Just another rainy Sunday.

The day is starting out just like  it ended last night.  In the rain.  Today is the Ides of May - the 15th, 2011.  Should be Spring, yes?  But it is only in the lower 40s and not much hope of it getting above that.  I'm still hoping that someday the garden will start growing things.  I've planted seedlings and sown seeds.  Some are coming out but s-l-o-w-l-y though the spinach isn't moving much it should be enjoy this.  My kale and chard transplants are growing a little.  Parsley is showing secondary leaf growth.  Some lettuce is unfurling and let us not forget the peas.  I have two kinds this year.  Regular green pods and purple pods.  I will take pictures once they start blooming and birthing those little pods.  I'm rather excited to see this evolution of wonderment. 

So, as much as not much will be happening this weekend outside, a far as my digging in the dirt, I thought I'd share what was going on in the old comfort zone.  My home with my home. 

Last night I was busy with regular up keep of my jar family.  Kefir and kombucha. 

Kefir on the frig:  a little hard to focus up there, but the one on the right is with coconut water and the one of the left is with palm sugar and dry pineapple.  They should be ready Monday night.

These are my kombucha brewing stations.  I  use the continuous brew method.  Meaning, the mother scoby never leaves her home.  I just harvest about a quart, once a week or so, and then replenish the same amount.  I like this method.  It is cleaner and safer, in my opinion.  I don't have to handle the mother unless I'm going to start a new colony.  Last night I brewed Rooibos tea and added that to the blend.  I continuous don't remember what jar has what tea so they are a combination brew of Rooibos, Yerba Mate, and Tulsi tea.  I have a third lead-free stonewear crock which you can not see in the picture.  This is nice because it does not allow light in.  I will replace the glass ones some day when I can afford it.  But that's what I recommend doing if you want to brew kombucha.

My other "gardening" activities last night dealt with sprouts.   My soaking jars.  Six of them.  Foreground left are buckwheat (with their hulls still on) that will be grown into buckwheat lettuce.  They should have tales in another day or two and then they will go into trays.  Foreground right, broccoli sprouts.  They will jar grow their tales.  Probably about a week for these.  The other two jars on the left have kamut and a lentil mix.  They should be ready by Tuesday or so.  The right two jars have oats and fenugreek seeds.  Like the kamut and lentils they don't take that long since you don't want long tales.  The longer the tale the more bitter the taste.  They also continue to grow, slower, but grow they do in the refrigerator.

My seedlings that I had started trying to harden off had to come in last night since we were going to be wet and cold and my warm weather crop would not have enjoyed being out there with they little root toes wet and cold.  The above are my little tommies.  Aren't they cute.  Soon they will get bigger home and have to be separated.  But for now they are back on their heat mats and lights.

Speaking of green (my most favorite color and my last name is an adjective formed from the base root of green! I'm Ani Greenish, he he) this is one of my three wheatgrass trays that is reaching for the sky.  They should be ready in another 4-5 days.  Its a little cooler (hummm) so they don't grow as fast as they would if it was warmer (hummm)

"Have I told you it cool here in the Chicago land area?" "No.  Really!"
Anyway, will be cranking that wheatgrass soon.

This is the menu for today.

Breakfast:
Starter, lemon water.
Followed by a glass of kefir.
And my favorite green juice:  1-2 apples
                                             1 cucumber
                                             1 bunch of celery
                                             1-2 peeled lemons
                                             1" piece of fresh ginger (I don't peel)
sometime I will change this up by substituting pears for the apples and adding different greens: parsley, cilantro, kale, sorrel, spinach but the base always stays the same.

Lunch will be Anne Wigmore Energy Soup:

                                            2 cups of liquid (when I have it I use rejuvelac, which today I do) otherwise      
                                               spring water
                                            1/2 to 1 cup of mixed sprouts (green)
                                            1/2 cup watermelon rind (the white part, optional)
                                             2 cups of edible greens (if it wasn't raining I'd have lamb's quarters, dandelion
                                                greens, purslane, and what ever else was out there)
                                             4 cups of chlorophyll rich greens (spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens,
                                                 buckwheat lettuce, sunflower sprouts)
                                              1-2 golden delicious apples (cored) Anne thought these to be the sweetest
                                                 (I only use one most of the time)
Blend the above until smooth and creamy
Add to the mix:                       1 avocado
                                               handful of dry dulse (the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon but I like a lot of it)
Blend this for a short blast until all is incorporated.  You don't want to over mix the avocado.

This is just a base recipe.  There are many variations.  Spices can be added as well.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, coriander.  You are only limited by your  imagination.

Finally my snack during the day will be my Ode to Doro Smoothie:

1,5 cups of hemp mylk:  Today it was made with hemp seed, honey, bee pollen, coconut water and cinnamon.
Blend all of the above until smooth.

Add to this: 1 peeled medium size banana
                   handful of wash spinach (stems and all) clean well as spinach love to cling to dirt
                   1 tablespoon full of Greener Grasses (from HealthForce Nutritionals)

I salute you my friend.  Here's to you.  Green Power to you.  (Doro is dealing with some medical issues so please keep positive  thoughts for her)

Well that's today story.  A little of this and a little of that to offer you health and wellness.  Cheers.