FREE Gifts for You! Got Santa?

Did Santa bring you what you wanted this Christmas?  Was you stocking loaded with goodies or coal?  Or was that stocking just left empty?  Did Santa's GPS neglect to direct the sleigh full of gifts to your chimney?  Did you mail out 20 Holiday greeting cards and get only 4 in return?  Less than 4?  Not even an eCard?  Southwest Desert Blogger feels your pain.  But the holidays are about giving, not receiving.  So let me give you some things I hope you or someone you know can use.

First, let me give you a code for $5 off any purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's Castile, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. --  All at discounts.  They ship free for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.  WAL= We All Love the $5 discount.  Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.  I think you will find iherb prices lower than your local store.  It is fun to browse www.iherb.com so check it out.

Get some FREE juice and smoothie recipes and free access to hundreds of short videos (scroll down to "blog" and "recipes") plus other info' on a variety of raw food and health topics at this site:
  http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344

You can also get info on a 10 Day Juice Fast (feast) and a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344  Just scroll down to check around the site.   I have done both the Juice Fast and Raw Food Challenge and recommend both.  The 7 Day Raw Food Challenge was my favorite.  See Southwest Desert Blogger posts from mid July 2011 and September 2011 for my notes on the Raw Food Challenge and the Juice Fast.

I trust you are now on your way to a healthy New Year.
Happy, prosperous 2012 to all, from
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Six Holiday Haiku for You

Holiday Lights in the Southwest Desert

I will create a
little haiku for you all:
Happy Holiday.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

Do you like my lights?
 wish you all were here tonight
to drink the eggnog.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .


Be of good cheer dear
 blog friends all throughout the world.
Peaceful holidays.

.   .   .    .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .


No Omega Vert
 complaints or tales for you now.
Got vegan eggnog?  :)

*****************************
Enough haiku now.
May your holiday be bright
as Southwest night sky.

*************************************
***********************************
*  *  *  *  *       ^      *   *    *   *    *
*     *     *      ^^^^      *    *     *   *
    *     *      ^^^^^^^  *    *     *     *
  *    *     *       []     *    *      *   *
The Southwest Desert
stars will shine bright on the Christ-
mas eve new moon night.
 **********************************
All these haiku from
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Got a Sprouter?

I got a new 4 tier sprout tower.  I had been growing sprouts in a jar for years, but decided I would like the sprouts to grow straight up instead of in a cylinder the way they do in a jar.  I chose a 4 tier plastic model with cylinder shaped trays.  The trays are translucent plastic.  I just water the top tray and the water drips down into the trays below and finally into a fitted collection dish.  Just empty the collection dish before the next watering and the sprouts grow.  The four tray system produces a rotating crop of salad and soup sprouts.  I find the fine sprouts (salad sprouts such as alfalfa, broccoli, radish, clover) are easier to clean when they grow straight plus I prefer the aesthetics of the straight sprouts. 

Inverted sprout tray on top allows the sprouts to grow taller -- water collects in the bottom tray.

I enjoy using this vertical sprout growing system.  It saves counter space, looks good, works well and only requires watering twice a day.  I water the sprouts first thing in the morning and again about twelve hours later.  I soak the sprouting seeds about 8 hours.  The cool weather requires a longer sprouting and growing time than the summer.  I wrap a dish towel around the sprouter if the temperatures in the house are particularly cool.  The towel also creates a darker environment for the first few days of sprouting.  I rotate the sprouting trays so that the newest seeds are in the lower trays.  When the sprouts get as tall as the trays are deep, I just prop an empty tray, up side down, over the tall sprouts thus creating a higher ceiling.  That way the sprouts can grow a bit taller without being cramped.  If all four trays are in use, I  just prop a light plastic bowl over the top tier in lieu of the flat cover that comes with the sprouter.  See the photos.

Just one teaspoon of alfalfa, radish, broccoli sprouts produced the tray on the left.  I harvested some from the middle of the tray this morning. The extra tray is on the lower right of this photo.
:
:
:
The photo below shows mixed lentils, peas, and adzuki beans in two phases of growth. Discard any beans, lentils, or seeds that do not sprout or appear unhealthy in any way.
I like lentil, bean, and pea sprouts in miso or other soup.  They add a nice, chewy, alive quality.

A mere teaspoon of alfalfa, radish, and broccoli seed is soaking in the little glass bowl on the right of the above photo.  This evening I will drain and rinse these seeds in a fine strainer and they will be placed in the empty extra tray (stacked below the alfalfa tray in this photo) before I water the tower.

