Lemon, ginger and garlic cold remedy and immunity booster drink!

Okay so it's that time of the year again , no not Christmas, although that is coming up faster than I can prepare for. Happens ever year somehow I always run out of time getting ready for Christmas but that's a whole other story. I talking about cold and flu season. This immune booster drink is the perfect helper  It tastes good, is easy to make, it's all natural and most importantly it works. If you don't want to spend this winter indoors being sick then this wonderful delicious immunity booster drink is for you. Ever since I've started taking this drink (3years) I haven't had a cold or flu, that only makes this drink worth while.

You need fresh lemons, lots of fresh raw garlic, I used Russian garlic it's the best, fresh ginger and unpasteurized honey. You can leave out any of these ingredients if you like but you really get the best results when you use all of them and fresh ingredients is best :)

Lemons - Lemons are high in vitamin C which help support the immune system. The juice's  anti-inflammatory qualities help soothe sore throats. 

Honey - Honey is a great immunity system builder. Thanks to it's antimicrobial properties honey not only soothes the throat but it can also kill certain bacteria that causes the infection. Honey cures most coughs, colds and helps clear congested chest. It's best to use unpasteurized honey because the pasteurizing process removes many of the help benefits.

Garlic - Garlic is a natural antibiotic  Numerous studies have proven  it to be a bacterial, fungal and virus killing machine. Garlic promotes healthy immune system function, and strengthens the body's defenses. Do worry about garlic breath with all these health benefits it's worth while and worse case scenario pop a breath mint :) 

Ginger - Ginger helps stimulate perspiration  which cleanses the system and brings down the body temperature. Ginger is helpful for settling upsets stomachs, as well as nausea  vomiting and cold sweats. It also helps soothe a sore throat.

As you can see all these wonderful, natural and healthy ingredients pack a powerful one, two, three, four punch in combating any cold or flu. Try this recipe today and prevent any cold or flu bug from attacking you or your loved one. This immunity booster drink can be taken all year round just as a general immune booster.     

You'll need : A big jar, I use a 1 gallon glass jar

Food Processor

Spatula

1 1/2 cup honey

8 cups boiled water - cool to room temperature

5  fresh lemon

1 medium sized ginger

fresh garlic as any as you desire

Wash lemons and remove any blemishes, and stem. I leave part of the skin on, the skin contain many vitamins and oils. Peel the ginger and garlic cloves. I use a lot of garlic, I love garlic so the more the better.  
   

Place the honey into the glass jar. Put the lemon, ginger and cleaned garlic cloves into the food processor. Cut the lemons and ginger into smaller pieces in you need to. 

Grind all the ingredients on high.

Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped up. The aroma is so wonderful.

Scoop the lemon, garlic and ginger mixture into the glass container with honey already in it. 

Add the 8 cup of boiled water. Make sure you allow the boil water to cool down to room temperature.

Stir the ingredient for 2-3 mins. to combine all the ingredients.

Allow the lemon, ginger and garlic drink to stand and develop for 7 days in the fridge. Shake mixture once a day and continue to let stand for 7 days.  Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer and/or cheese cloth. The immunity booster drink is ready to enjoy.   Pour into smaller glass containers for easier pouring, just give the jar a shake before taking.

 I take 1 ounce shot every day in the morning and/or evening. It's so fresh, and lemony tasting. Anytime I feel like I need a boost of energy I make this drink. I hope you enjoy it!! 

It lasts up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Wishing you all a healthy cold and flu season.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love Katya

Cold Remedy Drink and Smileys

I made minestrone soup today! The soup was full of fresh vegetables, white beans, kidney bean, pasta, and aromatic oregano....yummo. After making enough delicious, hearty minestrone to feed 100 plus people I was feeling pretty tired. It's not the first time I made soup to feed a small army so that wasn't the issue that made me tried but the fact that I'm still battling this cold that just won't go away! 


I got sick last week, just at the time that my sister and nephew were coming to visit....Blah! Such bad timing but hey that's life! Actually it turned out that my poor nephew was sick too!! But I must say we definitely didn't let our colds stop us from going ice fishing and staying up till the wee hours of the morning visiting :) One thing that did help our coughing and sore throats was my mom's cold remedy drink. Next time your battling a cold try this cold drink remedy, it's all natural, and it's safe for your kids to drink. This drink works wonders, try it, you'll see!!


