Sprouting Edible Seeds

Thanks to Wardeh, at GNOWFGLINS™, last year I finally learned to sprout my own seeds for eating. Why didn't I do this sooner?! I mean, it's easy; no... seriously... really EASY!! Sometimes I over analyze things and make it harder than it really is, but in this case, just being able to see her do this on video made all the pieces fit together. I finally achieved success and started sprouting on a routine basis. 

Why sprout your own seeds? 
Nutrients, baby! Lots of great nutrients: antioxidants, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and even protein, just to name a few of the many benefits. Also, when seeds are soaked and sprouted, the phytic acid, which inhibits mineral absorption, is neutralized. And during the winter when root vegetables abound, it's nice to have something fresh, green, and living to add to your diet.


What can you do with sprouts? 
Lots. Most people like them best on salads, but they're also good on sandwiches or on chicken salad and things like that. You can also barely sprout bean seeds and use them in soup or as the bean ingredient in bean dips. Some people even let the beans or seeds sprout and then dehydrate them and eventually grind them to use as a flour substitute. I'm finding that I actually like sprouts as a salad itself (no lettuce). Just add things like onion, tomato, nuts, or anything else you would like on a regular salad.


How do you sprout seeds? 
There are several ways to do this using any number of devices and equipment. I'm going to show you my favorite which also is the easiest and least expensive in my opinion (I've tried a couple).

Sprouting Seeds - The Jar Method


1 quart wide mouth canning jar
1 set of 3 Screen Sprouting Lids
1 canning storage cap
2 - 3 T. of sprouting seeds, organic and non-GMO

* I have used Sprout People as my supplier of sprouting needs for a couple of years and have been extremely pleased with their products. I do not have a working relationship with them and receive no compensation for recommending their items. I just like their products; this is what they DO. It's not a side to another business or a part of a larger vision. Sprouting seeds IS their vision.

1. Place seeds in jar, attach the appropriate size lid based on your seed size. You want the seeds to stay in the jar, not come out. Fill jar with cool water until it more than covers the seeds. I usually fill the jar about 3/4 full. Allow to sit over night or about 8 hours.


2. The next morning, pour out water and rinse seeds really well. Do this several times as the seeds will have colored the water slightly. I usually do this until it comes off clear. Drain well in your dish rack or in some way to allow the remaining water to drain off. Then lay the jar on it's side in a dark corner of your kitchen, spreading the seeds in the jar by shaking it a bit. You want them to be moist, but not wet, and air to circulate around them. And it doesn't have to be super dark, just on the counter in a corner is perfect.


3. Repeat step 2 twice a day until sprouted to your liking. This usually takes about 3 days but it can be as much as 5. Once the seeds start to produce the "sprout", you can move it to a brighter spot with indirect sunlight or gentle sunlight to green them up a bit, but avoid too much direct sunlight or it will dry the little sprouts out and they'll die. Be sure to rinse more often if the temperature in your kitchen is warm and they appear to be drying out. Just think of these as mini plants that need to stay moist. If you do a lot of seeds at once, you'll find they bunch up and the ones in the middle stay too wet. Just use a fork to break them up and next time, reduce the number of seeds per jar.


4. When the sprouts are about the size you desire, do not rinse on the next occasion, but instead, replace the lid with a cap and move them to the refrigerator.

One of my favorite sprout varieties,

"French Garden" from Sprout People

This is just one of many things I learned in Wardeh's Fundamentals eCourse at GNOWFGLINS™, and she does a much better job teaching about this than I have in this short post. I want to encourage you to give her eCourse a try, or sign up for her Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese Class starting in February.



There's so much more to sprouting; different types of seeds, beans, grains as well as techniques and uses. And this has just scratched the surface. But it's enough to get you started and the investment is minimal. Why not give it a try? 


If you've sprouted seeds before, what kind are your favorite and how do you use them?

Sunday Blessing

"A new commandment I give to you, 

that you love one another, even as I have loved you,

that you also love one another.

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, 

if you have love for one another."

~ John 13:34-35 

Photo Credit: frazen

The Holy Spirit has burdened my heart with this question as of late... "How are you loving and serving the body of Christ?"


And you? How are you fulfilling John 13:35? Are you waiting until you can't say no, or are you actively seeking out ways to love the brethren? A question for personal meditation. 


Lord, help me to run toward loving!

Italian Sausage and Bean Zuppa

When I posted my Bean Recipe Exchange, I failed to include a recipe of my own. And that just wouldn't do! So here's another great recipe for using those dried beans! I actually developed this one myself by taking some cues from the Olive Garden's wonderful soups; I just used my favorite ingredients from their dish and made it my own. 

