Picture this: You wake up on a beautiful morning, your mind set on conquering your day’s to-do list, when you hear a small voice saying, “Mommy, I don’t feel good…” And so, the battle begins. You are now a warrior-mama with one goal in mind: To make your babies feel better. Time to drag out the big guns. The sure-fire, feel-better, time-tested, mom-approved, never-get-caught-without comfort items. You know the ones I’m talking about. Bring on the blankies, the lovies, the soups, smoothies, tissues, and favorite movies.
When someone at our house isn’t feeling their best, what do I do? The first thing I start doing right away is making some sort of gelatin. I start it first because it takes the longest to set up. I tend to stay away from the pre-flavored ones, since we like to avoid artificial dyes and flavorings, so I have some go-to recipes. They all involve Knox gelatin. I’ll include one of our favorites at the end. An easy, yet delicious, way to make a simple gelatin recipe is to use apple juice in place of the water in the traditional gelatin preparation as it listed on the packaging. This is the one my mom made most often for us when I was a kid. Grape juice and cranberry-raspberry are also winners. If someone has some sort of stomach illness, I make sure to add some powdered amino-acid mix to dissolve into the liquid gelatin to make sure they’re getting enough electrolytes, too.
What else do we do? It depends on the circumstances, but my next step is often starting some homemade chicken soup on the stove. If I have leftover chicken bones, or even just a few pieces of frozen chicken, I throw them into a pot with the chopped celery, carrots, onion, and garlic I always keep in the freezer, cover with water, and turn it on to boil. Whoever is feeling not-so-great will be feeling much better after eating it…it’s a well-known “fact,” right? Well, I’m hoping so, at least.
Of course, we make up the couch with the suffering member’s cuddliest blankets and pillows, favorite stuffed animals, a real dog or two, and a selection of favorite childhood movies and shows. Oh, and some tissues and a trash can are good additions as well. Then, off we go on our “let’s stay home” adventure. We often choose the couch, rather that the person’s room, so that I an more easily check in on him/her throughout the day. Our house is very spread out, so traipsing up and down the stairs is not always easily accomplished. (Especially when I need to keep an eye on that soup, too.) If what we are facing is the dreaded stomach bug, I also throw some old towels down on the floor, and add a big plastic bowl “just in case.”
But what happens when it’s Mama who wakes up feeling yucky?? What then? Well, when our kids were little, and my husband wasn’t able to stay home, he would help me get everyone situated in the family room, each in our own separate space, and we would have a movie marathon day with “free snacks” and pizza ordered for lunch. We would hunker down there, usually the kids built pillow and blanket forts, and wait for him to get home. Now that our kids are old enough, they can not only take care of themselves, but they can also take care of me! They are amazing. They cook, clean, and are quite vigilant. They even put on my favorite movies for me. Pizza is usually still involved.
Last year, we had many health struggles. Many belonged to my husband and me. He fought cancer (AND WON!), and I was badly injured and required surgery with an extremely long recovery period. The kids really outdid themselves. They made the soup, the gelatin, the smoothies. They cleaned up, did laundry, and checked on us. They took care of the animals, garden, and laundry. They deserve awards, for sure. All this to say that if you have a “feel-better protocol” at your house, your kids are likely to pick up on it. This is a very good thing, I discovered, when the tables turn and you’re the one who needs to be cared for!
If you don’t already have a “feel-better protocol” at your house, I have put together a list for you of things to always keep stocked. Let me tell you, I have been so glad when we have had what we need to get ourselves feeling better without having to figure out how to get to the store/make a list for grocery delivery, etc. Maybe you can think of things to add?
- frozen, chopped carrots, celery, onions and garlic (for soup!)
- extra boxes of tissues
- a few old towels
- cough drops
- ointment for sore noses after too much wiping
- Knox plain gelatin
- “emergency” juice (we don’t drink juice regularly, so the kids know if they see a bottle, it’s for gelatin)
- hot water bottle/heat pack
- ice pack
- frozen fruit for making smoothies
- probiotics
- paper towels and toilet paper (2020…enough said)
- hand sanitizer (or the ingredients to make your own)
- extra pillow cases for soiled pillows
- white rice, bananas, applesauce, toast for those uneasy tummies
- antacid tablets (we prefer the peppermint flavor, do you like the fruit kind better?)
- essential oils and a diffuser (lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, lemon, and rosemary are all favorites here)
- non-toxic cleaner (I have a favorite one that comes in a concentrate form)
We all hope that the yuckies never come to visit our house and interrupt our plans, but the reality of life is that sometimes, it happens anyways. I wonder how similar or different to ours your home looks in this same situation? Do you make soup and gelatin, too? I would love to hear some more ideas! In the meantime, please enjoy this recipe for my VERY mild tasting “Feel-Better Peach Gelatin.” It’s great for when we need to eat, but don’t really feel like eating. Please feel to adapt it however you’d like! May you find joy in the “prepping for anything that comes your way” days.
Favorite Feel Better Must-Haves
Notes
We like this gelatin to be less sweet, so I do not add any additional sugar. If you are wanting a sweeter taste, please feel free to add sugar in when you are boiling the water.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 T Knox gelatin powder
- 2 cans peaches in syrup (do not strain syrup out!)
Instructions
- Bring water to boiling.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in gelatin and whisk until dissolved.
- Add the contents of two cans of peaches, plus all syrup they come in, to the gelatin mixture.
- Stir together to make sure they are well incorporated.
- Pour into a greased casserole pan. (I use a 9X13)
- Refrigerate until firm.