Caution: objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear

Looking in the rear view Mirror with 2020 vision

Let me paint a picture for you.   (cc 20-5 years BC – Helaman 11)

A people abound in wickedness, former enemies, but by now both are enemies of truth and right.   They are called Nephites and Lamanites, and though they consist of many tribes, those nations are how they are identified to history.   Their contention and disputations one with another erupt into full out war, nurtured by the deception of a power hungry group of evil men known by their founder’s name – Gadianton.     

A prophet – Nephi is his name, is given – the power to bind and loose on earth and in heaven – (Helaman 10:7).   He persuades the Lord to replace the war with a famine that the people might be brought to humility and repentance.  The rains stop, and the earth does not yield forth grain in the season, slaughter from war ceases.   A year without rain and a great famine covers the land.   Destruction from the sword is replaced by destruction from famine.   Two years without rain.   The effects of the famine are felt among all peoples: Nephite and Lamanite alike, both wicked and righteous.   Another year passes with no rain.   The people perish by the thousands, especially (it is noted), in the more wicked parts of the land.   Finally, the people begin to remember the words of the prophet Nephi – and they remember that there is a God.   Funny how it sometimes takes so long to get back to the basics.   I’ve heard it said that there are no atheists in foxholes.   It appears there may be fewer atheists during famine as well.   The people return to their God, who they had forgotten. At the point of their utter despair and almost sure destruction they acknowledge their former wickedness, repenting of it and plead to the prophet to intercede on their behalf and to send rain.   

Moved by their plight, Nephi goes to the Lord in prayer for the people.   Almost FOUR years without rain!   “And now O Lord,” he pleas “wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again IF they will serve thee?   And IF so, O Lord thou canst bless them according to thy words which thou hast said.” (Helaman 11:16)

These are Big IF’s.  

The people still have some proving to do.   The Lord sends rain.   So much so, that the earth begins to bring forth fruit in the proper season, and grain in its season.   And the people are happy and glorify God, and the whole face of the land is filled with rejoicing.   They rightly esteem Nephi to be a true prophet and a man of God, having great power and given authority from God.   The people begin again to prosper and to multiply and spread out.   They cover the land.  They live in peace, forgetting previous offences, and thus it goes for more than two years, three years, almost four years.   Then old grudges surface, conflicts begin to be rekindled, dissenters change sides and new strifes take hold.   People begin again to fraction off into ‘tribes’ being divided by differences that could not be resolved in the absence of love.   War commences.   Gadiantons resurface, feeding on the discontent and exaggerated flaws of one’s opponents.   In only a few short years the people have devolved from the terror of famine, to a return of the conditions that preceded it.   Natural consequence when ‘love’ is not present.

The land virtually erupts in havoc, as the Gadiantons increase in number and wax strong, defying laws and those commissioned to enforce them.   They plunder and murder for their own purposes, receiving daily additions to their numbers from the discontented.   Government forces attempting to put them down are driven back, they literally infest the land, killing at will and even stealing women and children.  

Can you imagine such a scenario?   Anarchy in the streets.   No regard for civil law.   Proud and stiff necked, conspiring men who flatter the people and manipulate them to do their bidding in the name of whatever appeals to the people.   This is no fairy tale, no work of fiction.   It is literally out of the evening news in the year 20 BC on the American continent, as found in the chapters of Helaman 11-16.    

This is the generation of Samuel, when believers among the Nephites are fewer in number than believers among the Lamanites.   All over the land the people (both Nephite and Lamanite) are being prepared for the coming birth of “the Messiah” about whom their men of God have been prophesying for six hundred years.   Believers await the signs they have trusted in all their lives.   Unbelievers ridicule and mock them and trample everything that is precious and sacred under their feet.  

Turmoil grips the Nephite capital city of Zarahemla, despite the not-to-distant humbling life changing destruction the famine.   Into this environment comes a prophet, another one, this one from among the people of their traditional enemies.   He preaches repentance to the people and they cast him out of their city, refusing to readmit him.    He finds himself a podium upon which to speak – so that he can be heard by the greatest amount of people possible.   He stands literally atop the city wall.   His name is Samuel.   He preaches as Nephi did, of impending destruction if they do not repent and trust in God, having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.   He claims an angel of the Lord declared it unto him.   He tells them that it is for the benefit of those few righteous among them, that their city is saved, and had it not been for them, the Lord would have caused fire to come out of heaven to destroy it.    He warns that if they ever cast out the righteous from among them, they would have no such safety net.   He condemns them for their pride and greed, which he says leads them to much grosser sins like persecution of the righteous and even murder.   He says that if a prophet told them what they wanted to hear, they would accept him and esteem him as a prophet, and even pay him well for being one, but if he testified against them, they would call him a false prophet and they’d get rid of him.  

Up till this part in the book, I find the story disturbingly, even hauntingly familiar.   It literally IS the news stories I read on line, the commentaries on every news radio station, and the speculative theory of talk show hosts and political podcasts.   Anarchy in the streets of America’s capital.   Those who meant harm, at the threshold of government offices.   Corruption and inefficiency widespread.    Gadiantons in public office.   Secret oaths of conspiracy and collusion.   And so here we are, the people – hung out to dry, wondering who is going to prevail, and which ‘side’ is right if either of them can be.   And in the middle of it, a world wide pandemic which frightens even the most seasoned front line worker, keeping people isolated from work and peer groups.   Unprecedented unemployment.   Hotly contested political issues.   Conspiracy theories abound.   Accusations of treason on the highest levels.   Freedom of speech, that sacred holy grail of democracies is being intimidated and altered.   Faction against faction.   Discord damaging communities, congregations and even families.   Neighbour against neighbour.   Brother against brother.   All forgetting the higher law about loving one’s neighbour as oneself. 

Ancient Samuel taught the people sound doctrine, and therein laid their hope.   Modern prophet Boyd K. Packer taught that true doctrine has a greater ability to change behaviour than any other course of action, and it proves itself out in story after story throughout the Book of Mormon.   After some stern chastisement, Samuel prophecies about specific signs to be given by which the people will know that the Messiah is born in the land of Jerusalem.   The people knew for decades that the time was nigh, but if was always something vaguely in the future.   Samuel gives specific details regarding a firm time within which to see these signs.   “FIVE years” he says.   Five years is a frighteningly short time, even if one has waited six centuries to get there  

In our day, Russel M. Nelson teaches sound and pertinent doctrine, and herein lies OUR hope.   He teaches about gratitude and of acknowledging the good that surrounds us.   He teaches tolerance and racial unity.   He teaches about the critical role we play in the Gathering of Israel, and admonishes us to focus on our responsibility to accomplish it.   He teaches us to love our neighbour and obey the laws of the land.    He uses social media posts to reach the people on our own level – wherever that may be.   He has found his wall. He teaches us about love at home, and the responsibility of the home in training and strengthening children.  

I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not.  But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me
Mormon 8:35

In Samuel’s day, many who believed went forth to be baptized.   Many more did not. The chasm that separated those who believed and those who did not believe grew to a wide fissure, a gorge.

I am not trying to sound like I think I know the answers to our problems today.   That is why we have prophets.   I am just overwhelmed by the similarity between the world I am reading about which unfolded over 2000 years ago (as they awaited the birth of the Messiah), and the world I live in in 2020 (as we await the return of that same Saviour).   The more things change the more things stay the same, I guess.   Mormon testified “I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not.  But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, …. For behold ye do love money and your substance and your fine apparel … more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. …” (Mormon 8: 35-41) I think he pegged us.   I think we can learn a lot from a book which was written by a people who’ve been where we are now. I’d hate to repeat ALL their mistakes.   Just sayin’.

I’d love to hear your feelings.

Warmly

Cindy Suelzle

A Fence or an Ambulance

This insightful parable of prevention may seem particularly befitting for our day, but surprisingly it was written over a century ago by a British temperance champion named Joseph Malins. It is a beautiful way of saying “Better safe than Sorry”, and it resonates deeply with me. In the interest of not wanting to curb someone’s personal choice, and to be politically correct, sometimes we shy away from simply say what needs to be said. Let’s face it, staying away from potential trouble often prevents trouble. I am grateful we have the ability to correct our mistakes, and I would never want to undermine the value of repentance and forgiveness, but truthfully, we can never undo what we did, and we cannot escape the natural consequences of our actions. What if we simply didn’t take the course to begin with?

” ‘Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed, though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had slipped a duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done, but their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, “Put a fence ’round the edge of the cliff,” some, “An ambulance down in the valley.”

sometimes it takes stepping away and getting a better perspective to see the bigger picture and the very real danger

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day, for it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true, but each heart became full of pity
For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff; and the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence, but an ambulance down in the valley.

For the cliff is all right, if you’re careful,” they said, “and, if folks even slip and are dropping,
It isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much as the shock down below when they’re stopping
.”
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred, quick forth would those rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff, with their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: “It’s a marvel to me that people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause, when they’d much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief
,” cried he, “Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense with the ambulance down in the valley
.”

Oh he’s a fanatic,” the others rejoined, “Dispense with the ambulance? Never!
He’d dispense with all charities, too, if he could; No! No! We’ll support them forever.
Aren’t we picking up folks just as fast as they fall? And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence while the ambulance works in the valley?

But the sensible few, who are practical too, will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure, and their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen, and while other philanthropists dally,
They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence on the cliff that hangs over the valley.

Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old, for the voice of true wisdom is calling.
To rescue the fallen is good, but ’tis best to prevent other people from falling.”
Better close up the source of temptation and crime than deliver from dungeon or galley;
Better put a strong fence ’round the top of the cliff than an ambulance down in the valley.

— Joseph Malins (1895) 

yeah, sometimes . . . . . . I guess we simply have to own it

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Prevention or Cure?

warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Lemons anyone? Good for more than just lemonade.

Lemons are one of the most popular fruits in the world, and probably the most versatile.  I can’t think of too many other fruits or vegetables you eat, then wash your windows with. They are highly acidic and are used in every part of a meal: main dish, sides, salads and desserts. They are used to tenderize meat and in salad dressings. They are used in baking, drinks, sauces and dips.  My favourite yogurt flavour is lemon.
They bring a fresh, delightful ZIP to everything they’re added to.

But did you know they’re also your best friend when it comes to cleaning your house? 

They are clean and green, non toxic and relatively common.  They cut grease and leave a pleasant smell behind, instead of the heavy antiseptic smell of normal household cleaners. 

Recently I’ve been on a lemon-kick. I asked a lot of people what they use lemons for, and was surprised to find that very few people actually USE them outside of cooking or baking, and truth be told, not even a whole lot of that.   Unfortunate. I suppose perhaps, most of us just don’t know their tremendous value. I readily admit, that lemons can be pretty pricey up here (in Alberta) for most of the year, but I thought: “if I had a house in Arizona and had a lemon tree, I’d probably use lemons for everything.” So I phoned my friend in Arizona who has a lemon tree, . . . . . Guess what? She doesn’t use them for anything more than I do LOL.  Except that she puts them down her garburator because they help clean it out, and make it smell better. I don’t have a garburator anyway.

On the internet, I came across a TON of sensational claims for lemons!  Apparently, they can do everything short of drive your kid to school. Who knew? It was tricky sifting through the ridiculous claims to extract reasonable tidbits of truth because there were SO MANY claims.  It seems every thing on the internet has to be miraculous to get any attention.  So I made it a matter of personal study. I bought some lemons and did a lot of experimenting, and I learned a lot of things.

The truth is – lemons are pretty amazing in the house and they don’t need us to exaggerate their usefulness, or try to make them look better than they really are. Admittedly, a lot of what they do well, vinegar also does – which is considerably cheaper in my world.  Nevertheless, I think its worth taking note of some things, and I certainly think we should use them more than we do.

So I’ll tell you what I learned about lemons. 
Fresh – Dehydrated – Powder concentrate – Oil

in the kitchen: cooking and baking

Add them to baking: breads, muffins and cakes; as well as lemon soups and other dishes. Who doesn’t like lemon poppy seed muffins? Lemon blueberry muffins? Lemon coffee cake, lemon sugar cookies, lemon cheese cake . . . . the list is endless of things lemons made better.

Lemon marinade for shrimp
Dan uses lemon to marinade shrimp (that he grills on the BBQ). Very delicious. Lime would have been equally delicious.
– drizzle lemon juice over fish or chicken while grilling
Lemon Chicken* See recipe below
Ricotta Cheese* See recipe below
Not kidding. Use lemon juice to make homemade Ricotta Cheese*. Oh my goodness, so easy. You’ll never buy ricotta again.
Lemon Sauce* See recipe below
Use to pour over fresh gingerbread and as a lemon drizzle for cookies, muffins or coffee cakes.

lemons and limes in the dehydrator fall of 2020

Dehydrated
I dehydrate lemons and limes when I have excess.  A couple of years ago, I came across a great deal, and dehydrated about 10-15 pounds. Sliced and laid single layer in the dehydrator, they took about 24 hours when the dehydrator was full. They’re Beautiful, and very handy to use the rest of the year.

dehydrated lemons in water

One thing I love about having them on hand is lemon water. I use them dried to flavour cold drinking water all year long, when ‘fresh’ lemons are not readily available. I keep it in the fridge and serve it daily. I top up the water whenever we drink it down, keeping it going for a couple of weeks at least. When the lemons seem to have lost most of their flavour, I dump them into the dish washing water* (see below) and get a few new slices for the next jug of water.

Lemons as a natural alternative for cleaning 

in the KITCHEN

CLEANING PRODUCE
claim:
fruits and vegetables from the store often have pesticides and other contaminants on them.  The disinfectant quality of lemons make them a natural to remove toxins.  Use 1/4 cup in 2 cups water.  Soak your other and vegetables fruits for five minutes in the lemon water, then rinse and dry.  Store as usual.
my experience:
seem to be fine

PREVENTING OXIDATION IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
claim: Fruits such as apples, pears, peaches and avocados begin to ‘brown’ when exposed to air. This is called oxidizing. Squeezing lemon juice over top with prevent of at least slow this natural process down.
my experience: ABSOLUTELY!! Who hasn’t used this age old kitchen hack?

CANNING ACID FRUITS AND TOMATOES
claim: Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a quart of tomatoes, increases the acid level needed for safe hot water processing.
my experience: ABSOLUTELY! Anything that is preserved in boiling water bath, MUST have a high acid content. The heat of boiling water is sufficient to kill off the micro organisms that cause spoilage, mold and fermentation, but not enough to kill botulism spores. Botulism can only develop in low acid, oxygen free conditions, which is why acid fruits like peaches and tomatoes are canned in hot water baths, but low acid foods like most vegetables, legumes and meat – must be canned at the much higher heat that pressure canning can offer. Acid is critical because it inhibits the germination of botulism spores. Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice (or vinegar) will give you an added level of safety to already acid rich fruits. I have ALWAYS added that little bit extra acid when home canning with the hot water bath method.

REPEL BUGS
claim:

to repel bugs
my experience:
I put some lemon wedges in a couple of house plants that were problematic for me with little types of fruit flies. Disappointingly, after several weeks, I didn’t find it helped at all. No effect worth reporting.

CUTTING BOARDS
claim:
Because of their antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, lemons are valuable for cleaning cutting boards, pizza stones and that sorta thing.
my experience:
I was happy with the results. It looked cleaner, felt cleaner, smelled cleaner, all of which gave me confidence that it actually did ‘good’.

