Flaxseed Sprouts

I am sprouting flaxseed to add to salads. It takes 4-5 days during the winter months but might take less in the summer when the house is a bit longer and the house warmer. Here is the way I do it:

• I only want to grow a single serving at a time (i.e. have sprouts in a salad every 4-5 days) - so I start with 1 tablespoon of seeds.
  
• Soak the seeds overnight.
• You will notice that the seeds swell with soaking. Drain using a fine mesh strainer. Place in a covered bowl.
  
• Rinse and drain at least once a day. The seeds should stay moist. The seed husk spilts on some seeds and tiny white sprouts will appear on many within 3 days.
  
• Add them to a salad! Not all the seeds have to have sprouts to be yummy. Sprouting flaxseed is ‘sticky’ so it will adhere to other salad ingredients better than the dry, unsprouted seeds. 

Growing my own sprouts appeals to me and this is an easy way to do it. Flaxseed is nutritious to begin with and sprouting makes them easier to digest…and absorb all the goodness.

By the way - sprouted flaxseed is good as a topping for soup as well!

Snow Day - February 2015

It is not spring yet at all here in Maryland. The melt we had yesterday has been refrozen and more snow is falling today. We are enjoying a snow day along with all the children in the neighborhood! Here’s the plan:

• Make our favorite kind of snow ice cream: coconut!  I’ll be sure to collect new snow rather than the snow that is icy with the freeze thaw of the past week. I’ll make a batch to have after lunch (allowing time for new snow to accumulate. My usual recipe includes half-n-half but I only have almond milk in the house. I do have real coconut which should help with consistency. In summary - the ingredients will be: snow, almond milk, stevia, coconut, vanilla, coconut flavoring, and food coloring. The food coloring is the indicator that the mixer has blending everything thoroughly.
• Fire in the fireplace. My husband says it will be the last fire of the season. To optimistic? Maybe - but it will be a nice interlude during the day. Maybe will watch a movie too.
• Take magnified snowflake pictures. I did more pictures last winter than I have this year and have been frustrated with the attempts. The flakes have been too fluffy or too small…or it’s been too windy and cold. The forecast if for snow all day long today so there will be lots of opportunity.
• Catchup on class reading and projects. I have another week of Master Naturalist class work to internalize after yesterday. After being in class all day long - I never feel up to thinking about it during the evening afterwards.
• Stay warm. Since it is going to snow all day long - we have the perfect excuse to put off shoveling the driveway until tomorrow morning. I’ll make soup for lunch!
• Stay warm. Since it is going to snow all day long - we have the perfect excuse to put off shoveling the driveway until tomorrow morning. I’ll make soup for lunch!Snow on sycamore seed