Nettles The Needles Sting

Written by Judi Singleton


Spring is a time of rebirthrepparttar plants all put on new green overcoats andrepparttar 138310 babies are born torepparttar 138311 animals. As I road along today out inrepparttar 138312 country seeing, colts, calves, and lambs it reminded me that now isrepparttar 138313 time to plantrepparttar 138314 new seeds of intention for my life. Now isrepparttar 138315 time to plant seeds of intentions and actions in your life. You can energetically transform right alongsiderepparttar 138316 growth ofrepparttar 138317 plants andrepparttar 138318 birth of new life. While I was out on my adventure inrepparttar 138319 country today I saw one ofrepparttar 138320 wonderous plants all around me sprout their new greenery. One of these wasrepparttar 138321 nettle which is a plant I love it is wonderful for making herbal vinegar. It is easy to identify. The jagged leaves held in pairs alongrepparttar 138322 square stems are easily recognisable particularly after having experiencedrepparttar 138323 sting. The nettle sting, will wear off in a few hours. Nature always provides a natural remedy close at hand. The leaves ofrepparttar 138324 dock contain chemicals that neutraliserepparttar 138325 sting and also coolrepparttar 138326 skin. The nettles sting is actually used as a treatment for arthritic joints!

Where didrepparttar 138327 nettle get its name? Problably from thatrepparttar 138328 'nettle' is derived from Noedl meaning a needle - referringrepparttar 138329 needle like sting.

Because very few grazing animals will touch nettle because ofrepparttar 138330 sting it is a great place for butterflies to raise their young. One will findrepparttar 138331 small tortoiseshell and peacock butterfly larvae which feed in large groups hidden in silken tents atrepparttar 138332 top ofrepparttar 138333 nettle stems. In late summerrepparttar 138334 huge quantity of seed produced provide a food source for many of our seed eating birds. Not only insects and birds are benefited by nettles but when dried into hay horses and cows feed on it. In Sweden nettles is raised for dairy cows it increases milk production. Horse breeder feed it because it is so good forrepparttar 138335 horses coat. If you are wondering why anyone would eat nettles having experienced their sting,repparttar 138336 sting goes away with cooking. You can enjoy nettle leaves in soup, steam them when they are young and picked before they flower just like spinach or kale. Nettles are reportedly high in calcium, iron, magnesium, chromium, potassium, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D and K. Nettles are said to nourishrepparttar 138337 adrenal glands, and are also rich in carotene. You can preserverepparttar 138338 nettles for winter several ways. Nettle vinegar can be made by soaking fresh herbs in white vinegar. The vinegar leachesrepparttar 138339 calcium and other minerals out ofrepparttar 138340 nettles, and then you can sprinklerepparttar 138341 vinegar on salads, veggies, stir fry. Purple nettles will tintrepparttar 138342 vinegar a nice rose hue. You can use nettles in any recipe calling for spinach. Userepparttar 138343 leftover water as a hair rinse. For centuries, nettles have been used for medicinal purposes. They have beneficial influence on various body systems, includingrepparttar 138344 lungs, kidneys, skin, and blood. The herb has been recognized for its ability to stop bleeding, relieve mucous congestion and water retention, and improve skin irritations. It is considered to be an excellent blood purifier. Try some of these interesting Nettles recipes: Pasta with Nettles and Parmesan

3-4 cups fresh nettles

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small hot red pepper

1 pound pasta (traditionally penne, pennette, or rigatoni)

1. Washrepparttar 138345 nettles and put in salted boiling water for about seven minutes.

2. While they are cooking, put olive oil, garlic, and hot pepper into a frying pan over medium heat for three to four minutes.

3. Removerepparttar 138346 cooked nettles fromrepparttar 138347 boiling water and put intorepparttar 138348 frying pan withrepparttar 138349 garlic and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until excess water has evaporated andrepparttar 138350 nettles are coated with oil.

4. Userepparttar 138351 waterrepparttar 138352 nettles were boiled in to cookrepparttar 138353 pasta. When pasta is al dente (chewy), drain and toss withrepparttar 138354 cooked nettles. Serve with fresh grated parmesan. Serves four.

Potato Nettle Soup

200 Nettle Leaves (young shoots) 1 Sml Onion 6 Small Potatoes 250ml Water 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tsp Parsley 3 Cloves Garlic

Method Puree onion, garlic, and nettles with 1 cup of water. Cut potatoes into small pieces. Simmer pureed mixture with potatoes and remaining water for 45 minutes or until tender. Use a potato masher to mashrepparttar 138355 potatoes makingrepparttar 138356 soup thick and creamy.

Olde English Nettle Pudding

An old English recipe, which is not a dessert but a hearty main dish. Userepparttar 138357 English teacup measurement again. Volume of one of these is approximately 250ml Water torepparttar 138358 top.

Method In a bowl addrepparttar 138359 ingredients below:-

2 Cups Cooked & Chopped Nettle Greens 1 Cup Chopped Onion 1 Cup Chopped Broccoli or Green Cabbage 200g Raw Rice, 1 Cup Minced Beef (omit this if veggie) ½ Cup Suet (beef or vegetarian).

How to Decorate Your Garden Using Profound Garden Statues that Bring Your Yard to Life

Written by Candice Pardue


Garden statues are commonly used to enhancerepparttar look and feel of a garden or yard. Many people use them to reflect a favorite character, theme or animal. Using garden statues that you'll enjoy for many years is one key to success for your beautiful garden decor.

How to Chooserepparttar 138007 Right Garden Statues

Selectingrepparttar 138008 proper garden statues for your particular decor isrepparttar 138009 first step, and not one to be taken lightly. You'll probably keep your garden statues for many years to come, so you'll want to be sure and choose statues that you will love!

There are several different types of statues available. Metal, concrete and copper are three ofrepparttar 138010 most common. Copper is becoming popular quickly due to its ability to endure harsh weather without cracking (such as can occur with concrete) or rusting (which can occur with metal). The choice is yours, however, depending solely onrepparttar 138011 look you wish to accomplish with your statues.

Note About Copper: With age and weathering, copper will only increase in beauty. Instead of rusting,repparttar 138012 copper will turn a greenish tint which will enhance your garden even more. This is perhaps one ofrepparttar 138013 greatest advantages of using copper statues.

Selecting a Theme for Your Garden Decor

Many people makerepparttar 138014 mistake of adding all different types and themes of statues to their yard or garden decor. This only causes your yard to appear disorganized. Choosing an overall theme for your yard or garden decor will help you to decorate with style and also simplifiesrepparttar 138015 process.

For example, if you decide to decorate your yard with a "bird" theme, you could find statues with birds, birdhouses, flowers, trees, etc. The purpose of finding a theme is to help create a certain mood in your garden. Another theme idea is "angels", which could be topped off by statues of different sizes and shapes, children angel figures as well as grown angel figures, creative religious statues that go well withrepparttar 138016 angel statues. Your only limit isrepparttar 138017 sky!

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