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< Back Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Sticky and Easy Honey Garlic Chicken made fast and simple, with the most amazing 5-ingredient honey garlic sauce that is so good you’ll want to use it on everything! Ingredients 6 chicken thighs, bone in or out, with or without skin* Salt and pepper, to season 2 teaspoons garlic powder, to season 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup water (or chicken broth) 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar) 1 tablespoon soy sauce Preparation With a recipe that includes both chicken thighs AND chicken breasts, you’re just minutes away from the most addictive Honey Garlic Chicken dinner the whole family loves! The perfect meal to have when you feel like eating something sweet with a hint of savory. Crisp and sticky skin (which is optional), a beautiful sauce and perfectly cooked chicken. It doesn’t get any better! This super-simple recipe makes a crisp-tender chicken with a perfect, sticky glaze. Honey garlic chicken This sauce not only tastes amazing, it’s incredibly satisfying watching it bubble and morph into a perfectly balanced savory, sweet and garlicky syrup. But your mouth really begins to water watching the sauce simmer all around your chicken and coat it so effortlessly. The bonus of this recipe? It makes so much sauce that you have enough to drizzle over some rice or steamed broccoli. chicken thighs or breasts? Chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe, since dark meat is super moist and packed full of flavor. Although, we also love this recipe with chicken breasts… they are incredible in this sauce. The best part about this Honey Garlic Chicken? You have ALL the ingredients in your kitchen pantry/kitchen tap/refrigerator already. Honey? YES Soy Sauce? YES Vinegar? YES Water? OF COURSE Garlic? Not even a question So few ingredients needed for the perfect sweet to salty honey garlic sauce that will have you licking your fingers after every juicy bite. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder; set aside. Heat a pan or skillet over medium high heat; sear chicken thigh filets or breast filets on both sides until golden and cooked through. FOR BONE IN THIGHS: Reduce heat after searing on both sides, cover skillet with a lid and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, while turning every 5 minutes until done. Alternatively, see notes for the oven method. Drain most of the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons of pan juiced for added flavor. FOR SAUCE: When chicken is done and cooked through, arrange chicken skin-side up in the pan (if cooking with skin); add the garlic between the chicken and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water, vinegar and soy sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thicken slightly (about 3-4 minutes). Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad. NOTES For chicken breasts: use 3 breasts, sliced horizontally in half. Sear breast filets on each side until golden and cooked through (about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your filets). Continue directions from the sauce, onwards. *For oven baked, bone-in thighs: Preheat oven at 400°F or 200°C. Sear chicken in an ovenproof skillet or pan, skin side down first for 3 minutes. Flip and sear for a further 3 minutes until browned on each side. Then bake in the oven for a further 20-25 minutes, until completely cooked through and no longer pink inside. Continue directions from the sauce, onwards. Previous Next

< Back Canning Strawberries Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Serves: 2 Pints Level: Beginner About the Recipe Canning strawberries is an easy and versatile way to put up the berry harvest. While strawberry jam may be tasty on toast, canning whole strawberries means you preserve the whole fruit for use in pies, toppings, tarts, and treats all year long. Ingredients 4 cups strawberries, washed & hulled 1/2 cup sugar (optional - see instructions for no sugar method) 1/4 to 1/2 tsp citric acid (optional) Preparation Most people preserve strawberries by canning them as a strawberry jam, dehydrating strawberry slices, or freezing whole berries for more versatility. Living off the grid, our freezer space is limited, and shelf-stable food preservation methods are always preferred. HOW TO CAN STRAWBERRIES Canning strawberries is simple and only takes two ingredients: cleaned, hulled whole strawberries and a bit of sugar. The berries are dusted with sugar and then left to sit for about 6 hours to release their juice. This allows you to can the strawberries in their own juice, so the flavor isn’t washed out by