmgirl School 
Hi Katie Lynn,
I am SO glad you started blogging, love what I’ve read! I don’t get to visit your shop often because I live too far away, but you and Doug have been a blessing in my life. How long will this honey store? I am glad to have this recipie. I’ve been using an otc product, Sambucol Elderberry Syrup…which is awesome…but was looking for something I could make that would work equally as well. Do you have the dried peppermint, ginger and echinacea ? I bet you do. Do you have a source that you would recommend for the dried elderberries?
I wish you the very best on your farming journey! I’m looking forward to your blogs.
Peace, Love and Joy
Paula
Hi Paula! I can send you some scoops of all of them and the honey lasts a couple of years if you use dried herbs. You could order larger quantities of herbs from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com or http://www.starwest.com Happy honey making! (makes great gifts!) -Katie
[…] herbs, or order from a place like Mountain Rose Herbs. You can make these into a honey like in my Elderberry Honey post, or into an extract like my Cold Medicine post. A simple tea is lovely […]
[…] a wretched cough. Continue taking the antibiotic mixed with an elderberry syrup or honey (click here for recipe) as needed. If the cold has already taken hold before one can attack it, then take the […]