What are nettles, and why are they so awesome?

Who would have thought that plant that stung you as you brushed by it would be a superfood?  Stinging nettle (which loose their sting when dried or cooked) pack a powerful punch of nutrients.  Making an infusion is an excellent way of getting the most nutrients out of nettles.  Nettle tea is great, but the nutrients you get are minimal compared to a nettle infusion.

Nettles are especially high in Vitamins A and C as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.  They are also high in protein and contain various amino acids as well as chlorophyll. 

Nettles are very helpful for people with seasonal allergies.  Bonus: for nursing Mamas, nettles help increase your milk supply. 

I consider nettle infusion my multivitamin.  I drink at least a cup a day (usually added to my water bottle) since I'm trying to boost some of my nutrient levels.  I put it in a sippy for my 1 year old and encourage my 4 year old to drink some daily too.

Making a nettle infusion is even easier than it sounds:

1. Add a handful of dried nettle leaves to a glass container like a mason jar.  (Personally I like to make mine in my French Press because it means I don't need to strain it at the end, but that's just a personal preference.)
2. Pour warm (not boiling) water over the leaves.
3. Leave it to sit overnight.
4. Strain, and enjoy.

I'm not going to lie.  It tastes "green" or "healthy".  For some people that takes some getting used to, but I didn't mind the taste from the beginning.  One trick I've used to help with the taste for my pickier 4 year old is to add peppermint to it.  I didn't have loose peppermint tea on hand, so I tore apart an organic tea bag and added it to the nettle leaves.  I've also made peppermint tea and added that to the nettle infusion after it was made.

Learn more about nettles here, here, and here.

Where to purchase nettles:
Amazon
iHerb
Mountain Rose Herbs

"Clean" Chocolate Mint Patties

I had a need for chocolate, we're talking a "don't talk to me until I've had it" need for chocolate.  I love chocolate with mint, but almost all store bought ones have additives and/or GMOs that I don't want to put in my body.  What's a girl to do?  Why, make her own "clean" version, of course.

I'm not a big measurer, and this recipe certainly doesn't need exact amounts.  It all depends on how much you want to make and what ratio of chocolate to mint you want.

1. Line your pan with parchment paper.  It makes it easier to take out of the pan.  I also like the parchment paper because the pan I chose is one of the few non-stick ones I have left, and I didn't want any food coming into contact with the chemicals from the non-stick.
2. Melt the chocolate of your choice.  I use a 72% dark chocolate, which makes is high in antioxidents and low in sugar.  (Enjoy Life is a great brand which is free from the top 8 allergens).  I melted about 2/3 of a cup.  Pour it into your pan than put it in the fridge to harden.
3. While waiting the 20 minutes or so for the bottom layer of chocolate to harden, I made coconut butter in my food processor.  (I have this one).  I used about 2.5 cups of shredded coconut which is both unsweetened and unsulfured.  (This is a great brand).  It takes about 15 minutes on high to turn it into coconut butter.  I added peppermint to taste (I like it stronger that most people).  You can also leave out the peppermint if you want a chocolate coconut flavor instead of chocolate mint.
4. Pour your coconut (mint or not) butter on top of your chocolate layer, then put it back in the fridge to harden.  Mine seemed to mix a bit, but that's not a problem.

 5.  Repeat step 2, and you're done.

Here's what it looks like when sliced into pieces.  It certainly fulfilled my intense chocolate cravings.

 

I've also made these in mini muffin cups.  Doing it in the muffin cups does save you from having to cut it up.  Either way, they taste divine.

Adventures in Dehydrating

My husband got me a dehydrator for my birthday (this Nesco dehydrator) last spring.  I'd never really given dehydrating any thought before he gave it to me.  I gave it a try, and I was instantly addicted.  It's all I never knew I always wanted.

Why is dehydrating a good idea?

• You can control the ingredients.  
• Commercially dried foods usually have added preservatives and/or sugar. Dehydrating your own also you can control the ingredients (and avoid cross contamination if you have allergy concerns).

• Dehydrating preserves food with a lot less sugar and maintains more of the nutrients than canning.  It also takes up less space for storage.
   
• Dehydrating is a great cost effective way to preserve foods while they're in season and at their cheapest so we can enjoy them the whole year round.

Things I've dehydrated so far:
peaches
strawberries
pears
a pear/apple hybrid we've named a papple (I'm sure it has a real name that is much different).
pineapple
mushrooms
apples
zucchini (only the toddler liked it)
carrots
celery
parsley
dill
beets
eggplant
almonds (after soaking them to reduce the phytic acid)
bone broth (in order to grind it into a powder)