REMOVING ODOURS 
claim:
will remove unpleasant odours on surfaces like cutting boards and garlicky fingers.
my experience:
I rubbed half a lemon cut side down over the cleaned cutting board. Rubbed lemon juice or lemon oil onto my finger tips after peeling and mincing garlic. I was happy with the results. Smell gone from my hands completely. The board – pretty good, although I have used it to chop garlic and onions for years, so I don’t think anything is gonna bring it back to newness.

lemon oil

REMOVING ‘STICKY’ GLUE
claim:
will take away the stickiness on surfaces left from labels etc
my experience:
For label residue on book covers or other surfaces, just drop a couple drops lemon oil and rub gently around with your finger tips. Wipe away with clean cotton swab or tissue. Works GREAT!

NATURAL AIR FRESHENER
claim:

the oil in the skin of a lemon or lime is where the fresh scent is. Simmer uncovered gently in water for an hour on the back of the stove.
my experience:
pretty good

CLEANING STAINLESS STEEL, COUNTER TOPS, STOVE TOPS
claim:

to clean all that stuff
my experience:
dip half a lemon cut side down into coarse salt, and rub onto stove tops, counter tops, and stainless steel pots. Rinse and dry with dry cloth. I was happy with it.

okay, this is orange vinegar, admittedly not lemon. But don’t discount the value of other citrus fruits. Made with orange peel steeped in white vinegar for a couple of weeks. I dilute in the spray bottle slightly with water, and I use it as an all purpose cleaner. Cuts grease like nobody’s business.

SINKS, TAPS AND FAUCETTS
claim:
to clean, degrease and shine those things
my experience:
I used a lemon half with course salt or baking soda to scrub my sink and taps etc, in the kitchen and bathroom. I liked it.

CLEAN MICROWAVE
claim:
half a lemon in bowl of water in the microwave – power on for 5 minutes then let it sit for 5 more minutes to let the steam loosen the baking on nastiness, then simply wipe out with moist micro fiber cloth.
my experience:
I tried it and it seemed to work great. Admittedly, I don’t have and never have a really dirty microwave. I have talked to several people who’ve used lemons to clean them and they swear by it.

REMOVE HARD WATER SCALE AND DEPOSITS
claim:

boil water with a half lemon in your kettle for a five minutes then let it cool. Wipe out with a dry cloth to remove hard water deposits. Scrub with half a lemon if the stain is pretty set it. Soak your faucet head in lemon juice or vinegar overnight. Wipe down or scrub with with a brush. Rinse and wipe.
my experience:
I did exactly that and IT ROCKS!

CUTS GREASE
claim:

throw a leftover half lemon into your dish washer for a cycle.
my experience:
I don’t have a dish washer so I throw it in my sink of hot soapy water when washing dishes. I love how squeaky clean it makes every thing. Shinier metal pots, clearer glasses, streak free counters.

GLASS CLEANER: 3 T lemon juice + 1 cup of water in spray bottle. Spray onto windows and wipe with dry micro fibre cloth.

GENERAL CLEANSER: fill clean jar with clean lemon peel. Top up with white vinegar and let sit for a minimum of two weeks. Strain and put into glass spray bottle. See the image above for orange vinegar. Another excellent all purpose cleaner.

DEGREASER: 3 T lemon juice + 2 cups water + 1 T baking soda + 1 t dish soap. Spray onto surface, let sit for a few minutes, then wipe off with clean damp cloth.

LAUNDRY

claim: that they make your whites even whiter – no bleach required
my experience: Yes they do. Slice up a few lemons and add to a pot of water. How many? One, two, three: depends how big your pot is and how much water you’re using. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off heat, add your white tea towels, napkins, pillow cases or whatever, into the water and let them soak for an hour or so. Remove, wring out by hand, and launder them as you usually would – with other whites of course.
Will lemons replace bleach in getting out stains? I doubt it. The citric acid breaks down stains that make whites seem dingy after a while, and it IS a gentler alternative to bleach. But for the bad stains, bleach is still here to stay.
On a side note however, I find that sunshine also does a great job of keeping whites white. I use a clothesline in the warm months, and in the hot sun of summer, I’ll sometimes leave my whites on the line for two full sunny days. Back when I was using cloth diapers (yes, I used cloth diapers for all five kids), I found that by the end of winter, my diapers were getting a little dingy. Over the course of summer, they became noticeably brighter and whiter.
Clean whites soaked in strong lemon water and then hung on a sunny clothesline is a total winner!

BATHROOM

– Use half a lemon with baking soda on all your taps and faucets, scrub then rinse and wipe off with clean dry cloth
– plunge the water out of the toilet, then use half a lemon with baking soda to scrub the inside bowl. Dispose of lemon immediately.
– clean anything in your bathroom the same way – then rinse and wipe.
– soak your toothbrush in lemon juice and baking soda for 30 minutes then rinse.
– do the same thing with your hair brush.

SKIN CARE

Lemon juice as a :
– natural toner and cleanser, 
– natural astringent, lemons will help decrease inflammation
– decrease oil that may contribute to acne and other blemishes
– breaks down dead skin cells for better removal, which also helps with acne
– Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that helps reduce skin damage and premature aging
– mixing with aloe vera may help with any irritation caused by the acidity of it
– lemon oil dissolves sticky wax residue when waxing your skin

Lemons are *ANTIBACTERIAL, * ANTIMICROBIAL, * ANTISEPTIC. 
The enzymes help with digestion, the rich vitamin content helps with our immune and respiratory systems, and “we” have discovered they help with kidney stones. 

our experience:
My Dan is a professional kidney stone maker.  He can produce them like nobody’s business, but if you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you know this isn’t a good thing.  He’s done everything and taken everything, that we’ve ever heard of or read about, that even had the slightest chance of helping. We set all prejudice aside in the name of being open minded.   So hard to say if most of those things helped or not, because after a while there was always another kidney stone.  Until over 10 years ago. . . . We heard that the natural acid in lemon juice prevents the formation of kidney stones – something about dissolving the calcium they’re made of.  I don’t pretend to be an expert, or even to understand the science behind it, but Dan started drinking lemon juice in his water faithfully every day.  Its a pretty strong sour taste – but he acquired a taste for it. And for more than a decade, no more kidney stones!  Yup, you could say we’re converted.  Longest stretch in his adult life without kidney stones. Kinda hard to turn your back on that little wonderful fact. However, that much lemon juice in your water everyday is not without its underside. It is absolutely brutal on the enamel of your teeth! Dan hardly has any enamel left, and he’s in the process of getting lots of crowns.  Truthfully, we cannot blame lemon juice entirely for all of that.  I suspect a life time of drinking coke contributed, but the lemon juice sure didn’t help.  Would we recommend it? Yes! Would we do it again? You betcha. But we’d pay more attention to the problem of acid on the teeth.
The Moral to that story? Lemon juice is good for you. But rinse your mouth out after drinking it.   

PRICE

Winter is CITRUS SEASON. You should find prices will be best between November – April, especially December – February.

My TAKEAWAY from all my lemon experimenting –
Would I buy lemons just for cleaning? Living in Edmonton, probably not.  Unless I got them for a pretty good price.  I use vinegar for much of the same things.  If I lived in Arizona however, I’d use lemons a LOT.  For now, it would depend on price and availability. But – I’d sure second-use every piece of lemon that was in my house before I threw it into the compost.
I use lemons for everything I mention above and I REALLY like the results.  I like the squeaky clean (literally ‘squeaks’) feel, and the scent. I like that it cuts through grease and stickiness.

words to define:
*ANTIBACTERIAL – prevents the growth of, or outright destroys bacteria.
*ANTIMICROBIAL – resists or destroys pathogenic micro organisms.
*ANTISEPTIC – destroys and prevents the development of microbes.
*PATHOGENIC – means capable of producing disease MICROBE – germs

Recipes:

*LEMON CHICKEN: Dan’s version (4 servings):
3 or 4 pounds chicken pieces – evenly sized
zest from 2 lemons + juice from one, slice the other lemon to use as garnish
2 cloves garlic crushed
fresh garden herbs in the summer: thyme and rosemary chopped OR
dried garden herbs in the winter: thyme and rosemary (crumbled)
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Marinade the chicken in lemon juice and seasonings for about two hours. After marinading, place chicken in baking dish (reserving the lemon juice mixture in the fridge), brush liberally all over with butter and bake at 425 for about 40 minutes. About 20 minutes into cooking, remove from oven and baste the chicken with ALL of the reserved marinade. Be generous. Return to oven and continue to bake till chicken is cooked through. Chicken is cooked when the juice runs clear and the skin is brown and crispy. Remove from oven. Don’t over cook.
Cover with tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
Serve with remaining juices in a saucer on the side.
* Not including marinade time, expect this dish to take about an hour. While its baking, prepare some rice or noodles to serve it with.

Thrive Life lemonade powder, while in a base of non GMO cane sugar, is for all intents and purposes, unsweetened. Strong natural lemon flavour from lemon oil, used to make lemonade of course (add your own sweetener), and in place of lemon juice in most recipes.

LEMON CHICKEN: Cindy’s version (4 servings):
I don’t cook meat, so I use freeze dried chicken pieces.
Using the same recipe as above, I would take the larger pieces of FD seasoned chicken strips (about 2 1/2 cups), and refresh / marinade them in the same mixture as above, for about twenty minutes to ensure all the wonderfulness of the lemon was absorbed fully.

In a hot skillet, I would saute Freeze Dried sliced onions, (just a minute or two until aromatic) in the melted butter, then add the seasoned chicken pieces and the remaining marinade liquid. I would probably add some FD red and green peppers because I could, and maybe some FD broccoli too. Maybe even some FD asparagus at the very end. Depending on the additional vegetables I ‘might’ add, its possible I might have to add a bit more water if necessary. Not too much. 1/2 cup to 1 cup (?)
When all is heated thoroughly, remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.
* Not including marinade time, expect this version of the dish to take less than 15 minutes. You better have your side dishes ready.
Serve over rice or noodles or mashed potatoes – exactly the same as Dan’s recipe above.

*Lemon Sauce
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon white flour
1/4 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
Stir together over low heat till sugar is dissolved and sauce is beginning to thicken.
Add juice of 1 lemon (or 1 tablespoon of THRIVE lemonade powder). Stir till incorporated. Add a little more water if necessary. Pour over gingerbread cake, Christmas pudding, English trifle, or wherever you want it.

* Homemade Ricotta Cheese
What is RICOTTA CHEESE? Italian ricotta is a fresh, soft, white cheese made whole milk It is heated near a boil, which causes it to coagulate and form a soft cheese. Like paneer, and cottage cheese, and other fresh cheeses, ricotta can be heated without melting. This makes it perfect for filled pastas like ravioli, and baked good like cheesecake.

2 litres WHOLE milk
1 teaspoon of salt – optional
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or 1 T Thrive Life Lemonade)
large pot, wooden spoon or silicone spatula, thermometer, something to keep the thermometer off the bottom of the pan, colander and some cheese cloth to strain the cheese, large bowl to strain into

Pour milk into a large pot and begin heating over medium low heat. Slowly bring to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Expect it to take up to 30 minutes, stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. Increase the heat and cook, watching closely until the surface begins to lightly bubble, but doe NOT boil. Keep a watchful eye on it, stirring regularly. This should be approx 200 degrees F (up or down a few degrees). Add lemon juice (or lemon powder), stir to incorporate. You will see the milk immediately begin to curdle.

Remove from heat and let the pot sit for 15 minutes. Line a colander with cheese cloth, and place over large enough bowl to catch the whey. Spoon the curds from pot to cloth lined colander, and let it strain for half an hour. When cheese is cooled squeeze gently to form ball. Use immediately, or store in fridge up to 3 or 4 days.

Have fun using your lemons!

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle


God Comes to Women

so, this is an unusual post I’ll admit. In fact none of the words below this introduction are my own. They were sent to me without notation and it took me a while to find their original author. I did by posting it to which a friend responded. Thank-you Kate Evans for solving the mystery. And thank you Heather Farrell for writing them. A link to her facebook page Women in the Scriptures (a marvelous site which I highly recommend) is below.
The message was originally shared by my friend Suzanne, and I was moved by their message. They spoke to my heart, and I have always, always, always believed them.

Mary Heard His Word by Walter Rane;
“… Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42)

God loves His children. All of them. None more or less than any other. But to men and women He has given distinct roles, evidenced by their very natures, and their natural inclinations. There is no need to put one gender down to lift the other up, although many have felt the need to do so. Both are equal to our Heavenly Father, in their different roles. Of this I am confident, and constantly validated.

Seeking Shilough by Joseph Brickey.

In the church I belong to, the “Priesthood” is given to men. I’ve heard some (both men and women) outside the church who have a problem with that. For some reason they feel the need to defend Latter-day Saint women as if somehow we’ve been shortchanged. Not the case. And though I thank you for your care and well meaning intention, I don’t feel threatened by this difference. Not at all. In fact, I am completely content in my standing before God. I feel loved and valued. I serve my congregation in meaningful ways, never in a lesser way than my husband, sons or any other ‘male’ in it, notwithstanding the fact that I do not hold the Priesthood, which means that I will not ever hold some offices within my church. Totally okay with that too, as there are also many roles within the church that men will never hold. We’re back to that ‘difference’ in our roles again.

Some of this is a conversation for another time, but for now, may I share my testimony that GOD SPEAKS TO WOMEN.

Enjoy Heather’s words below.
I have updated this information since my original post.

God Comes to Women

Lamoni’s Wife by James Fullmer

“Have you ever noticed how in the scriptures, men are always going up into the mountains to commune with God?
Yet in the scriptures we hardly ever hear of women going to the mountains.
But we know why—right?
Because the women were too busy keeping life going; they couldn’t abandon babies, meals, homes, fires, gardens, and a thousand responsibilities to make the climb into the mountains!


I was complaining about this to a friend the other day, saying that as a modern woman I feel like I’m never “free” enough from my responsibilities, never in a quiet enough space I want with God.
Her response floored me. “That is why God comes to women.” she said “Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women wherever they are.

I have been pondering on her words for weeks and have searched my scriptures to see that what she said is true. God does indeed come to women – where they are, when they are doing their ordinary, every day work. He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families, in their homes, in their kitchens, in their gardens. He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds, as they give birth, care for the elderly, and perform necessary mourning and burial rites.

As it Began to Dawn (Mary Magdalene) by Elsbeth Young

“Even at the empty tomb, who were the first to witness Christ’s resurrection, were only there because they were doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ’s body for burial.
In this seemingly mundane and ordinary task, these women found themselves face to face with divinity.

So if – like me – you ever start to bemoan the fact that you don’t have as much time to spend in the mountains with God as you would like, remember: God comes to women.
He knows where we are and the burdens we carry. He sees us, and if we open our eyes and our hearts, we will see Him, even in the most ordinary places and in the most ordinary things.

He lives.

