I'm Grateful for . . .

It's true. Every person we come across in our lives has touched it. Whether the experiences shared are positive ones you can be inspired from or negative ones we can learn to avoid. But I'm not posting to talk about any negative things. This sweet girl above, my former roommate, Debbie, is one of the sweetest and wisest girls I know. She knows quite a bit about soil and vegetables and different plants. I believe frugality is one of her talents also. And she's a very giving person. It's funny. Back in the day, I always poked fun at her "silly hobbies" never realizing that one day, some of those would become some of the things I am most passionate about. So, I'm grateful for Debbie, for inspiring me in ways I might not otherwise have ever known.

This summer, Alex has gone through some crazy job transitions and has finally started to settle into a really promising one. But while all this was going on, money was tight and so our budget got tighter. Debbie's father-in-law apparently has a huge garden and had plenty to give away and so I was really excited when she asked if anyone wanted some because her kitchen looked like a farmer's market. I'm sad I only got an after picture, but twice this summer I walked away with a trunk full of fresh, home-grown produce. The picture above is what was left after I had raided her kitchen. She probably has no idea but for weeks, we literally thrived off zucchini and summer squash in salads and veggie stews. It was really yummy and literally saved us from having to go into debt to feed our family. So I'm grateful for Debbie's father-in-law.

She also linked us up to a guy who taught a wild edibles class out in Eagle Mountain. That was probably one of the most educational, fascinating, and inspiring classes I've ever attended. I had no idea Utah had so many wild edibles flourishing all over. I learned quite a lot, gnawing away at some plants with very unique flavors along the way. The above plant is called dock. It's quite like lettuce with a limey flavor to it. Super yummy.

This is the part that grows above the leaves so you can tell they're dock.

This happens to be amaranth.

And this is some kind of wild sage.

We learned that sunflower petals are edible and they taste good too. Just like sunflower seeds. Well, the texture is different. It's a petal but they taste just like the seeds and are great for throwing on salads.

We also came across wild spinach or lambsquarters, so named because of how fat they made a sheep's rear end grow. Interesting bit of info.

Also, the state flower, the sego lily, is completely edible and super nutritious but don't let anyone in Utah catch you eating one. It's apparently illegal. Who goes around eating sego lillies anyways? But they grow in other places outside of Utah too in case you're craving a sego lily.

I suppose I was just really excited to share this info. I wonder how much money this would save a lot of people if they knew fresh produce was growing wild and available almost anywhere. And people that get lost in the wild could probably live for days just foraging for such plants. Crazy. I think many members of the church could benefit from a wild edibles class, not just for good health, but as a survival method. On top of food storage, you could also have fresh things to pluck and consume free of charge. I've always wanted to learn more about foraging and am thrilled to keep on learning. I would love to spread the word about this and help others learn about wild edibles some more. So, among the many things that I'm grateful for, this is just one more. New knowledge and wisdom that sets me free and allows me to think beyond the box a little. Thanks so much Debbie for sending me that link and for sharing with our family so many fresh goodies. Both Alex and myself were so excited for it all.