two ingredient rusks.

Teething is a pain... literally. So something to chew on is great.

Keep an eye out for my post on how we are getting through teething... naturally.

One tip is to eat rusks. They're hard and so they're good to bite down on but they're also a gentle introduction to food.

Looking at the ingredient lists of the store-bought rusks, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving any of them to my baby. Don't be fooled by the 'organic' label – always read the ingredient list to ensure you are happy with what things are made from.
Thankfully I have a excellent researching friend (thanks Jacquie!) who found this easy and nutritious rusk recipe.

It can be made with any flour and any fruit or vegetable. Yes, just two ingredients! Easy, diverse and delicious (we have tried them!).

In the recipe, the author made them with sweet potato and spelt flour but I am choosing not to introduce gluten into my daughter's diet, so I used brown rice flour. Next time I will probably choose a different flour for variety (maybe buckwheat, besan or coconut).

TWO INGREDIENT RUSKS

What you need:

• 1 cup of cooked vegetable or fruit puree.
• approximately 2 cups of flour.

I halved the recipe, and I'm sure you could easily double it.

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 140C
2. Place the puree into a mixing bowl and gradually mix in the flour, 1/2C at a time, until you get a stiff dough you can knead.
3. Turn onto a floured board and knead until smooth.
4. Roll out until 1cm high.
5. Cut into fingers (don't cut your fingers).
6. Arrange on baking tray and bake in the oven until quite hard on the outside but have some give on the inside (about 45-60 minutes).

Readers on the other blog have had success with sweet potato, apple, and strawberry and ginger.

Original recipe can be found here: thanks to The Natural Mum.

top 5 tips for treating a head cold naturally.

For the past week I've had a cold.

The sort of cold where you don't sleep all night because you can't breathe.
The sort of cold where you use a box of 120 tissues in 24 hours.
The sort of cold where you get to the point of wondering how on earth your body could possibly produce any more snot!

And I like to treat these things naturally. I like to let my body use its incredible abilities and let it run its course, build immunity and give it what it needs. But surely there's some relief. And there is.

Here are my top 5 tips for treating a head cold naturally, as tested by me in the past week.

1. Vitamin C
You can supplement this guy (and if you've met my mum you'll know the importance of Vitamin C) but getting it through other forms, like oranges and lemons, is an amazing way. Eating seasonally, I think God was onto something with that... My body was craving oranges, so I listened to it and obliged.

2. Tea
Steer clear of caffeine, so no black teas – they just dehydrate you – and when you're sick what you really need hydration. So pump up the herbal tea intake. Lemon in water is what I had a lot of but I also had a lemon, ginger, turmeric and oregano concoction simmering away on the stove. There are also lots of good quality herbal teas you can buy to help with healing and hydration. Check out Immunitea by Burton Health as an example, and read this post on why good quality herbal tea is so good.

3. Saline
Saline is just salt and water and it has many uses. But for a head cold you need it up your nose. Yep. I snort saline. There are nasal irrigation systems you can get and other fancy things but what I do is this: warm water in your hand, add a bit of salt, snort, then hold it in there for 10 seconds (make sure you keep your mouth closed too!). Blow it out and repeat 3 times. I find it easiest to do in the shower. Or even better, get yourself into the ocean. So many healing benefits of the sea!

4. Good quality tissues
I always buy good quality tissues, because seriously, life's too short for having a sore AND runny nose! I like to buy the ones scented with eucalyptus because of its decongestant, immunity and antibacterial properties. And they're just so soft on your nose!

5. Essential oils
Talking of eucalyptus, essential oils are excellent. They have heaps of beneficial and healing qualities. I bought a mix called Ezi-Breathe which I inhaled with steam and put on my pillow at night, but they can be used in lots of different ways and to help with lots of different things. Get onto them!

And obviously, but not so obviously to many people, REST. When your body is fighting something it doesn't also need to be fighting for energy. So stop. Catch up on some zzz's and take some time to slow down.

Here are a couple more ideas, which I didn't test in the past week – but would have used if I were at home – and are proven winners:
- homemade bone broth. This guy is so great in so many ways – get it into you!
- coconut oil. Known for its antibacterial properties – add that to everything.
- probiotics. Your gut is a powerhouse, and if it's not working properly then you're probably not working properly, so get those good guys into you!
- apple cider vinegar. Yes, it's vinegar but it's great. Research it – it's good for everything!

Hope these tips help and you're feeling better so soon!

What natural healing tips do you use? Comment below – I'd love to try them!

#thearlegirlpearls: plants as medicine

Plants are nature's medicine in so many ways. What problem do you have? There is probably a plant to help.
Got a skin condition, like a burn, psoriasis, eczema? Use aloe vera.
Have difficulty relaxing and getting to sleep? Use lavender.
Got digestion issues? Use lemon.
Got a sore throat? Use lemon.
Got an upset stomach? Use mint.
And not only do help you get well, they clean the air and look great too! So go on, grow your own and take advantage of all they have to offer.


Do you have any questions, a problem that needs solving, or your own pearl to share? Write to me at thearlegirl@gmail.com, comment below, or post on my Facebook or Instagram page – can't wait to hear from you!