It is important to clean the sprout trays after harvest as well as cleaning the bottom water collection tray every few days.  This is as simple as just using a brush, sponge, or dish cloth with soap and hot water. Some sources say to clean the sprouter with a solution of bleach or something like that to kill any potentially harmful organisms that may be growing in the humid environment of the sprouter.  Some sources say to use vinegar to clean the sprouter.  Always rinse any cleaning products off the sprouter before you use it.  The tiny holes in the trays, that allow the water to flow through to the tray below, may get clogged with a tiny seed or root from time to time.  A tooth pick or pin can be used to clear these water drainage holes as needed.  Of course, with any food preparation area, the sprouter should be kept very clean.   This is not a hobby for the slothful or slovenly.

The only down-side to this and similar plastic sprouters is that they may not be dishwasher safe.  I have heard that some similar sprouters only tolerate 3 or 4 washings in the dishwasher.  I have not put mine in a dishwasher.  It only takes a minute or 2 to wash it by hand.

Watching seeds sprout in the winter,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Southwest Desert Weather Report and Salt Talk

I decided to quit complaining about my Omega VRT 350 HD vertical juicer (see 9 previous posts including 9/12/11).  Yes, it still has problems.  Today I pulled a 1.75 inch string out of my mouth after drinking some fresh vegetable juice -- do the young folks still use the word "gross" when referring to something very distasteful?  OOps, sounds like a complaint...

OK folks, now for the weather.  It has gotten chilly and wet here.  The temperatures will flirt with the freezing mark tonight and likely hit below freezing during the next few nights.  We have to be sure all the exterior pipes are covered or insulated.  We also cover all the plants that are not frost resistant.  These may consist of plants that are not indigenous that we have planted in the earth or in pots.

I harvested most of my basil a few days ago and made some pesto -- just grind the basil with olive oil, garlic (not too much!), and maybe a touch of fresh ground pepper and, if you like, some salt.  The salt I have been using is red sea salt.  I know Celtic Sea salt is all the rage, but until I finish the bag of red salt, I'm not buying any fancy, high priced salts.  Is that popular Himalayan salt really from the Himalayas?  Salt from Chili, Poland, Bolivia, Peru and other countries are being marketed as Himalayan or pink salt.

My salt is called Realsalt.  It is not bleached, kiln dried, heated or altered with chemicals or pollutants.  It has a full complement of over 50 beneficial trace minerals, including iodine, yet nothing added.  The 26 ounce package has lasted a few years and still has years to go.  The package says that millions of years ago this gourmet salt was part of a pristine sea that covered North America.  Over millions of years the water in the sea evaporated, leaving salt deposits.  During the Jurassic era volcanoes erupted around the ancient sea bed sealing the salt with layers of volcanic ash.  This protected the salt until humans near Redmond Utah extracted the salt from deep within the earth.  They market it without additives, chemicals, or heat processing of any kind.  So, why don't all the raw foodists jump on this?  It sounds like raw salt made in the USA.  It tastes great lightly sprinkled on a green salad drizzled with a bit of oil or as a compliment to any food that needs a little special something.

Back to the freeze:  I think I will cover the young citrus trees and exotic non-native succulents.  I might even bring a few potted plants into the house.  Maybe this low pressure system bringing us cold and rain will bring some snow to the folks in ski country.  For us, it is welcome winter moisture, but challenging cold.

Staying cool, not by choice,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011  P.S.  Let me gift you a code for $5 off any purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell Real Salt, natural sea salts, nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's Castile, raw cacao, organic chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.  I think you will find iherb prices lower than your local store.  It is interesting to browse www.iherb.com so check it out.

Omega Vertical Juicer VRT 350 HD -- Post #9!

I have reviewed the Omega VRT350HD vertical juicer in 8 previous posts starting September 25, 2011.  The problems persist even though I have cut celery as small as one inch lengths -- then the carrot may jam the juicer and cause it to stop.  I suspect these stops and starts add to the pulp in the juice.  Even without the stops and restarts, the juice is still pulpy -- too pulpy for my taste.  And the pulp consists of strings, tiny chunks, and some very thin skin-like stuff.

One or the strings and other material found in the Omega VRT 350HD juice!

Can you see the fiber mass stuck in the exit port?  This is very hard to pull out -- I tried.  The cleaning tool that comes with the juicer does not fit or assist in this area.  Also notice the cylinder at the bottom of the photo is the juice exit port.  The red line in the middle is a piece of hard plastic hanging half-way down the exit port.  This is impossible to clean with the cleaning tool provided or any other dish cleaning tool I have and thus is not hygienic.  There is a very narrow area on all sides of the rectangle.  I cannot imagine the purpose of this hard plastic rectangle in the juice exit port. Earlier versions of the Omega VRT may not have it.