So today after coming home from a long soup making day, I was feeling tired and my throat was a bit scratchy and sore. I made myself a big mug full of this delicious cold remedy drink and it was the perfect boost I needed to help me get some very cute cookies decorated. This drink is not only good when your feeling sick but anytime you need a warming drink. If you have a nasty cough keeping you up, get up make a cup of this drink and you'll be ready to get some sleep shortly. Today I'm going to share the drink recipe with you. 

~ Cold Remedy Drink ~

Boiling hot water

Honey

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Black strap Molasses

Squeezed the juice from half the lemon. Bring the water in the kettle to a boil. Get out your favorite mug. For each cup of boiling water measure 2 teaspoons honey, 2 teaspoons molasses and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Stir ingredients to combine, add a slice on lemon. Sit back, put up your feet and enjoy your cold remedy drink.  

              

                 Honey

                 Lemon juice 

                 Black strap molasses

 Add 2 teaspoons of honey

Add 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Add 2 teaspoons black strap molasses.

Fill mug with boiling hot water.

         Enjoy while still hot! 

                                  

                                                   Cold Remedy Drink

After I finished my drink I was ready to get back to my cookie decorating. I found a picture of Smiley face decorated cookies on Pinterest a while back and I thought they were so adorable. I really like Smiley faces, as you've probably noticed from prior posts, so I couldn't wait to make them. I'm so glad I did make them because they are so cute....almost too cute to eat :)

I was so STRESSED out about this linger cold that just didn't want to go away.....

It makes me very ANGRY when....

I'm SICK.

Sometimes I could just CRY....

But thanks to my Cold Remedy Drink !

I'm a HAPPY girl again!

See aren't they so cute. Who wouldn't love these cookies!

Smileys!

Happy or Sad !

The sad face unfortunately ended up with a bit of a bent on the left side. Royal Icing 101 don't touch cookies until completely dry, at least it kind of matches the mood. Maybe that's why he's sad because he got crunched. 

I also made some pretty flower cookies too! 

Smiles and Flowers go together to me so......

Viola!

Remember next time your feeling sick, stressed or angry and you don't have much to smile about, Make a cup of  Cold Remedy Drink and before longing you'll be feeling great ;)

Thanks for stopping by,

Have a Smiley Day!

Love Katya

Birdseed Squares

3 more days till springs!! Yay! Not only is spring right around the corner so are many birthdays, baby showers, weddings and more birthdays. It seems like everyone was either born in April or being born in April, all of a sudden I'm jam packed with making cookie favours, cakes, sugar flowers and party decorations. Eeeks!!...good thing I work better under pressure because it's gonna be BUSY:) The great thing about all these different celebrations is that I will be able to share my new projects will you all. There is one occasion in particular that I'm really excited about partly because it's for someone very special and partly because the colour scheme for the party is so COOL, I can't really elaborate more on this yet but it's gonna be GOOD!! You'll see!! :)


The snow is slowly melting and soon enough we'll able to start spending more time in the great outdoors although I must say I will definitely miss ice fishing. But the great thing about living in Canada is that with each season there is new and different activities to enjoy.  Ice fishing is going, going.... gone but hello fly fishing and hiking.


 So as winter turns to spring outside, the baking continue inside my kitchen. I thought I'd share a great recipe for homemade granola bars which I call Birdseed Squares. These bars are packed with healthy nuts, seeds, grains and honey, hence the name for Birdseed Squares, any birdie would be lucky to eat them ;) All natural no preservatives, these bars are great to take hiking, fishing or on any outing your planning. That's why I thought what better time to introduce this delicious, nutrition bar recipe to you than now. With spring around the corner you'll be needing a great recipe for all your on-the-go outdoor activities that's easy, delicious and healthy too :) 

~Birdseed Squares~  

2 cups sunflower seeds 

2 cups sesame seeds

2 cups shredded coconut

2 cups oats

 2 cups peanuts

2 cups granola

1 cup honey

2 cups sugar

2 slices of  lemon

Toast the sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, oats, and peanut in a wide non-stick frying pan. Heat the seeds, oats or peanuts on medium-high. shaking the pan occasionally. Remove the seeds (other ingredients) when they are toasted brown in colour and fragrant. It takes 3-5 minutes to toast each ingredients on the stove top. 

