The Color Green

Green is my favorite color, so this week's Alphabet Thursdays Rainbow Summer School entry should be simple for me ... the hardest part is deciding what green to write about! 

There are the obvious things like growing green- green beans, green herbs, even green flowers!

Or I could share my pursuit of living the green life- green cleaning, green shopping, green everything.

Instead, I thought I'd share my favorite green drink with you- Green Smoothies.

(And yes, this is the same photo from yesterday's post.  Give me a break, I'm being squeezed here!)

These really are my favorite green drinks.  Healthy, tasty, and such a nice shade of verde.
Here's a quick how-to, you don't really need a recipe.

Into a blender go:
1 banana (if it's frozen so much the better)
1 small handful of ice (not necessary if you use frozen fruit)
2 handfuls spinach or other greens of your choice (spinach makes the prettiest and tastiest smoothie in my opinion)

Turn on the blender and pulse a few times to crush ice and/or frozen fruit, then slowly add about 1/2 cup water (or fruit juice)
and
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds

I pour these through the little hole in the blender lid, though I'm sure you could just dump it all in at one time.

Blend away! 

Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy.

I'll leave you with one of my husband's favorite songs- The Color Green






For more posts featuring the color green, visit Jenny Matlock today!

Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School ~ Yellow

Yellow ...

My favorite yellow flower, the humble Dandelion

This week's entry for Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School, for more colorful posts featuring the color yellow, visit Jenny Matlock today! 

See you next week for my favorite color ... can you guess what it is?

U is for ...

Umbelliferae.
How's that for an unusual U word?

Umbelliferae is the name of a family of plants, which includes herbs such as:  dill, chervil, cicely, lovage, Queen Anne's lace, and others.  These plants have flower heads that are in an umbrellaish (my own u word)  shape called umbels.

 The most interesting tidbit I discovered about the Umbelliferae family is that almost all of these plants are good companion plants in the garden.  The tiny flowers in their umbels attract ladybugs and other good bugs to your garden, which is a very useful trait. 

OK, so it's a stretch, but the only herb I could think of that begins with u, Uva Ursi (though I prefer the Native American name- Kinnikinnick) is used for treating urinary (another u for me) tract infections, which is very unpleasant or maybe uncomfortable, to even think about.  However, it is good information to have if you are unfortunate enough to need it.   To learn more about Uva Ursi click here.

So, you might want to plant some garden helpers from the Umbelliferae family, and maybe some Uva Ursi, too!

That's it for the letter U here at Love Living Simply.

Until next time, visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday fun!

S is for ...

Sage. 

Sage or salvia is an herb that has many varieties, from regular culinary sage that is the primary seasoning for holiday stuffings and such, to a whole host of others like:
Russian sage (gorgeous purple flowering plant),
Clary sage (another pretty herb, and one used in a variety of ways )
and my own personal favorite-
Pineapple sage (lovely pineapple fragrance with pretty red blossoms). 

Since I'm running rather short on time, I'll leave you with a link to some great info. and recipes for Pineapple sage at The Essential Herbal  (Lots of good reading there my friends, enjoy your visit!) 
And if you'd like to learn more about sage in general, check out the info. at Botanical.com.  No wonder they call it salvia!  (and I did discover by accident that now the druggies have discovered their own use for one variety of salvia ... idiots.) 

OK, that's it for this week's Alphabe-Thursday here, but for more sensational S posts, visit Jenny Matlock today!

M is for ...

A messy miscellany of musings beginning with the marvelous letter M!

Morning photos ...

Easily amused, I am ... but this sinkful of suds and springy fabrics scented with Woolite brought back fond memories of Grandma!

The birds (wrens or sparrows?) are building a nest in the birdhouse gourd on the patio ... mesmerizing!

Men at work, tilling the ministry garden!

My hubby manhandling the tiller.  He makes it look easy (it's not...oh my... not for me anyway).

And finally ... Motel in the background of the ministry garden ... maybe not the most charming of places to stay.

Memories of a morning on the beach ... my how my babies have grown!

See what I mean ...

OK, now that I've meandered down memory lane and mosied by the ministry garden ...

I must mention at least one herb or I'll just feel like something is missing.

So, today's herb of the day is Mint.

