SAUTÉED WEEDS

  I´m all nuts for wild edible greens now! It´s been a rainy spring, which apparently has made the "weeds" grow luscious and generous. I´ve been collecting them almost daily with my three-year-old daughter, trying to pass down the knowledge. =)

  Today I boiled the first new potatoes of the season and served them with sautéed wild greens and tofu for the whole family.

A pan full of the most nutritious and natural greens ever, straight off our yard (we never fertilize).

This time there´s goutweed and fireweed, seasoned with fresh chives and lovage from the garden.

The recipe (serves 2-4):

4 cups (1 liter) freshly picked mild-tasting wild edible greens
a bunch of chives
a few leaves & stems of lovage
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
soy sauce

+ Chop the greens and lightly sauté in a skillet in little olive oil with the garlic.
  Serve over potatoes (or rice or pasta) and drizzle soy sauce over it.

  Super healthy, nutritious and free of charge! Can it get any better?

AROMATHERAPY NECKLACE

  I have been asked a lot about aromatherapy jewelry for those who do not have their ears pierced. Well, here is the solution: aromatherapy necklace!

Now available on Nelland Boutique!

  It took a lot of research to find the proper type of pendant, because I want all my jewelry to be first and foremost be safe to wear. Essential oils are so strong, that I do not want to risk their contact with the skin.
  This pendant is solid in the back, so it will not leak any oil when in touch with clothing or the skin. The front is abundantly cut open for the oil to evaporate through, while still protecting clothes from staining.
  I fixed the pendant to the middle of the chain, so that it always stays in place, keeping the lock in it´s place in the neck as well.

  I welcome this new type of aromatherapy jewelry to my collection with open arms! On days when I want to wear teeny tiny stud earrings (on which it is impossible to add essential oil), I can now boost my being with aromatherapy via my new necklace! Cool!

  Check out more on Nelland Boutique on Etsy!

FREEDOM FASHION: THE WHITE TEE

  A white t-shirt is as basic as a shirt can get, and a staple in any garderobe. Here´s my version of it, the long-sleeved way.

Worn casually with a pair of jeans, this look is a classic. What it does best is showcase the bearer´s own characteristics, by being so plain itself. I go with a super natural look with minimal makeup and accessories.

Couldn´t help adding a small twist to it... =)

The right side seam is longer than the left, and is then pulled together with a strip of elastic band, stretching the band while sewing.

The wrinkling effect goes around the waistline giving detail to the back too.

To maximize the glowing light effect of the bright white fabric, I wear minimal makeup with this shirt. Only off-white matte eyeshadow on the inner corner of the moving eyelids, a little mascara, and clear lipgloss.

Here´s the reason why I never wear bright white at home...  =)

  A classic white t-shirt, especially when fitted rather tightly, is an eternal fountain of youth. It simply looks fresh and energetic, and makes a timeless pretty staple. Me like!

BELTANE BLAST- SALAD

It is that time of the year again - wild edible greens time! Super charged with nature´s own vitamins and minerals, they are a true superfood. Eating wild, non-cultivated foods is the most environmentally friendly way to go, not to mention nutritious!

This bunch is mostly goutweed, with a few leaves of dandelion along in it. To chop it, I first rolled it into a tight ball, and then simply sliced/chopped it thinly with a knife.

Young, fresh white cabbage is another of Beltane´s treasures I crave each year. Compared to the "usual"/old head of white cabbage, this is more leafy, mild tasting, and less fibrous. Slicing it with a knife works well for making a salad, whereas the old heads need to be shaved or grated.

Mixing the two greens and serving with organic, home made rye & spelt bread makes a powerful lunch that´ll provide strength and happiness until dinner time.

  The recipe for the salad (serves two hungry people):

2 cups of mild-tasting wild edible greens (or 1 cup stronger ones)
1/2 head of fresh, young white cabbage, finely sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
black pepper to taste

+ Toss and mix in the seasonings. Serve.


  The recipe for the bread (makes 12 pieces):

2 cups water, slightly above lukewarm
1 cup wholemeal rye flour
1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
3 oz. (10g) dried yeast
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup cold pressed sunflower oil (or other mild tasting kind)
more spelt flour, until a soft dough is formed

+ Combine the first six ingredients, mixing well. Add the oil and then more spelt flour until you get a dough you can easily roll onto a baking sheet lined oven tray with a rolling pin. Sprinkle a little flour onto the baking sheet, roll with the pin to cover the whole oven tray. Take a fork and poke some holes into the dough so it won´t rise high in the middle, then take a pizza cutter and roll three lines vertically and two horizontally over the dough, so once baked, it is easy to bend the slices apart from each other.
  Bake at 400 Fahrenheit (200 Celcius) for 25 min.

  Today I had this with bancha tea, and felt healthy and invigorated afterwords. I think I´ll make it my Beltane staple from now on!