Italian Sausage and Bean Zuppa

1 lb. cannellini or northern beans, soaked and cooked (or about 2 - 3 cups)

1 lb. Italian sausage (turkey sausage works fine, too, just make sure it's spicy)

olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. Italian seasonings (or a mix of your own)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. pepper, freshly ground

4 cups chicken broth

6 - 8 cups water

1 bunch kale, chopped (spinach will do)

3/4 cup half and half

fresh romano or parmesan cheese

Soak and cook beans. Brown the sausage in olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onion toward the end and cook until transparent. Add garlic during the last minute and cook.

Next, add seasons, chicken broth, water, and kale. Simmer until kale is tender. 

Add beans and heat until warm. Add half and half; heat, but do not allow to boil.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese. Oh, and serve with some wonderful, warm French or Italian bread slathered with butter and sprinkled with herbs. And enjoy!

So, tell me what you think if you make it! And be watching for a Salad Dressing Recipe Exchange next week - so get your recipes and photos ready!

Simple & Beautiful Kitchen and Pantry Organization

Form or function? Must one really choose? I love both and I don't see why one can't have both. Personally, I find the simple things can often be beautiful and perform just as well as their less aesthetic counterparts. Take the kitchen and pantry for example...

The Fly Lady talks a lot about keeping a clean and sparkling sink. I like it to be pretty, too. Find a lovely soap dispenser that makes you want to get in there and do dishes. This one from Anthropology was acquired on a clearance table this summer. Unfortunately the dish soap was worthless, but refilled with my favorite brand, it's perfect! An extra basket I had around the house holds tea towels ready for work. Yes, there is the drawer, but I saved that limited space for dish rags and sponges. Let the towels stack up and look inviting!

Just below the sink is an decorative false front that hides the sink inside the cabinet. A matching knob was attached to make it look like the rest of the cabinet fronts. But now...

for just $8 and some change, I swapped out the knob for this long modern handled pull from the hardware store. Now I have a place to hang a used towel. Before, they just got thrown on the counters.

You're going to know I love Anthropology after this post! I don't spend lots of money there, but I love their kitchen items and so I try to find one or two items each trip to the really big city (LA). Last spring I found this hook and it sat in my widow sill for the last 6 months because I didn't know what to do with it. Finally it occurred to me that it would be perfect for my rings and bracelets when doing dishes. With three girls, someone always needs this in the kitchen.

I do not like clutter and lots of ugly mismatched cups and dishes. One way to keep from accumulating that kind of thing is to open up the cabinets. Yes, just take the doors right off and store them in the attic. Line the back with some bead board or wallpaper and you're ready to start adding things back in. 


I love the Pantry Essentials from Williams-Sonoma, but wouldn't it be fun to just collect various white dishes from the thrift store? Just stick with one color theme and your set! And let's talk glasses just a minute. Put the mismatched items in the garage sale and go to TJ Maxx and pick up plenty of the same glasses at discounted prices. If you have toddlers and need to keep some plastic sippy cups, get a cute basket and keep them corralled in the cabinet below where they can reach them, too.

I have two sets of cabinets without doors. The second set holds cooking pots and mixing bowls that I use every day. Do you realize how simple and easy this makes it? The top shelf of both cabinets holds just a couple of decorative items (I hate to dust), but most of it is stuff that we use every single day. Pretty, practical, and NO clutter. Nice.

Do you have a canister for cooking utensils? Why not have three (or five for that matter)? One of Martha Stewart's kitchens has tons! Have you ever seen them lined up on the back counter? This frees up a lot of drawer space, but looks great when you group like items. Everything is at hand, quick and easy to grab, but easy to put away, too (which is half the battle)!

Gather up all those oils and vinegars as well as salt and pepper shakers in a basket by the stove. This one was perfect as far as size, but it was a little deep and the bottom was not even (due to the weaving). I had my husband cut a board that fits neatly in the bottom and doesn't rock. It elevated the items about an inch  and a half while providing a flat surface. Problem solved.

I found this lovely utensil caddy and decided it was perfect for every day. However, the utensils kept poking through and getting stuck. I didn't want to ditch the idea, but it had to be solved. My 8 year old unloads the dishwasher and things were going everywhere!

Finally I figured out a small canning jar would fit inside and keep the items from escaping. And since there was only 3 small compartments and one large, adding three jars to large size gave me room for different size spoons and forks. 

Moving to the pantry, I wanted it to be pretty, too. When we moved in to our "dream home", we didn't have money for cabinets in the pantry, so it was just a large bare room. Some metal shelving has served me well for 8 years, but it isn't too charming. But I have a plan...

