Whoops, forgot that I’m addicted to Lapsong Souchong tea. Feel very tired and grumpy. No headache, but I’m so sluggish. In fact, I took a nap on the hard tile floor of my office this afternoon.
Also, as I munch down my amazing! delicious! geotrichum-rind cheese (thanks, Allison) made from Bebe’s ever-loving udder, I’m wondering if this will be cleansing at all. Will find out. Maybe I’ll patent an all-cheese diet.
Ate an entire jar of plums and am wondering about the consequences of that. Followed by a lot of broccoli. Then more cheese. Hmm.
Decided the salt thing is too much work, I don’t have the time to go to the ocean. So I’m sticking with the Red Diamond. Next time, I promise!
Have a rabbit defrosting in the fridge. Will be frying that tonight in duck fat. Served with greens and some ‘kraut.
Best discovery: nettle tea is really lovely.
The Urban Orchardist 
Last time I tried to grow nettles for tea, my husband thought they were just weeds and got all stung when he grabbed a big bunch to yank them out. Maybe I will try again, with a nice big sign next to them, BEWARE OF WEEDS.
i drank nettle tea last night too! i do it for pms, works wonders. i like it’s green taste, almost like a mild seaweed. you could make a miso-like soup with the rabbit broth (because i know you will make a deliscious broth with the bones afterwards) and some nettle leaves. carrot tops, celery tops (do you have that planted?) and cabbage leaves make a really good detox soup. i can send you some recipes if you want. it’s a great time to do a spring clean!!
Have to look into the nettle tea – interesting.
That combination of cheese, broc and plums might put your stomach in overdrive – be careful! How did you ever break the coffee habit? Or did you ever have one?
jessica; oh yeah, they hurt.
riana; i have a big batch of bunny broth! that’s a good idea to add some nettles.
sarah; i used to be addicted to coffee, especially when i lived in seattle. then one day after my 36th birthday i just didn’t “need” it anymore. i think the love affair just ran its course. then i started drinking strong black tea.
The HunterAnglerGardenerCook blog had a neat thing about nettle pasta, but I guess that wouldn’t work unless you were growing your own grain.
Nettles are also a good addition to your compost pile, or you can ferment them into a – crap! I can’t remember what it’s called, but you have to do it with rain water or they won’t ferment. The liquid can be diluted and poured at the roots, or diluted further and applied as a foliar spray. Makes your veggies super strong and fairly insect resistant.
I’m hoping to grow a nettle patch way back in the corner, and fortunately, nettle is one weed my husband recognizes- he grew up in Germany and they’re all over the place there, plus they use them more than do Americans.
Oh yeah- it’s called a purin- see info here: http://www.frenchgardening.com/tech.html?pid=309088884143
I suspect the cheese will balance out the plum action. And the all cheese diet sounds brilliant. Now that’s a diet I can abide by 🙂
It’s fairly common to use ashes as a source of culinary sodium. Especially purslane.
If you harvest purslane with the intent to burn it, you can hang it to dry over paper or cloth and collect the seeds to eat: they hurry through and reproduce, even if they weren’t flowering when you harvested them.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s in season yet. But it does seem less time- and energy-intensive than going to a clean part of the coast.
Hey Novella, good luck on the 100 hundred yard diet 2.0. What are you doing for carbs this time around?
hey a. acres; i’ve got potatoes and beautiful winter squash. also some more dried corn…
good lord, Novella, you are a brave gal. Best of luck. Muffin-top be gone. I’m glad you’re at least cheating with the salt. You’re a stronger women than me — I would cheat with chocolate. Maybe you could grow some reeeelly quickly?
BTW, our chicks are growing like they’re on steroids. Amazing, really.