Clover Sprouts

I love sprouts! Well, not so much bean sprouts, but I used to eat alfalfa sprouts a lot. Then I found CLOVER sprouts. They have a sweeter taste & last longer in the fridge. Love them, love them, love them!

My local grocery store sold a little sparce pint of clover sprouts for a dollar & some odd cents... (can't remember exactly). But I finally decided to buy seeds & do it myself. Look what less than 2tbs. of clover seeds produced in 3 days! They're sooo yummy on sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc...

Still in my sprouter - stuffed full!


On a large paper towel after taking them out of the sprouter


Stuffed in a quart sized bag - almost as big as the head of lettuce, but loaded with tons more vitamins!

This amount of sprouts would have cost me around $4.00 at the store. But my big bag of seeds cost less than $7.00! I've done 5 large batches & am only about 1/3 of the way through the bag. Much cheaper!

Winter Gardening?

Did you know you can have a garden year round? Now, you might not want to plant corn inside, or you'll have stalks up to your ceiling... but there are several things that are great for planting in your house. Here is a chart that provides basic information on container/indoor gardening:

AND DON'T FORGET THOSE SPROUTS & HERBS -
THEY TAKE UP VERY LITTLE ROOM!

Keep your plants near a window, preferably on a south facing wall...(More heat & more light)


GROWING VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS:

1* Vegetable Name

2* Light Requirement (see FS/PS info below)

3* Minimum Container Size

4* Distance (inches) between plants in container

5* Days from Seed to Harvest

6* Comments

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FS = Full sun
FS/PS = Full sun/Part shade
PS = Partial shade
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Beans, bush
FS
2 gal.
2-3"
45-60 days
Several plantings, two-week intervals

Beets
FS/PS
1/2 gal.
2-3"
50-60 days
Thin plants when 6 to 8 inches tall

Carrots
FS/PS
1 qt.
2-3"
65-80 days
Several plantings, two-week intervals

Cabbage
FS/PS
5 gal.
12-18"
65-120 days
Requires fertile soil

Chard, Swiss
FS/PS
1/2 gal.
4-6"
30-40 days
Harvest leaves for long yield

Cucumbers
FS
5 gal.
14-18"
70-80 days
Support vining types

Eggplant
FS
5 gal.
1 plant per container
75-100 days
Requires fertile soil

Kale
FS/PS
5 gal.
10-15"
55-65 days
Harvest leaves

Lettuce, leaf
PS
1/2 gal
4-6"
30-35 days
Harvest leaves

Mustard greens
PS
1/2 gal.
4-5"
35-40 days
Several plantings, two-week intervals

Onions
FS/PS
1/2 gal.
2-3"
70-100 days
Require lots of moisture

Peppers
FS
2 gal.
1 plant per container
110-120 days
Require hot weather

Radishes
FS/PS
1 pint
1"
25-35 days
Several plantings, weekly intervals

Squash
FS
5 gal.
1 plant per container
50-60 days
Plant only bush type

Tomatoes
FS
5 gal.
1 plant per container
55-100 days
Stake and prune or cage

Tomatoes,
cherry
FS
1 gal.
1 plant per container
55-100 days
Helps to stake and prune

Turnips
FS/PS
3 gal.
2-3"
30-60 days
Harvest leaves and roots

Wheat Grass?

I knew about sprouting grains & beans, but I had no clue I could grow wheatgrass! And if I did, what the heck would I use it for? Just look at all these interesting facts:

One pound of fresh wheatgrass is equivalent in nutritional value to 23 pounds of choice garden vegetables.

This nutrient-rich grass contains 17 amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins.

Wheat grass retains 92 of the 102 minerals found in the soil. These minerals include calcium, phosphorus, iron magnesium and potassium. It is a rich natural source of vitamins A and C. Wheat grass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots. It is exceptionally rich in vitamins E, K, and B-complex.

Wheatgrass juice is immediately absorbed into the bloodstream and gives immediate energy.

* Wheatgrass energizes and reduces fatigue.
* Wheatgrass is a appetite suppressant.
* Wheatgrass juice improves metabolism.
* Wheatgrass improves digestion.
* Wheatgrass juice enriches the blood, removes blood disorders, & lowers blood pressure
* Wheatgrass juice is antibacterial
* Wheatgrass juice helps cleanse the liver
* Wheatgrass juice prevents tooth decay
* Wheatgrass juice is good for skin problems. It improves complexion, treats acne, and removes acne scars.
* Wheatgrass juice keeps hair from graying & removes dandruff
* boosts the immune system
* calming the nervous system
* promotes regularity & helps fight constipation
* The chlorophyll present in wheatgrass will wash drug deposits from the body, neutralize toxins in the body, help purify the liver, and prevent ageing. The chlorophyll also stabilizes blood sugar levels.

IF YOU DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO FRESH VEGETABLES OR VITAMINS, WHEATGRASS COULD REPLACE THEM & GIVE YOU YOUR FULL NEEDED NUTRITION!

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WOW! Talk about benefits! So I've watched a few of videos on www.simplylivingsmart.com & I'm learning how to use grains (AND WHEATGRASS)in ways I'd never heard of before...

I grew my first batch of wheatgrass this week, & I threw a big chunk in my blender with fruit, yogurt, & milk... Delicious & Healthy Smoothie!

You can juice it, chop/grind it up & add it to sauces, casseroles, etc... AND, did you know there are entire books out on wheatgrass?

You can use a tray sprouter (Sprout Master brand is best) - to grow your wheatgrass, but I don't have one yet, so I used a mason jar. (Not as easy, but it works.)

Just pour in 1/4 cup of fresh whole wheat.
Cover with water (about 2" above top of wheat) & let soak overnight.
The next day, rinse wheat (with cool water), then drain well. Do this AT LEAST 3 times a day.
Cover jar opening with cheesecloth or paper towel, etc... & secure with rubberband.
Keep in warm area, & expose to light (a window or small lamp work great)
In a day or 2 you'll notice little tails on your wheat. Within 4-5 days, beautiful green grass will fill your jar! Gently pull out the wheat sprouts & grass with tongs or your fingers... Cut sprigs of grass to use in your dishes & drinks for an extra boost of energy!

*NOTE: In a jar, the grass will only grow about 2 inches high... In a sprouter, it will grow 4-6 inches high!!! Here are photos of my wheat grass in the jar & after I pulled it out. It still worked, but I'm VERY anxious to get a sprouter!




Later on I'll post a few other ideas for using fresh wheat. (Or you can watch the videos on www.simplylivingsmart.com)