Best cough remedy EVER

                         I have been using this recipe for just about 4 years now without fail. Recently quite a few people asked me for a recipe, so I have decided to write a post about it.
            It's all started when my daughter was about 2.5 yo. Since she was just a few months old she was coughing, constantly. Chest infections every two to three weeks. Once, when she was only 4 months she spent a whole 8 days on oxygen at a local hospital and was discharged with bronchiolitis.
Two days after discharge the cough was back. She was prescribed antibiotics, she's good for a week and then the cough was back. This pattern was repeating itself until she was two, after we've changed another GP we were finally referred to a Paediatrics.  At that time, age two, she was wearing clothes for a 9 months old baby. 
             After a few months with paediatrition, prescribed inhalers which were getting stronger and stronger, all the tests not giving any answers, receiving new inhaler-the strongest one, I called home. Back in my country, home remedies are a big thing still. Got recipes, picked one, made few adjustments and started to use next day after our usual every two-week hospital appointment.
  In these two weeks my daughter gained 500 gr in weight(for a previous whole year her weight gain was just 200gr). Her lungs were absolutely clear first time since she was born.
  The doc was shocked! "Did the inhaler worked?" She asked in disbelief. And I told her: "I haven't even opened it". All I did was the home made recipe with onions and honey.
   Since then, her health improved dramatically. She hasn't had a chest infection in 3.5 years. Once she starts sniffling and coughing, the concoction is ready to be used. The whole family is using it. Even my mother in law who loves her pharmaceuticals, started to use it :)
Another good thing that came out of it, my kids LOVE onions now!
BTW, the cause of her chest infections was aspirational. Some of food and drink were getting into her lungs. Drinks still do get in her lungs occasionally, but with first signs of cough, the remedy is ready and cough is going away in a couple of days with out turning nasty.

   So here is the recipe all amounts are approximate.
You will need:
#Onions . I like to use organic, and mix red and brown.
#Honey . The only two honey that really worked in worst cases are:

Comvita Manuka honey 20+ or 

Lifeplan Rainforest Active 30+ Honey 227g Our favourite! 

For general prophylactic usage I use any raw honey, just pick your favourite.

Method:

Get your onions peeled and thinly sliced. I use 2 to 3 bulbs, depending on their size.
Once sliced there are two things to choose to do with them.
      1) If I use to treat already bad cold/cough, and use one of the expensive honeys, then I put sliced onions in a bowl and sprinkle some unrefined sugar all over it. Leave it for at least two hours, preferably overnight. In the morning squeeze the juice out, just use your hands or put in a sieve and press with a spoon or something. The juice you get mix with honey. My proportion is roughly 1:1. If I have two spoons of juice, then I'll add two spoons of honey. For a child starting at the age of two, I was giving 5ml on empty stomach first thing in the morning. Then another 5 ml every hour for the first 2-3 days. After that, 3-4 times a day. Maximum one week. I'll do a new batch every day or two. Depending on how juicy onions are.
   2) When I use for prophylactic, during autumn, winter and spring, to keep the bugs away I do it differently. I put sliced onions in a jar and pour any raw honey over the onions, in layers. I do not use sugar! If honey is to thick, I warm it up in a warm oven, or put a jar of honey in a bowl of hot water, and wait until it gets all runny. Then it's easy to pour. Leave it to stand. Once you have a juice, give straight from the jar. 5-10 ml 2-3 times a day. I give on quite random days.

Often I catch my kids trying to sneakily to drink all whats in the jar. Or they pretend to have a cough and ask me to make the juice :) 

Hopefully, if you decide to try it, it will work wanders for you, just like it does for us.
Love, Peace and stay healthy,
Jev

It is not recommended to give honey to children under the age of one, in some countries even two. So do be careful. Honey in younger infants can cause botulism. Also, it can cause allergy in any age.

Very yummy TWO ingredient cookies!

