I’m sorry if all my recipes lately aren’t exactly recipes you would make for dinner! I mean, my Sore Throat Remedy isn’t even something most people would even need in summer.

This one, however, isn’t because I’m sick, but because I have decided I need to eat better. But I’m not fond of greens. I really dislike cooked greens. Yuck! Okay, I had cooked spinach once that was so good I took seconds, but it was cooked with coconut milk and onions and garlic or something, but as a general rule, I don’t like cooked greens.

Then on a walk recently I saw some mullein and thought of something we had done briefly in my teenage years. By briefly, I mean for a few days. But it really impressed me. We made green drinks. Mom would go out and pick random edible greens (I distinctly remember alfalfa being one of them), blend them with water, strain them with a fine mesh strainer, add a little pineapple juice to make it palatable, and drink it. I remember it wasn’t so bad with enough pineapple juice.

My thoughts went something like this: This would be a great way of getting more greens in my diet without having to eat a lot more food. Plus if I could get most of the greens from outside, it wouldn’t break my budget either!

Mullein

So on a walk one sunny afternoon, I picked 4 big (but not too big) mullein leaves. When I got home, I added a couple of kale leaves I had on hand, water, and blended them. When it was rather fine, I strained it out into a strainer, dumped the fiber back in the jar, added more water, blended some more, then strained again. Then I added a tiny bit of pineapple juice, divided it in half (because it was too much for me), and gave some to my husband and drank the other half.

As I was blending it, I saw a dandy lion plant outside—you know, the kind with smooth leaves, and thought I should have put some of that in too. But I didn’t this time. Next time I will. When I don’t have kale or spinach or some other store-bought green on hand, I’ll get all my ingredients from outdoors. Summer is such a good time for that.

I guess I already gave the recipe above, but here it is in case you want to print it:

Green Drink

A handful or two of greens—edible weeds are the best
Enough pineapple juice to make it palatable (though other kinds of juice could work) or try throwing in a carrot or an apple

Blend with as much water as needed so that it blends freely. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (a cloth is not necessary). If you want to, blend the fiber with more water. Add juice and drink.

 I dare you to try it!