Elderberry Extract: How to Make it, and Why

Do you know what this is?

It's medicine. But not just any medicine. As you may have inferred from the reused bottles (salad dressing, curry paste, and jam, respectively), this medicine is 100% homemade. 

The three bottles above hold three different kinds of extract. Just like vanilla extract (which you can make by this same method, by the way), the method can be simplified down to "add some plant matter to some vodka and wait."  Today, what I'm going to talk about is the tall bottle of elderberry extract--how to make elderberry extract, and why you should.

Snips and Sniffles

I am indeed staying home sick today. The problem with staying home sick from work is that if you're sick enough to stay home, you don't really feel up to doing all the things around the house that you ought to do.

I'm trying to decide which projects I'm going to attempt today. I've got to sort through some clothes, and if I find any appropriate t-shirts, I might try to make this re-usable shopping bag from Cut Out & Keep, which is made from a t-shirt sewn into the shape of a plastic grocery bag.

(Found via a five-page list of t-shirt mods at HideYourArms. Go read all of them.)

Another Delay

It's sleeting outside and the Scrimpalicious household is under siege from some sort of flu-like ailment... again. Instead of crafting, I've put on my favorite flannel pajamas and settled into bed with Mr. Scrimp, some seedless green grapes, a dose of elderberry extract and ginger ale every four hours, and Season 3 of Survivorman. I sense hot chocolate in my immediate future.

The downside is, I feel pretty miserable and I might have to miss work tomorrow. The upside is, if I have to miss work tomorrow I'll have a whole day to putter around my house, take photos, and do crafty things.

What are your favorite things to do when you're sick?