Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Sprouts

Sprouty sprouting sprouts!

So, here's the thing, sprouts are on the Warning, warning, do not eat!  list that a pregnant women is handed as soon as her belly starts to round out. (And with some validity. Mass-produced sprouts are a common harborer of gnarly bacteria).  But I love sprouts. I've diligently avoided those from the salad bars, but after re-reading Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this past month (in which homegrown sprouts are mentioned) I realized that I need not deny myself any longer. I can sprout my own sprouts safely at home.

A quick visit to Jung's and I had a giant packet of sprout-able seeds (1/2 lb, which seems a scant 2 cups. At 1 Tbs per sprouting session, that's sure to last me until infinity and beyond).  I bought a seed mix that includes alfalfa, broccoli, chinese cabbage, mung bean, and radish seeds. Mmmm.

The recipe for home-sprouted seeds is relatively simple:  put seeds in a jar, soak them overnight, drain, rinse 2-4 times a day for 3-4 days, eat when sprouted. But the Jung's packet had a scary notice on it:

[We] do not guarantee that the seed is free of seed-borne organisms. The customer take full responsibility for the disinfecting and sprouting of this seed. If this is not satisfactory, the see may be returned for a refund. 

Their preferred method of disinfection? Bleach. Cover the seeds in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water, soak for ten minutes, rinse, and then soak overnight.

Now, if you know me, I'm not a bleach person. I'm a vinegar person. I'm a tea tree oil person. A boiling water/steam-cleaner person. But bleach? Yuck. And on food? Yuck times twenty-two. But...

Seed-borne organisms. 
Customer takes full responsibility. 
Warning, warning, do not eat!  

It all seems so... serious. They're sprouts. Nevertheless...


I did it. I used the bleach soak. I felt seed-pack-pressured into it. And so far, I'm still alive and unscathed. But whether I overcame the dangerous seed-borne organisms or survived the bleach I haven't yet decided.

Soaking in bleach water, Die evil seed-coating organisms, die!

Rinsed & ready for the sprouting jar

24 hours and not much going on...

Third day---sprouts!

Uli (and Jerry) helping me de-hull the sprouts.
Uli needed her own bowl,
obvs.

De-hulled and ready for draining and, most importantly, eating!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Third Trimester, Here We Go!

Week twenty-seven and just look at my belly! (It looks huge! When did that happen?)



This tri I've got to get down to business and get things knocked up off my list:

  • Birth plans (a super detailed one for my doula, a less-labor-focused one for my doctor, and an abbreviated version for the busy nursing staff)
  • Steep & drink red raspberry leaf tea
  • Get serious about squatting!
  • Help Justin plan/build a birth stool somewhat like this one or like this one (unless I can confirm that the hospital will provide one. Which I don't think they do)
  • Clean/organize the entire house (no more piles of stupid paper and plastic crap we don't need!)
  • Find/wash the newborn/infant clothes
  • Plan, make, and freeze dishes for once the baby is born (I've got some time on this one...)
  • Knit a wool diaper cover
  • Finish the other two knitting projects I've got in progress right now
  • Plant this year's vegetable garden (no time like late spring--ack!)
And I think that's it. No sweat right? ;-)

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