Things You Should Make at Home Instead of Buying From Household Goods to Food, These are Natural Switches I have Made in My Home to Save Time, Money, and Our Health

Our home is a homemade home. Because we simply believe home is where the best things are made! Memories, our family, love, food, and the things we use to take care of everyone/everything in it!

I was raised in a home where 80% of all our food was homemade. So naturally that is how I feed my family. Most of you are just now joining this journey because you are hearing how much cheaper homemade food is. You are hearing how easy it can be to make out of this world amazing food at home. And you are opening your ears and eyes to how terrible our FDA is for allowing the junk they do into our food.

My personal meal plan template in our home.

Click here to simplify your mealtime decisions with our meal planning binder — over 500 dinner options and lunch ideas for every family member all made at home!

I have always cooked at home but over the last year I have made a natural switch for not only our food, but our medicines and our cleaners! Let me share a list of the changes we have made that will hopefully help you have a better home too!

Food

• Macaroni and cheese
• Mashed potatoes
• Tortillas
• Coffee creamer
• Salisbury steak
• Meatloaf seasoning
• Bread crumbs
• Peanut butter
• Cookie mixes
• Cake mixes
• Muffin mixes
• Pretty much every single dessert we eat is homemade. The last store-bought treat we had was raspberry-stuffed chocolate-covered donuts.
• Butter
• Buttermilk
• Ranch
• Dog treats
• Yogurt cups
• Pudding cups
• Popcorn chicken
• Brown sugar
• 98% of all our dinner foods are 100% homemade. I use canned vegetables from the store because we haven’t had time to do a garden over the past few years to do our own canned vegetables.

Click here to simplify your mealtime decisions with our meal planning binder — over 500 dinner options and lunch ideas for every family member all made at home!

Medicine and Creams:

• Honey and spice blend: good for inflammation, sinuses, coughing, allergies, pain, fevers, and so much more, I don’t take any pills or liquid meds anymore. Even when I had “c@vid” I only took my honey and spice mixture and I felt 70% better in a few hours. Painted my boys’ rooms and everything that week I was home.
• Acne Cream: I mix apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle and use cotton pads to rub it on my acne
• Eczema cream: switched to neam oil
• Black seed oil for any and every issue. It cures everything but death
• Rhodiola oil for my skin, cortisol levels, and energy levels
• I make my own dog lotion for small wounds and their pads
• I mix beeswax in all wax melts because beeswax is purifying for the air
• Quercetin for seasonal allergies
• Dry Shampoo

Click here to simplify your mealtime decisions with our meal planning binder — over 500 dinner options and lunch ideas for every family member all made at home!

Household Cleaners and Etc.

• Air freshener
• I mix vinegar with my laundry detergent
• Dryer sheets
• Surface cleaner
• Antibacterial cleaning wipes (to replace Clorox wipes)

There you have it! This is everything I make at home instead of buying! My list is building bigger and bigger and time goes on but at the moment this is where we are and we love it!

My ebook helping you detoxify your home

It truly is not that hard to make these changes in your own! Detoxifying your home can be overwhelming but once your foot is in the door, you will NOT want to go back to your own ways! I have a few sources that can help you if you want to take a look at them HERE.

I hope this helps! If you have any questions about how I make anything from the above lists, please leave me a comment! I love to help!

For more insights on budget-friendly dinner ideas, easy dinner recipes, meal plans, and the myriad of health benefits offered by natural foods, don’t forget to follow Homemaker Recipes. I’m here to help busy moms, health enthusiasts, and everyone in between discover the joys and benefits of home cooking! Home is where the best things are made!

Click here to simplify your mealtime decisions with our meal planning binder — over 500 dinner options and lunch ideas for every family member all made at home!

Natural Cough Drop Recipe: Safe for all Ages

Did you know that earlier this year the FDA came out and ruled out almost 70% of all cold, flu, and cough medications? Most of our medications are just placebos. They put enough active ingredients in our medications to make us notice a slight difference so we keep taking said medication but it actually isn’t doing anything to help us at all. Another tactic big pharma uses to get us to spend money and ingest unnecessary ingredients.

This startling revelation by the FDA has left many of us, especially parents, in a dilemma. When over-the-counter medications are no longer reliable or deemed safe, what alternatives do we have for treating common, constant issues like coughs and colds? The answer is natural medications! Our ancestors lived longer than us and were never sick. They didn’t always have pharmacies around.

Natural cough drops are great for any age and safe for any age. Now obviously don't give them to children who don’t understand the concept of cough drops therefore causing a choking hazard. But there are no safety hazards ingredient-wise for this recipe. Here’s how you can make your own natural cough drops at home, ensuring that your family gets a remedy that’s both safe and effective.

Ingredients and Their Benefits

1. Honey: A natural cough suppressant, honey has antibacterial properties and can soothe a sore throat.
   2. Ginger: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, ginger can help in relieving congestion and soothing an irritated throat.
   3. Lemon Juice: High in Vitamin C, lemon juice boosts the immune system and has natural antiviral and antibacterial properties.
   4. Herbs (like mint or thyme): These herbs act as natural expectorants, helping to loosen mucus and ease congestion.
   5. Cinnamon or Cloves: Both spices are known for their antimicrobial properties and add flavor to the cough drops.

Click here to get over 500 easy dinner ideas!

Equipment Needed

- Saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Silicone candy molds or parchment paper
- Spoon or spatula

Recipe for Homemade Natural Cough Drops

1. Preparation:
— In a saucepan, combine one cup of honey, a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, the juice of one lemon, and a teaspoon of your chosen herb (mint or thyme).
— If desired, add a half teaspoon of cinnamon or a few cloves for extra flavor and benefits.

2. Cooking the Mixture:
— Heat the mixture over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Use the candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
— Keep stirring the mixture until it reaches 300°F (the hard-crack stage). This process might take about 20 minutes.

3. Setting the Cough Drops:
— Once the mixture reaches the right temperature, carefully pour it into silicone candy molds or onto a parchment paper-lined tray.
— If using a tray, score the mixture with a knife to create a grid, making it easier to break into small pieces once cooled.

4. Cooling and Storage:
— Allow the cough drops to cool completely. If you used a tray, break the hardened mixture along the scored lines.
— Store the cough drops in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Click here to get over 500 easy dinner ideas!

The Advantage of Natural Cough Drops

- Safety: Free from harmful chemicals and artificial additives, these cough drops are safe for children and adults alike.
- Effectiveness: The natural ingredients used are known for their healing properties, making these cough drops effective in soothing coughs and sore throats.
- Ease of Preparation: The recipe is straightforward and uses ingredients commonly found in most kitchens.

In an age where the safety and efficacy of over-the-counter medications are being questioned, turning to natural remedies can be a wise choice. By making your own natural cough drops, you’re not only choosing a safer alternative for your family, but you’re also embracing the power of nature’s healing properties.

As parents, it’s important to be proactive about the health and well-being of our families. By choosing natural remedies, we’re taking a step towards more holistic and safe healthcare practices. I switched to natural remedies almost a year ago and my health has been much better!

What are your go-to natural remedies for coughs and colds? Do you have any other natural recipes or tips for staying healthy during the cold season? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below!

Thank you for reading! Follow me for more recipes and natural remedies!

Click here to get over 500 easy dinner ideas!