Healthy Immune System Tips

The season has just changed to fall. What a glorious time in the Wood River Valley. Here in Ketchum, ID, Stanley, ID and the surrounding area we see beautiful hues of yellow, orange and red. While fall may trick us into thinking summer will go on forever, winter is right around the corner. We love fall for the harvest season and of course wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables it provides. We also start to think about shifting our menu offerings to incorporate nature’s bounty. The autumn days will soon turn into cooler weather and eventually winter. Winter always means cold and flu season and this year there is even more of a reason to stay healthy. We are listing our recommeded top ways to keep your immune system healthy as we all head indoors and prepare for winter.

Rasberrys Healthy Immunity Tips:

1. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables

2. Drink ginger and tumeric in smoothies

3. Eat lots of garlic

4. Eat less meat products

5. Drink water, water, water

6. Eat hearty soups

7. Drink less caffeine

8. Exercise and yoga

9. Take your vitamins

10. Think positive

11. Live gratitude and thankfulness

All About Our New Deli

Rasberrys has a new look and deli items to-go. By Sabina Dana Plasse. Sun Valley Property News (SVPN) August Issue, pages 246-247

Always striving to provide their customers with more choices and better service, the Rasberrys, Maeme and Callie, have completed a remodel of their downstairs dining room bistro café adding more space to their inside dining and kitchen to satisfy a demand for their take-out.  With a newly installed deli case and their signature antique cabinets, there is more room for distance dining downstairs and take-out for other Rasberrys' delicacies including bread, desserts, pantry items and whatever the girls feel like making that day. 

The past few months, Elias Construction, along with much time, consultation and genius design ideas from their Aunt Annette Frehling, owner of Sister in Ketchum, the Rasberrys were able to add more square footage to their downstairs dining room by opening up a storage area and moving their tables and seating.   The new space, painted a delicious French blue and sweet red with vintage chandeliers and ornamentations blending beautifully and cohesively with the eclectic art and put “perfectly where it wants to live,” as Aunt Tita says, has truly expanded their signature style. 

“We had a real need for more space,” says Callie.  “Our solution was to work with the space we had.  It was our landlady who offered over her storage space so we could expand and it worked out amazingly.  We are busy every day with diners dining outside and some inside, with proper social distancing and sanitizing of course.  But the deli has been off the charts, which is wonderful, considering all that is happening with the pandemic.”

When you come downstairs, the area has been made larger and is adorned with decor accents and other elements, some that were there before and some newly added.  “Our mirror and bench are the same, but now they look even better,” says Callie. “We write on the glass of the deli case so customers can see what's waiting for them on the other side.  When one offering sells out, we wipe off the writing to get ready for something new.  We think it's one of the best additions we've made since we opened the restaurant.  I can’t say if it ages us or makes us feel younger, but it takes me back to the time when we first moved here and worked at Esta.  It feels like yesterday, but oh how far we have come.”

Providing fresh, organic and local foods, the Rasberrys serve their celebrated Tex-Mex cuisine and all their signature salads, sandwiches, soups and daily specials.  And they never leave you wanting for homemade desserts, cookies, fresh baked goods and breads by their in-house baker Riley Heneghan, along with their house-made spice blends and seasonal goodies.

“We try and keep all the dishes local and organic as much as possible,” says Callie “to ensure the quality, flavor and bounty of what our community has to offer shines in the different dishes we create.”

If you adore Rasberrys, but still want to stay cuddled at home, your favorite items are available to go, including their Tex-Mex dishes, all day Monday through Friday.   You can also purchase local cheese from Picabo Desert Farms, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts by Mary Jones from the Chocolate Moose, farm fresh eggs from Harmony Eggs, crunchy kales, delicate salads and microgreens from Itty Bitty Farms, Squash Blossom Farms and Kasota Hydroponics (with new farmers being added every day), local pastured meats from CD Enterprises and a plethora of in-house made goods from seasonal produce.

The Rasberrys continue to serve the Valley’s needs for catering and are humbled that they have been chosen by their fans as an award-winning catering business.   They are adept at customizing any event, big or small, just for you.   Right now, though, they are most excited about their new deli counter, upstairs and downstairs distance dining and to-go service and hoping everyone who comes to the new space will feel special, just like the girls feel every time a customer walks through their brand-new door,  hand painted by local artist Karen Jacobsen.  