Each trip to the big city, I try to pick up one or two baskets or a jar with a lid. I was careful to pick a basket and jars that I had seen often as a standard at a couple of my favorite stores so I knew they'd have them for a long time, because it was going to take a while to acquire all that I wanted on my budget. But time and patience has paid off and those metal shelves are looking pretty good. Someday I'll get to build shelving that will fit my baskets perfectly, but until then...

they corral things like extra oils and vinegars I use to make salad dressings...

cups and lids that use to easily get knocked over... 

recycled clam shells for fruits...

egg cartons for my chicken's eggs...

and paper goods. You get the idea. But here's one thing you need to remember if you go to buy baskets for your pantry. Be sure to get baskets with straight sides, not slanted or tapered, because they will nest closer together and not waste space. Most baskets are tapered and they will touch at the widest point leaving a lot of unused space. Avoid these if at all possible.

Anchor Hocking makes several great jars in various sizes, but my favorite is their Heritage Hill line. You just can't go wrong with a classic. It's perfect for smaller amounts of seeds for sprouting. 

My attachments for my food saver...

plastic items that I need on occasions...

and lids for my canning jars. Anything that has lots of parts and I don't want dusty. In fact, I use the in the laundry room and bathrooms as well. I like how they move around and can be reused and regrouped depending on what I need at the time.

Kitchen and Pantry Organizing Tips

January is such a great time for purging and organizing. By spring, we'll all be out in the garden again, but for now, think simple, practical, and pretty. Plastic functions well, but it just doesn't warm the soul. Keep these questions in mind when planning your simple kitchen or pantry makeover:

• Is it just pretty or is it practical, too?

• If it's practical, is it really lovely to look at? 

• Is it warm and inviting?

• Does this arrangement work for the way I really live and work in my own kitchen?

• Am I keeping an item because I think I have to (guilt)?

• Am I afraid to give something away because I might need it once every five years?

• Is there something else I already have that can do the job that this item is doing (so you can eliminate one of them?) For example: do you really need a grapefruit knife? Won't a regular knife work just as well and quick?

• What really needs to be hidden in a drawer or cabinet and what can be on view?

• What do I use nearly every meal or at least every day? Can it be on view and easy to reach?

• What needs to be corralled and contained?

• What needs to be within easy reach?

• Can things be grouped by function (like baking, grilling, etc.)?

• Will this make things easier to put away when cleaning up?

• Will this simplify my life?

Be careful that you don't move everything out of your cabinets onto the counter top. Choose just a few things so that you leave plenty of work space for food prep or you'll constantly be frustrated. Eliminate the pretties that don't have a function other than looking good or at least limit them to just one or two. Remember, whatever you "display" has to be dusted. Don't make a lot of extra work for yourself. 

I hope this little kitchen tour and tips helps those who feel challenged when it comes to organizing and decorating. As part of Simple Thursdays, perhaps you'll find even more great ideas for de-cluttering your life and simplifying the things that are a must! It feels so good to be free of too much stuff and it allows you to work more efficiently and productively!

What's your favorite beautiful and simple kitchen organization tip in your own home?

The Best Seed Starting Chart Ever!

Have you figured out when to start your tomato plants indoors? How about the correct date for sowing lettuce outside? Onion sets. Do you know when you can plant them? Is figuring all this out like a huge guessing game and lots of calendar flipping?

Photo Credit: -tiko-

I just about danced a jig around the house when Leslie Boss from Tranquil Acres of Alexandria passed along this Gardener's Seed Starting Chart from You Grow Girl! Unlike most seed starting charts, this one is a free Excel program that allows you to enter your last frost date so that it calculates all the information for you! 

I doubt I really need to go into details because once you click the link and download the Chart, you'll see all you want to know about it, but allow me to praise it's merits just a bit...

• Custom feature allows you to enter your own last frost date

• Twenty five vegetables and three herbs are charted

• Direct sow and seed starting dates are included

• An early and late option is listed for each

• The growth period is given so you know about how long until harvest

• There is a separate column for dates to set out plants

• A planting date is included for items you started by seed (both early and late options)

The only thing this doesn't do is give me a date to sow a second harvest. Okay... I guess I can work a little and figure that one out. It should be pretty obvious from all the information given on the chart. Can you tell that I just want someone to tell me "do it on this date"?

I believe a big thanks is in order to Gayla Trail and Maggie Wang who developed this chart. Give them a big shout out and leave a comment here!

Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese Class - On Line!!

Did that title get your attention? I hope so. The benefits of making your own dairy products is huge! And Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS™ can do a much better job showing you how than I can!

