Green Menu

We had a delicious green soup tonight in honor of St. Patricks Day. Everyone LOVED it and I couldn’t get enough of it. Can you guess what it was made from? It grows in my yard.
Did you guess stinging nettles? That right. And it was very tasty. Did you know that nettles contain the highest plant source of iron? It is an EXCELLENT source of vitamins, minerals and protein. It is literally a super-food and they are FREE! Stinging nettles lose their sting when cooked. They can be used in place of spinach or kale in most cooked recipes. They are best when picked young in early spring. You have got to try this. I do have a sting or two to show for it as I didn’t use leather gloves when picking it, but soo worth it. We also had edamame, salad, vegi booty and fruit rainbow shish-kabobs for dinner. Here is the soup recipe I made. I think this may become a tradition.

Nettle Soup
1 onion, chopped
2 TBL butter
1 lb potatoes, cut up (I used yukon unpeeled)
6 cups chicken or vegi broth
1/2 lb stinging nettles
1/2 tsp thyme
sour cream, yogurt, or cream for garnish (optional)

Saute onion in butter about 5 min. Add potatoes and broth. Boil then simmer for 15 min. Add nettles & thyme and cook until tender, about 10 min. Puree soup with an immersion blender or in a blender. Season to taste and serve.

I don’t think this is the last you will hear of me & my nettles.
Nettle Lasagna...Nettle Pesto...Nettle muffins...

home away from home

All this nice weather has got me thinking...my yard needs more kid elements. Wouldn't these playhouses be fun?




I am gathering some ideas and materials. Lets see how much time I have to get anything done! Got any plans yourself?

(playhouses from http://aplaceimagined.blogspot.com/)

Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable.-Plato

Boys.
Four-year old boys.
Someone forgot to give me the owners manual,
Specificly the troubleshooting chapter.

Did I feed him enough, or too much?
Did he sleep enough, or too much?
Is he bored or not getting enough attention?
Does he need to go run around for 2 hours or take a nap?
Should I sign him up for soccer, tai kwon do, art, music, wilderness survival?
Is this behavior normal? Should I be worried about this?

Many days we run the gamut of emotions here and I am often at a loss as to what to do. How do I tame this wild horse, but still keep his passions and confidence? Hmmm, maybe I will read up on taming actual wild horses.

Momentary Lapse in Reason

Ah life, so hard but so good. These little ones are keeping me busy, but I am loving every minute. My sweet Perrie is growing up, and she knows it. It is a full time job just keeping Owen fed, clothed, clean, rested and happy.



And Callie, my pretty baby, just squeezes my heart every minute. How did I ever get by without her? I love watching her mind develop and explore everything. She is so tiny but runs everywhere. It is very hard to get a good picture of her because she never stops moving. Anything with sparkles goes around her neck, and she already has many hats and glasses. She loves cats and dogs, like goes crazy screaming to see them. She adores her big brother and always tries to hug him, but he doesnt want anything to do with her. She is allowed to touch his shoe, that is about it.



This thing called life is really amazing when you stop to think about it.