" Green Drink" gathering

Two hummingbirds beckoned me into our garden this morning. They invited me to join them as they joyfully danced with each tasty flower! I suddenly needed a "Green Drink"! Buddy agreed, he likes some of my concoctions.


If you, my friend, would care to gather with me, I invite you to try one of the simple gifts of the plants: "The Green Drink".


Experts agree we need to eat or drink a wide variety of foods to insure providing excellent sources of all the building blocks our magical bodies want and need. I create a salad in a glass that energizes, and alkalies my body, mind and spirit.


"Common Sense"  Please be slow and careful about eating anything out of your usual habits. If you suffer allergic reactions, breathing or digestive problems, then this isn't a good idea to consume a variety of new foods at once. If I was starting something new I would put foods I know I am OK with in my drink and one new one "just two leaves" and sip and experience my bodies reaction.


Oh and never put anything in your mouth or drink that you are not two thousand percent sure of its identification!!! This rule has kept me alive and I eat "WILD Things!"


Check out Mountain Rose Herbs for weed seeds. I suggest growing a weed to learn it through each seasons' changes.
 
Use your imagination and create fruit green drinks, With enough blueberries I can hide a big helping of spinach in a fruit smoothy. OK it isn't green?
Try a Thai drink with lemon grass coconut milk, purslane, and maybe lemon tyme. Try Greek, Mexican with alittle jalopenoe pepper, Italian or create your own favorite blend. To be honest mine is different each time. 

I usually use just a few leaves of each herb in Italian seasoning blends.I put my gatherings right in the blender. I like alot of fresh basil, so I pinch the branches that are trying to go to seed. The leaves get small and tight at the top. I pinch under the leaf node where other leaves are coming out . Everywhere a plant is cut it usually grows two branches, this makes for a happier, bushier basil.

Now Greek Oregano is next. I need to gather early in the morning to avoid the swarms of at least 8 different kinds of bees that love him. Greek Oregano has great flavor for cooking, fresh or dried. Medicinally, Greek is my choice for it's antimicrobial and fungal properties.

Italian Oregano spreads like mint in the garden,  "give mints an inch they will take a mile".

Greek Oregano grows as a clump more and stays where I ask it to. So Igather a couple of leaves from low on the stem.I need the newest, freshest looking leaves from below the tiny white flowers. If you are into growing dried flowers, both oregano's are beautiful! John Kallas, PhD.  I highly recommend his work shops, three day weekend trips and best of all, he finally put out his book! It was worth the wait! The photographs, recipe's and in-depth explanations of garden variety of weeds is unparalleled.

Where was I?  Oh yea, Dr. Kallas says the scale of highest in nutrition of the greens goes amaranth, lambsquarter then kale and on down. The top two are weeds we generally pull out to plant less nutritious choices.

Seriously, with weather patterns changing you may want to know what to eat that adapts very quickly to radically changing growing conditions. I believe our creator didn't make any junk. Not one of us or one creation on this planet is without significance. Have you ever wondered if the reason ,say dandelions, grow so healthily in your garden may be because you need to eat them and God wanted you to notice their gift?

I pick several amaranth leaves from the newest top growth. Delightfully, lambsquarter tastes like spinach and that is a good base for the stronger herbs so I pick several leaves. Lambsquarter leaves are tender and tasty all growing season. Unlike most plants, the leaves are good to gather, top to bottom .

Lambsquarter

Kale is here in my garden, but it doesn't seem to fit in this day. Off to the strawberry patch for two fresh new leaves. And now two raspberry leaves. I think garlic and onion are fantastic in here, if their timing is right. I like chives, and garlic chive leaves and flowers to keep from overpowering the blend.

In the kitchen, I rinse the greens in filtered water. Then  I add a couple tablespoons of plain organic yogurt and a dash of Bragg's Aminos, "which, tastes like soy sauce but is better for you." Onto the blender for a thorough thrashing to release everything into the drink. To my pleasure, my green drink is blue. I forgot I added borage and johnny jump-up flowers to the blend,  being inspired by the hummingbirds.

Borage

Now here I can pour this through a sieve and drink it. New comers to the green scene may need to start here. For myself, I want the fiber. If I don't add something that will stay a little firm the tiny fibers of the drink try to stick in my throat and tickle uncomfortably. I suggest adding soaked sunflower seeds or soaked nuts, about two tablespoons to chunk it up. The nuts or seeds give protein and fat to create a protein shake that alkalises my system, detoxes with chlorophyll and nourish my very soul with the blessing of the green things!

Heads up, after drinking a  raw, live food  packed with enzymes,  have a meal planned. My body gets so hungry after the drink wears off it insists I eat now!

Cheers, "to all things being perfect, possible and magical, amen!
I would love to hear your questions or comments, Gratefully, Pixie