Here's what you'll learn to make:

   1. About Cultured Dairy and Cheesemaking
   2. Sour Cream / Creme Fraiche and Whole Milk Buttermilk

   3. Cultured Butter and Buttermilk

   4. Clabbered Milk and Cheese

   5. Heritage Yogurt

   6. Greek Yogurt

   7. Kefir and Kefir Cheese

   8. Kefir Cream and Kefir Ice Cream

   9. Ricotta* and Soft Cheese

  10. Cottage Cheese

  11. Feta Cheese

  12. Middle Eastern Fresh Cheese

  13. Queso Fresco Cheese

  14. Fresh Cheddar Cheese

  15. Traditional Mozarella Cheese*

  16. Propagating Mother Cultures


Is that list fabulous or what? Just knowing how to make the different kinds of yogurt make this worth the small fee for the course, but then add all the cheeses. And Creme Fraiche! Do you know how hard that is to find in small town stores? It's not like you can just buy it in bulk and freeze it. Can you tell I'm excited?

The course officially starts on February 1st, but because it's a self-paced on-line course, you can start when you're ready. And if you need to take a week off, that's okay, too. All you need is your computer and the supplies for the class itself. 


So, I know you want to know how much it costs and where can you get more information. Just visit the GNOWFGLINS eCOURSE information page by clicking HERE and you'll find out all about it. There are actually 3 classes you can take and 3 different membership plans. The Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese class is the newest of the three, but check out the other two while you're there. I loved the Fundamentals class and I still plan to take the Sour Dough class. Just as soon as I take the dairy class!


If you're really serious about getting back to basics, this is it! Who's going to join me?

FTC Regulations require that as a blogger I state that I receive revenue from my advertisers and commission from affiliates whenever readers go through this blog to their website and make a purchase. However, it also gives me the opportunity to say thank you for all your support!

Homemade Deodorant

I know. Some of you may be in shock. I was, too, the first time I heard of this two years ago. So much so, that I didn't give it a try... until now. But you really can make your own deodorant that works! 

My friends, Mona at Healthy Homesteading and Cindy at Farmgirl Cyn, both posted this recipe and thereby encouraged me to give it a try. So far, it's doing the job, but I suspect summer will be the real test. 


Have you considered that your body was designed to perspire? Please rethink using an antiperspirant (which almost always contains aluminum) on a regular basis if you're still doing so. It's one thing to use it for "special occasions"; it's another to use it every single day. When God designed our bodies to perspire, it was for a good reason, one of which was to eliminate toxins! And I believe that the more chemicals and junk you eliminate going into your body, the less of that stuff that needs to find a way to escape and then cause smelly underarms (that's a plug for a "clean" and healthy diet). So deodorant alone hasn't been my only attack on unpleasant odors. 


Back to the homemade version... some of the reasons I've decided to try my own recipe include the cost, not being able to control what's in it, effectiveness, and availability. According to Mona's calculations, it cost her only $1 or two, with the coconut oil being the most expensive ingredient. So if you could hit a sale on that, you're really keeping the cost down. And since the ingredients are only things used in baking, it's so clean, I could eat it... but I don't think I'll try. The natural commercial stuff I was using worked okay, but not stellar. Hopefully this will out perform the store bought variety. And finally, this deodorant is made from items I keep on hand all the time. I don't have to wait for my coop delivery or a trip to town, nor do I have to count on it being in stock. 


Have I convinced you to at least give it a try?

Homemade Deodorant
(Makes one small canning jar - just over  1/2 cup)


1/4 C. baking soda
1/4 C. cornstarch or arrowroot
5 - 6 T. coconut oil
Tea Tree Oil (optional)


Combine the baking soda and cornstarch, then work in the coconut oil. I used my mixer to incorporate the two until well combined. 


If desired, add tea tree oil (anywhere from 5 - 20 drops) which has natural antibacterial qualities. I tried adding some lavender essential oil, but the coconut oil seemed to overpower the scent a bit. Just think of this deodorant as having a tropical scent and leave it at that. 


You can adjust the amount of coconut oil if necessary. I liked mine a bit dryer, but if you want, increase the oil up to 8 T. Also, if your room is warm, the oil might liquify at around 76 degrees, so move it to the refrigerator if necessary or a cooler room. I popped mine in the fridge so that it would firm up a bit after using the mixer.


To use: Rub a small amount on underarms. 


I'm finding that less is best when it comes to this recipe; you can always increase it if necessary. And so far, I haven't found that it's been an issue staining my clothes either. 


I know some of you have been using this or a similar recipe for a long time. Please, include your comments and add to the conversation!