– Heather Farrell

Originally posted in Heather’s facebook page Women in the Scriptures.
link inserted

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Joining the Conversation: Doing our part in the Gathering of Israel

President Nelson speaking to youth of church

President Russell M. Nelson told us two years ago that “the Gathering of Israel is the most important thing taking place on earth today.   Nothing else compares in magnitude.   Nothing else compares in magnificence.   Nothing else compares in majesty.”   He clarified “When we speak of the Gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: Every one of our Heavenly Father’s children on both sides of the veil deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”   He clarifies further “To accept and receive His gospel with all its blessings, that God promised to the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”  
(Russell M. Nelson, July 27, 2018)

I heard the question asked recently “How does Covid fit into this important mandate to Gather Israel?” One response was that during these trying times of loneliness and isolation many people are hurting, and many people are more receptive to the tender message of the gospel. These are opportunities for us to reach out and give a comforting word, offering the hope and courage that the gospel of Jesus Christ possesses. 

There are many things we as members of the church can do to help brighten the day of others and to be a beacon of the light of Jesus Christ in their lives.  Hopefully, in the five months of good weather we just finished, we took the opportunity to visit our neighbour frequently, at the very least with a smile and a cheery word in the front yard.   Hopefully we took the opportunity to invite someone to eat with us out in the fresh air of either our back yard or another place.  Hopefully we walked with a friend on beautiful summer evenings.   Even those of us without yards, have access to public parks and walkways.   How easy it was to invite someone to join us often as we breathed the fresh air of those beautiful days.    

We’re now going into a season where we will have to be a little more creative in how we interact with others.   The weather has turned cold (its past the middle of October at time of writing), and we’re driven inside where we’ll stay for the next several months.   I hope we’re not going to use this as an excuse to isolate ourselves socially just because it is required we isolate ourselves physically.   They are NOT the same.   It is important that we don’t breath the same air as another not living in our house.   That does not mean we cannot be part of their day or part of their life.   If we have anything at our fingertips, it is opportunity to influence Heavenly Father’s children for good.   Covid or no covid.   We know “that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (3N 3:7)

It is no coincidence that the last several decades have led to our ability to not only communicate but to be intimately involved in each other’s lives from anywhere in the world including our own homes. 

Many years ago, President David O. McKay spoke of accomplishments and scientific advances that stagger the imagination. “we will yet see” he said in 1968, “exciting developments unfold as research continues.”  How amazed he might be today.   A decade later, President Kimball said “The Lord will lay in our hand inventions which we can scarcely conceive, whereby we will be able to bring the gospel to the peoples of the world. … I have faith” he said “that the Lord will open doors when we have done everything in our power.” (GC Oct 1974)

So here we are, with tools to communicate at our finger tips that even five years ago we couldn’t imagine.  All of them inspired of the Lord, for the purpose of Gathering Israel.   Even Social media.  Yes, even Facebook.   Is there bad about social media?   Of course there is.   Satan is the great imitator.  He has always taken the Lord’s tools and manipulated them for his purposes.  Elder Ballard reminds us that “some of these tools – like any tool in an unpracticed or undisciplined hand, can be dangerous.” (December 10 2017 BYU Hawaii Commencement)  But the responsibility is ours to go forward and use them for good.  Elder Gary E. Stevenson said “There are so many applications for the use of technology in appropriate and inspired ways.  We should do all we can to teach the righteous use of technology to the rising generation, and warn and prevent unrighteous use and associated hazards as well.  Ours is a message of peace.  You are the messengers that preach it.  And you can do this through these new and exciting channels of technology.”  (BYU Womens Conference 2017)

The responsibility is ours to minister to our brothers and sisters, to cheer and uplift, to  “comfort the weary and strengthen the weak“, to spread the gospel in everything we do, using words only if necessary.  And that responsibility is not suspended because of some outside distraction like Covid19.  

54 easy ways to share the gospel just by being you

1 – thank someone who made you smile

2 – share a positive note via email, private message, text or good old fashioned mail – OFTEN

3 – post heart attacks with encouraging words or your fave quotes – on doors, windows or vehicles

4 – give a genuine compliment

7 – offer to run errands for them

5 – SMILE more

being the kind of neighbour who makes the neighbourhood a good one:

6 – check on your neighbours from time to time, especially if they’re elderly or disabled 

8 – go to five doors on either side of you, introduce yourself if necessary, and leave your contact information in case someone could ever use a hand

9 – be the kind of neighbour that others will feel they can ask to help out from time to time: watch a pet, check their house while they’re away, mow their lawn, help with Christmas lights or help in an emergency . . . .

10 – be the kind of neighbour who notices things: when someone is celebrating a happy occasion as well as if they might be in distress.   Everyone remembers the neighbour who brought a baby gift, or a plate of something for the funeral

11 – be respectful of your neighbours by keeping your yard tidy

12 – be part of making your neighbourhood a cheery place by decorating seasonally ie: putting up Christmas lights

13 – while you’re mowing your front lawn or shovelling your sidewalk, mow or shovel for your neighbour.

14 – support your community league by taking a class they offer

15 – volunteer at a few community league events now and again

16 – offer to teach a skill you have to your community group, free of charge of course

17 – play a musical instrument in the park, on your balcony or on your front porch for others to enjoy

18 – chalk drawings on the sidewalk with happy cute images or any message intended to create a smile

19 – share something personal with your neighbour: some flowers or produce from your garden, baking, or an extra treat you bought yourself, . . .

20 – take a plastic bag on your next walk to pick up the trash you see

21 – take your children to a public park and invite other children to join the fun

22 – SMILE more

Being a friend

23 – phone someone just to chat and see how they’re doing. Who doesn’t like to know you’ve been thinking of them?

24 – pray for people you know are struggling

25 – start a light-hearted challenge with a friend to see how many people you can greet with a smile, a few words, a text, email, etc.  Set the rules so each individual has to improve their personal-best.

26 – have the missionaries over for dinner once a month, and invite a friend or neighbour at the same time, so all can see how pleasant and ‘unthreatening‘ they are

27 – get to know the people our missionaries are visiting by offering to accompany them in their lessons

28 – by phone, email, text, or Private message, reach out to one less active member of your ward this week (and another one next week) just to touch base with them so they know they are missed.

29 – invite the adults and youth you know to follow some of these suggestions too.

30 – ask the Lord to bless you with the opportunity to touch someone’s life for good today, and follow the promptings.

31 – when you go grocery shopping, offer to pick something up for your someone who could use a hand

32 – plan to make extra for dinner and then phone a friend and tell them when dinner will be delivered

33 – share a book

34 – SMILE more

Being the kind stranger

35 – slow down. stop and chat with someone in line. You’re not going anywhere anyway.

36 – offer to let people go ahead of you in line when they have a small amount, or look like they are uncomfortable or in a hurry

37 – put a happy face on your mask

38 – go for a walk around your neighbourhood.  Notice people.

39 – wave, nod, smile or say hello to people you pass while walking

40 – set a goal to say hello or otherwise greet one more person than you said hello to yesterday. Keep increasing your goal.

41 – SMILE more

“If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”  Seeking is good, but sharing on Social media is better.

42 – post a tender video clip or a fave quote from General Conference on social media

43 – like and comment on others’ uplifting and edifying posts

44 – share a fave music video on social media, and give the reason you like it.

45 – share a recipe on facebook, and tell why you’re sharing it

46 – share your gratitude for blessings on social media

47 – start a fun interactive group text or messenger chat with a survey asking something like “best cake ever eaten?”

48 – SMILE more

JOIN the CONVERSATION

If you’re looking for an example in the church for participating on social media, you’ve got it. The Church has embraced all media in its effort to reach out.  If that is where people are communicating, then that is where we should be talking.   Elder M. Russell Ballard said “There are conversations going on about the Church constantly.  Those conversations will continue whether or not we participate in them.  We cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics attempt to define what the Church teaches.  … Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time.

“May I ask that you join the conversation” he implored, “by participating on the Internet to share the gospel. … You can start a blog, … You can download videos from the Church and other appropriate sites, and send them to your friends. …. Far too many people have a poor understanding of the Church because most of the information they hear about us is from news media reports that are often driven by controversies. 

49 – take the time to gently and kindly correct misrepresentations in the media about the Church or its teachings

50 – share tender testimony of a specific principle when prompted: in person, in a shared social media post, in response to another’s comment, or in a self written blog or social media post

51 – pray for experiences to share the gospel, and then open your eyes to them

52 – “be thou an example of the believers” (1 Timothy :12) in all you do.  Be honest, be fair, be kind, be gentle, be warm, be joyful ….

53 – remember that you represent the Lord in all you do.  You took on that responsibility at baptism and you weekly “witness that you are willing to take upon yourself His name, to always remember Him and keep His commandments.” (Moroni 4:3)  Take that responsibility very seriously. 

Let us all stand firmly and speak with faith in sharing our message with the world.”  Elder Ballard continues “… Your outreach can be international.  … As you participate in this conversation and utilize the tools of the new media, remember who you are. .. We simply need to have a conversation, as friends in the same room would have, always guided by the prompting of the Spirit and constantly remembering the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, which reminds us of how precious are the children of our Father in Heaven.”                                                             (excerpts taken from ‘Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet’
                                                                                                      News of the Church, June 2008) 

54 – SMILE more

In case you didn’t see a recurring theme, its a reminder to us all to ‘SMILE’ more.   We have so much to be grateful for, even in these troubled times.  There is peace in gospel living, in living the principles of provident living, and in living the principles of preparedness – on all levels.   We should rejoice as we go forward, because we have so much to rejoice over as we continue to do our best. 

May God Bless us in our efforts to love our neighbour as ourselves, to link arms in our efforts to Gather Israel, and to be obedient in all things. 

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Thanksgiving – food and memories

I don’t know when I started loving fall and Thanksgiving. The colours, the smells, the foods, the geese flying south, the warmth of the sun on still autumn days, the crunch of leaves while walking in the river valley, sitting around the fire on crisp evenings, . . . . . Not sure if I always have loved it, or if it started with autumn memories that included Dan. We started dating in Edmonton during the late summer, and I moved away within weeks to Cold Lake.  I was a teenager just starting high school. He came up to see me a time or two and we wrote for a while, but long distance romances when you’re that young are difficult at best.

Two years later I was passing through Edmonton again in the late summer and we reconnected for a short while. A couple of dates and I was back in Cold Lake in September to begin my final year of high school. I had grown up a little, he had grown up a little more.  The following weekend, he drove to Cold Lake to visit me and I prepared us a picnic lunch.  There are plenty of beautiful places to go for picnics around Cold Lake, and we had a lovely time.  This became the beginning of many weekend pilgrimages from Edmonton to Cold Lake, throughout the fall and winter.  It wasn’t long before we became engaged.  He got an insider look at my family in all our glory: good, bad, and yes, even the occasional ugly.  He came to church with me on Sundays and met many of my friends.   Conversations lasting many hours helped us get to know each other, and eventually winter turned to spring.  He wanted to get married in the spring, but for me, it had to be fall.   I needed a little bit of time between high school and the commitment of marriage. And fall had become a significant time in our story anyway.  We were married the following October.  Thanksgiving weekend.  My apologies to everyone who had to give up their Thanksgiving weekend that year to travel to our wedding. That meant you didn’t get your usual traditional Thanksgiving Dinner – which I never considered at the time.   Sorry ’bout that.

Thanksgiving includes DINNER to me – one that involves planning and preparation.   In the beginning, we were always at one of our parents’ homes on the Thanksgiving weekend. There were some constants between our homes of course: roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy,  cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. And there were some variables: brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli salad, perogies, cabbage rolls, variations on pies and pumpkin, and my Gramma Harrison’s marshmallow fruit salad – depending on where we were.  But it was always with family. That was the critical component.

Thanksgiving however, is more than dinner. It’s memories. It’s harvesting the garden. It’s late summer tomatoes. It’s apples, and apple juice, purple grapes and high bush cranberries. It’s the humidity of the canner, the hum of the dehydrator. It’s crisp outside, warm inside. It’s family. It’s the time of year (not just the day, but all the weeks leading up to it) that the bounty of the season causes one to pause and reflect on those things we’re most grateful for. And more than that, its a good time to vocally express our appreciation to others and to Heavenly Father.

Over Dan and my years together, Thanksgiving evolved from us going to our parents homes, to us hosting our parents and others.  That was when the metal of tradition was put to the test.  Which of our family’s established traditions would we incorporate into our lives? and which new traditions would we create with and for our children?  For those traditionalists like me, we like certain things done the same way, every time.  We like revisiting celebrations the same way.  For me, Thanksgiving must include turkey with all that means to me. Christmas Eve much include bread and cheese.  Easter must include coloured eggs.   All the above must include PEOPLE. But in these difficult Covid times that are messing with our usual way of doing things we can still find ways to celebrate and enjoy important ‘traditions’.   In fact there has probably never been a time when we were in more need of the cohesiveness of traditions.

apples, apple juice, apple sauce, apple leather, apple crisp, and of course . . . apple pie

I am a gardener, so harvest has particular meaning to me, and a definite connection to our Thanksgiving menu.  In addition to the must-have turkey with fixings, dinner must include things I’ve harvested.  Things like Cranberry juice from our own high bush cranberry. Made into a sparkling drink.  Homemade Cranberry sauce – made from fresh or frozen cranberries, or even better – freeze dried cranberries. Dressing made with homemade bread, onions, garlic and other herbs from the garden. Vegetables of course, from this year’s harvest. Apples: apple pie, apple juice, apple sauce, apples in salad. Pumpkin: maybe pie, maybe tarts, maybe cheese cake, maybe cookies, maybe dip for gingersnap cookies. Grape: pie from our own grapes.  Bread – homemade rolls. And of course, FAMILY – the greatest harvest of all.  This year, by stupid covid necessity our numbers will be fewer.  One son’s family will be with their other grandparents.   One son’s family will be with another son’s family.  My mother will be with my niece.   Our daughter’s and another son’s families will be with us.  Friends – another great harvest, will be not be around our table this year.  But we will gather as we can, and enjoy the food and companionship of each other.  

Don’t ever discount the importance of food in celebrations, traditions and memories.  Most of us have very strong food-memories, for good or bad. That is why food is so important in how we celebrate special days, and in how we associate with certain people. A strong (and good) food memory for me is “chicken noodles”; many years of family gatherings and happy times are associated with this family favourite. And it is the natural suffix of Thanksgiving turkey. Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls are another strong food-memory for me. No one could make cabbage rolls like Dan’s step-mom Margaret, and no family dinner that she put on would be complete without them. Its been a loss for many years. University of Massachusetts Professor of Psychology Susan Krauss Whitbourne teaches us that “Food memories involve very basic, nonverbal areas of the brain and can bypass your conscious awareness.   This is why you can have strong emotional reactions when you eat a food that arouses deep unconscious memories. . . . The memory goes beyond the food itself to the associations you have to that long ago memory.”   For many of us, those food memories are already well established, but our children’s food-memories are still forming, and we have a tremendous influence on their creation and evolution.   Wouldn’t it be nice if most of those associations were good ones?

Happy Thanksgiving dear ones.


Warmly,
Cindy Suelzle

getting enough fruits and vegetables . . . yeah right

okay be honest now, how many servings of fruits and vegetables do you get a day? Go ahead count ’em. How many did you get yesterday? How many so far today? And what about the variety?

The new Canada Food Guide says that at least half of what we eat in a day should be fruits and vegetables. . . . . uh, wait a minute while I soak that in. I believe I eat more fruits and vegetables than most people I know on most days, but I’d be hard pressed to say it is consistently half of what I eat. The recommendation is for an adult to have at least 10 servings a day! What does that even look like?