canning water. The best strawberries for canning are firm-fleshed berries, the same varieties that are rated as good for freezing. Keep in mind that very soft-fleshed fruits will disintegrate during the canning process, and you’ll end up with more of a strawberry compote than whole canned strawberries. Once the strawberries have had time to release a bit of juice, prepare a water bath canner and canning jars. Wide-mouth pints or quarts tend to work best. Bring the whole strawberries and strawberry juice to a simmer, trying to stir as little as possible so that you don’t break up the berries. Simmer the berries for about 1 minute so that they’re heated through, and then pack them tightly into canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Pour the boiling strawberry juice over the top, still leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace and seal the jars with 2-part canning lids before processing in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts. (Be sure to adjust canning times for altitude.) The berries will shrink a bit during the canning process, so really work to get them in there if you don’t want half-filled jars. HOW MANY STRAWBERRIES WILL FIT IN A CANNING JAR? The size of the strawberries will affect the number of whole strawberries you can fit in a canning jar. It takes somewhere between 2 and 3 pounds of strawberries to fill a quart jar, or about 4 cups of whole strawberries, hulls removed. Similarly, for wide-mouth pint mason jars, it takes 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of berries to fill a jar or about 2 cups prepared. CANNING STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT SUGAR Just like any high-acid fruit, strawberries are perfectly safe to can without added sugar. The problem is, canning them directly in water means that sugar and flavor will leach into the water, washing out the flavor of the fruit. If you want to can the strawberries directly in water, add about ¼ cup of water to a pot per 2 pounds of strawberries and bring it to a simmer. Cook the berries for a few minutes until they release ample juice, and then pack into canning jars. This extra cook time will also mean softer fruit, which may lose shape more than sugared berries. Another option is to take a small portion of the strawberries and mash them in a pan, then simmer them to extract their juice. Pour the simmered strawberries through a jelly bag to filter out the solids, and then use this freshly made strawberry juice as a no sugar-added strawberry canning liquid. Canning strawberry juice (without added strawberries) is also an option, and it’s delicious. Similarly, home-canned strawberry lemonade concentrate is one of a kind. Both use extracted strawberry juice, so you can juice strawberries for your canning liquid in this recipe and then keep a bit extra for canning alone. MAINTAINING STRAWBERRY QUALITY DURING CANNING Strawberries are a soft fruit, and they will soften and discolor during long storage. If stored for more than a few months, canned strawberries will darken. Quality and flavor are best with berries canned with some amount of sugar, but beyond that, you’ll have better berries in the long term if you add a bit of citric acid to the canning liquid. While citric acid is not strictly necessary for safely canning strawberries, it will help them maintain color and flavor during storage. Add ¼ to ½ tsp citric acid per quart of fruit for the best quality after long storage. INSTRUCTIONS Wash and hull the strawberries and place them in a large pot. Sprinkle sugar over the top and stir to distribute. Allow the strawberries to stand in the sugar to macerate for about 6 hours (covered). Prepare a water bath canner and canning jars. Place the strawberry pot on the stove and add citric acid (optional but helps to help protect quality during storage.) Bring the strawberries (and their juice) to a simmer and cook for about 1 minute until the berries are heated through. Pack the berries into canning jars and cover with strawberry juice liquid, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace and seal with 2 part canning lids. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (pints) or 15 minutes (quarts), adjusting canning times for altitude. NOTES Note - Sugar is optional, and strawberries can be preserved in either plain water or juice instead. The flavor is much better with a small amount of sugar to balance the sugars that will be lost to the canning liquids. Feel free to reduce the sugar if you'd like, but I'd suggest a minimum of 1 tablespoon per pint. Alternatively, for very sweet dessert berries, the sugar can be increased to 3/4 cup or even 1 full cup per quart of berries. HOW TO USE CANNED STRAWBERRIES The main downside to canning strawberries as whole fruits is the loss of both color and texture. The berries tend to bleed their brilliant red juice into the surrounding liquid, and that liquid soaks up a bit of their flavor too. The best way to use home-canned strawberries involves incorporating both juice and fruit into a single dish. Here are a few tasty ways to make use of your canned strawberries: Strawberry Pancake Topping ~ Start by straining fruit from the canning liquid and then cook the juice down on the stove into a rich strawberry syrup. Place the whole fruit on the pancakes and then drizzle the thickened strawberry syrup over the top. Strawberry Pie Filling ~ Similar to using them as pancake topping, strain the fruit into a pie dish and thicken the canning liquid with a bit of corn starch before pouring it over the top of the fruit in the dish. Strawberry Cheesecake Topping ~ The same process as making strawberry pie filling but make the thickened pie filling in advance and then let it cool in the refrigerator before using it to top a cheesecake. Previous Next

< Back Tunisian Seasoning Blend Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 tablespoon coriander seed 1 teaspoon caraway seed ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon curry powder Preparation Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container. Previous Next

< Back Naan Bread Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup warm water 1/4 oz. active dry yeast ((2 1/4 teaspoons) ) 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon oil some oil (for greasing the skillet) 3 tablespoons melted butter Preparation Naan is an Indian recipe; it’s a type of flatbread. Traditionally they are baked inside a very hot clay tandoor oven, with charcoal or wood fire. The naan bread is stuck to the inside of the oven The tandoor oven retains very high heat, up to 900°F and hence fills the inside of the flat bread with air pockets and bakes them to perfection. In a modern day kitchen, we do not have a tandoor oven, but you can make naan at home with a hot cast-iron skillet on the stove stop, or bake in the oven. My naan recipe is made on a stove top, using a very hot cast-iron skillet. The naan turns out to be extremely delicious, soft, puffy, airy, with the beautiful golden brown spots on the surface. They taste just like the best Indian buffet restaurants! Frequently Asked Questions about Naan: Is Naan Bread Healthy? Yes, it is super healthy. My recipe is quick and easy, fail-proof and cooked on a skillet. You do not need a tandoor oven! Does It Have Eggs? There are no eggs in the recipe. Vegans can’t eat them as this recipe calls for yogurt, which is not vegan-friendly. The Origin of Naan It originated from Iran. However, different countries have their own version of the bread. It’s a staple in Iran, many middle eastern countries, the Indian subcontinent countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. The Difference between Naan and Roti They are both flat breads but different because of the ingredients used. Roti, for example, chapati is made with whole wheat flour and there is no yeast. Naan is made with all purpose flour and you will need yeast to make the dough. Tips on How to Make Naan First, you want to make the dough by combining the yeast and flour together. Knead the dough with hand or using a stand mixer and then rest to double the dough in size. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Heat up a cast-iron skillet on high heat to make naan. The high heat makes the dough rise and fills the middle part of the bread with an air pocket. It’s done when burnt brown “blisters” or spots appear, just like my pictures. Brush the fresh-off-the-skillet naan with some melted salted butter and top them with cilantro leaves. How Many calories per serving? This recipe is only 295 calories per serving. What Dishes to Serve with Naan? They are great with Indian curries with sauce, for example: chicken tikka masala or butter chicken. For a wholesome Indian dinner, I recommend the following recipes. Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala and Tandoori Shrimp How to Make Naan Bread? Please refer to the recipe card below for a detailed step-by-step method on how to make naan at home. Naan Bread (The Best Recipe) Naan - easy naan bread recipe using a cast-iron skillet. Soft, puffy with brown blisters just like Indian restaurants. This is the best recipe online! Instructions In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a flat surface and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place (for example: beside the stove top or warm oven). The dough should double in size, about 1 hour. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” circle using a rolling spin. Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same until all the dough is done. Brush the naan with the melted butter, and serve warm. Previous Next

