EAT SPROUTED GRAINS, SEEDS, NUTS, etc., whenever possible

I don't usually post other people's articles however, below is a link to a post about consuming sprouted foods (which I eat regularly) from my favorite on-line market, (where I purchase 90% of my pantry staples at a reduced price - and they deliver direct to my front door in a few days.). I love Thrive Market!

why-you-should-be-eating-sprouted-foods

Sunflower Greens -- nutrient dense

 

These beauties are Sunflower micro greens.   They are easy to grow and wonderful to eat.   I enjoy growing them in my kitchen.  My neighbor grows broccoli micro greens, so we trade.   I enjoy putting these gems in a variety of dishes (salads, on avocado toast, sprinkled atop many dishes and soups).  Did you know that micro greens are a superfood?

I like to grow herbs

When I was a child my Grandfather showed me how to grow basic veggies (tomatoes, carrots, radishes)  in our backyard garden.   Now I like to grow herbs, especially oregano!

Healing spices: herbs such as basil, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme, and spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, hot peppers, star anise and turmeric.

Tomorrow I harvest home grown sunflower sprouts

Fresh homegrown sunflower sprouts are a delight in a salad, on a sandwich or as a nice touch as a garnishment to create an eye appealing plate.  I decided to try my hand at growing my own.  I purchased the seeds at my favorite market in Santa Monica, "The Co-opportunity Market".   I soaked 3/4 cup of the seeds overnight then lined a large plate with parchment and spread out some organic potting soil on it.   I sprinkled the seeds atop the soil, gave it a good water spray, then covered it with wet newspaper (yes, that's right, newspaper) then put it in a large dark brown lawn and leaf bag. I placed this in a dark closet for 3 days then I uncovered the brown bag and saw little sprouts popping up.  I placed this in the sun outside and sprayed it with water every day for 4 days and now I have wonderful sprouts for my next salad.  This was a fun project and I love that I get to have a supply of sprouts for the next several days.  If you love sunflower sprouts growing your own is fun, easy and economical.

Home Grown Herbs

I love fresh herbs, there’s just nothing quite like them. That’s why I have a planter box herb garden on my east facing balcony, just off my kitchen. It gets good morning and early afternoon sun exposure, perfect for the delicate herbs. My favorite “handyman” and friend, Mark, was kind enough to anchor the wooden planter box onto my balcony railing. My herbs are thriving in this space. On the left is Greek oregano, parsley in the middle, and thyme on the far right end. It is such a delight to snip a few sprigs of fresh herbs for a recipe I am making, right then and there! I find that my herbs are even better tasting and more fragrant than the ones I have purchased at a market…..I think it’s because mine are so very fresh. Many times I don’t even cook the herbs, I just wash, dry, chop and sprinkle them on pasta or brown basmati rice or a salad.
Oh, and by the way, this is my very first photo from my new (and very first) digital camera! Last month I mentioned in this blog that I didn’t have any fancy photos because I’m not a photographer, I’m a chef. Well, my favorite housemate, Danny, gifted me a wonderful digital camera and now I’m on a mission to learn how to use it and play with it. I’m amazed that this tiny device (gosh, it’s only 2-1/4” by 3-1/2”) takes stills and video. Don’t you just love technology? Now I can take photos of my meal and recipe creations for you.