Hello everyone! I hope you’re all doing well this week. I’m sorry it’s been so long since I did a Breakfast and a Book post. I don’t seem to have very many interesting recipes to share with you all, but I think once fall rolls around I’ll be baking more and I’ll have some good recipes to share.
I decided to go out and forage for some plants to make some fresh juice this morning. I love doing this first thing in the morning. It’s very grounding and relaxing just listening to the different sounds around you in nature.
Here are some of the plants I chose. With a few, I forgot to take pictures, but you can see them all in the final picture.
- Purslane – growing right in my landscaping! Look for this plant in sidewalk cracks. It’s actually a succulent and a miracle plant in my opinion. Tons of nutrition!
- Dandelion Greens– Contains vitamin A and very cleansing.
- Lemon Balm – a tasty herb from the mint family. Great for anxiety. Easy to grow and comes back every year.
- Mountain Mint – great for colds and indigestion
- Beets – from the greenhouse. I’ll use the beets peeled and also a few of the greens.
- Kale – still growing like crazy in the greenhouse even with all the heat. It tastes great.
- I also added in a pear, a few apples, and a lemon. You can see the mountain mint there in the center of the cutting board. This mint grows like crazy but isn’t as invasive as others. Also, the dandelion greens are on the left.
I juiced all the ingredients and strained it all over again to get a nice smooth juice. Isn’t the color amazing?
I paired this with some super sweet watermelon for breakfast this morning. Watermelon contains vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and it’s extremely hydrating. It was a great start to my day.
A Mother’s Goodbye
by
From Goodreads:
‘My arms ache with the need to reach and hold my precious child, and then to never let go. But I can’t. I know I can’t.’
Heather is devastated. There’s no way she can keep her baby. She can barely pay the bills as it is. But when she meets Grace, a wealthy, single career woman, who wants a baby more than anything, Heather believes she has found the perfect adoptive mother.
As Grace and Heather’s lives become entwined, they are tested to breaking point, though neither can deny the other’s love for the child. But just when they think they are learning how to live with each other, they receive devastating news that turns their fragile world upside down.
Will either mother know what is the right thing to do for the child they both love?
An absolutely gripping, emotional drama with a tear-jerking twist. If you love Jodi Picoult, Kelly Rimmer or Diane Chamberlain, this will warm your heart, make you cry, and stay with you forever.
My thoughts so far:
I requested this one on NetGalley as soon as I saw it. Jodi Picoult is a favorite author and after reading the recommendation on the blurb, it seemed like a perfect book for me. I’m not even at 10% yet, but I think this is going to be really good. The beginning pretty much covers Heather’s story. She doesn’t think she can keep the baby she’s carrying due to her financial status and her husband is pretty much leaving the issue in her hands. I’ve seen some great reviews for this book and I’m hopeful!
Find this book on Goodreads
Thanks for checking out Breakfast and a Book! Have a great week everyone and happy foraging!!
ReadRantRock&Roll 
A sweet breakfast to pair with a bittersweet book! Your juice sounds and looks AMAZING! The book sounds like a real tear jerker!
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The book was so hard to read at times! Will review soon. The juice is delicious. I’ve had it twice more since lol. Thanks so much for checking out the post. ❤
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Beautiful post 😍👌
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Thank you. ❤
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Your breakfast looks amazing and A Mothers Goodbye is one of those books that stay with you. Let me know if you enjoy it.xx
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The book was incredibly sad. I’ll review it soon. Thank you. 🙂
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Can’t say I’ve read any Jodi Piccoult, but I sure am looking forward to my first good watermelon of the season – probably my favorite fruit. And the color looks delicious, Mischenko!
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You might like some of her books. I’ve enjoyed most of them. This book was so very sad, but I’ll be looking to read more from this author. I was really pulled into it, even though it was hard to read it at times. ❤
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You are so full of useful information! I had no idea that the pretty green things that grow everywhere—in the landscaping rocks, in my potted plants, etc. was called purslane and that it’s edible. I’m going to go pick some right now. Yay! Great post, M! 😊
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Aww, thank you so much, Bonnie! Purslane is everywhere. It’s so easy to identify which is another reason why I love it. I like to be sure I’m eating something that isn’t going to poison me haha. I hope you found some and enjoyed it! ❤ Thank you for checking out the post.
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Really excited to read this one too! I hope you enjoy the rest of it. Have a great day 🤗💕
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Thanks, Deanna. ❤ It was great…just so sad. Will review soon. Have a great week!
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I have seen a lot of reviews for the book and I think it will be bittersweet, but good. I am not sure about the juicing thing. So many of the ingredients in your recipe that I am not a fan of.
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You might like the juice! Pretty much all you taste is the beets and sweetness. So yummy. It’s worth a try.
The book just about killed me. I’ll review soon. ❤ Have a great week, Carla.
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I have this book, read the first few pages, realized I am gonna cry…. I became a coward and shifted to another book… I need a strong day to read this.
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Oh, I couldn’t agree more. You definitely need to have a strong mindset at the time. It made me cry about four times and I had to put it down a few times. Let me know your thoughts when you read it. Thanks, Shalini. ❤
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Life is a little difficult now Mischenko. So I need happy books or thrillers, something to distract me from the ongoing problems. Onwards and forwards.
But I will read it and get back to you.
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The juice looks very tasty – well done for knowing so much about plants!
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Thanks, Renee. This plant is an easy one lol. I certainly have a lot to learn 🙂 ❤
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Yay, a Breakfast and a Book post- my favorite!!! You continue to amaze me with your resourcefulness and all you know about healthful eating. I have not noticed if I have purslane here. I will watch for it now. Seeing your beet reminded me of the cotton candy juice! I will be watching for your final thoughts on the book! I am trying so hard not to request more because I went overboard for my summer reading! Xo 😘
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Aww, thank you! You are too kind, friend. I would say this does taste similar to the cotton candy juice! It’s super sweet. Apples and beets are so wonderful together, imo. I’ll review the book this week. So very sad… ❤
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I love the color of the juice! And the watermelon looks delicious!! That book sounds super sad, but I am glad you are liking it so far!
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It is delicious for sure. The book is so very sad. If you cry easily, I say be prepared! ❤ Thank you!
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Another inspiring breakfast 😉
Those colours look amazing and so healthy.
Good luck with the book. I can’t handle such a heart wrenching read at the moment.
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Thanks, Nina! I probably should’ve waited to read this one as well. I totally couldn’t handle it, yet I’m still so glad to have read it. ❤ Have a great week.
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Holy smokes, I’m so impressed with you! I’m just learning how to grow all these veggies (many of the ones you mentioned), and you seem to have it all down! I actually just ripped a whole bunch of lemon balm from our garden because it was taking over. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken so much of it out, but the little bit I have left will probably reproduce quickly, right? Eek, I hope so… 😬
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You know your plants! On an unrelated note: I’ve never seen the Reddit plugin before – maybe my WP theme doesn’t support it. Can I ask which theme you’re using. Thx!
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