Bring the Spring!

Spring is not only a beautiful time of year, but also it's a time ripe with opportunities for Runnin' Lean!  Everything is fresh and in bloom, and it's the perfect time to take advantage of all that nature has to offer.  We've already made a couple of batches of wild violet jam and dandelion jelly as well as a dandelion tea.  The dandelions are plentiful (as they always are this time of year ;) and I'm going to try my hand at some wine too!  A little later in the season, dandelions will also be a great source of greens.  These are all concoctions that are new to us, but I have to say that the jam, jelly, and tea have all been hits.  We'll have to wait six weeks to see how the wine turns out, but I have high hopes.  The Internet has been a great recipe resource for all of these projects.  So far, as with most things...the simplest ideas have been the best.  Not only has everything worked perfectly thus far,(minus a needed pectin boost for the dandelion jelly) the ingredients have been inexpensive to non-existent.