big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
Where do you get your nettle, what does it look like? Does it flower? What is the tea good for? 
Congrats on your challenge so far!
Congrats on your challenge so far!
Tightening My Belt -- My Personal Challenge for One Month in 2010
- Thread starter DrakeMaiden
- Start date
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DrakeMaiden
Sourdough Slave
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We have some nettles that started growing in front of our house in the "flower bed" that never actually got planted as a proper flower bed. I might actually end up planting other herbs in there instead, because it is the best part-shade we have on our property and the part sun helps keep my watering chores manageable for thirstier plants.
I think nettles flower, but they aren't pretty flowers. Remember they are stinging nettles, so you want to be careful maneuvering around them.
Nettles are high in calcium, iron, and a few other nutrients. They are very nutritious. When you boil the nettles, some of the nutrients end up in the the water, which is why it is good to use it as tea. I mix it with peppermint tea.
Thank you, I am having fun too.
I think nettles flower, but they aren't pretty flowers. Remember they are stinging nettles, so you want to be careful maneuvering around them.
Nettles are high in calcium, iron, and a few other nutrients. They are very nutritious. When you boil the nettles, some of the nutrients end up in the the water, which is why it is good to use it as tea. I mix it with peppermint tea.
Thank you, I am having fun too.
- Thread starter
- #73
DrakeMaiden
Sourdough Slave
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2008
- Messages
- 2,421
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 148
OK, here is my official update for week 1:
Saturday -- Well, we had a family get-together, so it was free food night for us.
Sunday -- I used the expensive cheese I bought last week to make pasta with gorgonzola sauce. Luckily I only needed the cheese and had everything else.
Monday -- I made quiche. I hate quiche. Especially quiche with crust, but the recipe I sometimes make goes down ok, so I made that and you know what . . . it actually came out really good and I enjoyed it! I will be making this recipe more often (recipe posted below). Splurged on asparagus (husband bought that), everything else we had.
Tuesday -- I CHEATED!!!
It was a busy day and we had an evening meeting, so husband bought take-out . . . not beyond our usual range of allowable restaurant food. 
Wednesday -- leftover quiche with broccoli -- half from the garden, half store-bought.
Thursday -- bruschetta and salad night. Mixed salad greens from the garden. I bought tomatoes and bread for the bruschetta. Everything else on hand.
Friday -- Nacho night. Husband bought cilantro, yogurt, and some discounted bananas so I can make banana bread this weekend.
Shopping expenses for the week: I bought about 2 weeks worth of tomatoes, two weeks worth of bread, and probably a month's worth of cheddar cheese at Costco for just under $30 and broccoli and bananas for my kefir for under $5. Hubby bought asparagus, take-out, cilantro, yogurt, and baking bananas.
Oh and someone very sweet bought me my favorite sandwich over the weekend. I am still
thinking about it.
Also, I was proud of my thriftiness for two breakfasts this week on mornings when I ate alone. I had some about-to-be stale sourdough raisin bread I had made and I decided it would be most palatable turned into french toast. I just didn't have maple syrup, but I remembered I could make faux maple syrup (thank you Carla Emery of Encyclopedia of Country Living fame). I tasted it before using it and was surprised that it had the same "body" as maple syrup, although I could tell it was not authentic, and certainly wasn't as healthy as real maple syrup. I could not tell the difference once it was on top of my french toast, however.
See you guys, I am having way too much fun with this.
Faux Maple Syrup:
Stir 1 cup of brown sugar into 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp maple flavoring (I have an all-natural maple flavoring) and 2 Tbsp of butter. Stir until combined. Serve warm.
Crustless Artichoke Quiche:
about 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup crushed bread crumbs (I used croutons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
about 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
Preheat oven 450F.
Drain artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Saute onion until golden, add garlic, then de-glaze with artichoke liquid.
In a large bowl combine eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and oregano. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts and combine with grated cheddar cheese, and sauteed vegetables.
Combine and turn into greased 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Bake at 450 F 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool and cut into squares.
Saturday -- Well, we had a family get-together, so it was free food night for us.
Sunday -- I used the expensive cheese I bought last week to make pasta with gorgonzola sauce. Luckily I only needed the cheese and had everything else.
Monday -- I made quiche. I hate quiche. Especially quiche with crust, but the recipe I sometimes make goes down ok, so I made that and you know what . . . it actually came out really good and I enjoyed it! I will be making this recipe more often (recipe posted below). Splurged on asparagus (husband bought that), everything else we had.
Tuesday -- I CHEATED!!!
It was a busy day and we had an evening meeting, so husband bought take-out . . . not beyond our usual range of allowable restaurant food. Wednesday -- leftover quiche with broccoli -- half from the garden, half store-bought.
Thursday -- bruschetta and salad night. Mixed salad greens from the garden. I bought tomatoes and bread for the bruschetta. Everything else on hand.
Friday -- Nacho night. Husband bought cilantro, yogurt, and some discounted bananas so I can make banana bread this weekend.
Shopping expenses for the week: I bought about 2 weeks worth of tomatoes, two weeks worth of bread, and probably a month's worth of cheddar cheese at Costco for just under $30 and broccoli and bananas for my kefir for under $5. Hubby bought asparagus, take-out, cilantro, yogurt, and baking bananas.
Oh and someone very sweet bought me my favorite sandwich over the weekend. I am still
thinking about it. Also, I was proud of my thriftiness for two breakfasts this week on mornings when I ate alone. I had some about-to-be stale sourdough raisin bread I had made and I decided it would be most palatable turned into french toast. I just didn't have maple syrup, but I remembered I could make faux maple syrup (thank you Carla Emery of Encyclopedia of Country Living fame). I tasted it before using it and was surprised that it had the same "body" as maple syrup, although I could tell it was not authentic, and certainly wasn't as healthy as real maple syrup. I could not tell the difference once it was on top of my french toast, however.
See you guys, I am having way too much fun with this.
Faux Maple Syrup:
Stir 1 cup of brown sugar into 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp maple flavoring (I have an all-natural maple flavoring) and 2 Tbsp of butter. Stir until combined. Serve warm.
Crustless Artichoke Quiche:
about 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup crushed bread crumbs (I used croutons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
about 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
Preheat oven 450F.
Drain artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Saute onion until golden, add garlic, then de-glaze with artichoke liquid.
In a large bowl combine eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and oregano. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts and combine with grated cheddar cheese, and sauteed vegetables.
Combine and turn into greased 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Bake at 450 F 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool and cut into squares.
Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
Well, I sold a couple of my spare discount bars to Sally, I think she mentioned giving you one, so I take it that your skinny bony body isn't laying out in a ditch somewhere being ravaged to pieces by vultures?
How did the challenge go?!
How did the challenge go?!
