Thursday, March 8, 2012

Mother's Market

Good morning.  I can't believe it is Thursday already!  I have been fighting with a darned cold all week.  Other than a very sore throat, it hasn't progressed to bronchitis like it often does for me.  Last weekend in search of some homeopathic things, and alfalfa seeds, we made a short trek to Mother's Market in Anaheim Hills.  I had seen on Pinterest how to sprout your own alfalfa seeds.  I love them, and we eat them all the time, so I decided to make my own.  I purchased the seeds at Mother's.  The bag is not cheap, but there is a lot.  You only use 2 Tablespoons at a time.  I think the bag of seeds was 15.00 or so.    You use a mason type jar and fit the lid with a screen material to allow for draining.  I used a scrap of window screening that I had.  Put 2 T of seeds into jar, and fill with water and let soak overnight. 
Next morning, pour water out, and make sure to let drain all the way, then keep in cool dark place, rinsing with water each morning and night, draining well each time.
Every day you will notice a little bit more growth.   This was day two.
 Day Three.
  Day Four.  And even though they are supposed to be ready on day four, I am giving them one more day.  You leave them in the sunlight for a few hours to green up, and then refrigerate.  I have them in the window sill now, and will either put them in the fridge tonight or tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I will be enjoying them on a slice of squaw bread with some peppered turkey and sliced avocado!!!!  
At Mother's Market I purchased these mesh produce bags.  I will be using these when I go to Farmer's Market instead of using the plastic bags that they put the produce in.  They are washable and can be used over and over.
 Mother's was a neat little store.   Everything in there is organic.  Which means....PRICEY!!!  Why is it so much more to buy organic?  I don't get it?   

They have machines to make your own almond and peanut butter.  Their selection on bread flours was the best I have ever seen.  Their prices on herbs and vitamins was also WAY better than anywhere else I have seen. The Kokoro Balance Cream I use was a good 7 dollars less.  The supplements Geeps takes for his nerve damage were substantially less.  They were SO very polite and helpful too.  They have a deli inside that looked great!  It is all Vegan.  Which, we are not, by the way.  Speaking of which....have you been watching the news?  What is this "pink slime" that they have supposedly been adding to our ground beef?  I think I will get the grinding attachment to my Kitchen Aid and begin to grind my own from now on.
 Have you heard of Ghee?  I first heard of this on the Dr. Oz show.  I love Dr. Oz!!!  It is commonly used in East Indian diets.  It is actually clarified butter.  But it contains half the calories, half the fat, and no sodium or additives.
  If you have ever had fresh seafood with drawn butter, what you have been given is clarified butter.  Through this process of clarification, you remove the milk fat solids, leaving you with a much lighter version of butter, with a slightly different taste.  We liked it. 

If you are anywhere near a Mother's Market, I hope you pop in.  It is a great little store!
I am so happy that the fresh fruits of summer are coming into the markets!  I could live on fresh fruit!  This is a typical breakfast for me.  Bagel or toast with almond butter.  Activia PEACH yogurt with homemade granola.  Fresh fruit, and fresh squeezed orange juice. 
While Noah is in school today, I might pop over to the fabric store for some orange fabrics to make more Easter Carrots.
This is a fum little quilt as you go project.  I want to do Easter Eggs too.    Now if only my sore throat would go away, I would be one happy camper!
Oh, in case you are thinking I have gone all "Earth Mother" and "Hippy" on you.....no, I have not!  I don't even own a pair of Birkenstocks!!!!   I still shave my legs and pits.  And I always wear a bra!  But we have made a few changes around here.  Good changes.  Easy changes.  Better for our environment.  Better for us! 
The sun is shining here.  The orange blossoms are opened and filling the air with their sweet fragrance!  Go out there and make it a great day!
XO  Kris          

23 comments:

Linda said...

You don't sound like a hippy to me...it's the way we eat all the time! Have you tried Clarkes? There's one in Riverside...there's most of the same things there...less expensive too! They have lots of varieties of sprout kits and seeds...try radish sprouts for an extra spicey bite! Don has a cough...feels fine except for the darn dry cough...feel better, my friend!!

Unknown said...

What a fun thing to grow. Sure wish I had a Mother's near by, but pretty sure I don't. You breakfast looks so heathly. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for that Ghee however, it's probably a good change to make. But, we are not big butter eaters and I don't salt anything for either of us. Ok, maybe popcorn and eggs, but that's it here. Pretty much a salt free house. Take care of that cold and don't let it get worse.

Stacey said...

hahah you still shave your legs and pits.. That's too funny :) Umm, making alfalfa sprouts is SO easy.. I never knew :) I always get them when I go to Glen Ivy, and have their Turkey Sandwich.. Yum!!! I've never been to Mother's Market.. Sounds fun!

NanaNor's said...

Hi Kris, So sorry you still have your sore throat-have you tried gargling with warm salt water...it will help.
I loved this post and cracked up at your last paragraph-especially about shaving and wearing a bra-I'm with you but I have owned Birks and loved them..
Hope you are feeling better soon.
Hugs, Noreen

Deb~in~Denver said...