Mint is marvelous, most delicious smelling, and a must for your garden as well as your teapot.  Many, many varieties of mint  are to be found - peppermint, spearmint, applemint, orange mint, lemon mint, even chocolate mint! 

Mint is also helpful around the house.  Ants get all mixed up when you put mint in their pathway ... messes with their minds or something! 

Mint essential oil in a bowl of steamy water is a momentous help when you have a stuffy head. 

Just be careful never to plant mint directly in the garden, it will most likely become a menace!  Put it in a container instead, where it can mind its manners. 

That's it for this edition of Alphabe-Thursday.  Visit Jenny Matlock for more fun with the letter M!

L is for ...

Lavender
Lemon
and
Late

Lavender- One of my favorite herbs, yet sadly one that doesn't love my hot & humid Texas summers.  I do try to grow it and sometimes have a plant that will survive a few years if I'm lucky. 
Most often, I turn to Lavender essential oil when Lavender is needed in my home.  It has many uses and smells lovely, as well.  I use Lavender essential oil to ease a headache; just a few drops on the back of the neck or rubbed into the temples will often send a headache back where it came from.  It is also a great help for bug bites and other itchy, scratchy ailments.  I was stung by a bee last year and immediately rubbed it with a few drops of Lavender essential oil (it's a great thing to stick in your pocket on a hike or when you are heading to the garden), the pain and swelling was gone in just a few minutes.

Lavender is also popular in the kitchen, here is a recipe for Lavender Cookies, which would be perfect with a glass of Lemonade!

Lemon-scented herbs are high on my list of Lovely Things to Grow.
Lemon thyme- such a pretty plant and makes the best cupcakes
Lemon verbena (my fav. of the lemony herbs) - great for making a cup of tea
Lemon balm - simple to grow, bees love it, smells oh so sweet
Lemon scented geranium - lovely scent, perfect for floating in a little fingerbowl of water
Lemongrass- used in cooking and tea ... makes a lovely accent plant if you like large grassy things
Lemon basil- lovely in salads or with grilled chicken  I have seeds for a new to me variety, Lemondrop ... I think I'll try to make candies with it!
Plant a few lemon herbs in your garden, maybe even your own lemon garden (which I plan to do someday), you'll be glad you did!  And for those of you who keep claiming to have black thumbs ... plant Lemon Balm or Lemon Basil, they are very easy to grow, really they are. 

And if you'd rather cook than garden ...

These are the best Lemon Cupcakes ever! 
And to mix them up together Lavender Lemon Cookies ... these sound really tasty (all except that almond flavoring, I will leave that out ... love almonds, but not almond flavoring).

And now for my last L entry LATE ... these days I'm feeling rather like a character from Alice in Wonderland ...
I'm late, I'm late ...
spring is springing
and I have too many projects on my plate!

So until next week my Alphabe-Thursday lovelies ... Later!

Oh I almost forgot ... It's not too late for you to enter my Herbal Goodness Giveaway, but do it today! 

Please visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday fun!

Mouse & Trowel Garden Blog Awards

Have some favorite garden blogs? 
Pop over to Mouse & Trowel to nominate them for the 2010 Mousies today! 

K is for ...

Kale and White Bean Soup!

It's good, really. 
At least my husband must think so because he ate a whole BIG bowl of it as a midnight snack a few evenings ago.  I don't know about you, but soup is not something I want as a snack ... cookies, candy, ice cream yes.  Kale soup, no. 
Back to my story... Something woke me up, I think it was the tornado scene from the Wizard of Oz that so abruptly disturbed my pleasant dreams ...
Anyway, my husband was up (at midnight), eating the leftovers from the Kale and White Bean Soup and watching the Wizard of Oz. 
oK, 15 years ago, I wouldn't have found this strange ... but Whatever. 

And, let me just say it was a BIG bowl of soup ... Where that man put that much Kale is beyond me.  He weighs a whole 142 pounds, you know (makes me sick). 

So, here's a link to the real recipe for Kale & White Bean Soup from The Nourished Kitchen (excellent website, by the way).   And here is my own Kitchen Adventure version:

2 cans Cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained
2 cartons of organic chicken stock
1 bunch of Kale, washed and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped finely to hide it from the children
1 handful of baby carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place everything in a large pot or the crockpot, simmer until veggies are done, fish out the bay leaves, and serve. 

