Last night at bedtime Hannah began coughing. This was some serious coughing. Really about every 30 seconds she was hacking. She hadn’t been sick and it kind of came out of nowhere (despite the bubonic plague going around our household). I should clarify that it wasn’t at HER bedtime. She was long asleep by the time it started. It was at MY bedtime. And mama was tir.ed.

I went in and woke her up to have her drink water. Nothing. We gave her a tablespoon of honey. Nada. We even steamed up the bathroom and sent her in for awhile. Not a thing.

So I remembered that I read somewhere about a secret cough remedy and turned to my friend Dr. Google. Dr. Google came through.

To cure a cough slather Vicks all over your kids feet and cover them with socks (their feet, not their bodies). Coughing should cease in about 5-10 minutes. IT TOTALLY WORKS!! And the affect lasted until about 9 am this morning when I had to reapply. But she hasn’t coughed since.

It should be noted that Mr. Diaper Diaries poo poo-ed the idea calling it “an old wives tale” until he saw it worked. Then he spent his time telling me all of his theories as to why “of course it works”. I think the theory he was looking for is, “you are SO right honey!!!!”

What “old wives tales” do you swear by?

This post is linked up to Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

Three years ago I would have told you we ate healthier than most American families. I never bought sugar cereal, my kids ate their veggies, I had them get apples with their Happy Meals and we only bought Cheetos on special occasions.

Two years ago (-ish) I went to hang out with a few local bloggers who I hadn’t met before at a new restaurant I had been wanting to try out. What I didn’t know is that it was a farm to table restaurant. Heck. I didn’t even know what that meant. And when they started talking about grass fed meat and cage free chickens and raw milk I was lost (and a little scared).

I had no idea what road I would head down pulling on the thread of what I learned. I started purging my house of all things with HFCS. Then came baking my own bread. Next getting all our eggs from a house next to my church with a cooler out front and chickens running about. Then visiting a few local farms to discuss purchasing grass fed cows and free range chickens.

More and more our diet changed. We stopped buying cereal (CEREAL!), started canning and freezing and joined a CSA. We get a small percentage of our food from a grocery store. I buy chickens with HEADS on them and save their bones to make broth. I make my own yogurt, granola, vanilla, and peanut butter. It all fits right in with my lack of shaving during the winter…..

It is the new normal and really feels normal. But I realize it isn’t. My kids frequently remind me that it isn’t. And I hope I haven’t become one of those preachy people. I just feel good, my family is way healthier than we have ever been and I like being able to pronounce the ingredients when we eat.

Today I listened to Joel Salatin speak on the connection between food and God and family. It was amazing. And here are a few of my favorite quotes:

We’re eating things you can’t pronounce, you can’t make in your kitchen, that won’t rot. If it won’t rot, it won’t digest.

Most people are far more concerned about the quality of the gasoline in their car than the food they put in their body.

Everything is eating and being eaten. And those who think we can have life without death have cheapened life.

Want to get started eating “clean”? It isn’t as intimidating as I may have made it sound. I started really small. Really, really small and things have just grown from there. I still don’t drink raw milk, ferment food or eat organ meat (all things true real foodies do). I still eat out at normal restaurants, buy candy bars in the grocery store line, and occasionally grab that bag of Cheetos. I live by the 80/20 rule.

Anyway, I have the greatest resource to get you started. My friend Tricia over at Once a Month Mom (seriously “real food” or not, you should be reading her) has launched a year long program to help you “Get Real”. She is working with some of the best bloggers around to take you through baby steps to eat clean in 2012. Give it a shot!

How “clean” do you eat?

This post will be linked up to We Are That Family’s Works For Me Wednesday.