Another view of the fibrous mass.  See the fibers hanging down the exit port and up the inside of the juice bowl.  The bright orange is carrot pulp.

There was also a wad of wet fiber strings in the bottom center of the juice bowl.

The strings and fibers lodge in the exit port even when I juice only one stick of celery, cut into 2 or three inch lengths. I suspect the wheatgrass may be doing the same.  Anything fibrous seems to cause issues.

The fiber I tugged out of the exit port.

That same fiber pulled apart a bit.  Some of these strings end up in my juice!

This strainer is 3 inches in diameter and 1.25 inches deep.  It is sitting on the lid of a wide mouth pint mason jar.  The strainer is filled with pulp strained out of one pint (16 ounces, about 1/2 liter) of vegetable juice (carrot, beet, greens and a bit of apple) from my Omega VRT 350 HD juicer.

The Omega VRT350 is not the juicer to use for efficiency juicing carrots and root vegetables.  Overall it does not produce more yield for me, despite it's reputation of producing a dry pulp.  You have to remember that the juice has so much pulp, that when you strain it, you may get another ounce or two of pulp per pint of juice.  And this juicer produces quite a head of foam, especially when juicing greens.

The company has offered to send me yet another replacement juicer; however, this requires over two weeks of transit time from the time I ship the juicer to them until I receive the replacement.  I have also received several replacement parts to try to remedy issues.  Honestly, one should not have to get replacement parts for a new product!  The parts are mostly plastic and in my opinion poorly molded.  Some of the edges are sloppy, irregular, and thus difficult to clean.  If this were a cheap juicer, i.e., under $100, I would understand the sloppy molding, etc.  But, this is a machine that sells for nearly $400! (USD).  Is it possible that I have gotten 2 defective juicers from Omega?  How many VRT350HD juicers do I have to try to get one that is perfect? How many times do I have to sit on hold while trying to contact Omega?  There is no way I can get that time back.  Is this just as good as it gets with the VRT350 HD?

Before you purchase and Omega vertical juicer, I suggest you read my other 8 posts reviewing the 350HD.  Do I regret this purchase?  Yes.  This is the desert and money doesn't grow on trees.
Your Southwest Desert Blogger,
C. (c)2012
Thanks for reading Southwest Desert Blogger. If you want to learn more about the 10 day juice fast or the 7 day raw food challenge I did (previous posts), or just want a free eBook with vegan juice and smoothie recipes and informative blog /videos (recommended by Southwest Desert Blogger) link to:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344
  P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements, raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, soaps such as Dr. Bronner's, raw cacao, organic chia seed, white chia, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, seaweed noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free (US) for orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order.   www.iherb.com -- check it out.

More Omega VRT 350 HD Complaints

I made a vegetable juice today that was so pulpy I had to drink it through a straw.  I do not like the pulpy juice the Omega VRT 350HD juicer produces.  After sucking down the juice, I realized something was in my throat.  I pulled out a vegetable string that was over 2 inches long.  This never happened with my old juicer.  The amount of strings in my Omega VRT 350 HD juice is unacceptable and becoming a potential health hazard.  The strings also get jammed into the pulp exit port and are very hard to clean.  I have to try to dislodge a wad of strings and pulp from a very narrow space.  Nearly every other day the juice overflows onto the motor housing.  I suspect it is leaking into the motor housing because I can fit the corner of a paper towel into the places the rubber-like area meets the hard plastic.

Maybe I will add more to this post later.  There are more problems with the way the plastic parts are machined.  It is sloppy.  Enough pulp for now.

Get info on a 10 Day Juice Fast (feast) and a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge and a FREE eBook with juice and smoothie recipes at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344  Scroll down to check around the site. It is full of informative "blog" videos, recipes, etc.   I have done both the Juice Fast and Raw Food Challenge and recommend both.  The 7 Day Raw Food Challenge was my favorite.  See Southwest Desert Blogger posts from mid July 2011 and September 2011 for my notes on the Raw Food Challenge and the Juice Fast.

Another juicy blog by
Southwest Desert Blogger
C (c)2011  P.S.  To support this blog, use discount code WAL660 for $5 off first purchase at www.iherb.com .  They sell nutritional supplements, raw supplements (Garden of Life), raw and organic food such as tahini, coconut oils, energy bars, goji, etc., herbs, teas, organic and natural shampoos, conditioners, skin creams and lotions, cosmetics, dry skin brushes, Madre Labs acai and Cafeceps, organic soaps, raw organic cacao, organic raw chia seed, hemp seed, seaweed, nuts, kelp noodles, oils, homeopathics, organic pet food, etc. at discounts.  Currently, they ship free for US orders of $20 or more.  They also ship internationally.  Just enter code WAL660 at check out.    Plus, there are helpful product reviews.   And more free:  iherb offers a variety of FREE PRODUCTS to sample, so be sure to select one with your order. www.iherb.com .

