Sprout Master

How do you grow your sprouts, let me count thy ways...okay, just one right now. My beloved cousin Shonna gave me these Sprout Master trays (sold locally) for my birthday 2 years ago and they have brought an ABUNDANCE of sprouts into my life! Now, I keep 3 trays going at all times. The trays are about the size of a sheet of paper (tray is 8x10) and one day I did the figuring to conclude it cost me about 35 cents worth of seeds per tray! Doing it yourself/growing your own makes this lifestyle very affordable and enjoyable! The process is simple...

Scoop 3.5 tablespoons of dry seed (I usually use a mix of alfalfa, radish, clover and fenugreek) into a cup or bowl.


Cover generously with 2-3 times more water than seeds (You can't add too much water)...


Allow seeds to soak 8-12 hours or overnight.
Pour into tray and spray thoroughly to rinse. Cover with lid. Rinse 1-2x daily and drain well.


The trays are stackable, so it doesn't take over your kitchen! After 3-4 days (when the sprouts are about 1/2 to 3/4 as tall as the tray, continue your rinsing/draining routine, but give the sprouts gentle sunlight all day, so their leaves can turn green with chlorophyll!


After 2 days of sun, eat and savor your delicious Abundance!

Geodesic Dome Greenhouse!!

HAPPY SPRING to you! Many times in Montana, the weather outside laughs at Spring Equinox, but the last 2 days have been sunny and yummy-up to about 50 degrees today, which is a welcome stark comparison to below freezing 2 weeks ago! As you can see, it was approaching 90 degrees in the greenhouse today! It's not even completely sealed and we haven't set up the water tank yet. I was singing in my tank top and fleece pants, sweatin' in my ski socks and Bean boots! Glorious! Several weeks ago, on a sneaky sunny day, we planted lots of seeds. Today, I chanted Kundalini mantras to Kale sprouts...

Snap pea sprouts...

and Spinach sprouts...
while planting flats of tons of other seeds like onion, zucchini, corn, watermelon, sunflower, tomato, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro,tomato, mustard greens, arugula, broccoli, winter squash, cucumbers, ETC!



We'll see how those little babies hang in there during the unpredictable Spring. I am SOO GRATEFUL to be playing and interacting with my plant friends so early in the year. The garden is still covered in feet of snow. Michael and I have been reading and loving ANASTASIA By Vladimir Megre...it is a glorious book that inspires us even more to be in tune to the magic of life surrounding us. Here is a brief summary:

In 1994 a Siberian elder told the entrepreneur Vladimir Megre a fascinating story about the "ringing cedars" - trees respected from Biblical times for their curative powers and the capacity to re-connect human beings with the Divine. The elder told him where such a ringing cedar was growing in the Siberian backwoods. Vladimir Megre set out on an expedition to find the tree. But his encounter with the elder's granddaughter Anastasia transformed him so deeply that he abandoned his commercial plans and, penniless, went to Moscow to write a book about the spiritual insights she shared with him. What happened next thrilled and inspired millions!

Raw Chocolate Pudding!

Mmmm! If you haven't made raw chocolate pudding yet, make some this week! It's so yummy and so easy! Here's a recipe thanks to www.thedailyrawcafe.com. I put mine in a fancy martini glass and topped it with frozen huckleberries! To live for!!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

1 avocado, diced

1/2 c Raw Organic Agave Nectar

1/4 c Raw Cacao Powder

1/4 c water

2 T vanilla extract

1/4 t sea salt

Place avocado, agave nectar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt in a blender. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to achieve a creamy consistency.

Liquid Love :)

Yesterday I felt like going mostly liquid, so before I departed for deliciously Hot Yoga, I made 2 quarts of green smoothie and 1 pint of hemp seed milk with chia seeds. This lasted me all day until I returned home from work and enjoyed a salad and steamed artichoke with my hubby. It was a very simple day and a great way to fuel me in between giving massages!

It is freezing here...literally! Two days ago, the ski hill was closed because it was reporting -24 degrees at the summit, -60 with windchill!!! Zoikes! Michael and I checked on the geodesic dome greenhouse, expecting the few sprouts that have poked up from my planting 2.5 weeks ago would be frozen to death, but it was 45 degrees in there that afternoon! Wow! We are praying the little babes make it through this last cold spell and we have FRESH greens before long. I will take photos soon. Right now, we are depending mostly on the sprouts we grow in the kitchen (which is quite alot) and supplementary greens from the health food store coming in from California.
Enjoy the sunshine for us if you've got it!

Peppery Avocado Caesar Salad Dressing

Although Daylight Saving's Time has granted us light until nearly 8 pm, it is definitely far from Spring. With the recent snow and winds, we were snowed in today! I recently substitute taught Kundalini Yoga classes for my friend that I attended Teacher Training with in Colorado and she needed her bag of books and basket of yoga mats back today, so she drove as far as she could and I got geared up and pulled the yoga mats on a sled across the snowy field. As I hadn't done any asanas (postures) yet, I decided Karma Yoga (selfless service) was my route today!
I decided to try a new raw treat today, so I made the Peppery Avocado Caesar Salad Dressing from Cafe Gratitude's I am Grateful recipe book. It wouldn't be kosher for me to share the recipe, but it is super-delicious! I googled for a recipe to share, so give this one a try...