“We want to thank everyone who has allowed, helped and been there cheering us on through this expansion and all of you who have continued to support us, from all of our staff to all of our customers.  We want to be here for the community because they have been here for us.  Without community, there is no Rasberrys,” says Maeme. “Now we are able to do more of what we've always wanted to do.   Help keep everyone healthy, safe and fed.”

16 Ways with Honey + Cinnamon for Health

Health Benefits Of Honey And Cinnamon Mixture

We are huge advocates of using honey in your household, not just the kitchen. Here are 16 different ways to use honey in your home.

1. Reduces The Risk Of Heart Disease

How To Use: Take equal parts (or as required) of cinnamon & honey powder and make a paste. Spread this on wheat bread and include it in your breakfast.

2. Enhances Immunity

How To Use: Add a pinch of cinnamon powder to a glass of lukewarm honey water. Take it in the mornings, especially in the cold seasons. Drinking cinnamon and honey mixture will also help clear your sinuses.

3. Treats Skin Infections

How To Use: Mix 1 part cinnamon powder with 3 parts honey and use it as a face mask. It cleanses your pores. And for treating acne, this is what you can do. Take 3 tablespoons of Manuka honey and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and make a paste. Microwave for 30 seconds (it shouldn’t be too hot, by the way) and apply the mask to your face. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat your face dry with a soft towel.

4. Helps Treat Inflammation And Arthritis

How To Use: Mix equal parts of cinnamon powder and honey and apply the mixture to the affected area. You can also add a little bit of apple cider vinegar for better results.

5. Is Good For Diabetes

How To Use: You can mix equal parts of honey and cinnamon powder till you get a paste. Spread this paste on your toast or mix it in your juice.

6. Helps Treat Bladder Infections

How To Use: Mix two teaspoons of cinnamon and one teaspoon of honey with a glass of warm water. Consume it once a day. This must help relieve the bladder infection. If the infection is too severe, you can substitute water with cranberry juice.

7. Helps Treat Indigestion And Other Gastric Issues

How To Use: Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon powder on two tablespoons of honey. Take this mixture before your meals.

8. Helps Lower Cholesterol

How To Use: Mix 2 tablespoons of honey and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon powder with around 470 ml of tea water. Take this mixture in the mornings.

9. Cinnamon And Honey For Weight Loss

How To Use: Take 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 cup of filtered water. Boil the water. Add the cinnamon in a separate bowl. Pour the hot water over the cinnamon, and let it steep for 15 minutes. Once the liquid cools down, add honey to it. You can drink this mixture twice a day – once in the morning, and once in the evening. Take it on an empty stomach.

10. Helps Treat Infertility

How To Use: Mix cinnamon with a small amount of honey to make a paste. Spread the paste over your gums – your body will slowly absorb it.

11. Maintains Hair Health

How To Use: Take equal parts of honey and cinnamon powder and mix with warm olive oil. Before shampooing, massage this warm mix into your hair and leave it on for 15 minutes. Shampoo your hair.

12. Helps Cure Bad Breath

How To Use: Mix one teaspoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon powder with warm water. Gargle the mixture first thing in the morning.

13. Offers Energy Boost

How To Use: Mix equal parts of honey and cinnamon powder and have it in the morning with breakfast.

14. Prevents Allergies:

How To Use: One simple way is to mix equal parts of honey and cinnamon powder and consume it in the morning. If it’s a skin allergy, you can apply the same to the affected area.

15. Cures A Sore Throat

How To Use: Simply swallowing a teaspoon of honey in the morning can make your throat feel better.

16. Helps Treat Asthma

How To Use: Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Have the mixture at night before going to bed and in the morning on an empty stomach. Repeat regularly.

If the cinnamon is causing problems, you can use a simple mixture of honey and water. Heat 250 ml of water and stir in 1 teaspoon of honey. Consume thrice a day.

We encourage you to do additional research, as this list is not suggested to be a replacement for seeking medical advice when needed. In addition to buying local honey whenever available, you can also do your part by planting bee friendly gardens. Pollinator friendly gardens can be a variety of flowering plants. See our blog post here.