If You’re New to Raw Foods: DON’T READ THIS!!
Written by Tera on June 13, 2008 – -I can’t believe it!
My sprouts are so cuuuute. I have some kind of irrational affinity for these little sunflower babies that are budding in their trays.
I keep checking on them like a nervous, first-time mother–worrying if I’m giving them too much water? not enough? too much dirt? Am I checking on them too often and letting out the humidity? Some of them have fuzzy little roots… is it mold?? Maybe there’s too much humidity?
Will they find the strength to push those little seeds all the way up and make a real, little crunchy sprout!!
Once they do will I have the heart to eat it?
It’s like I watch them and think to myself, “You can make it! You can do it, little sprout! Go! Grow! Grow!”
Oooh, the first time is always the worst. I’m sure I’ll get better, but until these little loves start to show a bit of confidence I’m nervous about the whole process.
But I looove it. And I finally got it, you know, this idea of “living foods”. I mean, the food is still growing. It’s like a little baby teeming with life and energy. And that’s why this idea of eating sprouts and stuff makes so much sense.
It’s REALLY alive. And how totally fascinating to observe the whole process. And to be responsible for the love and energy you put into your food.
*sigh*
Today I bought a case of conventional bananas. (They were only .39/lb!!!) i love freezing them for summer treats. Anyway, I felt like a jerk as I opened the box to find each bundle individually wrapped with plastic.
And then I looked at the big box the bananas had been shipped in, and it just felt wrong. I love the ethics of eating that comes into play now. In the beginning it was, “don’t kill sentient life to eat if you can thrive without it.” Now it’s become a challenge to reduce my ecological footprint to a tiny fairy’s tiptoe print. I like the sprouts and growing my own food. I’m excited about winter (not rushed for it to arrive) and the possiblities of what this could mean. I won’t eat chick peas and other beany sprouts. But the greens that taste naturally delicious, I intend to grow A LOT of them and see how I feel.
If you’re new to raw foods, don’t read this. Concentrate on getting of candy bars and onto my little raw food love balls, first. Just pick up a banana instead of a bagel, and see how you feel.
But those of us who’ve been at this for a while have something more to learn.
I have to admit that the more control I get over our food choices, the more aware and sensitive we become. There was a day when I ate what came in front of me without thinking about it. And now, I feel I make conscious choices. And yes, sometimes I make conscious compromises, too. But they are conscious and I usually consider the benefit to outweight any possible negative consequence.
I’m excited about this adventure. I can’t believe I waited so long to try it. I wonder where it will take me. I’m not thriving as much as I could, but I won’t pretend that a good night’s sleep wouldn’t make a difference.
Love and sweet kisses to brave sprouts everywhere!
Grow, My Little Sprouts, Grow!!
Tera
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
By ildiko on Jun 14, 2008
Yehhhhh for Tera!!
Congratulations on your first seedlings! I love sunflower sprouts and after 4 or 5 batches I am getting really good at growing them. The moldy looking white things are actually roots forming. I usually keep a light weight cover on the seeds until most of the routs get grounded in the soil and they kind of start to push the top off a bit, that is when I uncover them and put them in the ligth. This last batch I got really juicy, long stemmed, beatiful sprouts, they taste so meaty!
Keep up the good work and let me know how this crop turned out for you!
Ildiko
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By Tera on Jun 14, 2008
oooh dear, Ildiko! I’m not so sure about this adventure. It’s really been rather disappointing. I mean, first of all, I started to soon before my upcoming trip to NYC!!
Now I have to leave for a week and my little sprouts are going to.. .well, I guess some of them are going to go into a sunny patch of ground somewhere. I haven’t quite decided.
Buuut, the sunflower sprouts aren’t Soooo happy. I don’t think that fuzz is JUST the roots. I finally took off the top covers I’d placed because it was feeling a bit too humid and “fuzzy” inside.
I have a feeling they’ll be going to the compost pile, but I’m not sure yet.
Ho hum!!
Anway, I’m watching them and observing my own process as well. I think I was a bit zealous. I just soaked too many seeds! Anyway, this was the beginning of a long journey. It’s interesting to observe the process, that’s for sure. I can’t wait to have yummy, crunchy, healthy sprouts to eat every day!!!
WOW!
I should keep track of my food bill and see how it changes over time…
Love you!!!
xoxox
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By Amy on Jun 14, 2008
Hi Tera! What directions are you following? Did you get high-quality black oil sunflower seeds? Are you growing in dirt? Are you keeping the dirt damp, but without any standing water? Does your covering tray have air holes? There are a bunch of factors… if the fuzz is just on the tails and not on the shells or leaf part, it is probably root hairs. If it is on the shells and tops of the sprouts, it is mold. You can tell by rubbing the hairs with your finger. If it comes off onto your finger, it’s mold. If it just lies flat onto the root, it’s root hairs. I hope that helps! I’ve taken a lot of pictures of each step of my process (including this one) and we’ll have great instructions for our divas who decide to give this adventure a shot, so they won’t be left wondering like we are!
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By Tera on Jun 14, 2008
Honestly, I didn’t do enough research and reading. I just went for it.
I should have let my sprouts grow first a couple days and THEN stuck them in the dirt. I just soaked them and put them in the dirt.
No, I don’t have holes in my top. That’s a good idea, I guess.
I sprouted too many seeds. Now I have them all here and… well, I feel guilty. Sprout assassin.
But I have been mesmerized by the whole process and fascinated at how incredible live it. I mean, just water and that little sweet seed and some dirt and it’s like MAGIC. I mean, it’s really changing how I look at food. It’s incredible.
Bananas and lettuce are uninspiring. I understand now why Dr. Flora talked about foods being older than 7 days lacking so much of they could have.
So… when I get back from my NYC trip, I will be a sproutaholic. And by that time, Amy will have mastered the art and can walk be through it, because at this stage, I am a little sprout killer. Anyway, I have so many pea, wheat and mung sprouts ready for dirt, because I was over zealous. But now they don’t have time to grow before I leave. So I’m going to take them to a corner of the park behind my house and see what things look like when I come back from my trip!! Hehehe… I’ll hope for rain, that’s for sure.
What an adventure…
xoxo
Tera
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By Viv on Jun 17, 2008
I just made my frist bach of Sunflower sprouts the other week too, they are delicious. You can’t buy them already sprouted in NZ so I’d never tried them before. Don’t think I did it quite right either but they turned out OK in the end. I didn’t cover them at all but did put soil over the seeds which I later found wasn’t required. My next adventure will be growing my own microgreens. It’s winter time over here so time for some kitchen garden experiements.
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By Tera on Jun 18, 2008
Well, the end result of my experiment was rather interesting. I did manage to enjoy some crunchy sprouts for a few days, but when I get back from NYC, I will definitely be mastering the art of mass production.
Well done, Viv, for your experiments. What are microgreens??
I agree that winter is the best time for kitchen garden experiments!!
But I want to master the art of it all before winter hits so I’m ready for it.
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