< Back Al Pastor Turkey Prep Time: 3 hours 30 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours Serves: 8-10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Al pastor is typically a dish made with pork, spit-roasted over an open flame—but why should we let pork have all the fun? It's time your Thanksgiving turkey got a little pep in its step. Leftovers are excellent in your classic sandwich, birria tacos... Ingredients 6 tablespoons crumbled achiote paste 9 garlic cloves, finely grated (2 heaping tablespoons) 6 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped (3 tablespoons), plus 6 tablespoons adobo sauce 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 4 tablespoons (36 g/1.26 oz.) Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3 tablespoons agave syrup or honey 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 (12 to 14-lb.) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed, patted dry 1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced 2 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced Warm corn tortillas, cranberry salsa macha, and cilantro leaves, for serving Preparation 1. Use the tines of a fork to break up the achiote paste in a medium bowl so that no large clumps of paste remain. Add garlic, chipotle, adobo, vinegar, salt and stir, using the tines to smash garlic, chipotles and achiote together into a smooth sauce. Vigorously whisk agave and ¾ cup olive oil into achiote mixture until completely smooth. 2. Place the turkey on the center of a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Liberally brush with achiote sauce, getting into every nook, cranny and inside the cavity of the turkey. Turkey should be completely coated and there should not be any sauce remaining. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wings underneath. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours, or set on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and chill, uncovered, for up to 2 days. 3. If chilled, let the turkey sit at room temperature 1 hour before roasting. 4. Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven; preheat to 400°F. 5. Toss pineapple and onion with remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a medium bowl, lightly season with salt. Arrange in an even layer on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place turkey on top of a flat or V-shaped wire rack and arrange over top of the pineapple and onions. Roast turkey, rotating once if it is browning unevenly, until skin is brick red in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to roast turkey, rotating pan if browning unevenly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 150° to 155°, and thickest part of thighs registers 165° to 170°, about 1½ hours (you can tent the top with with some foil if it’s browning a bit too quickly). 6. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; let rest 30 to 60 minutes, uncovered before carving. Toss pineapple and onion in fat and accumulated juices and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa macha, and cilantro leaves. Previous Next

< Back Homemade Fermented Mayo Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 32 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Learn how one simple ingredient can transform your homemade mayonnaise into lacto-fermented mayo that will last in the refrigerator for months! This recipe tastes delicious and is actually healthier than regular homemade mayo. Ingredients 1 whole egg farm fresh, if possible 1 teaspoon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh, if possible 1 clove garlic optional 1 teaspoon fresh herbs optional 2 Tablespoons brine from a ferment kombucha, sauerkraut, whey, etc. 1 1/4 cups oil avocado, grapeseed, or olive oil Preparation Add all ingredients into the mason jar and allow the oil to separate to the surface for just a few seconds. Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar, keeping it perpendicular to the bottom of the jar, and allow it to blend until the color turns an opaque white. Once the bottom is white you can slowly lift the immersion blender up and down a few times until the rest of the oil is incorporated and emulsified. Taste the mayo and adjust seasonings as desired. Cover the jar and leave it out on the counter at room temperature for 6-10 hours to ferment. Transfer to the refrigerator and use as you would regular mayonnaise. Any mustard works well for this recipe, we prefer stone-ground. Feel free to adjust and play with the seasonings. I like the garlic and oregano combination, but fresh basil, rosemary, or even cilantro would work well, too. For a lighter flavor use oils such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil. Occasionally I’ll use a good quality olive oil, but you can definitely taste the oil in the mayo, so if this isn’t a flavor you enjoy, choose one of the other oils. Store mayo in the refrigerator, covered, as long as it tastes great! Ours doesn’t tend to last two months in our house, but if you’ve allowed it to ferment, it should last that long in the refrigerator. If there are any off smells or you see signs of mold, toss it out and start a fresh batch. Previous Next

< Back Watermelon Jello Snack Prep Time: Cook Time: N/A Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe TikTok Fruit Watermelon is a fun-to-eat TikTok Viral Dessert Ingredients 1 personal size watermelon strawberries, washed, tops removed and quartered blueberries, washed raspberries, washed 2 kiwifruit, peeled and cut into slices and quartered (SEE NOTE) 2 boxes, 1 oz. each, unflavored gelatin (1 box has 4 packets inside) 1 cup white sugar 2 cups water 2 cups boiling water Preparation This awesome and striking TikTok Fruit Watermelon contains loads of delicious and fresh fruits combined in a base of gelatin. The gelatin is unflavored but tastes a bit like the fruit of course, which is light and friendly to keep the real focus on the fruit. To get started on making this viral and trendy dessert recipe, make sure you have the ingredients above on hand. Fruit and Jell-O have had a long-standing relationship with each other. It goes back to pretty much every 50’s picnic and church get-together EVER. But not all fruit get along with gelatin and some float over sinks. To top it off, gelatin doesn’t actually STICK to fruit, fruit is more encased inside of it, so while making TikTok Fruit Watermelon is FUN, the realistic point of view is just to stick to a fruit salad if you need to present it. What fruit goes best in Jell-O? There are many types of fruit that can go great in a Jell-O dish. So while this TikTok Watermelon has raspberries, blueberries and strawberries, feel free to try other cut up fruits like: Try using strawberries , seedless grapes, mandarin oranges, and small bits of apple. What Fruit cannot go into a Jell-o Watermelon? As you can see in the original recipe from TikTok, it contains Kiwi. We did follow Kiwi contains a protein that makes gelatin not solidify and stick, so in the recipe card, we are leaving OUT the kiwi in hopes that the recreations will be a lot more solid. We also do not recommend pineapple or banana. Pineapple has the same situation as Kiwi and banana browns easily. Will there be left over Jell-O? Chances are if you are asking this, the answer is that you have leftover Jell-O. Because watermelon sizes vary GREATLY, it really is impossible to know how much overall product you may have at the end. It is so much better to have a little bit left than to be short. Remember to fill up the entire watermelon with gelatin. How full should the watermelon be? The watermelon should have fruit ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP to help prevent the fruit from floating. Cutting Fruit Watermelon Once the gelatin in the watermelon is COMPLETELY SET, cut into slices and serve while cold! Even if a bit of fruit falls off the slices, this TikTok recipe is fun to make, is beautiful and fresh, and kids will still be delighted and enjoy it 1. Make sure you have a place in your refrigerator for a 9×13 pan. 2. Cut the watermelon in half. Use a spoon to hollow out the inside and place the watermelon in a bowl to eat later or use for another recipe. 3. Drain the juice from the watermelon shell. 4. Add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and kiwifruit in each watermelon half. Do this in layers. 5. Add a handful of each fruit and then begin to repeat layers. This way the items are mixed up. 6. Place the watermelon into a 9×13 pan and if necessary, tuck loosely crumpled pieces of foil around the watermelon to keep it level, or from tipping over. 7. Add gelatin, sugar and 2 cups water a large bowl with a spout. Mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Mix again. 8. Add 2 cups boiling water and mix until completely dissolved 9. Pour into watermelon until full. 10. Place in the refrigerator and refrigerate 4-6 hour or overnight. 11. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into slices and serve. 12. Serve uneaten watermelon slices covered in the refrigerator Notes The original TikTok Fruit Watermelon we tested had kiwi. Kiwifruit typically has a protein that prevents gelatin from setting correctly, so in the interest of helping the next person, it is removed from the ingredient list. Please substitute with unseeded halved grapes or more strawberries. Previous Next