And please don't blame me if it brings out odd behavior in your husband ... K? 

If you are wondering, Kitchen Adventures are what I call my little "experiments" in the kitchen.   You know, like when you just must tweak a recipe here and there (and I almost always must) and  you have no idea if it is going to be edible when you're done.  Kitchen Adventure sounds better than "experiment", don't you think? 

If you were hoping for K herbs, here's a list with links.  I'm not really familiar with these, though they do sound rather interesting ... especially that Kava Kava stuff, I know some people who could use a bit of that. 

Kava

Kola

Kudzu


oK.  This kompletes this week's Alphabe-Thursday post, visit Jenny Matlock to read more! 

J is for ...

Joy!









The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness, could we but see; and to see, we have only to look.  ~Fra. Giovanni

Look for JOY today.  Keep searching until you find it! 



Just so you know I haven't abandoned my herb and flower theme ...

J is also for Jasmine, Jonquil, and Jack in the Pulpit!

And if you are curious as to why today's Alphabe-Thursday post is so short and sweet ... the sign posted by my front door these days:

To Whom It May Concern:
It is springtime.
I am in the garden. 

Now if I could just figure out how to make a cute blog little button for that ...

p.s. Someone asked about online herbal information- Botanical.com  is my favorite source.
       Someone else asked where I buy herbs-  I love



 ! 

And now ... back to the garden, where I always find Joy! 

To read other Alphabe-Thursday posts or join in the fun, visit Jenny Matlock today!

F is for ...

Fennel
Feverfew
Flax
and
Foxglove.








First in my line-up of favorite F herbs is Fennel . Fennel is a lovely plant with very airy ferny leaves that have a slight licorice flavor. Not appealing taste-wise to me as I don't like licorice; I plant it because it is pretty, but caterpillars love it!

I use fennel seed much more than the herb itself. Fennel seed is good for tummy troubles and will often send the "my tummy hurts Mommy" complaints away with just a few little seeds to be eaten. Fennel seed is often used in teas and of course in italian sausage. I read recently that fennel seed can be made into a facial toner to reduce wrinkles ... I'll have to try that one, I do believe! I'll hunt down the recipe and post it here if you're interested.



Feverfew is next in my list, and it is also a very pretty plant. Feverfew has white daisy-like flowers which is the reason I grew it in the first place. I've read that Feverfew helps with migraines, but can't attest to that one. I tried to get my husband and mother-in-love to try it, but they didn't seem very interested in eating a Feverfew leaf sandwich every day. ?



Flax, is one herb I've not grown before (I did plant some flax seeds in a pot but the neighbor dog did them in...nasty little creature); but I use the seed daily in the kitchen. Flax is where we get those fabulous fabrics- linen and flax, and strangely enough linseed oil.


Flax seeds are very nutritious and can be ground up and added to all sorts of things- cereal, baked goods, salads, etc. My favorite thing to do with Flax seeds is to toss them into my breakfast of choice- a Spinach Smoothie.



Finally, we once again have Foxglove. I know I used it for D, but it is soooo lovely, I didn't think you would mind seeing it again.



I do have one last minute addition to the list- Fo-Ti. Isn't that a fun word? Fo-Ti, I like it. OK, I am infinitely easily amused, but really check out what they say about this Fo-Ti root ... could be a helpful herb for some of us ... I'm thinking hair color here, skin rashes, calming the spirit ... not that other stuff. Ahem ... moving right along.






That's it for me today, do click on the highlighted words above to read more about these herbs; and if you use these herbs yourself, please leave a comment and tell us how you use them.





Hope you enjoyed this edition of Alphabe-Thursday, drop by Jenny Matlock today to read more.

For You Sunshine

Taking a moment from my Monday morning chores (the maid refuses to work weekends it seems ... oh that would be me wouldn't it, nevermind) ... to spread a bit of sunshine. Speaking of sunshine, it was sunny and 75 here yesterday, and today it is c0ld and icky and "the experts" say that it may snow tomorrow, oh the joys of Texas weather!

Back to my blog sunshine... I was recently given this sunny little blog award

and I would like to pass it on to someone who always adds a bit of brightness to my days -

Jenny Matlock.