Sorry you have been feeling so crummy! Hope it goes away, soon. I love those mesh produce bags, I'm going to see if Sunflower Market has them. I always feel guilty if I use the plastic bags. I LOVE your quilted carrot, that is darling! You are very talented. We've made quite a few changes, too. Have a ways to go though. I, too, still shave and wear a bra but it's often the first thing I take off after I walk in the house....right after my shoes! :) Enjoy the sunshine and the orange blossoms....I'm so jealous!
Deb

Genn said...

Ooh, those produce mesh bags are great!! I'm going to go get some!
And I want some ghee. Sounds great. I can't wait to check out mothers.

Holly said...

My sister will love this post. She will probably try to grow some sprouts and I may try it too. Mother's looks like a great place. Wish I had one here.

Debbie Kay said...

Kris, that post is EXACTLY why I love you......so real!

Your blog is such a joy to read.

Smiles,

Debbie

Teresa Kasner said...

Kris.. I love how we inspire each other! I have a sprout jar here but haven't gotten around to using it.. I will get it out. I used to do my own sprouts all the time! One thing.. after they're all sprouted, you want to put a bunch of water in the jar and shake it like crazy to get all the seed hulls off.. then pour the hulls right out the mesh.. you can do this several times until all the hulls are gone. Now I want some Ghee! We have Whole Foods markets but no Mothers.. I would love a Mothers!
((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Heather - The Good Life said...

I haven't heard of the store, will have to see if we have them around here. I haven't heard of the pink slime thing either, will have the look into that, sounds yucky. Hope you are feeling better soon. Take care. Heather

~Niki~ said...

hey you're like me, I shave MY pits too! ;)
Love that carrot table topper! I thought I saw this pattern in a magazine years ago~is that where you got it from? You made it yourself right?

Pammy Sue said...

I wish I had read this before I went to Whole Foods today. I got a cart full of healthy, organics stuff. I have heard of Ghee, but have never tried it. Are you sure that's half the calories of butter? A serving size is only a tsp, and with butter it's a Tbsp. Hmm. I'll have to double-check that. We've been using soy butter, but it's about the same calories and fat as regular butter. It's just not animal-derived. The only time I have a bra on is when I leave the house, but I am hair-free!

Kerri said...

What are you going to start growing next?! ;) Can you believe I have never tried sprouts before? I have seen them at salad bars...but always thought they looked so weird!
I hope your cold is better by the weekend! Take care of yourself...slow down!

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Hi Kris, Loved this post so informative! I use to sprout my own seeds when the kids were young, why not start again!!! Love what you got at Mother's, we don't have one, in fact, I have never heard of it. I don't think we have them on the East coast. What a yummy breakfast you have, makes me hungry for breakfast and it's dinnertime here.
Take care of your cold, lots of R&R, xoRobin❤

Sunny Simple Life said...

Never heard of the Ghee. WOnder if I can get it at Sprouts?

Naomi said...

Guess I agree with Pammy Sue - butter has only 102 calories in a tablespoon and ghee 45 in a teaspoon - that makes ghee 135 in a tablespoon and they are both 100% fat. Sure doesn't mean it doesn't taste good!

Nicolle said...

That market looks wonderful. I LOVE little places like that. How fun. Those sprouts look so good, and I can't believe they grow so fast. That is really neat to grow your own. I do hope you start feeling much better, soon. A sore throat/cold is so rough. Get some rest! xo.

Petunia Pill said...

Your posts are always fascinating and inspirational! Isn't Activia the best???? I'm a strawberry girl...but don't know how I survived before it! So sorry to hear your throat is still sore. Sounds like post nasal drip is getting you!

Brenda Pruitt said...

I use to grow sprouts for my salads! I've got to do that again.
Brenda

Janna said...

my stomach started growling as I read this. seriously, it did. who knew you could grown your own sprouts?!

corners of my life said...

What a fun discovery - Mother's Market.

Dawn said...

So sorry you are feeling poorly:( Nothing worse. I have a juicer with an attachment that grinds all grains and nuts for nut butters. I love it. It takes more time to do it yourself, but everything tastes so much better and has more nutritional value. I also saw the pink slime thing. I seldom eat meat, and this is all the more reason not to. The carrot quilt is adorable:) I have never seen the mesh produce bags. Do you know the brand name?

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Hi Kris, sorry to hear that you have had a sore throat. I have been extremely lucky this year and have not gotten sick at all, knock on wood! I have heard of sprouting like this but have not tried it. I love sprouts! I could live on fruit and veggies most of the time. Need a good piece of meat now and then. Thank goodness we always get a half beef from a friend that raises cattle. Your breakfast looks tasty. I had a bagel this morning only mine had lt. cream cheese. I can't wait till we have fresh fruit and veggies. I don't think we have Mother stores here in Ut. At least I have never heard of them. I am one of those woman who can't wait to get her bra off at night. Even work out in the yard (wearing a very loose shirt) without one sometimes. Still, I must bind those babies when I go out in public.
Hugs,
Jann