Vegetables:
2 cups raw leafy vegetables
1 cup cooked leafy green vegetables
1 cup raw vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 medium potato or sweet potato
1/2 cup vegetable juice

Fruit:
1 cup raw fruit
1 medium apple, orange, banana
1/2 cup fruit juice

If 5 of your servings in a day came in the shape of a watermelon . . . well, good for you, I love watermelon too. But variety is where we’re going to get the assortment of nutrients we need for good health. 3 apples a day might be great once in a while but we NEED variety. And a good variety of ‘fresh’ (as in picked within a day or two) is almost impossible for most of us. Are you eating your colours? . . . enough cleansing greens? enough immune enhancing yellows and oranges? enough heart healthy reds? and enough deep antioxidant rich blues and purples?

If you’re like so many North Americans, you’re lucky to get a quick bowl of cereal, bagel or cup of coffee in the morning. You make it to lunch with zero fruits or vegetables. And then it goes down from there. For me, I have to FOCUS on making sure my diet includes enough Fruits & Vegetables. If I am not intentional about it, before I know it, I’ve slipped into old habits and I can easily make it to dinner time – lucky to have eaten an apple.

sigh ….. what to do?

If you’re still reading this, I am willing to bet you’d like to be eating better. And you probably even try hard to make sure your family does. And you are likely better than average, but 10 a day? Come on, that’s hard for anyone on a consistent basis. Especially in the winter (which is a long season in my part of the world). Did you know that 80% of us don’t get enough nutrition from plants? Sadly our SAD way of eating (Standard American Diet) causes severe health problems: 40% of North American adults (and 20% of young people ages 2 – 19) suffer from obesity, which puts them at risk for heart disease and stroke and type 2 diabetes, as well as tooth decay, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis and many types of cancer.

that’s a big yikes! and it deserves our attention

I think we all know a thing or two about the importance of fruits and vegetables and the reasons they should make up the majority of our diet, and yet . . . . . here we are. What holds you back from eating more fruits and vegetables in the day? Here are some of the typical answers North Americans give. Do any of them describe your situation?
* don’t know how to prepare them * too much time to prepare * too much energy, its easier to eat non vegetable meals * don’t like the taste * scheduling issues * haven’t made it a priority * too expensive * too much waste when we don’t eat it quick enough.
…. And millions turn to supplements to compensate for our lack of nutrition. Supplements instead of real food. I am not anti-supplements, but they’re only intended to ‘supplement’ good eating, not replace it. That’s why they’re called s.u.p.p.l.e.m.e.n.t.s.

Divide the 10+ servings into your day. That means consuming 3 – 4 servings at every meal with some nutritional snacking along the way. I know that sounds like: how can I even eat that much food? Well, the idea is that if you’re eating enough fruits and vegetables you won’t have enough appetite for the junk, or the less nutritious options. It’s not as hard as you might think. Here’s the HACK: it’s called “RUVI”from the root for “Roots of Life”. (Ru = Roots, Vi = Life)

* most helpful HACK for consistently eating more fruits & vegetables

Not a supplement. Not a juice. Ruvi is fruits and vegetables. Nothing more (really, nothing added) and Nothing less. Seriously, all the natural fibre you’d get if you ‘ate’ those fruits and vegetables, except you drink it. I know right! How easy is that? Each of the four blends contains the equivalent of FOUR complete servings! That’s freeze dried fruits and vegetables – the absolute most nutritious way of eating them. And you DRINK THEM.

And remember those reasons we have for not eating more fruits and vegetables?
* don’t know how to prepare them: hello, mix them with water and shake
* too much time to prepare: 20 seconds is all it takes
* too much energy, its easier to eat non vegetable meals: not sure what could get easier than Ruvi
* just plain don’t like vegetables : each blend is the perfect mix of fruit with the vegetables to make them delicious
* scheduling issues: what can be easier than a Ruvi in your purse, glove compartment, gym bag, locker at school, desk at work, trailer, 72 hour kit, and kitchen. Doesn’t matter what your day throws at you, you’ve got YOU taken care of.
* haven’t made it a priority: give yourself a 30 day challenge. Use Ruvi every day for 30 days, then step back and analyze how you feel. You’ll be thrilled by how much difference true nutrition makes.
* too expensive: if you were to buy the variety of fruits and vegetables that go into Ruvi – you’d be spending several times more $. This is the BEST and least expensive way of eating more nutritiously.
* too much waste when we don’t eat it quick enough: no waste with Ruvi. All the nutrition of ‘fresh’ produce and Zero waste (that means huge savings).

bottom line

There really is nothing like Ruvi. It’s straight up goodness that your body is craving in the simplest, easiest-to-consume form: freeze dried whole fruits and vegetables, and nothing else.

wanna find out more? click this link:
https://www.goruvi.com/?ref=thrivewithcindy

I want to know what your experience is with eating more nutritiously.
I want to know how you incorporate more vegetables into your daily diet.
I want to know what you think of “drinking your colours”.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle
https://www.goruvi.com/?ref=cindy


a Good Neighbourhood . . .

Good neighbourhoods do not exist independently of people. They’re not specific about the size of houses or yards. Whether your nearest neighbour lives across the hall, across the street, down the alley, across a field, or down the road, you live in a ‘community’. And everyone who lives in the same community has one thing in common. Its the one thing that every good neighbourhood needs no matter where it is: good neighbours.  So how do you GET good neighbours?   Ah, that’s the mystery isn’t it?  Its really very simple. If you want to live in a good neighbourhood, you must be a GOOD neighbour.  There.  That’s the long and short of it.  The consistent inescapable reality – that “it always comes back to you“. 

When speaking about friends, Christian songwriter Michael McLean said:
Everyone hopes to find one true friend who’s the kind
They can count on for forever and a day.
BE that friend, be that kind that you prayed you might find
And you’ll always have a best friend, come what may.”


Well the same thing applies to neighbours.  Why should you care?  and why do you want to live in a good neighbourhood anyway? I suppose there must be many personal reasons, but these are the ones that are important to me. Perhaps some of them might be important to you too. Here’s the clincher though: good neighbourhoods don’t just happen. They’re created by the good neighbours who live in them. So herein, you might find some ideas worth implementing, you may even find courage to step out of your comfort zone and make it happen. Somebody’s gotta start the ball rolling. It might as well be you.

10 reasons you want to live in a ‘good’ neighbourhood and how to make your’s one.

1.   People are social beings
Whether you want to admit it or not, we ALL need other people.  Of the things we learned from Covid, one of them is that we cannot be happy for long without other people.  Perhaps you consider yourself more of a loner.  Yeah, whatever.  So am I.  But whether you admit it to yourself or not, everyone has the same basic social needs and that is to be *safe, *loved, and *to feel important.  So deny all you want, I don’t believe you.   We are not an island and we were never intended to be an island.  

2. Living where people are friendly makes for a more comfortable, peaceful environment.  Even for the grump who inevitably lives in every neighbourhood. 

3.  Good neighbourhoods are SAFER.  
Good neighbours pay attention.  They notice things.  They watch out for each other and their property.  They are invested in your safety, just as you are invested in their’s. 

Several years ago, when our kids were teenagers, it was a common prank among their peers to TP each other’s houses.  Their friends’ homes, their teachers’ homes, their neighbours’ homes.   Don’t ask me why.  TP is toilet paper if you didn’t know.  Sneaking to a friends’ house late at night and stringing TP over their trees, hedges, vehicles, fences … anything they could reach.  You wake up in the morning, and …. you’ve been TP’d.  It was a fun thing to do, and fun thing to have done to you too.  Like I say, don’t ask me why.  My kids did it too, so you can’t expect not to get TP’d if you are also a culprit.  What goes around comes around.  I must admit, we have some fun memories involving toilet paper. 

Late one fall night I got a concerned phone call from my neighbour across the street.  “Cindy, sorry for calling so late. I was on my way home, and I noticed something going on in your yard so I pulled over to watch.  Some kids. ….”
“Are they causing damage?”
“It doesn’t look like it.  Hard to say.  Just go look out your front window.”
   I absorbed his concern, and peaked out my front window. 
OH!  That.  Its okay Dwight.  Its just a bunch of Sarah’s friends.”
“But they’re … “
“I know. Its what they do.  Don’t worry about it.  I’ll have Sarah take care of it in the morning.”
  We had a rule in our house.  If it was your friends who did it, then you get to be the one cleaning it up.  Like I say, what goes around comes around. “Thank-you for worrying about it Bryce, but this sorta thing is just part of living with teenagers.  My kids do it too.  Its okay.  Its not vandalism.”

The point is, that our neighbour cared enough to notice, to be concerned, and he-knew-our-phone-number to alert us of something he thought was amiss.  Good neighbours are also the most logical ones to keep an eye on your house while you’re away from home.  There’s added security in knowing that you all have each others’ eyes and ears. 

4.  Good neighbours share. 

I know it seems so cliche to borrow an egg from a neighbour, but sometimes – you just need something you didn’t expect to run out of, and it sure is handy to have that reciprocal relationship.  You wouldn’t ask someone you didn’t know if you could borrow a cuppa sugar, or an egg, or some other small thing. 

Sometimes neighbours share bigger things too.  We bought a weed trimmer several years ago with one of our next door neighbours.  You only use something like that how many times a year? and they last forever.  It didn’t seem necessary for both households to own one.  So we shared, and its worked out well for many years.

Sometimes neighbours even share BIG things.  We don’t often need a snow blower in Edmonton, but we live in a crescent so once in a while it sure would be nice to have one. But for the few times a year that you’d use one it was cost prohibitive and difficult to justify, unless . . . . you could co-own one . . . . .  Dan talked to the three neighbours closest to us and all agreed to jointly buy a snow blower.  You wouldn’t feel comfortable asking a stranger about entering into that kind of relationship, but this too, has worked well for many years. 
The common thread is that actually ‘knowing’ your neighbour, makes it easier to lend, borrow and jointly own – or not.

Sharing on building (and replacing) common fences is another ‘co-owned’ investment that benefits everyone involved.

5.  Good neighbours HELP
Its an easy thing to lend a hand when you see a neighbour struggling with a package, or involved in a project.  And even just a few minutes assisting someone can be relationship defining. Look for those opportunities, and take them.
We share a common front lawn with our neighbour.  Not really, but neither of us know nor care exactly where the property line is.  When one is mowing the front lawn, how easy is it to mow both sides of it?  So we do, and so do they.  Its been much appreciated on both sides, for many years. 

6. Good neighbours ARE RESPECTFUL AND CONSIDERATE.

Maintain your yard and shared spaces.  Keep your weeds down, and your pets under control.  Even if you’re not that motivated to keep your property tidy, consider what it looks like to your neighbours, and go the distance.   Don’t allow garbage to accumulate, keep your lawn watered and mowed and tidy.  If you don’t like to weed, then establish a low maintenance yard, but keep it tidy. I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough.  

Don’t make a lot of noise, especially after dark. 
If you’re gonna have outdoor company with excessive noise or a fire in the backyard, give your neighbour the respectful heads up, and promise to keep it reasonable.
Don’t let your teens party hardy late into the night either.  They can make a LOT of noise.

If you’re having a large group and parking might be an issue, let your neighbours know ahead of time and try to keep it manageable.  Ask your company to be courteous.   If nothing else, apologize ahead of time. LOL

7. Good neighbours are PATIENT and Overlook the small stuff.
When our kids were young we had a trampoline.  It was a magnet for all their friends and the source of a lot of kid-noise.  We never had a neighbour complain.  To be fair, most of their kids spent considerable time on it too.  Once, when I was jumping on it, I noticed how visible many yards around us were from the high point of the jump.  No one had any real privacy with our trampoline. I realized that our trampoline affected people in the several houses immediately surrounding us.  It was not lost on me that no one had ever complained, and I really appreciated it. 

One of our next door neighbours used to have a few friends over once or twice on summer evenings to sit around the fire.  They played music and after a few beers, they could get a little noisy, and yes, maybe even a little irritating if you were trying to sleep.  It made it difficult to escape with our backyards adjoining and bedroom windows open as they most often are in the summer.  These were the times to remember our noisy kids on the trampoline in the daytime. We never complained about those noisy parties, they were infrequent enough that in the big picture, we considered them more than a fair trade.

For years I had several wind chimes hanging outside our kitchen door and along our back deck.  One day as I stood on the back deck visiting with Glenda our next door neighbour there was a slight breeze which made the wind chimes happy.  For the first time I took note of the fact that their bedroom window was open and right across the fence from my wind chimes.   Our bedroom window was around the corner, so on breezy evenings, we were never bothered by the chimes, but it was impossible for our neighbours to not be bothered from time to time.  So I asked “Do these chimes bother you at night sometimes?” Glenda admitted that sometimes they bothered George.  “OH! I am so sorry!”  I exclaimed “Why didn’t you say something?” 
Oh it’s not that bad.” she claimed, but she was lying of course.  I know what its like to lay awake by an irritating night noise.  I took the wind chimes down that very hour, never to go back up in that area of our yard again.  They appreciated it.

Now in a different house, we have grandchildren. Once a year in the summer time, we have a Grandkids Day, (sometimes a few days).  All 18 of our grandkids come over to hang out with us.  Outside mostly.  On the trampoline, in the treehouse, riding bikes in the crescent, and making their share of noise.  That’s a lot of kids. And that can be a lot of ‘kid-noise’. In the beginning I was hyper sensitive about bothering our neighbours.  Dan and I delivered notes around the crescent to let them know of our plans, asking for their patience and also their extra care in backing out of their driveways with all the bikes, scooters, and other riding toys that would be in use.  They were and continue to all be very patient. 

As our teens grew they all got cars, and on the evenings their friends came over, there could be a lotta cars parked around our house.  Our most immediate neighbour jokingly commented once that living next door to the Suelzles was like living next door to a used car lot.  They weren’t that far off. Well, time went on and our kids all married and left home.  Most days it was just Dan and I.   But those same neighbour’s kids grew up and got cars.  Sometimes their friends would come over for the evening and there could be a lotta cars!  I jokingly complained to them one day that “Living next door to the Bowdens was like living next door to a used car lot!”  And more time went by. Their kids are all gone now too.  . . . There’s no sense in getting all bent outta shape about a minor irritation when in due time it will take care of itself.  Save those bent-outta-shape moments for when the problem is more serious. 

8.  Good neighbours are KIND and SUPPORTIVE
Neighbours care about each other, and can be counted on to lend a hand in time of need, and can be a good resource for kids to go to if they need help when you’re not home. 
* One winter day our 17 year old son played with the neighbours’ young children pulling their sleigh on the ice. Little did he expect they would come over often after that asking him to come out and play with them.  Sometimes it wasn’t convenient but he did when he could. 
* For years now Dan keeps small packages of cookies in the garage to give to the neighbour kids and grandkids when they come over.  One summer two wonderful little boys moved into the rental house on the corner. They were the only children in our crescent at the time, and as they rode their bikes one day, Dan gave them each a cookie. They were regular visitors after that, and sometimes we’d come home to find them playing with the riding toys we kept in the yard. I told them they were welcome to use them as long as they made sure to put them away when done. They were pretty good at that. I jokingly told Dan “I guess we’re the Mr. and Mrs. Wilson in our neighbourhood now“. (from Dennis the Menace if you don’t know). Those nice little boys only lived in our crescent for a year, but I missed them after they were gone. One neighbour’s grandkids call my husband “Cookie Dan” and come over when they’re visiting their grandparents asking “is Cookie Dan home?” Its mostly about the cookies of course, but that’s okay. LOL

* Dan and I are involved with our city’s annual Food Drive each fall. Our crescent neighbours contributed occasionally if they remembered, until the year we decided to talk to them all and introduce ourselves, putting a name and a face with the service project.  We didn’t ask for donations, just told them we were involved, and that on Saturday morning someone would be by to pick up donations, and if they could help us out we’d sure appreciate it. On Saturday morning we saw nearly 100% participation from the people we spoke to.  

