mini- adventure time!

Dragonflies, seaweed, kayaks, OH MY!

Are you looking for an adventure? Look no farther than Terry Trueblood Recreation Area which is just 2 miles south of Iowa City! 

Fin & Feather H2O opened it's concession and boat rental stand up one year ago (June of 2013). The land was originally bought in 2006 and according to the icgov.org page, the area was once a sand and gravel quarry. Its most recent improvements have been F&F H2O and a lodge that can be rented for special events.

The lodge is destined to become the next hot wedding venue. Seriously check it out.

The area also sports a playground and several new shelters that are positioned at different points of the lake. The Iowa River Corridor Trail will lead bicyclists to Terry Trueblood (the name is so fun to say) which loops around the lake or it's a quick drive outside of city limits.

Usually I ride my bicycle or in-line skate around the lake but this week, I have gone both kayaking and paddle boarding. (I just can't get enough!) They also offer canoe and paddle boat rentals. 

Make sure you have your receipt sent to an email, this is how you start a digital punch card. The 10th punch offers a discount on your next rental! 

For more information about the rentals: 
https://www.facebook.com/FinFeatherH2o

"Weeds" in my garden.

Wood Sorrel (Buttercups) and Lambs Quarters

Wild edibles is a more accurate name for these weeds I found in my garden. I don't pull them up! I eat them in my salads. 

I grew up eating buttercups (wood sorrel) all summer long. I would eat the flowers, the heart shaped leaves and the seedpods that we dubbed pickles. They are wonderfully sour. Only eat a small amount at a time due to oxalic acid. 

Lambs Quarters are a wild mineral-dense treat I learned about as an adult. It can be eaten raw but not too much because it contains oxalic acid. Cooking the greens removes the acid and thus makes it safe to eat large quantities. The flavor is comparable to spinach and kale and can be used interchangeably.  If you like those greens, you'll like lambs quarters. This plant was introduced to the U.S. by British settlers and was once highly regarded as food for humans and livestock.

Source: http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener/Summer2011/Lambsquarters/tabid/1929/Default.aspx