RAW Caesar Salad Dressing
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Organic Raw Tahini
1/4 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 large garlic cloves
1/2 inch piece of peeled ginger
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
Combine ingredients either in a blender or medium size bowl, and salt to taste.

The base for the one I made today was avocado rather than tahini and oil and added lots of fresh ground pepper, but I like the thought of ginger too! Making a yummy new salad dressing is a fun way to keep salads out of the boring category.

Also, Matt Monarch is deleriously excited that his fiance Angela Stokes will soon be able to return to the States has created a 17% OFF coup0n c0de which you can use on ANY order between now and March 12th. Just type in the c0de ‘VISA’ at the check0ut on his store.
There are also "at cost" specials on tahini, peruvian olives and truly raw cashews – just type - fvsa - in the search field on the top right hand corner of the page to access those prices.
To get started, just click on the Raw Foods Super Store logo above my photo.

I have taken this opportunity to try some goodies I have never tried before like the kale chips. Michael and I have also really been enjoying the 1st Anastasia book and decided to get the 9 book series as an early birthday present to myself (I turn 34 on March 25th!)
Enjoy!

"If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That's not gallons, but barrels. Small changes in buying habits make big differences. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast."
-Barbara Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable,Miracle

Raw Food Fairy & Family Inspiration

The food fairy left me a treat...it's not raw, but would be kosher with Fred Bisci's intermediate diet...How lucky am I? That's from ma-in-law who lives right next door. We have a bit of a non-traditional (more tribal!) living situation that works out wonderfully...now if we could just get my family up from Tucson, life would be even more grand! What do ya think ma, pa, sis?!
Ma-in-law has been busting out all kinds of raw goodies lately. Unlike myself, she is patient enough to actually measure and create recipes. She was focusing on creating some raw goodness to sell at the local farmer's market this summer, but is a bit bummed to find the only thing you can sell without a commercial kitchen is unprocessed fresh fruits and veggies or baked goods. So, perhaps rental of a commercial kitchen may be in order or gluten-free baked goodies. Anyhow, we have been lucky enough to sample raw crackers and this amazing raw chocolate torte she made for my hubby's birthday (a.k.a. her son :) ) Look how fancy she is with the dusted carob design...a chef indeed!

My family in Tucson have been inspiring me as well. They have really gotten into the green smoothie routine. They use amazing goodies like fresh greens, Vitamineral Green, Sun Warrior Protein
, sometimes Cacao (Chocolate) Powder and have been recently getting into E3 Live. After learning how Kevin Gianni from Renegade Health skips the fruit to manage candida, they have omitted the frozen berries for a very Green smoothie! Awesome! My dad also says he has gotten to the point where his wheatgrass shot from Whole Foods doesn't make him gag anymore...I say, "I hear ya!" They love these changes they have been making and my mom often remarks about the energy she can feel moving throughout her body after a good green smoothie or juice-Hooray! My sister has recently started her green smoothies again and is amazed by the energy they give her. She has also recently committed to no soda and no dairy (she is trying to figure out how to get rid of a nagging pain in her ears...any advice?) Thanks to all of my family for inspiring me right back-I love you and am grateful for your open minds...how many other people get to have raw food Thanksgivings with their birth family?
Tonight my Love and I enjoyed this fresh guacamole with jicama sticks-jicama is one of my new favorite foods!

Raw Food and Back Country Snowboarding!

A simple day in the life...a Saturday...yeah!!
Woke up after a good night's sleep next to my Love. Made some hot herbal tea and each enjoyed a quart of lemon cayenne water. Michael makes a burrito with game he hunted for last fall, organic cheese and sprouts. I enjoy an avocado wrapped in romaine. We gear up, load up our toys and head for the ski hill. No overnight snow, so we hike out of bounds a bit (with our avalanche beacons and shovels). This photo is up at Flower Point on Big Mountain (now known at Whitefish Mountain Resort), with my board strapped to my backpack-the snow was awesome! At the top of Hellroaring Peak, we chatted with some local friendly folk we have never met before and he mentions that the older he gets, the more he enjoys the hike just as much as the ski turns. I shared a quote I had just re-read the previous day...

"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end." -Ursula le Guin

We pulled over on the side of a run to enjoy the sunshine and fuel up with a fresh Washington apple. Calling it a day around 2 pm, we rested at the car and enjoyed quinoa salad and sprouts wrapped in nori-a fun contrast to the tailgaters grilling next to us! Then, up to the Bierstube to share company with friends with just enough warmth to hang out on the deck (agua for me).
At home, I indulged immediately in a delicious hot bath and had salad with cooked yams for dinner. What a magnificent Saturday!
This morning, I refilled our herbal tea jar with equal parts peppermint and catnip from our garden and a good dash of yummy licorice root. Hope you are having an amazing weekend! xoxo