Russians Reading Southwest Desert Blogger?

Who do so many Russians read Southwest Desert Blogger?  Is there a Russian fascination with the Southwest Desert or something else? 

As of the 2002 Russian Census over 142 million respondents claimed to be Russian citizens.  Dual citizenship was claimed by about 44,000 respondents.  Over a million respondents claimed to be foreign citizens and 400,000 claimed to be "stateless" persons.

Of a recorded resident population of over 145 million, there are nearly 10 million more women than men.  Seventy-three percent of the population is urban.  So, who is on the internet and why?

There are nearly 7 million English speakers in Russia.  They may also read and write English, but the level of competence is unknown.  Children are presumed to speak a language if their parents speak it, so that 7 million likely includes some kids.  Incidentally, 98.3 percent of Russian citizens claim to be competent in Russian.

The most recent Census in the United States of America was the 2010 Census.  The 2010 Census was our twenty-third US Census.  As mandated in our Constitution, we conduct a Census every 10 years.  The first US Census was in 1790.

As of National Census Day, April 1, 2010 (no joke), the population of the US was counted as 308,745,538.  The most populous state is California.  The city with the greatest population is New York City.

So why all the Southwest Desert Blogger readers from Russia?  Let me know.  Is it your interest in my Omega vertical VRT 350 juicer foibles? (see previous blogs) Is it a fascination with the wild west?  Is this blog featured on some site you frequent?  Where did you discover Southwest Desert Blogger?
(http://yandex.ru/yandsearch?text=southwestdesertblogger.blogspot.com , or domar.ru ) Are you messing with the system?  Trying to figure out whether my cookies are edible or not?  Trying to figure out whether driving out here is a hard drive?  Do we have to have a medical degree to have an operating system?  Are we wired or wireless?  Do I have a mouse or a rat's nest?  Do we speak Russian?  Da?  Niet?  You've got to figure we habla (hablamos) some Espanol because we are in the Southwest Desert.

Looking for answers without any clues,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Gettin' a Might Chilly

The nights and early mornings have been Southwest Desert cold.  It has been down to the low 40s (F.) lately.  Of course, the sun warms it up during the day, but at 7:00 am I am wearing a jacket, hat, and gloves to be comfortable.  That is not a complaint -- just the weather report.

We are all looking forward to the Thanksgiving Day holiday next Thursday.

For those of you outside the USA, Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for all we have.  Traditionally, we have a large meal consisting of turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or yams, maybe some white potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie for desert.  Most of these foods are native to the Americas.  Regions and families may have their additional traditional foods, but those are the basics.  I guess we will have to add a large salad for the raw food folks.  I have heard of vegetarians who prepare baked stuffed squash as their traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  That sounds good, too.

There are big Thanksgiving Day parades in several major cities.  I would judge the most grand of them all to be the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.  It features marching bands from all over the US, famous singers, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, brief scenes from Broadway musicals, floats, and giant balloons in the parade.  It is about 3 hours long.  There were some years the weather was New York cold for the parade.  In 1957 there was heavy rain.  The hat of the giant Popeye the Sailor  balloon filled with rain water and the balloon poured water on the crowd.  We are wishing all the parade participants, and the million or so who view the parade live, sunny and mild weather this Thanksgiving.

The Macy's parade, and a few others, are broadcast on network TV.  The first TV broadcast of the Macy's Day Parade (as it is now often called) was an experimental broadcast in 1939.  I look forward to seeing at least some of the Macy's parade on TV.  I always watch the beginning to see the Broadway musicals and Rockettes.

The idea of a Thanksgiving Day Parade is said to have originated in the 1920s.  Macy's store employees and professional entertainers marched in Manhattan along with live animals borrowed from the zoo, floats, and vivid costumes.  Large balloons replaced the live animals in 1927.  The first parade was a Christmas parade, with Santa Clause, then as now, as the finale.  The parade morphed into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade over time and has continued every year except for 1942-1944. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It is not as commercialized as Christmas, yet has the important component of remembering to give thanks.  What have you got to be grateful for?  A computer?  The use of someone else's computer?  Food, shelter, clothing?  A job?  Friends?  Relatives?  Skills, talents, abilities?  The senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, 6th sense, etc.)?  Make your list.  See how long you can make it.  Do you have some warm, cozy socks, slippers, robe?  A pet?  A juicer, blender, TV?  Don't forget to thank the farmers who grew the food, the truckers who transported it, the store that sold it to you.  Have gratitude for the inventors of the systems, tools, and vehicles we use, and even your blanket, pillow, and chair.  It is not trite to be grateful for the small things.  It has been said that gratitude is an invitation for more goodness to manifest in your life.  I trust it will be so. 