* There have been times we’ve asked for a neighbour’s helping hand.  There have been times we lent a helping hand. The point is, you’re not going to ask a complete stranger to help move that bookcase, but you’d probably ask a good neighbour.

9. Good neighbours become FRIENDS

We find our friends in the areas of our lives we invest in.  We have something very important in common with each of our neighbours.  We each chose to make our homes in the same neighbourhood.  From there, we can find other things in common to share.  From friendly over-the-fence conversations about the weather, to sharing concerns about our children, we start to socialize and create relationships that we otherwise would not have had.  Don’t wait for that relationship to flourish, don’t wait for your neighbour to initiate it.  WE can and should be the ones who start the dialogue.  A smile and wave coming and going.  A plate of cookies, a loaf of homemade bread, a bouquet of garden flowers, asking to borrow that proverbial couple of eggs (and then returning them), sharing the news about a bargain we find at the grocery store, bringing a meal when a baby is born, a small Christmas gift, an invitation to sit around the fire, . . . .

If our neighbour needs a ride to pick up their car from the shop, will they feel comfortable asking us?   Would we feel comfortable doing the same?
If our neighbour has an emergency and can’t make it home in time for the kids coming home from school, will they feel comfortable phoning and asking us to watch for them? Will their kids feel comfortable with us?  Would we do the same?   Do they even have our number? Do we have their’s?

We can also learn much from people who are different than us. Becoming friends bridges a gap between cultures and customs as well as religion.  Sharing our differences enriches all parties and expands understanding and tolerance.  It doesn’t mean we are trying to convert others, it means we are feeling safe enough to share an important part of us.  It involves risk and vulnerability, but it makes us relatable.  When we first moved to our current house, our neighbours were Sikhs. A little older than us, with adult children.  The parents didn’t speak much English.  We had little in common and it was difficult to communicate short of a smile unless their kids were home. Within a short time we were sharing garden herbs, and building our joint fence together.  We were invited to their daughter’s wedding which was a wonderful opportunity to experience a religion and culture very different from our own. They have long since moved and we may never see each other again, but I am so glad we got to know them when we did.   That neighbourly opportunity opened up a whole new world for both of us.

10.  Good neighbours are INclusive.
It is good to develop a friendship with our neighbours, and its alright if we feel closer to one or two, but it is not alright to exclude some from a circle that should be inclusive.  Remember that all of Heavenly Father’s children have the same social needs of feeling Safe, Loved and Important.  That means the neighbour two doors down as well as the one next door, and the one across the street too.  Be the glue that ties others together.

Years ago we had a yearning to get to know our neighbours better.  We were young, shy, busy and quite introverted.  But it bothered us that though we could wave and smile at each other, none of knew each other’s last names.   We decided to take the plunge, the RISK (make no mistake, it is a risk), and host a neighbourhood get-together in our backyard, including our immediate neighbours on either side of us and the three directly across the street.  It was August and fresh corn was available, so we chose to have a corn-roast thinking it would be easier in the backyard. Corn roast made it an easy menu and the kids could jump on the trampoline.  We picked a date and went to each one of those five doors to introduce ourselves, and invite them to a ‘get-to-know-your-neighbour corn roast‘ in our back yard.  The reception we received was hesitant, even strained. And in the end not a single one of them ended up coming. We were very disappointed and more than a little discouraged.  It shook our confidence and our resolve for a few months, but soon those same nagging feelings that we could be doing better began to surface, and we decided to try again.

By this time it was February so we would have to meet indoors, that meant adult only.  We had a small house with five children, and hosting a sizable group ‘inside’ was a little intimidating to us, but in February there aren’t a whole lot of options in Edmonton, so ‘inside’ it would have to be.  I made up some handwritten invitations in the shape of a house.  We referred to ourselves “the-people-in-the-brown-house-with-all-the-kids“, and we called them “the-people-across-the-street-in-the-white-house-with-the-spruce-tree-in-their-front-yard” or whatever they were.  We went together and knocked on their door.  I readily admit we were terrified.  It is always easier on paper, but once you knock on the door you’re committed.  We introduced ourselves again.  “Hi.  We’re Dan and Cindy. We live over there in the brown house with all the kids.”  We handed them the invitation, telling them we were inviting them to a neighbour party. We didn’t ask for a commitment right away, but told them to RSVP before Thursday. Then we said our goodbyes with a  “hope you can make it,  we look forward to all getting together,”  and went to the next house.

Once the initial invitations were given, we set about happily readying ourselves.   But then we started second guessing ourselves, wondering what on earth we were thinking, wondering where we got the idea that we were up to this, wondering if they’d think the games we planned were lame, wondering if we’d make fools of ourselves, wondering if it would just be one big awkward mess!  All our insecurities came to the surface.  And then a new thought entered my mind.  What if they smoked in the house?  What if someone brought a case of beer?  We were a non smoking, non drinking house – I wasn’t prepared to deal with that possibility, didn’t even know how I might, it had never happened before.

One by one our neighbours called before Thursday to say they were coming.  Each new phone call solidified the reality of the mess we’d gotten ourselves into. The day of, I was a total wreck.  I worked myself into such a state that I cried all day.  Was the house clean enough?  What about the food I planned?  Was there enough?  Why did I pick that dish anyway?  And now there was no time for a change in menu. Dan offered to cancel it.  Secretly he was hoping I’d take him up on it so he could use me as the excuse.  He was just as nervous as I was.  But I knew if we cancelled, we’d never rise above it. We would have lost our best chance to get to know our neighbours, and for them to know each other, and it would be even harder to try again . . . .  

The end of the story is that we went ahead with it.  And yes, we had a few surprises.
1) We were surprised to observe that each of our neighbours were nervous when they arrived. 
2) We were pleasantly surprised that no one brought alcohol, and no one smoked in the house (this was in the days when people still smoked in houses). 
3) We were surprised that everyone enjoyed the games we chose. 
4) Our biggest surprise of all was that though each of them knew our first names and perhaps the first names of the people directly beside them, none of them knew anyone else, even though most of them had lived there much longer than us. 
Into the evening we were laughing and thoroughly enjoying each other.  We all commented about how wonderful it was to finally get together and we promised to do it again. Which we did. Several more times over the next few years, each taking turns hosting.  In retrospect, it was the best thing we ever could have done for each other.  Since then we’ve moved out of that neighbourhood, but we still remember fondly those wonderful people we shared a it with.  They made it hard to leave. Recently we ran into Ann-Marie at a hospital.  We greeted each other warmly and caught up with each other like the old friends we were.  We each walked away smiling, happy to know the other was doing well. 
. . . . . . .

People of faith preach a gospel of peace. We accomplish this through our actions, using words only when necessary.  Doing so makes the world a better place for everyone.  It makes the world our neighbourhood.

It is easier to love people that we live in close proximity with, and as we get to know them personally, we feel a connection that bridges possible differences.  Though it sometimes might feel complicated or intimidating to reach out to strangers (even those who  live beside us), the concept of loving our neighbour is really very simple. We are here to love each other.  Jesus taught us to “love thy neighbour” in the New Testament, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. (DC 59:6, 3 N 12:43)   In fact he said it was “like unto the first and great commandment” which is to love the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul and with all our mind. (Matt 22:37-40).  While we know that this admonition to love our neighbour includes more than the people we live near, home is a good place to start. 

I’d love to hear about your experiences in building a better community within your neighbourhood. Please share your comments below. I promise to read them.

Warmly,


Cindy Suelzle

Vinegars from the Garden

2020 was my experiment year for vinegars. I had tried a few vinegars from scratch in the past with varying degrees of success but I think I overthought it, or I simply didn’t know how to use them. Whatever it was, I got discouraged and backed away until that year when it seemed so easy to try again (and I had all the time in the world), I couldn’t resist. SO glad l did. These vinegars below are actually “INFUSED Vinegars” – meaning I started with an existing white vinegar and infused the flavours. So easy, you can make your own and be guaranteed an amazing result. The results have been spectacular and I am never going to be the same again. Infused Garden Vinegars and I are best-friends-forever now.

Sun Vinegars

A new fave way for me to use my fresh garden herbs (and especially to carry their wonderfulness into winter) is to make ‘sun vinegar’. So called because you set them out in the sun to ‘steep’. Use a quart jar, a 2 quart jar, or a gallon jar – depends how much you want to make.

recipe:
Chive Blossom Vinegar

Chive blossoms in white vinegar, less than 24 hours and already that gorgeous pink colour!

When the chive blossoms or garlic chive blossoms are in full bloom, pick them, shake off to ensure they’re free of insects or dust. Swish them in clean water and shake off excess moisture. Fill a clean glass jar without stuffing them in. Top up with white vinegar, making sure all are covered. Secure lid and place in a safe, sturdy spot where the sun with shine on it for about 2 weeks. You’ll watch the vinegar change colour into a beautiful pink/rose/mauve shade as the blossoms fade. When the blossoms have lost their colour your vinegar is ready. Strain through a cheese cloth into clean jar to store – discarding old blossoms. Store in pantry out of direct light to preserve it lovely colour. Plan to use within the year, just in time to make some more.

Basil – Oregano – Rosemary – Sage – Tarragon – Thyme

Basil vinegar just before straining. Colour transferred from leaves to vinegar.

Be adventurous. Try other garden herbs alone, or in combination to make other flavours. Use the same basic recipe as for the Chive Blossom Vinegar. They’ll all taste different depending on the herb. Keep everything clean and sterile, strain vinegar well to ensure a nice clear product.

using herb vinegars:

Herb vinegars can be used in a variety of salad dressings, sauces or marinades to add a fresh, delicious ‘herby’ flavour to a perfect garden salad, a bowl of steamed garden greens or fresh sliced cucumbers. Be brave, try different things.

Our very first venture was to use the Basil vinegar ALONE as a marinade for chicken breasts. Wow! Best grilled chicken I ever remember eating. The tangy basil flavour was in every single moist bite. Definitely remaking that one. We also used an herb vinegar to marinade thin strips of chicken and pork to grill on skewers. The meat absorbed too much of the vinegar and took on an almost ‘pickled’ taste, a disappointment. Won’t be revisiting that.

using fruit vinegars:

straining raspberries through jelly strainer

My first fruit vinegar was raspberry. I had a lot in my garden and was picking every other day, so it was a natural place to begin. And raspberries are SO good for you. They are a high antioxidant food and contain several phyto-nutrients that give raspberries their beautiful colour. Making a fruit vinegar is easy and extends the wonderfulness of summer into the non-growing seasons. You can make a refreshingly delicious raspberry vinegarette dressing for your salad in the summer, or long after fresh raspberries are only a fond memory. Whenever possible I try not to heat foods too high (or too long) in an effort to retain as much of the nutritional value as possible, other than the necessary hot water bath if I want to seal the jars. For this reason I opted for a ‘fresh’ uncooked raspberry vinegar. It was shockingly delicious. And because its so easy, there is no reason you cannot make some raspberry vinegar in the middle of winter using frozen berries. You froze your excess from last summer right? *See instructions to make the vinegar below. In the meantime, how to use it . . . .

Raspberry vinegar (scroll down to see recipe) can be used in a variety of salad dressings to add a fresh, delicious flavour, or add a couple of tablespoons to a glass of cold ice water. Oh my. Don’t judge until you try it. For a salad dressing, this vinegar is delicious enough to simply mix with a beautiful oil and shake, but if you’d like something a little more ‘reciped‘, try this one:

Double Raspberry Vinaigrette recipe: (to make in blender or food processor)
1 small onion coarsely chopped (or minced if you’re not using blender)
1/2 cup frozen raspberries, freeze dried raspberries or raspberry jam
2 T honey
1 t dry mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 cup of your choice of oil (or combination of two: vegetable oil, olive oil, grapeseed, avocado etc)

add all ingredients except oil into blender. Puree till well combined, then turn the speed down and add oil in a steady stream. If you would like the texture of the whole or mashed raspberries (instead of pureed into a liquid), hold the jam out till after the blender part.
Stir in afterward.
If the vinegarette is too thick, thin it by whisking in a little water or apple juice.

Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette recipe: BEST EVER and less than 5 minutes to make. 
For more than a beautiful green salad. Use it as a sauce for grilled chicken breasts. 

adapted from a recipe I developed almost 7 years ago – see original post here
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1-2 cloves of garlic minced (depending on size and taste)
1/4 minced fresh onion or 2 T THRIVE Freeze Dried Onion cause its so simple
1 tsp coarse salt 
dash of black pepper
* 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries or THRIVE Freeze Dried Raspberries (optional but very nice texture)
2/3 cup Canola oil – or your favourite vegetable oil 
2 tsp poppy seeds 

Directions: 
Combine everything except the oil and poppy seeds into the small jar of a small blender. Blend till completely smooth. Or whisk well in a jar with a hand whisk. Not necessary to mince garlic or onion ahead of time if you are using the blender. 
Slowly drizzle in oil continuing to whisk. Whisk in poppy seeds last. 
Thats It! Super Simple. Super Quick.  Super Delicious. 
Can be made earlier. Letting it sit in the fridge for an hour or more will give the flavours time to blend better. 

Raspberry Vinegar – or Sour Cherry, or Saskatoon, or Concord (Valiant) Grape, or Highbush Cranberry or Black or Red Current Vinegar. The sky is the limit.

Finished Raspberry, Cherry, Basil and Garlic Chive Vinegars.
Note the gorgeous deep colour of the fruit vinegars and the delicate rose’ of the herb vinegars.

basic recipe:
using a 2 quart glass jar
6 cups clean fresh raspberries
2 cup sugar (consider substituting honey or using half sugar / half honey)
6 cups white vinegar
Place raspberries into clean jar. Dissolve sugar or honey in vinegar over low to medium heat. When hot and sugar completely dissolved, pour the sweetened vinegar over top the raspberries, making sure they all get covered. Cover with a lid, and let it sit on the counter out of the sun for a minimum of two days or up to a week. Will turn a gorgeous deep red colour. Strain through jelly strainer or several layers of cheese cloth (to keep the vinegar clear) into a clean storage glass jar. Cover and store at room temperature.
* recommended to use within 6 months
*
I love the unique flavour of honey, but don’t want the raspberry flavour overpowered by it so I use a combination of sugar and honey together.

They’ll all taste different depending on the fruit. Be brave and try new things. Keep everything clean and sterile, strain vinegar very well to ensure a nice clear product.

SO. The next question of course, is what to do with the fruit you strain out of the vinegar. . . .

While the herbs were pretty spent and I had no problem throwing them into the compost, there was no way I was gonna throw the fruit out. I first intended to combine it with some fresh and puree it for a fruit leather. I still might do that one day, but after tasting the strained fruit – Oh! My! Goodness! – it was so wonderful, that it deserved something better. It tasted like chutney to me. So that is what it became.

