All Natural Medicine

For winter blues, colds, coughs, sniffles and general flu like symptoms.
Anyone coming into my home suffering from any of the above will be treated by moi to a mug of this. Generally the first few gulps will be accompanied by faces being pulled in all directions and exclamations like "Bleurgh ! This is strong. What is it ?" But as the golden liquid finds it's way down, you can hear sighs of relief by the drinker.
Usually I make it per mug, but this time I got myself a jug full, because I'm feeling a little meh! I can then reheat it throughout the day as and when.

The recipe for a jug (1.5 ltr)

• juice of 3 lemons
• 2 heaped tablespoons of honey (and then some)
• 6 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated (over a recipient to collect the juice too)
• a little bit of cold water (150 ml or so)
• boiling water to top up

Stir the first 4 ingredients together in a jug and top it up with boiling water. I always add cold water first, because you are not supposed to hit honey with anything boiling. Apparently it diminishes the healing properties. The feelgood factor will be received when you drink this hot, but is also very refreshing cold. 

I also like to spoon out the grated ginger that settles at the bottom of my mug. Feeling better already !

Patricia xxx...x

It's that time of year again. Elderflowers.

Rather unashamedly I link you to this recipe on my own blog  for elderflower champagne . I just cannot believe that the post is from May, 2007 and that I haven't made it since then. 
Well we are lucky to have elder near us which is clean enough to use, so I have flowers 'soaking' at this moment.
It's a must try for anyone who can get to elderflowers. 

Hiccup !

Elderflower Champagne

I have been wondering if this is a very British thing to do, making elderflower champagne. I have certainly never come across anyone in my home country or in France, where I live now, trying their hand on that. In a way, I can understand that the French, who have so much wine available, have no need to attempt making elderflower champagne. They would probably be horrified that the name 'champagne' is being used.

In Belgium, people have completely lost the knack of foraging, let alone making such a delicious drink like this. I can't blame them though, this tiny country is so urbanised and over-populated, that I doubt there are many elder trees left. The ones that are, will be poluted by exhaust fumes from cars.

The first time I made elderflower champagne was last year in spring and it is our favourite spring-time beverage. So this is for you, relatives and friends from Belgium and France.

You will need :

1 large non corrosive bucket

10 elderflowers heads (by all means use more if you want to)

2 lemons

1.5 kg sugar

5 liters of water

a dash of cider vinegar

Sarah, our Belgian volunteer, will show you the proceedings.

Put all the ingredients in your bucket

First elderflowers

Then juice the lemons, and also add the squeezed skins.

Pour in the sugar

The water

A dash of cider vinegar.

Ready for the 24 hour fermentation, stirring regularly

After 24 hours, strain through a colander and tea towel or muslin. Pour into bottles with screw tops. Ready to drink after a couple of days. Beware ! Check regularly and loosen the tops from time to time as the fermentation will continue and natural carbonation will appear.