Two ingredient cookies

As I had sooo many things to do in a short window between me getting home from my training and picking up kids from school and taking them to their Kung Fu class, I needed something very quick to make for them to snack. It had to be wholesome, no sugar and provide energy for a tired child after school to last her through a high energy KungFu class. And I have found a fantastic cookie recipe! It's quick to prepare, cooked in 15 min, has only TWO main ingredients and you can have any adds in you want!
What you will need:
2 over ripen bananas
1 cup of quick oats
Mash up bananas with oats, add if you want raisins, nuts etc. Or dont add anything else, they still will be fab. 
Today I have added fresh vanilla and 70% chocolate drops. 
Then spoon it on a GREASED(it sticks!) paper and bake for about 15 min. 
I LOVED them and my kids too, they ate a whole lot :)))  Konstancia was stuffing her mouth just to get most of them LOL
It was big success and will make many more times! 

Here we have:oats, bananas and chocolate chips

All mashed up

Already in the snack box

We love Pukka Teas

We love Pukka Teas!
   My 6 year old never fancied any teas. She would try but never drink any of them until she tried Pukka's Night Time tea. Now she asks for it every evening before bed. And I love it so much, it so lovely and cosy siting with my girl on a sofa watching bed time cartoon and drinking warm tea on this cold evenings :)  I don't know if it's valeriana in it or what, but she seems to sleep better too.

ingredients

Oat flower (30%), licorice root, chamomile flower, lavender flower (14%), lime flower (10%), valerian root, tulsi leaf.   Another reason I like these teas is, they are sweet enough that i don't even put honey to sweeten it.

So I thought to share the pages with you where you can get some free samples of Pukka Teas.
 You can order them via:

• this page (you will need 'Best before end' details', from my pack these are: P2012.06.07 11:09 L2158 EXP2015.06.07)

http://www.freesamples.pukkaherbs.com/freesample.asp

• or via this page : http://www.pukkaherbs.com/freesample-quick-form.php

Hugs and cosy snugly evenings, truly yours  :)

Carrot Coconut Pineapple cake

Hi all! As requested by some, here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of self-raising flower (Or you can use all-purpose flour+1 teaspoon baking soda)
• I use 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 2tbl spoons of natural sweetener ( but original recipe is 2 cups of sugar which i think is too much)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 to 4 medium carrots)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup of finely chopped and crushed pineapple(i use fresh)or 1 can (8 ounces) well drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup shredded coconut, i always use fresh but you can get a ready made one
• 1 cup of sultanas (or/and 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans which I never add due my daughter nut allergy)

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients; stir to blend. Add eggs, oil, shredded carrots, and vanilla; beat until well blended. Stir in pineapple, coconut, and sultanas (1/2 cup of the walnuts if you use them). Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Place cake in pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting and again, if you use nuts, sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts, pressing into the frosting very lightly.

My little helper is always there to help and sample :)))

Helping mummy to mix the dry ingredients. But  also we like to hide the spoon in the bowl and look for it , and to eat flower too.

He was not lucky as Little V sprinkled  some flower onto him...

I always have to clean and great more carrots as my little helper likes to eat them :)

The butter tastes really yummy!!

That's how she likes to sample it, messy but yummy 

And off into the oven

And that was my dinner :)

Why I still breastfeed my 5 year old

•       All the benefits of human milk—including nutritional and health—continue for as long as your baby receives your milk. In fact, as your baby takes less human milk, these advantages are condensed into what milk is produced. Many of the health benefits of human milk are dose related, that is, the longer the baby receives human milk, the greater are the benefits. Some fear that continuing to breastfeed until a child weans on his own will make him more dependent on his mother. Instead of viewing extended nursing as something to question, perhaps the real query should be, "What is there to be gained by abruptly putting an end to the breastfeeding relationship?" It's interesting that some people think that a child won't grow out of breastfeeding unless he is forced. In reality, it's a natural process for children to outgrow breastfeeding on their own. Independence, not dependence, is one outstanding trait that breastfed children who self-wean have in common.
         Natural weaning allows for differences in children by letting them grow at their own pace. Independence can't be forced upon a child before he is ready to assume it. A child who weans gradually is able to maintain his emotional attachment to his mother, rather than being forced to switch to an inanimate object such as a cuddly toy or blanket. I can vouch for this; I speak from personal experience.