By definition, a chutney is a relish-type-of-sauce made up of sweet and sour flavours, usually with fruit as the base and seasoned with herbs and spices. A condiment. The origin is from India but the variation of flavours are as wide as the world, lending itself to anything you’ve got on hand. So with the ‘sweet’ of the sweetened cherries and raspberries, and the ‘sour’ of the vinegar – it was a match from the beginning. What do you do with a chutney? Topping for meat (think about cranberry sauce, its a sort of chutney), or any dish that is more mild flavoured (think about plum sauce on egg rolls, another type of chutney). Use it with cream cheese on crackers. Use it with roast beef, pork chops, any type of chicken, with a grilled cheese sandwich, with a cheese plate, with samosas, Asian dumplings, egg rolls . . . . etc.

recipe for CHUTNEY from strained vinegar fruit:

lame title I know, but what else should I call it? The thing to remember is that you can make this from whatever fruit you have leftover from whatever fruit vinegar you make. I added flavours that I thought would go well with cherries and raspberries, but there were lots of other flavour possibilities for another time. See below. Again, be adventurous and creative.

* 3 cups cherries and raspberries combined, strained from making fruit vinegar see below
(with the skin, cherries have more texture so I chopped them finely)
1 onion chopped finely
4 apples (the tarter the better) peeled and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 cups chopped cranberries (I always have freeze dried on hand, but you can use frozen or dried craisins if you have them. If you don’t, then use raisins.) see below
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T grated fresh ginger (I suppose if you don’t have it, try 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
*** other possibilities see below

Into the pot with everything on medium heat, stirring to mix well and heating to combine flavours. I prefer not to over-cook anything, and unless there is a good reason for more cooking, I opt for less heat where I can, so I never boil chutney for the length of time most recipes tell you to. That makes it mushy, and mushy is yucky to me. I just had the pot on the burner and added things as I measured them, stirring often. It eventually came to a natural simmer and I let it simmer for about five minutes.

From this amount, I got three pints. Two pints I processed in a hot water bath (15 minutes) for winter use, and the other one I put in the fridge for immediate use. Obviously the ones processed are going to be a softer texture than the pint in the fridge.

* 3 cups is simply what I happened to have, if I had more or less I might have adjusted the other ingredient amounts. I am sure it would change every time I made vinegar.
** Cranberries are very important in this recipe because of their colour. Raspberries will fade in the heat to a dark pinky colour which I don’t like (so I always add cranberries to raspberry jam). They also seem to have a natural pectin that thickens on its own so I never have to add pectin to raspberry or rhubarb jam if using cranberries. For this chutney, I noticed right away that the raspberries were fading so I added cranberries.
My first choice would always be freeze dried because of their superior nutrition and bright colour, and of course the ease of storage. Always ‘ready’. Second choice would be frozen cranberries that I buy lots of at Thanksgiving to keep on hand. Might want to chop them for this chutney. Third choice is dried cranberries. These are usually very sugared so I don’t buy them as a general rule, but they still have that wonderful cranberry taste and of course the colour which is very important when canning.

*** other ingredients to consider adding are numerous. I didn’t want to lose the distinctness of any of the flavours by adding too many, but to consider for another time:
Garlic minced – a natural for anything savory
Cloves and or cinnamon – preferably whole and in a cheesecloth bag for easy removal later
Red pepper flakes for some heat – I almost added it this time but wanted to know what it would be like without first. The ginger has some natural heat too, so that worked
Dry mustard – always a great flavour enhancer and a natural emulsifier if using more liquids
Lemon or lime – didn’t need it this time with the apple cider vinegar and the strong cherry and raspberry tastes, but I love a citrus zing when suitable.
Again, be adventurous with what you have on hand, and flavours you like.

Have fun making your vinegars and in coming up with your own flavours depending on what you have on hand. Necessity is the mother-of-invention right?
I’d love to hear your stories with your own flavours.
Please leave me a comment.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Common Herbs in your House and Yard: part 5 – Mullein – Poppies to Radish Greens

part 4: M,N,O,P

in this chapter: Mullein, Mint, Nasturtium, Oregano, Parsley, Plantain, Poppies, Radish leaves.
Some inside, some outside. Chapter continues to be a work in progress. I’d love to read your comments below.

MULLEIN

Mullein is a big, tall, unique looking plant with long fuzzy leaves, and in the flowering years it can reach six or seven feet tall. Introduced to North America with European settlers, it is considered a weed, that grows wild in fields and ditches in many parts of BC and Alberta. Some of the leaves can grow about two feet long.

Pronounced ‘mull-en’. People often want to give it more pizzaz when they say the word, but its just boring ol ‘mull en’.

in the garden

Mullein is a hardy biennial in the western states and provinces from zone 3 to 9. It loves sun and dry, so its the perfect plant for the backdrop of a country flower garden, or along sunny fence lines. It is drought resistant so once it gets established, it will pretty much take care of itself. It requires winter dormancy before it can flower. Yes its a weed, but its a great ‘weed’ so don’t be a bigot; bees love the yellow blossoms and birds eat the seeds. If you don’t want the seeds to disperse freely, then remove the flower stalk before it seeds. Personally, I don’t mind plants that self seed if they’re easy to pull up where I don’t want them. Mullein is easy to pull up, so I mostly let the wind or birds plant them where they want and I pull them up where its not gonna work for me. In fact, that’s how it came to me. As a gift from either the wind or some of my bird friends. I didn’t know what it was for a couple of years. Since its a biennial, it was different the second year, and confused me when it didn’t come back the third year, but a few babies took its place. My philosophy is to never kill something I don’t understand, and since it was new (and very interesting), I decided to let it prove itself to me. I figured it out finally and we understand each other now, and have a good relationship. It grows tall, so it needs room to be what it wants to be, but its so fun for the kids to touch the soft fuzzy leaves that I want it in a place where they can enjoy it.

Fun fact: because the leaves are so big (up to two feet) and soft and fuzzy, the aboriginal people and early colonists lined their shoes with the leaves to protect from the cold.

As a biennial, the first year is the leaf year, getting only about three feet tall; the stalks and blossoms grow in the second year. Its small, yellow flowers are densely grouped on a tall stem, which grows from a large rosette of leaves.  It won’t come back the year after it seeds, so if you can manage it, its good to have a few mullein plants in various stages of their development to ideally, you always have the tall yellow flowered stalks.

In the spring, when a cluster of a few plants appear here and there, I keep two or three at most in any given area and remove the others to replant elsewhere or two give away. With a little care, they’re easy to transplant.

Mullein is reputed to have expectorant and cough suppressant properties that make it useful for relief of the symptoms of sore throat and coughs. It has been used traditionally for respiratory conditions such as cough, asthma, pneumonia, and colds, but there is limited scientific research to support the claims. Currently the jury is still out on the medicinal uses of Mullein so for now, I use it only as an ornamental herb in my garden, and will continue to stay on top of continued research.

MINT

Mint is a fast-growing, aromatic herb that is more of a common part of our life than we might realize. Who is not familiar with the flavours of peppermint and spearmint, or the scent of mint in general? It is a hearty perennial with fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. One of the most popular aromatic oils and flavour extracts, there are over thirty different mint varieties. While I admit to being tempted sometimes into trying various ‘flavours’ over the years, in the end, I just want a normal mint for my purposes. I know, probably boring. What can I say?

fun fact: mint is native to Europe, Asia, North America, southern Africa and even Australia! It is widely distributed throughout the world and grows best in wet, moist soil.

in the garden

Mint is vigorous in the right conditions, and is known for its ‘aggressive’ nature and reputation for taking over the garden, so for years I tried to keep it separate and contained. But the gardens that are ‘separated’ in my yard usually don’t get as much sun, and my mint never really did that well – certainly nothing I would refer to as ‘aggressive’. A few years ago, I admitted defeat and transplanted my mint to a more luxuriously sunny spot in my herb garden that is not contained. There it is doing very well. I finally reasoned that if I wanted to benefit from it then it deserved some advantages too. Even mint needs attention. I am watchful of it, and will keep it under control. This year I went even one step further and planted some spearmint in another garden spot in my yard. My neighbour has mint growing on her east side just outside her gate. It get a lot of sun and does very well, but she doesn’t use it. So I do. Thank-you Jodi. So currently, I have peppermint in my herb garden, spearmint in my “protected zone” and who knows what kind of mint growing in my neighbour’s garden that is accessible to me. It is not uncommon for me to gather some of all three varieties and use them together in whatever dish I am preparing.

A very good way to grow mint IN the garden without the risk of it spreading beyond where you want it, is to use containers IN the soil. Dig a hole and plant the pot to ground level or an inch above if you prefer. This gives it the advantage of being in the ground, which protects it during the winter, but restricts its root growth. I have never done that, but I expect, ever few years, you’d want to dig it up and thin it out. Planting mint in regular pots on the patio or elsewhere above ground may contain it, but it is less likely to survive the winter that way. Although mint will do well in several different conditions, it likes a rich moist soil so give it your best.

in the kitchen

Mint leaves can be harvested once the plants are ready to flower, but for daily use, I snip pieces of them all summer long as needed. I use it as an ingredient in several summer-type dishes that I prefer fresh, and so only make in the summer, like watermelon salad and tabouli salad. I use fresh mint to flavour cold water all summer long, or dried – for mint ‘tea’ in the winter.

To pick, I clip a stem down a few inches to the top of a new set of leaves. Then after washing, gently dry with a tea towel, then tear away the leaves and use a very sharp knife to chop on a cutting board. I use my ulu knife and board. I only use them raw – mostly in salads or salsas, but if you’re going to add them to a hot dish, add at the end of the cooking process to help maintain their delicate flavor and texture.
– Chop fresh mint and throw into a fresh fruit salsa with chopped apples, pear, lime juice, jalapeno, and honey,
– or with chopped strawberries, cantaloupe, honey dew melon and a little lime juice,
– or a refreshingly flavourful watermelon salad – diced watermelon, chopped mint leaves, fresh lime juice (or lime powder), a little olive oil and crumbled feta. (*hint: I love lime, but go ahead and substitute lemon if you prefer)
– I love finely chopped cucumbers and lightly chopped mint leaves in water with ice. So refreshing.
– or mint tea – pour boiling water over a handful of fresh or dried leaves. Allow to steep for 5 of so minutes and drink hot. Sweeten as desired. I add a portion of a stevia leaf for sweetening.

other uses

– Mint is a calming herb that people have used for thousands of years to help soothe an upset stomach, indigestion and even headaches. Use it in a cool drink or in a tea.
– Mint oil is popular as a natural mosquito repellent as the strong scent is apparently unappealing to most insects, and is an effective way to treat many insect bites too.
– After a long hot day in the garden, sprinkle a few handfuls of fresh mint into your bath water. The cooling sensation of it will reduce your temperature very effectively.
– Mint leaves, especially freshly crushed ones, will help you deal with nausea and headache. During pregnancies a strong mint tea was the only relief I used to get from headaches.
– Chew mint as a natural breath freshener.
– Because of its amazing scent, use it in potpourri.
– Mint has earned its spot in my garden. I wouldn’t want to go through a summer without it.

NASTURTIUM

Nasturtiums are interesting looking plants, with their bright greenery and vibrant flowers, great for pots, hanging baskets or planted directly in the garden. The first time I ever saw them they were spilling over in three gorgeous hanging baskets at the entry way of my friend Dorothy Beck’s beautiful home just outside of Devon, Alberta. She filled her baskets with nasturtiums every spring, and I never see them without being reminded of her. In fact it was Dorothy who first told them they were edible, although I’m pretty sure she never ate them lol. Since then, I’ve come to know and appreciate them much better. They are so much more than a pretty flower.

They’re double agents actually, passing equally for flowers or herbs when it suits them, and they’re they perfect choice for cut flowers on your table, hanging in your yard, planted in your flower garden, or dispersed among your vegetables as companions. They’re super heroes in your vegetable garden – sacrificing themselves for the health of other plants.

in the garden

Nasturtiums are slow to germinate, so you might want to get a head start by seeding indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost. If you haven’t done that, give them the advantage of soaking up to three days before planting directly into your soil mid May.  Remember, they take a long time to germinate (which is why planting them indoors is good) so be patient. Expect at least two weeks, and even then – they might take longer. I know. I told you – be patient. This year I didn’t decide to plant nasturtiums till it was too late to start indoors, so I soaked the seeds four days and planted directly into planters. I had a vision for what I wanted in an arrangement of five pots, them spilling from one to the other. Once they were planted, I tried to be really good about watering, but after over two weeks (it seemed like longer), I gave up and admitted defeat. I concluded that I must have either soaked them too long, or let them dry out once they were in the soil. Argh! They were new seeds so I was fairly confident they were good. It was undoubtedly my fault. So with empty pots, I went out and bought some lobelias to take their place. Another week at least went by before I started seeing a bunch of cute little round faces of nasturtium seedlings peaking up at me. Little stinkers! “Where were you when I was waiting for you?” I was happy to see them though, and now I’m gonna have some fuller pots than I expected. Interestingly, I even found some nasturtiums growing in my potting soil as well – evidently where I dumped some starter soil back into the box after giving up. I love love love happy surprises, so its all good. I transplanted some among my cucumbers, tomatoes and squash, for their companionable benefit. If I find any more strays, I’ll continue to plant them into my vegetable garden.

In addition to being a down-home-beautiful flower, nasturtiums are useful in your garden for a number of reasons. Their bright flowers attract pollinators – which is a good thing, but they also attract pest insects – which is also a good thing. I know that doesn’t sound right, but by planting one or two among your squash, tomatoes and cucumbers for instance, they will act as decoys for aphids, weevils and certain types of beetles – protecting the vegetables, becoming sacrificial plants for the betterment of your garden’s society. Thank-you nasturtiums. See, I told you they’re super heroes.

The leaves are very identifiable – a most interesting perfectly ROUND shape. And the flowers are unique too. Bright, vibrant colours, funnel shaped with cute little spur-things on the back. They prefer moist, well drained soil in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. They actually prefer poor soil, and will bloom better there, so if you have a less desirable spot, nasturtiums can be your perfect tenants. They need no fertilizer, in fact the more fertile the soil, the fewer blooms and more foliage you’ll get – which is fine because both leaves and flowers are edible and equally delicious. But just because they’re content in poor soil, doesn’t mean they don’t need to be cared for. You should water them regularly throughout the growing season – being careful to not let them sit in soggy soil. Good drainage is the key. If they get too dry you’ll notice them drooping, but don’t worry, they’re quick to forgive when you give them a nice drink of water. Like me, they prefer the non-really-hot days, and will do better in the early and later parts of the season. Perfect for our northern gardens.

Dead-heading throughout the summer will prolong blooming, and if you’re growing in containers, trim them back from time to time because they can get gangly. If you’re using them in the kitchen regularly this shouldn’t be too difficult to keep up with.

Planning ahead: save seeds to plant more next spring. In late summer / early fall, when the plant starts to wilt and shows you that its tired and really wants to die, let it. Allow the seeds to dry out on the vine. They’ll fall off, but collect them, brush off the soil and bring them inside. Once they’re completely dry, store them in a labelled and dated non-plastic envelope with your other seeds. I say ‘non-plastic’ in case they aren’t completely dry. You don’t want them to get moldy during the winter.

