Well our family has started making the change to going green already, as per my New Year's resolution. I've been setting aside cardboard, paper, tin cans, plastic bottles, milk jugs, and we've been doing our cans for years, already. Pretty soon, I'll even have oil ready to bottle up and take off. Yes, our recycling center said they will take vegetable oil, as long as it doesn't have bits of stuff in it. I've called the local recycling center to find out exactly what they take :-D
As for the milk jugs, I'm currently saving those, and the giant tubs of cottage cheese we get, AND the huge coffee containers, all for planting vegetables in my container garden that me and Tricity will plant this year. With some of the tin cans I've been saving, I'm going to use them for things like art supplies, kitchen utensils, and even an herb garden!
When I get done using my glass jars of pasta sauce, I'm actually going to be reusing them for growing sprouts, which I learned are super healthy, even better than vegetables. Adam doesn't exactly like vegetables or sprouts, but maybe I can get my daughter to eat them with me. That's one of the main focuses of going green and being more healthy. Not only is it good for the environment and all that jazz, but I also want to install good morals and good healthy habits in her, as well. I've always LOVED vegetables and fruits, so the fact that they are healthier for you is like icing on the cake, only healthy! lol
Anyway, with that being said, there's a lot to do, so I'll wrap up this entry. Be well. Be safe!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Edible Flowers and Sprouts?
Okay, so I've been looking into something new. Actually, I was looking for... I don't really remember... but it led me to find this woman named Clara on youtube (she's in her 90's) and she has videos about cooking during the times of the "Great Depression", from way back in the day. She tells you the recipes of some of the things her and her mother fixed during that time period, and they are things I never would have thought about, but now I must try! lol
One of the most peculiar things I came across was her dandelion salad... DANDELIONS?! For 28 years of my life, as long as I can remember, I grew up with dandelions in our yards. Wherever we moved to, they were there. I always thought they were just annoying weeds but I never, EVER knew they could be eaten. I never even gave it a single thought. I knew they were used for tea and wine, but to be EATEN? I was floored.
Of course now I've got to try it... lol It would be neat to use them in a salad some time. Some people take the yellow heads and buds, and then batter them and fry them. I want to try that, too. I've been told they taste like fried mushrooms, but I haven't gotten up the guts to try them yet. Best of all? I never knew how HEALTHY they are! She made a point about it on one of her videos by saying something about how she thinks that's why they've lived so long - because they ate things like that. To think... all these years, all the free dandelions for the taking, and I never knew about it!
Then I started looking up what else could be eaten. That's when I learned about sprouts, and how to grow them. I never knew how healthy sprouts were, either! Apparently a little bit of sprouts are tons more healthy than eating a bunch of the grown vegetable. Someone on a video I watched said that what you buy in the store? The grow broccoli and stuff? All that's doing is slowly dying and losing nutrients from the day it was cut off the stalk. But the sprouts? They are bursting full of life, and are packed full of nutrients and vitamins. You can grow many different kinds, too. Clover, alfalfa, broccoli, beans, peas, etc. I'd love to get my hands on some clover seeds to try and sprout. All you need are seeds, a jar with a mesh lid, and a lot of water to rinse with.
THEN I was going even further and learned about flowers that you can eat. Mainly the petals, not so much the leaves... One flower you can eat the leaves of is called Nasturtium. From what I learned, they have a bit of a sweet, peppery flavor, and you know what? About half a year ago, I bought this wildflower mix from Target in a shaker can (a mixture of flower seeds for a dollar in a can). I decided to look and see if any of these flowers were listed on there, and luckily, a few of them are! I can't wait... I really hope I can grow them this year, because I want to try adding flowers to my diet. Flowers, sprouts, and wheat grass. I guess you could say it's my new year's resolution to be more healthy and "go green" this year. Literally! lol
Can you imagine? If we ever get to have a place of our own, I'll have my fresh flowers, herbs, my big garden full of healthy veggies without chemicals, a compost heap, we'll have farm animals where I can get fresh milk, and we'll have fresh eggs and meat... No additives, no preservatives, it would all be organic and fresh... That would be so awesome. It would be my dream come true. If anyone ever wanted the best for our family and wanted us to be happy and have good things in our life, this is what they could help us do. Help us get our own home, our own land, and a mini farm of our own. That's the life we are trying to have. That is why we try to be good people.
One of the most peculiar things I came across was her dandelion salad... DANDELIONS?! For 28 years of my life, as long as I can remember, I grew up with dandelions in our yards. Wherever we moved to, they were there. I always thought they were just annoying weeds but I never, EVER knew they could be eaten. I never even gave it a single thought. I knew they were used for tea and wine, but to be EATEN? I was floored.
Of course now I've got to try it... lol It would be neat to use them in a salad some time. Some people take the yellow heads and buds, and then batter them and fry them. I want to try that, too. I've been told they taste like fried mushrooms, but I haven't gotten up the guts to try them yet. Best of all? I never knew how HEALTHY they are! She made a point about it on one of her videos by saying something about how she thinks that's why they've lived so long - because they ate things like that. To think... all these years, all the free dandelions for the taking, and I never knew about it!
Then I started looking up what else could be eaten. That's when I learned about sprouts, and how to grow them. I never knew how healthy sprouts were, either! Apparently a little bit of sprouts are tons more healthy than eating a bunch of the grown vegetable. Someone on a video I watched said that what you buy in the store? The grow broccoli and stuff? All that's doing is slowly dying and losing nutrients from the day it was cut off the stalk. But the sprouts? They are bursting full of life, and are packed full of nutrients and vitamins. You can grow many different kinds, too. Clover, alfalfa, broccoli, beans, peas, etc. I'd love to get my hands on some clover seeds to try and sprout. All you need are seeds, a jar with a mesh lid, and a lot of water to rinse with.
THEN I was going even further and learned about flowers that you can eat. Mainly the petals, not so much the leaves... One flower you can eat the leaves of is called Nasturtium. From what I learned, they have a bit of a sweet, peppery flavor, and you know what? About half a year ago, I bought this wildflower mix from Target in a shaker can (a mixture of flower seeds for a dollar in a can). I decided to look and see if any of these flowers were listed on there, and luckily, a few of them are! I can't wait... I really hope I can grow them this year, because I want to try adding flowers to my diet. Flowers, sprouts, and wheat grass. I guess you could say it's my new year's resolution to be more healthy and "go green" this year. Literally! lol
Can you imagine? If we ever get to have a place of our own, I'll have my fresh flowers, herbs, my big garden full of healthy veggies without chemicals, a compost heap, we'll have farm animals where I can get fresh milk, and we'll have fresh eggs and meat... No additives, no preservatives, it would all be organic and fresh... That would be so awesome. It would be my dream come true. If anyone ever wanted the best for our family and wanted us to be happy and have good things in our life, this is what they could help us do. Help us get our own home, our own land, and a mini farm of our own. That's the life we are trying to have. That is why we try to be good people.
Here's a picture of the Nasturtium I talked about. I can't wait to see what it tastes like! (if I can get it to grow lol)
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