ELDERBERRY SYRUP + FALL WELLNESS

For years I have said i would try my hand @ making my own Elderberry syrup - I even bought the Elderberries off amazon once 😋 + then just didn’t have the brain space to do it. Well it turns out it’s actually crazy easy to do and a few friends in our Living Life Oily Tribe asked to do a workshop, so I decided to buy the goods, have some people over + go for it.

It’s been so fun to do this as a workshop as it forces me to actually make it + a night w/o the kiddos getting to have adult conversation is a plus! 😉

We made Elderberry + wolfberry syrup together along with a few other seasonal favs to keep our families well. The throat spray is so good too!- I’d made one before, but using the Thieves mouthwash was a game changer. Anytime we feel a tickle coming on, we grab it and kick that junk to the curb.

I highly recommend getting some friends together and having your own workshop. We got all of the PDF’s to make the stickers and graphics and recipes from the Pretty Simple 4 you Etsy shop.

We take 1 tbsp (1tsp for Charlie + Ellie) every few hours when we are not feeling ourselves, AND we take it every few days just as a general rule. Especially this time of year when everyone else seems to be getting the plague. 😬

So, what’s so good about elderberries + wolfberries?

Elderberries are rich in vitamins A, B and C and have been a traditional cold and flu remedy that has been used for hundreds of years.

Ningxia wolfberries (not traditionally used in Elderberry syrup, but i mean when you know the power of the wolfberry, why not use it to boost any favorite recipes you can!)

The wolfberry comes from the Ningxia region in China where this type of goji berry is crazy high in antioxidants, all sorts of vitamins, minerals and amino acids as they grow in a flood plain sourced from the Himalayan Mountains. The Himalayan Mountains are known to be one of the riches sources of minerals and organic nutrients found on earth. More on all the power of Ningxia wolfberries + the Ningxia Red juice here.

Both elderberries + wolfberries are known to have high antioxidant activity and the bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice of the berry help destroy the ability of a cold or flu virus to infect a cell.

AND essential oils of course to add an extra dose of amazingness to our syrup.

* Thieves Vitality – This is a seriously amazing blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata and rosemary. Adding just this oil by itself is powerful.

* Copaiba Vitality — Soothes and calms the nervous system. Copaiba has high levels of beta-caryophyllene which is known to have cannabinoid properties, without the high of course- this is massively helpful in supporting the bodies response to inflammation.

*Orange Vitality— pretty much makes everything taste better + helps you stay hydrated. Orange oil also contains limonene- google that- and have your mind blown. Thank you God for cold pressed citrus oils!

* Lemon Vitality – Besides tasting and smelling freaking awesome, this oil is so amazing for soothing a sore throat.

Other optional oils to add:

* Clove Vitality – This is crazy high in antioxidants!- the highest, also found in thieves.

* Ginger Vitality – Part of keeping the immune system in tip-top shape is keeping digestion optimal. Over 90% of the immune system resides in the gut, so using ginger, with it’s ability to stimulate and regulate digestion, only seems right.

* Cinnamon Bark Vitality – Another oil already found in the Thieves blend, cinnamon bark is a powerful support to the immune system.

* Frankincense Vitality – One of the gifts given to Jesus by the Three Wise Men, frankincense has been used for centuries. You should google Frankincense oil. Just do it. For real.

This was seriously the EASIEST recipe to follow.

Grab the goods, bust out your instapot and enjoy this yummy immune boosting treat.

In case you don’t have an instapot- pour water into a medium saucepan and add elderberries + wolfberries (do not add honey or EOs)

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.

BONUS: you can save the berries + use them in the gluten free/grain free recipe below (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey, and a drop of each essential oil and stir well. (I add extra orange to mine ❤️)

When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into an 8 oz or quart sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.

Also, lazy mama hack: if you run out of maple syrup for your kiddos, use some elderberry + wolfberry syrup as a fun way to switch it up! Our girls LOVE it, and it's an amazing support to the immune system.

H A P P Y healthy goodness making my friends!

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… just a few more favs we made at the workshop:

Diffuser bombs (SO MUCH time savings right here on our fave diffuser combos)
Wellness boost roll ons (a daily roll on year round before school or being around people) lol
Pumpkin Spice Thieves cleaner— Erm, okay YES! I might use this one year round… don’t tell the seasonal police 😉