If you haven't read Jenny's blog before, you are missing out; she is so much fun and always has something interesting to say. (Just a little warning, be very careful about drinking tea while reading her blog... unless your computer happens to be spew proof, because she IS going to make you laugh.) Jenny is also a wonderfully generous lady and I've recently been blessed by her own delicious way of spreading sunshine-

and sweetness. (Sorry Jenny, no photo of those sweet treats, the maid is also very careless about forgetting to charge the camera batteries AND infinitely curious so she unwrapped the little goodies without waiting to take a photo. FYI they are lovely dishcloths disguised as pastries!)

Hope you enjoy your Sunshine Award, Jenny. You certainly deserve it.

And if you haven't visited Jenny before, get on over there and say Hello!

Now back to my regularly scheduled homekeeping ... I do have new dishcloths to make it that much nicer, though!

E is for ...

Mrs. Matlock, please EXCUSE the briefness of this week's post; there is a sick husband in the house today, and some of you know exactly what that means ....

Nevertheless, while the illness afflicted one sleeps, I will take a moment to play along in the Alphabe-Thursday game, and share some of my favorite herbal remedies (beginning with e of course) with you!

E is for ...

Elder berry -(click here to learn more) This is my recipe for Elder berry syrup, which really should be called Elder berry Honey. It's very tasty as well as good for you!

Eucalyptus essential oil- great for clearing up a stuffy head so you can sleep (click here to learn more about this excellent remedy)! I buy mine from Mountain Rose Herbs, my favorite herb place.

And for those who share my love of flowers ...
Echinacea (beautiful flowers, and a very helpful herb when illness strikes).

OK ... that's it for this addition of Alphabe-Thursday at Love Living Simply. I must go and brew some tea for the sicko (don't tell him I said that), and make breakfast for the rest of the little Love's.

To play along with our little Alphabe-Thursday fun, or to read other E entries, visit Jenny Matlock today!

D is for ...

Dandelion
Daisy
Dill and ...
Digitalis (commonly known as Foxglove, but then that would be an F word ... and well, that's for another week ... OK? ...!) Digitalis.

I really love these D plants and grow them all in my garden.

Yes, even Dandelion, though it has a bad reputation as being a "weed", it is really a very helpful herb. It is full of good for you things like iron, vitamin C, vitamin A ... so be nice to those Dandelions, OK? Pick the leaves and add them to a salad, cook them up in a stir fry, etc. I've even read about making Dandelion wine, but I don't know that I'll ever gather that many of those little yellow flowers, it takes lots; but I do put Dandelion flowers into my jar of sun tea!
In my family they are called "Wishflowers" because you simply must make a wish and blow those little puffballs of seeds away whenever you see one. For more info. on Dandelion, click here.

Daisies are just sweet, simple flowers and my favorite kind to buy as cut flowers because they last a long, long time. Shasta daisies are my favorite and are fairly easy to grow.

Dill, is a yummy herb, and sort of like Dandelion ... once it is growing in your garden, you won't have to worry about replanting, it will happily do that itself! Caterpillars love Dill also, so you may find yourself with some hungry, hungry critters munching your Dill plants.

Digitalis is such a beautiful flower, it ranks high on my list of favorites. I do add a word of caution about Digitalis however for those who have children playing near the garden ... Digitalis can be deadly if consumed! I never grew this plant until my children were old enough to fully understand the meaning of "Do not even think about touching those plants!".
So, I suppose we should add dangerous to Digitalis as well. If you'd like to read more about Digitalis, click here.

(a Digitalis from one of my gardens ...please ignore that pesky grass!)

OK, that's it from me in today's round of Alphabe-Thursday. Don't miss out on the fun, visit Jenny Matlock today to read other Delightful dissertations featuring the Letter D!

C is for ...

Calendula
Clary Sage
Cleome
Cosmos
Cucumber
Carrot.

Those are some of the C plants I have chosen for my plot in the Community Garden. It will hold a colorful mixture of whatever I can squeeze into my allotted space. Think companion planting gone crazy!

In our ministry garden, which I am naming the Communitas Garden for today (who knows it might even stick), I'm hoping to create a colorful, creative, child-friendly, community-building space where I can engage in some lively conversation with other gardeners and connect with people from the community.

Check out this cool letter C plant that I just discovered- Chocolate Flower! These are definitely on the new seed order list.