< Back Brown Butter Gnocchi alla Vodka Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe The best recipe for gnocchi with rich, velvety vodka sauce! It's easy to make in one pan using simple, unprocessed ingredients. Serve it as comfort food, date night dinner, or a crowd-pleasing side. Ingredients 750g of Maris piper or King Edward potatoes Olive oil Sea salt 350g AP flour 1-2 egg yolks 1 shallot 1 red chili 3 cloves garlic bunch of basil 1 tube tomato purée 2 shots vodka 200ml double / heavy cream black pepper 1tsp peperoncino 1tsp brown sugar unsalted butter parmesan Preparation Coat 750g of Maris piper or King Edward potatoes with a little olive oil and sea salt - bake for 1h at 180c Cut, remove skins, then pass through a ricer or mash with a fork till cool enough to handle Work in 350g AP flour little by little along with 1-2 egg yolks and knead with your palms - keep adding flour as required till you form a smooth ball of dough Cut into 4 even sized pieces, then roll out into a thin log and cut into small gnocchi sized pieces with a dough cutter - dust with flour and set aside Finely dice 1 shallot, 1 red chili + 3 cloves garlic and sauté in olive oil on med heat ~2 mins, then add bunch of basil and 1 tube tomato purée, sauté ~2 mins Deglaze with 2 shots of vodka and cook off the alcohol ~2 mins Add in 200ml double / heavy cream and mix to combine - season with sea salt, black pepper, 1tsp peperoncino, 1tsp brown sugar Remove the basil and simmer on low, stirring continually Throw gnocchi into salted boiling water and cook for ~1-2 mins or until they float. Strain and place into ice water to stop cooking, then dry and set aside Add some unsalted butter to a pan with a splash of olive oil. Once sizzling, throw in the gnocchi - toss and cook for 4-5 mins until deeply golden brown and crispy - the brown butter will give off the most amazing nutty aroma Add gnocchi to the warm vodka sauce with some pasta water and stir to emulsify, then kill the heat and sprinkle over some parmesan Stir till melted and plate up, topped with more parm and chopped parsley - So satisfying and delicious. I didn’t have an exact measure of the flour so use your judgment and keep adding as required. Use the pasta water to loosen up your sauce if it’s too thick. A comfort food of comfort foods! Enjoy! Previous Next

< Back Echinacea Tincture Prep Time: Cook Time: N/A Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients “May vary” Goldenseal Yarrow Linden Chamomile Elderflower Elderberry Rose Hips Oregon Grape Ginger Cayenne Preparation BENEFITS OF ECHINACEA TINCTURE Echinacea Angustifolia tincture is widely known for promoting a healthy immune response. There are dozens if not hundreds of studies to back this up, bosting some pretty impressive stats. Researchers are the University of Connecticut found that taking echinacea cuts the chances of catching a cold by 58%, and if you do get sick, echinacea can reduce the average duration of sickness by almost a day and a half. Its general purpose infection-fighting powers are showing promise in the treatment of a number of infectious diseases, including herpes, malaria, syphilis and urinary tract infections. Echinacea was used by Native Americans as a natural all-purpose pain reliever, to treat everything from headaches to snake bites. Other studies show that echinacea is a potent anti-inflammatory, which may contribute to the treatment of numerous conditions. ECHINACEA TINCTURE DOSAGE How much echinacea tincture do you take? Recommendations vary widely. Most herbalists recommend taking a dropper full, which is 25 to 30 drops of tincture, three times per day. Herbalist Susan Weed, the Author of the best-selling Wise Woman Herbal , recommends a more specific dosage based on weight. She prescribes 1 drop for every 2 pounds of body weight. For most children, that amounts to no more than a dropper full, and she admits that she often rounds to a full dropper full for children 25 to 50 pounds. For adults and older children, she suggests an echinacea tincture dosage as follows: 50 to 100 pounds: 2 droppers full 100 to 150 pounds: 3 droppers full 150 to 200 pounds: 4 droppers full 200 to 250 pounds: 5 droppers full When sick or experiencing acute symptoms, the full dosage can be administered every 1 to 2 hours. If you catch it before you’re really sick, every 3 to 4 hours should be sufficient. Nonetheless, for an average 150-pound adult, that’s a lot of echinacea tincture over the course of 2 to 3 days. After that, she suggests tapering off to more occasional doses for a week or two to strengthen your immune system and prevent a relapse. With those tincture dosage recommendations, how much echinacea tincture do you need to fight off a cold? A dropper full is roughly 25 to 30 drops, and there are just under 100 drops to a teaspoon or around 600 drops to an ounce. If you’re taking 3 to 4 droppers full, or roughly a teaspoon, every one to two hours, that’s a full one-ounce bottle in 6 to 12 hours. ECHINACEA TINCTURE BLENDS One of the benefits of making your own echinacea tincture is that you can create your own custom blend. We tend to make an echinacea and elderberry tincture blend, because they have complementary effects, but also because elderberries help mask the harsh flavor of echinacea. That means the medicine goes down easier, so we’re more likely to actually take it. Other common echinacea tincture blends include: Goldenseal Yarrow Linden Chamomile Elderflower Elderberry Rose Hips Oregon Grape Ginger Cayenne ECHINACEA TINCTURE SIDE EFFECTS WebMD rates echinacea as “likely safe” for most applications. With any medicine, there’s always the potential for an allergic reaction, but such reactions are rare. The main caution is for persons with autoimmune issues. Since echinacea interacts with the immune system and can stimulate a response, it could cause issues if you already have an abnormally functioning immune system. Specifically, if you have an overactive immune system this could make things worse. HOW TO MAKE AN ECHINACEA TINCTURE The most simple way to make an echinacea tincture is to use the folk herbalist method. Start with a clean mason jar, and fill it about halfway with dried echinacea. If you have fresh plant material, fill the jar 2/3 of the way full. Echinacea is easy to grow from seed, but it shouldn’t be harvested for the first 3 years as it establishes. We often buy bulk echinacea online. A pound of dried herb sells for about $20 and is enough to make about a gallon of tincture. We tend to make part of it into a tincture and save the rest for tea. Once you’ve added the herb to a mason jar, simply cover it with alcohol. Add a neutral spirit with around 40% alcohol (80 proof). Vodka is a good choice, but really any alcohol will work. Some people suggest using straight grain alcohol that’s near 100%, but that’s actually not a good idea. The super high alcohol content isn’t actually the best way to extract herbal medicines unless you’re dealing with a particularly resilient resin. For simple herbal leaves, flowers and roots stick to around 40% alcohol for best results. I like to use a mid-shelf vodka because it makes the resulting tincture more palatable. If you choose the cheapest liquor money can buy, remember that you’re going to have to drink it. A better suggestion is to choose the cheapest liquor you’d actually voluntarily drink. Fill the jar to within a half-inch of the top, making sure that you completely submerge all the herbal material. Put a lid on the jar and give it a quick shake. Store the jar in a cool dark place for at least a month, shaking anytime you remember. After 1 to 3 months of infusing, it’s time to filter the echinacea tincture. Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to filter the herbal material from the alcohol. You should be left with a dark, amber-colored liquid with a strong earthy smell. Echinacea tincture has a bit of harshness to it, so it’s best to take it mixed with water or juice. Store your echinacea tincture out of direct sunlight, preferably in amber-colored glass bottles. Amber-colored tincture bottles are reusable and convenient for dosing. You can buy a dozen 2-ounce amber bottles for less than the cost of a single 1 ounce prepared echinacea tincture. They’re also small enough that they can be taken on a trip and even in carry-on plane baggage. I tend to get sick most when I’m traveling, so having a portable immune booster is a big plus. What do you think? Are you ready to try making your own echinacea tincture? Previous Next