Pour the toasted sunflower seeds, toasted sesame seeds, toasted oats into a large mixing bowl. Toast the peanuts till golden brown, then coarsely chop peanut and add to dry ingredients. Add coconut and granola. Mix till all ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

In a pot combine, honey, sugar and lemon slices. Cook ingredients on medium-high for 10 minutes till sugar dissolves . Don't let the mixture come to a boil! Remove from heat and remove lemon slices, then pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir till the dry ingredients are well coated with the warm honey/sugar mixture.

Dump the granola mixture into a well greased 9x13 pan. Using a  buttered spatula or wet hands with water. then evenly press the mixture into  the prepared 9x13 pan. Score the granola bars while still warm, then cool completely. Cut into bars.

 Serve immediately or store in an air tight container. Store no more than three days at room temperature in airtight container. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand  at room temperature for 1/2 hour before serving.  

Enjoy

Step by Step Instructions : How to Make Birdseed Squares

 Toast the oats in a wide non-stick frying pan on medium high. Toast till brown in colour and fragrant about 3-5 minutes.  

Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Oats are well known as being heart-healthy. Help to lower "bad" cholesterol, cutting the risk of heart disease.

Toast sunflower seeds till golden and fragrant. Add to mixing bowl with toasted oats. 

Sunflower seeds are packed with vitamins, including vitamin B1 and B5, vitamin E and folate. The fats in sunflower seeds are heart healthy fats. 

Toast sesame seeds till golden, add to mixing bowl with other dry ingredients.

Sesame seeds are rich in vitamins and minerals. The seeds are also a very good source of dietary proteins with fine quality amino acids that are essential for growth, especially in kids.

Toast peanut till golden brown, coarsely chop on cutting board with a sharp knife and then add to mixing bowl containing other dry ingredients.

Peanuts are rich in energy. They rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids that help lower "bad cholesterol" The nuts are a rich source of minerals like copper, zinc, calcium and many more.

Add shredded coconut to dry ingredients.

Coconut boost energy and endurance. It creates a nutritional boost of energy that lasts.Coconut increases the metabolic rate of the body, helping burn excess body weigh.

Add 2 cups of your favorite granola mix to the dry ingredients bowl.

Granola is a healthy combinaiton of oats, grains,nut, dried fruit and sometimes honey. It's a good source of fiber and vitamins.

Stir to combine all the dry ingredients. Set aside while you make the honey/sugar mixture.  

               Kinda looks like Birdseed right?  

In a  saucepan combine sugar, honey and lemon slices. 

Honey give an immediate energy boost. it has antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties. Honey has many amazing benefits!

Lemon -two biggest health benefits are immune boosting powers from vitamin C and their use as weight lose aid

Cook the honey/sugar mixture on medium-high for 10 minutes until sugar dissolves. Don't let the mixture boil, it kills all the health benefits in the honey and it will boil over and make a huge mess in your burner.

It's times like these that I'm thankful that my dad is a beekeeper and I have a stash of delicious unpasteurized honey at my disposal anytime I need it :)

Remove the lemon slices and pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula  and stir till the dry ingredients are well coated with the warm honey/sugar mixture. Don't use your hands to mix the ingredients, you'll burn them.

Dump the granola mixture into a well greased 9x13 pan. Preferably one you don't mind cutting squares in. 

You can evenly press the mixture  down with a buttered spatula or slightly wet  hands.

Score the bars while still warm, then allow to cool completely, cut into bars and serve immediately or store in air tight containers

The best energy bars ever! Birdseed Squares.....

Great for hikes, long road trips and fishing. Keep fairly long in freezer unless you eat them all ;) These are so easy to make and have so many healthy nutritious ingredients, store bought granola bars sound healthy but at times are no better than a chocolate bar. The best part is that these bars have no preservatives, none will be needed because these bars are so good they never last long.

Variations:

Apricot Krispie Birdseed Squares: Reduce oats to 1 cup. Add 2 cup rice Krispies and  1 cup chopped dried apricots. 

This is just one of many variation that are possible. You can substitute sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds and add dried cranberries, blueberries or cherries.. Try substituting the peanuts for almonds, pecans or any favorite nut. You can even substitute the sugar for raw sugar if desired, I have never tried Stevia sugar substitute but it might be a good natural sweetener for sugar in this recipe.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Happy Baking!

Love Katya