Fun fact: Nasturtiums are native to central America, from Mexico to Peru, where the native people used the entire plant as food. Europeans brought them to the Old World in the 1500’s where they were quickly adopted.

in the kitchen

Nasturtium leaves and/or flowers are an excellent addition to any garden leaf salad. They add colour and interest and a brilliant, bright, peppery flavour. As soon as they have 4 leaves, I consider it fair game to pick a leaf or two from each plant. In fact, like most of us, they’re more tender when they’re young, so don’t waste a minute. Once they start blooming, you’ll be able to add the flowers to your salads too. Even the stems and seeds are edible and delicious. Such a valuable plant! And beautiful too. It seems there must be a down side to them, but I haven’t found it yet.

Picking the flowers of course keeps more flowers coming. Its part of the game we play with annual flowering plants: they want to go to seed, its how they survive; we try not to let them go to seed. In their quest to produce seed, they continue to flower. In our quest to prevent seeding (and therefore postponing the ‘end‘), we continue picking the flowers. So in actual fact, the more you eat, the more will grow. * hint: pick in the morning while they’re still plump from the dew.

Nasturtium leaves in the kitchen ready to be made into pesto. Best Pesto ever!

Eventually, the season will draw to a close, or your nasturtium plants will simply get away from you and go to seed regardless of your best efforts. That’s alright too, remember even their seeds are edible! You can add them in salads or even better . . . . you can pickle them in vinegar and use them just like capers. As soon as the flower dies off, pick the seed. The seeds are about the size of pea seeds, and they should be green. If they’ve already ripened and are brown, don’t use them for ‘capers’, but don’t waste them. Set them aside for planting next spring.

recipes

It hard not to like the flavour of nasturtiums in a salad, both leaves and flowers. They do more than look great. The leaves have that sweet peppery, a little spicey taste like a young radish, and the flowers – similar but a little milder and sweeter. But don’t stop at salads. You can eat the stems and seeds too. The seeds are made into ‘nasturtium capers’.

I admit not everyone in our house likes capers. Come to think of it, it might just be Dan who doesn’t like them. They’re strong flavoured, tangy, even pungent. Nasturtium capers aren’t gonna be a whole lot different, so if you like capers you’ll love them, if you don’t you won’t. Because they’re so strongly flavoured you won’t use a lot in any recipe so they go a long way. I love them, especially in a broccoli pasta dish my mother-in-law used to make, or in a Greek Salad. Any recipe you can find for using capers, can be substituted with nasturtium capers.

nasturtium seeds in jar ready for vinegar

The only tricky part with nasturtium seeds might be to find lots of them at the same time. But don’t worry about it, pick what you’ve got and start as if you’ve got a cup. Then continually look for more, adding to your ‘pickling seeds in the jar’ with vinegar as you pick them. Soon enough they’ll catch up to the others and they’ll all taste the same in the end. Remember if the seeds have gone brown, leave them to finish ripening and then use them to replant next year, you want GREEN seeds for this recipe. You can also make nasturtium capers using a salt brine instead of vinegar. The process then is ‘fermenting’ instead of pickling. I’ve never done it, but maybe I might give it a try next summer.

Nasturtium Capers recipe
1 cup green nasturtium seeds
1 cup white or light coloured vinegar (your choice)
1 teaspoon sea salt
options: * a little bit of freshly ground pepper or some peppercorns slight crushed in your mortar and pestle, * a few sprigs of fresh dill if desired * use 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water with 2 more teaspoons sea salt for more of a fermented result

Rinse the nasturtium seeds blotting them dry on a clean towel. Put into a 1 pint pickling jar.
Fill a small saucepan with vinegar, salt, and water if you’re using it. Bring to a boil, then let it sit to cool. If you’re using dill and/or pepper, add a few sprigs to the jar, then pour pickling solution overtop. Seal.
You can set aside out of direct light for three or four days to begin the fermentation process, or put directly into the fridge. Allow to sit for at least 3 weeks, but the longer they sit, the more flavourful they’ll be. You can probably keep them longer, but best to use within a year or so. Fill a small saucepan with water, vinegar, salt, and sugar, bring to a boil. Add a few sprigs of fresh dill in the jar, then pour pickling solution over the pods. Just in time for the garden to give you more. Enjoy.

Ways to use Nasturtium capers:
* in a tuna salad sandwich * in a simple creamy pasta sauce * in deviled eggs * in potato salad * My favourite way (and the dish where I learned to love capers) was one my mother in law used to make. Here’s to you Mom (Miriam Ruth Beck Thomas).

Not really a typical recipe – here goes:
Miriams’s Broccoli and Capers with Pasta
Bring water to boil and salt. While its heating, prepare a dressing using about 1/4 cup (or less if you’re not making much) capers and about the same amount of its brine (vinegar), crushed garlic, olive oil and a dash of red chili seeds. Set aside to wait for pasta.
Cut up broccoli stems and florets into bite sized pieces. If you’re using small pasta, use small pieces, if using bigger pasta like rotini, use bigger pieces. Set aside to wait for pasta.
Boil pasta in salted water just until el dente (not over cooked).
In the last minute or two, throw in broccoli. Don’t turn your back on the broccoli.
Cook only long enough for the broccoli to turn its brilliant green colour. Drain immediately and pour into serving dish. Pour dressing over top and toss to coat all.
Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired, and freshly ground pepper.

nasturtium pesto: stir in the shredded parmesan at the end. I use freeze dried cheese because I always have it, and its wonderful.

Nasturtium leaves in pesto
I’m just using my traditional pesto recipe here, substituting the leaves

3 – 4 cups packed nasturtium leaves (or combine them with basil or other garden herbs)
2 cloves garlic
little bit of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup almonds or walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil (or more)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

fresh bread with nasturtium pesto and fresh tomatoes

Combine washed greens, garlic, salt & pepper, nuts and olive oil in blender or food processor. Blend till almost smooth. You’ll have to push the leaves down from time to time. Stir in parmesan afterward.  Be flexible here, add a little more oil if needed, add a little more cheese if needed.
optional – add a small squeeze of lemon juice at the end for some nice zing

Nasturtiums have earned an honoured place in my garden.
I can’t imagine a year without them.

OREGANO

Oregano is a staple in every herb garden. Primarily because it is so doggone easy to grow, and easy to please. It is super friendly and loves everything and everyone; a real confidence booster for first time gardeners.
* Spring came early this year? Great! Oregano will be one of your first plants to green up.
* Late spring? Don’t worry about it. Oregano will be pushing through the cold nights like a trooper.
* Lots of rain and hardly any sun? No problem. Oregano can be its own mini rain forest.
* Lots of sun and a little on the dry side? Gotcha covered. Oregano is very forgiving on either end of the spectrum. For a plant that originates in the hot areas of the Mediterranean, it is surprising how hearty an established plant can be in a typical Canadian year.

in the garden

Oregano is a hearty perennial that makes a useful ground cover in any sunny part of your garden. It may start out low, but can grow up to two feet high when mature! It has a lovely pink to lavender coloured flower (some varieties might have white flowers) so I make sure to have it in a few different spots: my herb garden of course where I keep it trimmed by harvesting, and in a couple of my flower gardens where I allow it to flower to use in bouquets and flower arrangements. Strip off the lower leaves to use fresh or dry and then enjoy the flowers in a jar of water. Because its so independent (not one of those high maintenance fair weather friends), oregano is the perfect beginner for any herb or backyard garden. If you’re much north of Edmonton, or live out in the country where your garden is open, its possible your oregano might not make it through every winter. Just be prepared for this and don’t take it personally. That’s one reason I keep it in a few DIFFERENT spots throughout my garden. I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket, and we do live in Canada after all. I even grow some in my vegetable garden as it is a friendly and helpful companion to many other plants.

Oregano in upper right, parsley in center and sage forefront. Lupin (purple flower) upper left of center, feverfew upper far left (flowering like little white daisies). Red orache center left.

Most useful and even culinary herbs are considered weeds (we are such name calling bigots), and as such they’re not particularly fussy about the soil in which they grow. Oregano is no exception. Not surprisingly then, rich loamy soil is not even desirable for oregano. It actually prefers sandier, lighter soil that drains well. So if you have a difficult spot in a sunny area (rock garden, along a sidewalk, or close to your kids’ sandbox) – let your oregano show you what its made of. If you’re in an apartment with a sunny side, or small condo with limited patio space, oregano will do well in a pot. If you live where I live though, be prepared, a pot makes it a one season plant as it won’t likely survive the winter outside of the ground. Best to plant it IN the ground if you have a spot available, so that it can come back, but if you don’t – no problem, just treat it like an annual and replant it again next year. It does best in sun of course, but doesn’t demand full sun. Other than that it is virtually trouble free and maintenance free. Having said all this, my garden has excellent rich soil and I really don’t have a poor-soil place to plant it, so it is where it is. Thankfully its pretty difficult to offend oregano.

The leaves of oregano are flat and oval and can range from fuzzy to almost smooth. Occasionally mistaken for marjoram as they belong to the same family and look very much alike. 

Oregano plants are in the mint family (and a close cousin of marjoram) so they propagate themselves through root expansion. I wouldn’t call them ‘invasive‘, but they will spread if not contained, so you can call that whatever you want. I like this fact and it keeps my oregano plentiful so that I have lots to move around and to give away.

It can be started from seeds but they take a long time to germinate. Catalogs offer a wide variety of seeds, but unless you’ve got your heart set on a particular type that you can only get by seed, spend a few bucks and get a plant from your local nursery. Better yet, get a cutting or division from a friend, then you’ll know exactly what to expect and you’re more sure of its hardiness. After a few years, you can divide your own plants to spread oregano to different parts of your garden, and share with friends.

Few garden pests bother oregano, (another great attribute), in fact the strong scent of oregano repels pests, making it an excellent companion plant in your vegetable or flower garden or under fruit trees.

Many use oregano oil as a natural insect repellent, and even as bug spray for your household plants! Simply add a few drops to a spray bottle with water, and spray your plants with it. You will keep aphids away.

in the kitchen

Oregano is a MUST-HAVE in any kitchen garden, probably the herb I use the most during the cold months as it is so wonderful in soups, meat stews, pasta sauces, chicken dishes, dressings, and roasted vegetable dishes (especially any with a Mediterranean flavour. One of my favourite ways to use it in the summer months is with a few other herbs on vegetables roasted over the barbeque with a little bit of olive oil.

Fun fact: did you know that climate, soil, and moisture can cause variation in the flavour? That means that your oregano can be quite unique to YOU.

As with most herbs, oregano leaves taste best before the plant flowers. In my herb garden I pinch the flowers to keep the plants bushy and prevent it from bolting to seed. In my flower garden, I allow them to flower and then cut to use in the house in flower arrangements. Either way, cutting the flower off keeps the plant vibrant.

To harvest (anytime after the plants are close to 6 inches), simply clip with some kitchen scissors or clippers. I cut the stem right to the ground to encourage more stems from the base and keep the plant looking plump. I pick the bigger, older stems that are a little more ‘woody’. Swish lightly in clean water to wash and shake excess water off in the sink. Let sit on a clean tea towel to let the wetness dry off, and when no longer damp, strip the leaves from the top by holding the top and sliding your finger the thumb down the stem.

Oregano and Thyme. Very good friends.

Conveniently, harvesting = pruning. Most woody, perennial herbs don’t require pruning to grow. They’re fine left to their own devices and given the right growing conditions, in fact many will become shrubs or carpets of ground cover. But in a well kept garden, pruning will improve the look and strength of the plants, and the whole idea in a home garden is to USE the herbs anyway right? Pruning also encourages new growth which will have the best flavour. Having said this, the flowers of the oregano plant attract bees and other friendly pollinators which is very desirable in any garden, so allowing some flowers to stay on the plant is a good thing. There simply is no bad way to grow oregano. It is going to like you and help you no matter what you do or don’t do regarding it. Wouldn’t we all like to have friends this loyal and forgiving?

I use it fresh all summer in salads, and many other dishes, and use it dry all winter in tons of hearty meat or vegetable dishes. One can even make into a tea or tea blend – which is quite tasty bytheway. I sometimes use it in my pesto to supplement basil if I’m a little low on basil. When you know something is super nutritious as well as delicious, your incentive to use it MORE is enhanced.

However you use it, just make sure you do!

oregano is good, and good for you

More than just a culinary herb to use in the kitchen, oregano is rich in antioxidants, boasting one of the biggest antioxidant ratings. Keep in mind of course that we don’t eat handfuls of oregano like we eat handfuls of berries, but just knowing that should make us want to include them as much as possible in our diet. Rich in Vitamin K, (a lesser known but important nutrient), it is helpful in preventing heart disease and building strong bones.

a veritable bouquet of herbs! Clockwise from 11:00 and 12:00 is Feverfew in full flower,
1:00 is Red Orache (more green than red here),
3:00 is Orache, 4:00, 5:00 and 7:00 is Mint, 6:00 is Feverfew and dead center is Oregano

Oregano is well known to strengthen our immune system, so make sure you have plenty on hand for flu and cold season. Because it has powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal properties oregano oil is very popular. It has a remarkable ability to fight bacteria and studies indicate that it’s antimicrobial quality is not diminished by heating. For those who suffer from arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, it is helpful to know that oregano contains a substance known as beta-caryophyllin, which inhibits inflammation, so we can add anti-inflammatory to the list of favourite ‘antis“.

Oregano has earned its honoured place in my garden, and I love that the flowers attract bees which are welcome guests. I highly recommend it in your herb, flower, or vegetable garden.  A single plant can yield you enough to use fresh during the summer and enough to dry for the rest of the year.

I’d love to hear your Oregano story. 
How do you grow it and where? 
What are your favourite ways to use it? 
Any tips for the rest of us?

PARSLEY

Culinary. Breath freshener and helps with digestion, it is often used on plates as garnish, but we are missing out on the benefit if we think its only decorative. Parsley is native to the Mediterranean area.

in the garden

Parsley commonly comes in two varieties, – flat leaf or curly leaf. Both are biennial plants with bright green leaves, but don’t get your hopes up – in the Edmonton area, it comes back less than half the time, so be prepared to either plant by seed, or rebuy from the nursery every spring. It is in the same family as dill.

If you’re starting your own plants indoors, its best to start well in advance as parsley is a slow starter and can take up to three weeks for the seeds to sprout. Consider about twelve weeks before you want to plant them outside, that makes it mid February in my world. For better germination, soak the seeds for a day or two before planting. For this reason, and because I only want a two or three plants, I usually just buy them from the nurseries.

Easy to transplant into the garden, give them a sunny spot and drains well. Water well in the beginning to get established, and then from time to time as needed. One plant will give you as much fresh parsley as you’ll probably ever need in one season, but since I dry for the winter, I plant a few. I use both the curly and the flat leaf parsley for different things so I grow them both. They say the flat-leaf type has better flavour, but I can’t say as I ever noticed, certainly never put them to the test. To me, they’re interchangeable as desired. Whatever your personal preference is.

fun fact: Parsley is one of the world’s most popular herbs and is widely used in European, Middle Eastern, and North American cooking.

using parsley

ULU Knife – from the Inuit people of the north. Intended to use for butchering and scraping hides, I have never used it for meat. Indispensable in a summer kitchen.

I snip leaves from the outer portions of the plant throughout the season, letting the smaller branches mature. Swish in clear water and flick water off. Tear into desired pieces, or chop on cutting board. I have an ulu knife that I use for thousands of things – chopping herbs is just one of them.