< Back 15 Minute Fire Cider Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 16 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2/3 cup raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple*, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled 1 (1-inch) piece fresh horseradish root*, peeled ( optional ) 1 large clove garlic, peeled 1/4 small lime (peel included if organic // 1/4 small lime is ~20 g) 1 ½ Tbsp honey (raw, local preferred // if vegan, sub maple syrup or agave) 1/2-3/4 tsp ground turmeric* 1 pinch ground black pepper 1/8 tsp ground cayenne Preparation Preparation Intrigued by the health benefits of fire cider but not into the 1-month wait for it to be ready? That’d be us, friends, and there’s a solution! Introducing fire cider-inspired wellness shots made in just 15 minutes with easy-to-find ingredients ! They’re vibrant, spicy, potent ( oh yeah ), and tasty, too! They’re also great for stimulating digestion and warming you up from the inside out, no matter the season. Let’s make (fire cider) shots! What is Fire Cider? Fire cider is a spicy vinegar tonic popularized by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar beginning in the 1980s. It’s been embraced for its ability to support the immune system and help fight colds, flus, and other infections. Gladstar’s original formulation includes vinegar, garlic, onions, horseradish, ginger, spicy peppers, and sometimes turmeric or echinacea. The combination is steeped for weeks, allowing the flavors to develop. The following is our inspired version with similar ingredients and benefits but a shorter preparation time. How to Make Quick “Fire Cider” Our quick “fire cider” comes together by blending tangy apple cider vinegar and lime, sweet pineapple and honey, anti-inflammatory turmeric and black pepper, and spicy ginger, garlic, and cayenne. Horseradish is an optional but classic addition for even more potency. By blending instead of steeping the mixture, the medicinal properties infuse into the vinegar in a matter of seconds instead of weeks. After blending, we pour it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp. The result is a punchy, medicinal mixture that keeps in the refrigerator for weeks . We hope you LOVE our inspired take on fire cider! It’s: Vibrant Tangy Spicy Potent Quick & easy & Full of health benefits! It’s the perfect tonic to have around for chilly weather, cold and flu season, and to boost digestion before meals! Instructions Wash and prep your fresh produce (pineapple, ginger, garlic, and lime). To a high-speed blender, add all ingredients (apple cider vinegar, pineapple, ginger, horseradish (optional), garlic, lime, honey, turmeric*, black pepper, and cayenne). Blend on high for 30-45 seconds or until there are no large pieces remaining. If you don’t have a powerful blender, this may take longer. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring glass or bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon to squish and stir the pulp so all of the liquid comes through. Discard the leftover pulp. You should now have a lovely orange-colored tonic with no lumps. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more honey for sweetness, turmeric for earthiness, or cayenne for heat — it should be potent! Drink as desired. We love it as a shot before meals for stimulating digestion. You can also add it to salad dressings , marinades, or cocktails, or make mocktails by adding to sparkling water. Store in a glass bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 4-6 weeks. Separation is normal — give it a shake before serving. Notes *We think ripe mango or apple would work in place of pineapple, but we haven’t tested either. *Horseradish is a traditional ingredient in Fire Cider, but it can be tricky to get at the grocery store (it’s in the produce section). We like the “fiery” quality horseradish root adds, but the tonic is still potent and delicious without it. Another option is to sub 1/4 – 1/2 tsp wasabi paste. *Turmeric can stain your blender if it sits in it for too long, but the color should fade over time. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients. Previous Next

< Back The Best Pie Crust Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 1 two crust pie or 2 single crust pies Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 7 tablespoons cold water Preparation Mix the flour and salt together and then cut the shortening (vegetable shortening, like Crisco) into the flour until it is small pea size. Add the water and mix together with a fork jsut until it starts to come together. DO NOT PLAY WITH THE DOUGH or it will get tough. Turn it out on a floured counter and roll it out. This will not look pretty, and you will lose some flour, but if done correctly it will make the crust flaky. This recipe will make enough dough for two single pies or one pie with a top and of course, some leftover dough for pie dough cookies. Bake at 350°, without filling, for about 20 minutes or until a nice golden color. Let cool and fill with favorite non-bake filling. If you want to bake the filling in it, pour the filling in and the bake at 350° following the pie instructions for the filling. If putting a top crust on the pie, make sure to crimp the edges and cut vent holes in the top crust. If I am baking an apple pie, I cut an apple, if it is a peach pie, I cut a peach, etc. Previous Next