Gratefully,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

Got Javalina?

"What in the heck is a Javalina?" you may be thinking.  It is a critter that looks like a feral pig or wild boar with coarse black, gray, and brown hair and a faint white collar in the winter coat, a pink snout, and hooves.  Take a look at this photo on the right.  I had wanted to get photos of Javalina for you, but they are predominately nocturnal creatures.  However, they do sometimes come out during the day, especially if the weather is cool.
Today the temperatures dropped into the mid 40s (Fahrenheit) and it rained this morning.  It is mighty cool -- the desert dwellers might even say it is downright cold.  When the sun came out after the rain, I looked out the window, and there were the Javalina.
They like to eat plants.  Prickly pear is said to be one of their favorites. This herd of Javalina was feeding on the yellow fruit of a barrel cactus.  See the next photos.

There are 5 Javalina in this photo, including the baby. Can you spot them all?

See that pink snout! 

The Javalina blend in with the background environment perfectly.  

                                           

An adult Javalina can weigh up to 60 pounds and stands 19 inches tall.  They can be aggressive and have been known to bite humans.  They will defend their territory, especially if they are eating or have young Javalina with them.

Years ago I saw a herd of Javalina eating some fancy flowers at night.  Their eyes glowed red in the headlights of my vehicle.  They would not leave those tender, store bought, hand watered flowers until they had their fill.

I have also seen Javalina eat bird seed blocks and knock over trash cans to feast on vegetable pulp from the juicer!  The only time they bothered to knock over my can to get the pulp was when I juiced some garlic in my vegetable juice.  They ate all the pulp, then left, but they would not leave until they had finished every morsel of pulp.  I could not get into my gate until they left.  The largest one defended the area in front of the gate while the others finished eating.  There were young ones, so I dared not cross until they left.

Javalina have a strong, musty smell.  Sometimes you can smell them after they have been in an area.  It is said they identify members of their herd by smell.  Their eyesight is poor.  Loud noise will startle them.  Here are two more photos:

This was the first of the herd to spot the yellow cactus fruit.

 I've got to get out and get some chores done now while there is still some sun.  The weather folks say it could get near freezing tonight. You Southwest Desert Blogger blog readers up in Russia and Latvia stayin' warm?

I AM stayin' warm as I can,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2011

Got Sprouts?

I grew some red lentil sprouts in a jar.  I covered the open end of the jar with cheese cloth fastened around the jar's rim with a snug fitting rubber band.  First I soaked a few tablespoons of seeds overnight in a generous amount of water, drained them through the cheese cloth in the morning, rinsed and drained them again, and covered the jar with a dish towel to keep the seeds dark until they sprouted.  Rinse and drain well at least twice a day.  Within 3 days the jar is full of beautiful lentil sprouts.  Rinse before use and throw away any lentils that do not sprout.  Store well drained, unused lentils in the refrigerator.  Use them in a day or two.  Their taste is mild.  I sprinkle them over a salad.  If they start to get a bad smell or unusual consistency, throw them away!  I make small quantities and always use mine quickly enough to avoid waste. 

Lentil Sprouts growing in a jar -- you can see some roots and tiny pale leaves

 lentil sprouts growing in a pint jar with cheese cloth fastened over the opening

The salad consists of a base of tender leaf lettuce, a small amount of thinly sliced cucumber, one half gala apple diced with skin, a sprinkle of lentil sprouts, a bit of oil (I use an unfiltered, highest lignan, organic flax seed oil -- use what you like) and a light sprinkle of pink salt.  Layer ingredients in the order listed.  Of course you can use any dressing and add vegetables you like.  Enjoy!

The Salad with Red Lentil Sprouts

As you have noticed, the red lentils are more of a pale orange color.  Nevertheless, they add interesting color, shape, and texture to a salad.
Lentil sprouts are also good sprinkled over soup or stew.  They are nice in a broth or miso soup.
Sprouts are said to have much more nutrition and are easier to digest than the un-sprouted seeds.

On another subject: today I saw the license plate "I AM" -- I had a fine day.
I AM
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011