  Human contact does not cause harm to a child :) 
Plus don't think that breastfeeding a toddler is the same as an infant. First of all, it's not as often, mostly just mornings and/or evenings, when they are in distress or in pain. And all it takes is a minute at most (at least with mine). 
Believe me I have tried to wean her off, twice, both times lasted for four! months. At the age of 3, and then 4. But she kept asking, very politely and kind of gently. I could see that she was not ready, she needed it, so I gave it back to her. And what a help it is. When she is sick, or in pain, instead of spending a lot of time and nerves (and a-lot-of-side-effects-painkillers) to calm her, get rid of the pain(like toothache,she likes her candies) and e.t.c all it takes is 30 seconds on a breast and off she's playing happily around. Yea, I KNOW!, you'd say " there are many other ways to calm your child"...BUT, nothing works as good and FAST as THE BREAST!

•   Handling Criticism

          Understandably, some mothers find it difficult to deal with pressure to wean, whether that pressure comes from family, friends, or complete strangers. Choosing to do things differently than other mothers who initiate weaning after a few months calls for courage, self-assurance, and a good support system. Katherine Dettwyler, anthropologist, states that major contributors to premature weaning are cultural. Early weaning often occurs in cultures that promote breastfeeding as mainly nutrition for infants, view breasts as sexual objects, and don't accept nursing in public.

        If you're facing criticism from family members or friends, remember that they may simply be uninformed about the benefits of extended breastfeeding or perhaps they feel guilt about their own parenting choices. Consider responding to unwelcome comments by:

Ignoring: walking away or changing the subject.

Informing: sharing books, articles, or a medical professional's thoughts on extended nursing.

Using Humor: making a joke about the situation or yourself, not the other person.

Acknowledging: recognizing the person's viewpoint and asking further questions without agreeing or disagreeing

Empathizing: being empathetic to demonstrate that you understand the other person's feeling and meaning

• Advantages for Mother

Parenting is an exhausting business. When a mother says how tired or stressed she is, some people may point to breastfeeding as the culprit. In reality, there are many benefits of extended nursing to mothers, some of which include:

     Stress relieving qualities: Breast-feeding suppresses the nervous system's hormonal response to stress, which is why many mothers recognize that they feel calmer and better able to cope with whatever comes along while nursing.

     A few guaranteed calm moments in a day: Parenting can be hectic. Toddlers are bursting with energy and find a lot of interesting things to keep them busy. There are times -- however brief -- when a mother can count on breastfeeding to provide soothing quality time to calm an upset toddler or to reconnect and bond with her child.

     Decreased risk of diseases: One study found a decreased risk of breast cancer among breastfeeding mothers, with the greatest risk reduction seen in women whose total amount of breastfeeding for one or more children totals several years (Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer 2002). A mother's risk of osteoporosis (and other diseases) is also reduced by extended breastfeeding (Gwinn et al. 1990; Hartge et al. 1989; Rosenblatt, Thomas, and WHO 1993).

    Amenorrhea: The amount of natural infertility experienced while breastfeeding is known as lactational amenorrhea. Many mothers experience reduced fertility when nursing past a year, with some women going as long as two years or more without menstruating.

Even after the time during which nursing alone is a reliable contraceptive has passed, many mothers continue to enjoy freedom from menstruation and from the physical and emotional effects of ovulation and menstruation" (Bumgarner 2000).

     Advantages for Toddlers

Human milk is the primary source of nutrition during a baby's first year. It becomes a supplement to solids during the second year, but it maintains nutritional value, as well emotional benefits for toddlers.

     Immune system: It takes between two and six years for a child's immune system to fully mature. Human milk continues to complement and boost the immune system for as long as it is offered (AAP 1997; Goldman 1983; Gulick 1986; Mohrbacher and Stock 2003; Saarinen 1982). Research on the incidence of illness in breastfed or weaned toddlers reflects these dynamics. Breastfeeding toddlers between 16 and 30 months old have been found to have fewer types and shorter duration of illness and to require less medical care than their non-breastfeeding peers (Gulick 1986).

    Oral development: Breastfeeding provides a natural outlet for non-nutritive sucking that promotes proper oral development, which has been found to improve speech (Davis 1991; Labbok and Hendershot 1987; Broad and Duganzich 1983).