To dry, I cut off the branches of clean parsley and either dry on clean kitchen towel or the dehydrator depending on how much I have to dry at any given time. I don’t pre-chop.

* method 1 – lay the parsley (minus the bigger stems) on a clean kitchen towel and leave to air dry on the table for several days. When completely dry and brittle, stuff into a glass jar, label, cover and store out of the light.
* method 2 – if its humid or you’ve got a lot to dry, or are pressed for time, lay the clean parsley on dehydrator shelves. Turn on the dryer and leave for several hours. If I have to leave the house for any length of time, or I’m going to bed, I turn the dehydrator off to prevent it from running longer than I want it to. When the parsley is completely dry, stuff into a glass jar as for method 1.

I’ve tried to keep a parsley plant in a sunny window in the winter time, but I’ve never had much success. No matter how sunny my window is, the sun just isn’t sufficient in the winter to keep it nice. I am kinda into eating parsley ‘fresh’ in the summer as that is when I’m more likely to make things that require a lot of fresh parsley like TABOULI because of the other ‘fresh’ produce I’m getting from the garden. I don’t mind using dry parsley in the winter as my winter cooking is different than my summer cooking and it works just fine for me.

Parsley is packed with important nutrients and offers many health benefits.
Particularly rich in Vitamins A, K, and C. Vitamin A is essential in a healthy immune system and eye health. Vitamin K supports bone health and blood clotting. Two tablespoons of parsley gives you more than the recommended daily amount for Vitamin K. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, great for heart health and vital to our immune systems. Parsley is also a good source of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, folate, iron and calcium.

PLANTAIN

Plantain is a low growing perennial weed common throughout most of the world, introduced to North America (like so many things) with settlement by Europeans. Whether you knew the name or not, the chances of you being familiar with plantain is very high, as it is found on disturbed ground almost everywhere – city, town, farm, meadow, woods, … you name it. In earlier days it became known as “white man’s foot” because it was common along roadsides and other disturbed areas. The seeds would stick to the boots of the travelers and to their animals. It grows and spreads in areas close to people and domestic animals. Interestingly, it is also wind pollinated so not dependent on bees, and the seeds along the spikes are popular with birds.

For all the above reasons, it has come to be a noxious weed in North America. Kind of ironic as the definition of noxious is “injurious to physical or mental health“, and plantain although perhaps irritating to farmers, can be very beneficial and in different parts of the world it is actually cultivated as a crop. See below for more. …..

I have transplanted plantain plants to a ‘protected area’ of my garden, where weeds are allowed to grow in peace and safety. It has taken me a few years to educate the people I live with about the value in some plants so that the ‘weeds’ can be left to thrive. They don’t pretend to understand me. They just roll their eyes and shrug their shoulders and promise to stay out of the protected zone. This year, I had to transplant in two more plantain plants because my well meaning mom dug them out in the spring. lol – But I think we’ve made progress. I have put up a sign in that section of my garden that say “Let it Grow“. It was my daughter’s slogan; I voted for “Weeds have rights too”, but she was the one who made the sign so she had veto power.

The seeds and tiny flowers extend just about the full length of the spikes. The leaves are broad and oval shaped. The stocks holding the tiny flowers grow up from the roots.

plantain close up

They say that plantain leaves are edible, though you’d want to eat them very young in the spring as they get bitter and a little tough as the season wears on. I have never eaten them so don’t have an opinion. The seeds are also edible and when cooked will swell. I’ve never eaten them either but see below for some amazing uses of the seed.

It is used as a fresh poultice (called spit poultice) for insect bites. To make a ‘spit poultice (I know, I don’t like the name either), pick several leaves, and mash them together. You can put them in your mouth and chew up to make a green mush – hence the name. This could take you awhile as the leaves can be fibrous and …. well, chewy. The enzymes in your saliva apparently help release the healing and antiseptic properties from the leaf, and give it the proper texture to apply to the bite area. Wrap with gauze or other clean fabric to keep it on for several hours, replacing when it dries out. Similarly it is valued for its soothing quality and is used in salves for open sores.

Fun fact: because of its excellent water solubility, plantain seeds – also known as “psyllium”, is commonly used in commercial bulk laxatives. The seeds absorb water and become a thick, viscous compound that resists digestion in the small intestine. This resistance to digestion allows it to help regulate high cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels, as well as relieve mild diarrhea and constipation. Unlike some other sources of fiber, the body typically tolerates psyllium well, making it a helpful natural choice.

Most of the psyllium seed used in North America comes from India as the herb is not commercially grown in North America. People use psyllium as a dietary supplement, available in the form of husk, granules, capsules, or powder. Manufacturers also fortify breakfast cereals and baked goods with psyllium. Psyllium husk is the main active ingredient in Metamucil, a fiber supplement that reduces constipation.

POPPY SEED

One of my garden’s most pleasant surprises is a sudden midsummer splash of RED interspersed here and there throughout. I first discovered Poppies quite by accident, in the little Ukrainian neighbourhood of our tiny farm-town – Calmar, Alberta. We were a year or two into our very first real garden, in our very first real home – an old, rundown house that we loved and fixed up. I worked hard in my garden, trying to keep it as weed free as possible, but one evening when I was wrapping it up for the day, I surveyed my work and noted a single tall weed in the middle of my potato patch. It looked so strong and healthy I didn’t have the heart to pull it out, so I left it. The very next day it rewarded me with a big, gorgeous red flower the like of which I had only seen in pictures. My neighbour confirmed it was indeed, a poppy. A weed. That was my first experience with the idea that the word ‘weed’ is a relative term. We really shouldn’t get so tied up in the word, as if it defined value. And yet we know we do. I learned that my poppy produced seed, the same poppy seed so popular in Ukrainian baking. It was the beginning of a life long friendship. Me and poppies.

Notice the big seed pod that remains
after the poppy flowers. Thousands of
future poppies in each one.

That single poppy was the beginning of a dynasty. It did what all poppies do after they bloom, it went to seed. Inside a poppy pod are thousands of tiny seeds. At first white, they ripen into an assortment of grey and black. I took those ripened seeds and broadcast them all over my garden. The next year I had lots, and so it began. I brought the seed with me to every house I’ve lived in since then, and shared them with everyone who asked for some. In the mid 80’s we lived in a townhouse for two years while Dan went back to school. We’d lost our house to the economic downturn in Alberta at the time, and had come back to Edmonton for what we thought was a couple of years. (So much for that theory, 35 years later we’re still here.) My poppies were growing in the only sunny spot my small yard offered, one we prepared under our front window, with the many other flowers and herbs we brought with us. Together these flowers softened the discouragement I felt at the time, and made our new dwelling more of a home. After my poppies bloomed, some stupid neanderthal came one night and cut off all the unripe pods, taking them. Of course there was a purpose – it’s an opium poppy after all, and I supposed the thief knew secrets I didn’t know. I never grew poppies in a front yard again.

Poppies are a bright, colourful, early summer addition to any flower, herb or even vegetable garden. All they need is sun. They can grow to three feet high, maybe higher. Straight and tall, with beautiful toothed, light green leaves and striking crepe-papery flowers that tower over their neighbours. They come in lots of different colours, but of this type I have only ever had red with slight variations on red.

I learned long ago that when they grow in clumps of several, or for crowding reasons they don’t gt enough sun, they will not grow very big, so its important to thin them out to no more that two or three relatively close together, and make sure they are not shaded by nearby plants. Single poppies (with less competition for sun) will grow the tallest, making the biggest heads, hence the biggest flowers, and ultimately the most seeds.

Because I have limited space, my gardens are rather . . . . . . FULL, and sunshine becomes a premium resource. I don’t want the poppies being shaded, but I also can’t have them shading lower plants either, and I want good airflow in my gardens, so there are concessions the poppies have to make too so that all my plants are happy. Because I am waiting for their seeds to ripen, they’re in that spot for the entire season, so after the plant has finished its flamboyant display, I pull off the lower leaves, allowing for better air flow and more light to come in. The plant can still ‘ripen’ as for all intents and purposes it is ready to die anyway.

Truth be told, I’d grow poppies just for their brilliant flowers, brief as they are in bloom, but every stage of the plant pleases me. Its a lovely plant as it gets ready to flower and the flower is spectacular. Then when they’re ready, the seeds are edible, often sprinkled on top of bagels and used in muffins, breads, cakes and salad dressings. And when all is said and done, the dried seed pod is its own kind of beautiful, making a classy statement in the maturing garden, and a striking addition to dried fall flower arrangements.

Poppies possess natural pain-relieving properties, making it an important medicinal plant in the pharmaceutical industry. Most medicinal opium comes from Turkey, India, and Australia. The sap from the unripe poppy seed pod contains compounds used to make morphine, which is what made it an important medicinal plant thousands of years ago in southwest Asia.

growing

Poppies are friendly neighbours and good companions in herb, flower or vegetable gardens. Here they are in my strawberry patch growing with dill. Everyone is happy and healthy.

Poppies are easy to grow. They want sun, and otherwise don’t ask for much. They don’t even need good soil, and will grow almost anywhere. There are many different varieties and colours, and from the same seed, I have occasionally had pink or even double flowering blossoms. Such is the miracle of genetics. The poppy is an annual flower, and I broadcast seed freely when I harvest it in September or October. It sits dormant all winter and when the conditions are right in summer, they start to grow. It is not uncommon for me to have sporadic blooms from the beginning of July through the end of August.

I have heard that mixing the seed with a little sand helps to evenly distribute it. Good idea, but I’ve never done it. The plants have a deep taproot and do not like to be transplanted. Don’t even bother trying to transplant, just gather the seed and start fresh in the spring. I always have so many plants volunteering from the seed I sprinkled liberally the previous fall, that I simply pull the ones that are too crowded or in spots I don’t want them to grow.

using poppy seeds

Truth is, poppies are the source of opium, morphine and many other drug compounds. For centuries they’ve been used as mild sedatives and pain relievers, all the way to life and soul destroying drugs. Personally, I decided decades ago I wasn’t interested in pursuing any use other than to the ripe seeds as a food. So while I acknowledge the darker side, I’m not going to waste anytime debating where the line is regarding it.

poppy seed loaves from Eastern Europe have lots more seeds in them than the couple of tablespoons North Americans are used to seeing in our muffins

As a food, poppy seeds contain essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and iron, as well as some B vitamins and omega 6 fatty acids so necessary to a healthy heart. They have a distinctive nutty taste and are used whole or ground into meal as an ingredient in pastries and breads. I have always loved poppy seed muffins, cakes and breads, but the true Eastern European poppy seed roll was an acquired taste. Having said that however, I really like it now. Recipes abound for tons of dishes so be adventurous and try them. My faves include:
Poppy Seed cookies, muffins, scones, bundt cakes, loaf cakes and even angel food cakes.
Poppy seeds as a topping for breads, rolls, bagels etc.
Poppy seed dressing for salads
.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise,
1 T lemon juice, 1 t lemon zest and 1 T sugar mixed together to dissolve sugar
1 T liquid honey
1 T poppy seed
Use whisk to gently combine all ingredients. Refrigerate till ready to use over top salad.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of these valuable garden herbs.

Radish Leaves

okay, I know – radishes are vegetables. But did you know that the leaves are not only edible, they’re great tasting and super nutritious too? I’ve never much liked radishes themselves. As a child I didn’t like their strong peppery flavour, although my mom enjoyed them and we always had some on hand to add to green salads. As an adult, I tried them from time to time to see if they got better, but nope. I even grew them a few years, hoping that their home-grown-ness would appeal to me more. Nope. If anything, they were even stronger. So its kind of a mystery to me why, a couple of years ago, I purchased some radish seeds. Two packages actually. I know, right!?! I am pretty sure I had no intention of eating them. I had heard that some gardeners use radishes as a row marker for carrots since they are so quick to germinate and carrots are infamously SLOW to germinate. That interested me and I decided to give it a try.

When the radishes germinated, they were a refreshing sight of early green in the garden. As they grew they were tender but strong and vigorous, and one day when I was out looking for new greens to add to a garden salad, they called to me. I reasoned that radish seeds were often in sprouting mixes I had used in the past, so I invited them to my salad party. They did not disappoint. Their flavour was mildly peppery – not the over powering pepper of a radish bulb. Their texture was tender and delicate, and most appealing. I became an instant convert, and I picked them regularly from then on – for salads.

But radishes grow up, and they developed the traditional radish bulb we are familiar with. I still don’t like those, and I noticed that the greens got a little tougher and even a little prickly, and stronger tasting. Their appeal in a garden salad lessened, but my loyalty to them remained. It was their nutrition that I couldn’t ignore. Like broccoli and kale, radish leaves are a nutritional powerhouse, but they’re a heckuva LOT easier to grow. They’re also rich in vitamins A, B6, and C as well as minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and iron, and folic acid! They have long been reputed to speed up digestion.

I decided to try doing something different with them. Something that didn’t care about their prickly texture. PESTO. Because as most people know, Pesto is the solution to most of life’s problems. Wash well in cool water as the coarseness of their texture holds grit. If I end up with a few radish bulbs in my collection of greens, I add them. They’re not good to me for anything else anyway. I cut the radish in half to make sure there are no wormie things inside – a nasty sometimes occurrence. I use a Vitamix blender, because this will get pretty thick. I recommend something similar.

Radish Pesto

radish leaves tucked in the blender, in the fridge, waiting for the right time

5 (or so) cups radish leaves packed into blender
3 or 4 whole cloves of garlic. Don’t even bother taking the husks off when using a high powered blender. Instead of garlic cloves, I use entire stalk (including bud on bottom) of garlic chives. A good sized handful, coarsely chopped.
Juice of a whole lemon (sometimes I’ll throw in half of a lemon rind and all)
1/2 – 1 cup almonds
1/2 – 1 cup olive oil, slowly added (begin with 1/2 cup and add slowly if necessary)
salt and pepper to taste (begin with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper and then go from there, tasting all along)
1 cup parmesan cheese (I use freeze dried parmesan)

garlic chives in the garden act as an able garlic substitute all summer long till the real stuff is ready to harvest in September or early October

I realize the amounts might seem a little ‘unprecise’, sorry, I don’t know how to do it any other way. But it really is about availability, and personal preference. Whatever works for you. Begin somewhere and go from there.
Put the greens in the blender and turn on low, pushing down as needed with the plunger, and pausing frequently to scrape down sides. Once the leaves have reduced a little in volume, add the garlic and lemon juice, and slowly begin drizzling in the olive oil, continuing to run the blender and using the plunger to ensure everything gets pureed. You don’t have to use all the oil, just until the texture is right. Slowly add the almonds a few at a time; you don’t have to use the whole cup.
I like the texture of the parmesan so I only add HALF of it in the blender, and I stir in the rest by hand later.
Let pesto sit for about 15 minutes if possible before you use it. And use FRESH! That’s the whole point. Leftover pesto can be stored in the fridge for several days to have on hand for other uses. During the summer, I make several batches of pesto to freeze for use all year long. Its been recommended to hold the parmesan when freezing, then add later. Sometimes I leave it out, sometimes I don’t. Can’t say I’ve noticed any difference actually, but then I use freeze dried parmesan and maybe that makes a difference (?) You can decide yourself.

Enjoy. I would love to hear your comments about any of these herbs and recipes.


Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle