My DIY nature is pretty rampant. It’s to the point where whenever I see something I like I don’t think about buying it I try to figure out how to make it. That is what leads us to today’s experiment. I was on a the Primal Toad Blog and saw a review of a product called CacomoJoe Joe Bars. They are an organic 100% paleo bars. I though they would make an awesome alternative to Lara bars. Not that I don’t like Lara bars and if you want to save some money my buddy at Florida Hillbilly has a homemade recipe for them here. So of course I wanted to try to make my own Joe bars.
I have a news flash. Fat is not bad nor does it (by itself) make you fat. Fat does not lead to obesity. I know this. I have known this a long time, but it didn’t stop me from limiting my fat intake. I had been eating to many lean meats and was puzzled at my lack of weight loss. After some critical self analyzing I figured out the issue and have thus added it back. Let me share my love of fats with you.
For today I have a special guest post from TinMan has left the most amazing well informed comments on my blog. He has a blog called Belfire Botanicals where he writes great articles on Herbalism and wild edibles. Enjoy today’s post and check out TinMan’s site.
Wild Times Dinner
By
The TinMan
The other night I
invited a friend (of like prepper mind) over for dinner. When she arrived, she
asked what was on the menue. I said we need to take a walk first. To
build an appetite? She asked. No, we’re going out to the edge of the woods and
forage for our supper. There was suddenly a look of interest and terror. I live
on a 65 acre herb farm and know where all the wild weeds thrive. With a garden
basket and my trusty handmade Puukko
knife, we walked out behind the bee hives on the edge of a field. I found the Wild
Lambs Quarter (aka: Goosefoot or Pigweed)
Wild Lambs Quarter
I snipped 2 fairly
large stalks full of small tender leaves. We continued to walk. Growing in the
shade under a large pecan tree I found some “Five Finger Ivy” aka Virginia
Creeper.
“Five Finger Ivy” aka Virginia Creeper
I gathered a few good handfuls of the leaf clusters and
placed them in a basket.
Next on our walk is some low lying common Chickweed,
(Stellaria)
Chickweed
Near the garden gate there is a large patch of very lemon
flavored Wild Sorrel.
Wild Sorrel.
(Photo’s courtesy of ‘wilderness-survival and
wildcrafting.net)
As I walked by the garden a snatched a pinch of garden thyme
and yanked an onion out of the soil.
I put all the
‘veggies in the sink and washed them off with cold well water. I started to trim
the leaves off the Lambs Quarter and placed them in the colander. I did the
same with the Virginia Creeper. I chopped it fairly small as it tends to be
somewhat fibrous and can be tough to chew if the leaves are too big. But
regardless of the size of the leaves, the flavor of Virginia Creeper is
fantastic as a wild edible. I chopped the creeper and the Chickweed to small
pieces and set it aside to let it all drain well in the colander.
Next, I started the Preparation.
I started a pan of water to boil to make about 2 cups of Penne
Pasta.
Cooked and set aside to drain.
Meanwhile, I had sauteed the finely chopped onion in Olive oil, added
Garlic till everything was translucent.
I added a couple of small tomatoes, diced and added the veggies from the
colander. I covered the skillet and let everything wilt and blend under low
heat.
I added the sauteed veggies, onion and garlic to the Penne
Pasta and tossed it well to blend. I put it all in a serving bowl added some
salt and pepper then sprinkled Parmesan Cheese.
Oh, I can’t forget the Garlic Bread in the oven.
My friend gave me a big “Wow! This is fantastic”
The flavors blend perfectly, slightly citrus flavored,
spicy/ tangy and goes well with a bit of Pasta of your choice. Make sure you
have enough olive oil on hand to drizzle over a serving if it appears to dry.
I figured the whole meal cost about 1 dollar, is very
nutritious, loaded with vitamins and minerals. And our Wild Times Dinner was a big
hit with
my prepper minded friends.TinMan
Up today is another Meals for the week and its a delicious one. On the menu is minute steaks, ground turkey taco authenticos, Beef chunks tacos authenticos and thick cut boneless pork chops. The veggies this week are spinach, cauliflower “rice” and broccoli. Total prep time for eight meals was about 1 hour. So lets get cooking.
Because of some things popping up I had been a bit short on money and did not want to use any savings or cash stash. The only thing I needed was lunch at work for one day. Well I have food storage so lets hit the pantry and whip up something delicious and Paleo friendly.