     IQ score: Extensive research on the relationship between cognitive achievement (IQ scores, grades in school) and breastfeeding has shown the greatest gains for those children breastfed the longest (van den Bogaard 1991).

      Independence: The process that children go through while growing toward independence is a difficult one. Breastfeeding can provide feelings of love, comfort, and protection. When a mother makes herself available to nurse her child through a situation that he can't handle alone, he will likely develop independence based on faith that mother will be there to help. As a child gets older, there are fewer and fewer such situations. Provided a child isn't prevented from exercising his developing capabilities, independence comes with his increasing competence (Bumgarner 2000).

     Self-Esteem: Babies and young children nurse when they are lonely, frightened, or in pain and responsive mothering through breastfeeding leads to enhanced bonding. Allowing a toddler to nurse (or wean) at his own pace is an expression of trust that contributes to his self-esteem.

There are no prizes to be won for breastfeeding the longest -- all mothers and babies are different. Ideally the nursing relationship continues until the child outgrows the need.

Myth: An older nursing child won't learn self-comforting skills.

Fact: Giving your child the comfort of breastfeeding is actually the best way to teach self-comforting skills in the long run. It is from this early relationship with you that he learns much about his needs and how to get them met in constructive, self-initiated ways.

Myth: Prolonged nursing is too fatiguing for a mother.

Fact: Many mothers find that nursing is one way they are able to rest, since nursing assures that there are a few times in every day when the mother can put her feet up and relax with her child.

Myth: The longer you wait to wean, the harder it will be.

Fact: As children get older, encouraging weaning often gets easier, not harder, since older children have a greater ability to reason and a wider repertoire of interests. When your child is ready to wean, it will be easy.

Myth: It's better to wean suddenly and get it over with.

Fact: Weaning slowly is one of the many areas in your relationship with your child where going slowly pays off in the long term. There are no instant fixes that don't have a cost. By weaning gradually and employing gentle techniques, you will maintain your child's inner security and trust for you.

Myth: A mother who nurses an older child is doing it to fill some need in herself.

Fact: Many mothers explain that their satisfaction and pleasure in nursing declines as the child gets older, and if they continue to nurse, it is primarily because it is important to their child. Older children are usually not coerced to nurse, they are allowed to nurse.

Reference: http://www.llli.org/

Green People

Last month I have finally found children's toothpaste which does not taste like peppermint or has a kilo of sugar in it. I have discovered Green People!  Their ORGANIC MANDARIN children toothpaste is a hit with both of my girls. But it wasn't in the beginning.  Why they were not impressed? The colour! It looks like a wall filler from DIY shop, grey mass. It took me about 5 min of ''lecture'' on how bad the pink stuff is(K's old one), that it gives her a stomach ache if she swallows etc and how good and healthy the grey one is. If she swallows it it is Ok, she does not even have to rinse her mouth after brushing.Please just try?!
And finally she did and the whole tube was gone in 2 weeks time! It is too tasty lol
With my 2 year old it took 2 weeks to get near her mouth with the new paste... But again, once she tried she loved it. A friend of mine who lives in US bought one as well for her daughter, she couldn't find it on sale in US so she bought it on e-bay. 
Today,Tuesday, I have received our second tube, it was ordered on Friday. And while writing the post I went to their site and they have an offer on it Buy 4 children's mandarin toothpastes get 2 free!  Damn! Why they didn't have it last Friday?!  oh well, i hope they will have this offer on coming Friday then I will be able to take it.

Happy and healthy smiles for everyone! 

ORGANIC MANDARIN, ORANGE & MYRRH

Really fruity taste, great for encouraging kids to brush! An excellent choice for children who dislike mint.

• Gentle on delicate teeth and gums
• 100% natural and safe - free from SLS and Fluoride
• Removes plaque and reduces bacterial regrowth
• Protective antioxidant action on gums
• No hydrocarbon or aluminium contamination

This natural toothpaste is made without Fluoride, SLS, Triclosan, Sorbitol, Parabens, phthalates, artificial sweeteners, petrochemicals and colourants to bring you the purest children's toothpaste that nature can offer.

Suitable for vegans and vegetarianseally fruity taste, great for encouraging kids to brush! An excellent choice for children who dislike mint.