If you've been following, my 3 1/2 year old son, who was diagnosed with asthma after being hospitalized a couple of times for terrible wheezing.  He now regularly sees a pulmonologist who has him on a whole coterie of meds–Flovent, Zyrtec, Albuterol on an as-needed basis and, since the last visit, Singulair as well. 

In spite of all the meds, every time he comes down with a cold (have you ever seen a kid in nursery school go for more than a week or two without a runny nose?!), he ends up with a terrible, persistent, cough that last for weeks at a time.  Thankfully, so far this season we've avoided wheezing or any hospitalization…but I would love to be able to offer him something besides (or in addition to) Albuterol to quiet his cough…I have definite moments during which I am jealous of parents who had their kids before all cold and cough medicines were taken off the table!

I just read an interesting blog post on the Natural Mom, Healthy Child blog which offers the following recipe for Chocolate Elderberry Cough Syrup:

• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (preferably organic, non-alkaline)
• 1 cup elderberry juice
• 1 cup honey
• 1 pinch of large salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Mix the cocoa and the elderberry juice in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa. Add the honey, and stir to dissolve. Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the salt and the vanilla. Let cool. Pour into a sterile glass jar, and store in the refrigerator. Keeps for several months. Yields two cups. (note: if you substitute water for the juice, you have chocolate syrup!).

Supposedly, there is something in chocolate which acts as a cough suppressant and elderberries help to fight infection…and it can be served as a dessert treat!

 The Homemade Cook has done some of the research, but I am going to check with my doctor regarding safety and efficacy before making and giving any of this yummy sounding elixir (of the elderberry juice, the chocolate is certainly harmless enough) to my chocolate loving asthmatic.