Sprouting For Life

Good day, gentle readers. I hope you have been outside enjoying the sunshine today! Out here on the 'wet coast' we dont get to see the sunshine nearly as often as we would like to. So here is a way to bring a little life right into your kitchen. Sprouting! Yesterday I decided to begin my journey into sprouting. I went down to the local health food store to see what offerings they had for me. It wasnt long and I found myself walking through the doors of Surrey Natural Foods, on King George Hwy, in Surrey, BC Canada. I had only to walk in the door, and as my gaze fell upon hundreds of interesting and unknowable goodies, I am certain that my expression of perplexity gave away my beginner status as a sprouting Diva. ( haha!get it? lol) At any rate, a friendly face, and a warm hello from the guy behind the counter, and a kind lady by the name of Alba, came to my rescue as I stared in blank confusion at the amazing collection of everything herbal that comprised thier stocked shelves, nooks and crannys. I was so glad I had Alba to lead me around the store and show me around. She took her time asking me what it was I was looking for- my health goals, and what I wanted my end results to be. We talked about many things yesterday, but at no time did I feel she was in a hurry to go do something else. She truly made me feel like I was not only in good hands, but everyone there seemed to truly want to help me, help myself. I could have spent days, ( no, I mean DAYS) in there, learning about everything they offer, from the commonplace herbs and supplements, to sprout seeds, and exotic and colourful bits of this and that. If you need something health related- chances are you will find it here, and if not- they will not hesitate to either order it in for you, or to help you locate what you are looking for somewhere else. I left the store with a light heart and in wonderful anticipation of my sprouting journey. I purchased a bag of Hemp Nuts ( really, hemp 'nuts' are really just hemp seeds with the hulls removed- and are they delicous!) a small box of Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah'), which is an ancient grain, a small bag of green organic lentils, a smaller bag of chia seeds ( I am not sure I'm sold on this one yet- I just bought a sample bag to try out and I will keep you posted on that one) and a half pound bag of mixed sprouts called " A-Go-Go Organic Sprouting mix"  including  the seeds of: alfalfa, red clover, red radish, mustard and fenugreek. My family really have enjoyed radish sprouts, and we are a group that can take some heat/spice in our food, so this was a good option for my first taste of sprouting, since I will get to try a few different items at one time. It should make for some lovely salad topping.....Come on sprouts......hurry up and- sprout! :) I also have a small bag of green mung beans that I started the other day. I bought them whole in the bulk section of my local mega-mart, and you can too. Just look for food grade whole seeds. (Unless you are into organic all the way. Then head off to Surrey Natural Foods for all your organic needs.)
   All in all, I would say that I enjoyed my time at SNF, and I think the staff there are very knowledgeable and helpful, and I will definately go back. If you would like to watch the youtube video of my first jump into the sprouting pool- click the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEKNnyqGwN8&context=C3dae743ADOEgsToPDskKaXBuNvpPBUlYgtChW3hGb

So until next time, my lovely sprout-brothers and sisters- keep on sprouting!
SurreySproutQueen