Come along, let's leave the garden and move along to a very sweet C word ... Candy (which I'm not supposed to be eating now that I've jumped in to the Real Food Challenge). Valentine's Day is coming up, and I thought you might enjoy this little virtual plant tour of Necco where those famous Sweethearts candies are made. Pretty cool, huh? Though I can't eat them (they are certainly not on the real food list), I think I'm going to buy a box to use for some crafts ... what could you craft with a box of Sweethearts and a bottle of Mod Podge (i love this stuff) I wonder??? Cards. What else?

Now, I must share my newest Spanish word with you- cantar. Who knew it had so many different meanings ... I will have to be careful with this one. Sing, have smelly feet (really, that's what the dictionary says), stick out like a sore thumb... And people say the English language is complicated. I hope I don't crack up the next time our pastor says, "Vamos cantar!"

OK ... this completes my completely convoluted, corny and certainly confusing commentary on the letter C. I'm off to find some candy (chocolate would be nice) ... I promise only to eat one little piece, then I'll get right back on track with the Real Food Challenge!

Carpe Diem!

update: Coffee ... I cannot believe I forgot COFFEE (which could be why my post was so crazy and convoluted ... I needed caffeine!)

B is for ...

Birds, Bees, Blessings and Bliss.
Don't you like those B words? I do.
Those are pretty B words, nice words.
Some other lovely words come to mind ...
Basil, Borage, Bee Balm, Bachelor's Button,
I like these names almost as well as I do the herbs and flowers themselves.




But, B is also for a word that we do not use in our house ... You know,
the B Word . I know you that know what I'm talking about
here ... but, if not here goes (Mrs. Matlock this really is PG)...
butt. OK, that's the B word.
We don't use that word in our house, because Mom doesn't like it, end of discussion.

My children started calling it "the B word" at some point, for reasons unknown to me (they have their own language OK?).

I would hear, "Mooooommmm, __________ said the B word!!!"
Bad word, that B word.

Anyway, that brings me to my little A & B story I hinted about last week. You will need to know what "our family's" B word is before I begin.

We lived for a year (oh what a dreadfully long one it was, too) in an apartment complex a few years back. The kids in the complex soon found out that we were almost always home and either baking something yummy or outside making some sort of fabulous mess, so there was a little group of kids that liked to hang out in the breezeway near our door. They would sit on the stairs with my girls, ride their scooters, and play together.
Well, one day this little boy was sitting outside drawing pictures with sidewalk chalk with my girls when "a discussion" broke out in the next building. Being used to hearing loud "discussions" coming from that direction, I just tuned it out and went back to reading my book.

In a few moments I hear this conversation between the little boy and my middlest Love- Little boy says, "MMMMMmmmm.....she said the A word!"

To which my little Love replies, "I don't know nothin' about the A word, but I know the B word." , which receives BIG eyes, a shake of the head, and another "MMMMmmmmm!!!" from the little boy. (sigh).

I was half tempted to tell him she meant butt ... but then do you really want to have that conversation with a 6 year old? I think not. Perhaps his B word was the same as ours ... but from his reaction, I think he had another word entirely in mind, which I did not want him to say, and we'll just leave it at that!

OK, there you have it, the B Word ... now don't let me hear you saying it, OK? It's just not nice.

Be sure to drop by Jenny Matlock's blog to find out what other people's B words are!

A Challenge ~ Plant Some Seeds

Anyone else up for a growing challenge?
I've joined The Growing Challenge - Evangelist Edition at One Green Generation. If you garden, or would like to, go sign up for the challenge today. Please join in, and plant a few seeds with us!

Simply Inspiring Idea

I enjoy reading the City Farmgirl Blog from Mary Janes Farm. Today's post, titled Letting Go was quite inspiring. I love Rebekah's idea which makes the act of letting go both memorable and tangible. Check out The City Farmgirl blog to read about it!

I am putting this idea into action today...a few leaves from the oak tree out front, and a visit to the lake later today........I can see those leaves floating down to the water from the cliffs above now! (What if one ends up in a fishing boat???....oh that could be funny.....can you just imagine some fisherman pulling out a leaf that says lose 10 lbs.!.....I could have some fun with that one, but I'm supposed to be letting go of negative things, not sending messages to clueless fisherpeople, I'll just stop thinking now ;).......) Perhaps burning the leaves in the campfire would be a better idea...