CHEAP GREENS

.It's hard to get really fresh greens in the winter.  Let's face it lettuce, spinach and so on, aren't exactly fresh after they've been trucked halfway across the country and placed on the shelves.  Sprouting seeds is an easy and cheap way to get something green into your body.  Besides they are  really nutritious, I once heard a doctor say that in a pinch you could live off of them for years.A large canister on your pantry shelf is good food insurance.  Alas, as in everything the prices are going up on these large canisters also.  When I bought it about six months ago, it cost about $25, now it's $32!  But it's still a good buy, because it only take about three tablespoons to make the same amount you get in those little bags at the grocery store. Those bags cost over $2 in the grocery store and how fresh are they?  I don't know how many servings are in a five pound canister but certainly more than sixteen servings,  at least twice, maybe even quadruple that.

We use ours on sandwiches and in salads.  We also throw some in soup.  And here's something very strange, we just eat them raw, out of hand as a snack.  It's funny, but it seems that when you eat healthier, your body starts to desire healthier foods. I actually start to salivate when I see a mound of these little green buggers!  Never in a thousand years would I ever have thought I would learn to love bean sprouts.  When I was younger, I only ate a vegetable about once a month, and then only under duress.  So you see, even devoted chocoholic, junk food junkies can change their mindset.

It's easy to sprout greens.  You just need a mason jar and something for a lid.  I bought a fancy schmancy  green lid that screws onto a mason jar, but a piece of cheesecloth stretched over the opening of the jar and secured with a rubber band or twine will suffice.

To sprout your beans, place 3 tablespoons of seeds into a quart mason jar along with 6 tablespoons of water.  Put the lid on and place in a dark spot.  I put mine in my kitchen cupboard.  The next day, drain the water through your makeshift cheesecloth lid.  Cover the seeds with water and replace your lid. Shake them.  Shake the water out and put back in a dark place.  Repeat this routine in the evening.  Do this for the next three days or until all of your seeds have sprouted.  How long this takes, will depend upon what you are sprouting.  Larger beans will take longer.  After the seeds have sprouted, take them out of the jar and place them on a plate.  Set them out in the sun for half an hour to green up.  It just occurred to me that this would be a fun experiment to do with your child also.  I love it when you can combine something educational, with something thrifty!

PS:  I finally figured out my facebook  password (or rather my husbands) so now I'm connected to it.  But I really don't know what I am doing, so don't expect too much feedback from me!  I apologize to those in past that have contacted me and I didn't respond to your request to be friends.  I simply don't know what I'm doing!