I Sprouted and the Pantry

I sprouted! OK, let me clarify, we all know that there is a little sprout in my belly right now, but I also sprouted seeds. It was so easy. I got this screen that fits on the top of a Mason jar a while back, but for some reason it sat in a drawer for about 3 months (OK, I will blame that reason on pregnancy laziness!). I put about 1 Tablespoon of seeds in a jar and added about 1 cup of water, let them soak over night and drained. For the next three days I rinsed the seeds twice daily and let the jar sit inverted in the sink. Low and Behold, we have sprouts. The girls enjoyed this little growing experiment. Shianne and I have been enjoying sprouts on our sandwiches each day now. They are so yummy and fresh tasting. With nothing growing in the garden, the ultra fresh taste is a welcome addition right now.

These sprouts are also very budget friendly. The seeds cost about 25 cents for 1 Tablespoon. I have paid upwards of $5 for sprouts in the store. A huge savings with almost no effort.


I also baked a loaf of bread today. Nora Beth was so excited to help me knead the dough. I tried a different recipe today. I am still on the search for the perfect recipe for our family. The last dough had to much moisture for Lamar and this recipe is a little drier that I would like. I will try a combination of the two recipes for my next loaf.

Homemade bread just tastes so much better than the pre-made stuff in the store, plus I can guarantee the quality of ingredients. The smell of fresh bread is the best air-freshener for the house. We have some wonderful bakeries here in town, but I have a hard time justifying the cost of the loaves of bread twice a week especially when I can make a loaf for just pennies.

As promised yesterday, I will talk about my pantry. I am am firm believer that a few high quality ingredients will take you a long way in the culinary world. I keep all our staples in labeled glass jars and have them organized by grains, beans, pasta, cereal, canned goods, dried fruits and spices. By keeping everything organized I can always see what I have on hand and there is no digging for ingredients.

Above I have my grains and beans. For my main grains I have wheat, oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn, brown rice, white rice, millet and barley. For pasta I always have elbow, ziti, manicotti, shells, spaghetti and lasagna - all whole wheat. I also have orzo, couscous and soba noodles. My family really enjoys sprouted wheat pasta, but it is hard to find and usually much more expensive than regular whole wheat pasta. For beans, I have, kidney, black, garbanzo, pinto, white and lentils.

Below is cereals. I am not a fan of the highly processed sugary stuff (although Lamar thinks that is the only way to go). We usually have a Raisin Bran, Cheerios and Corn Flakes - usually the natural, organic brands. The girls are huge fans of oatmeal. Shianne likes the flavored kinds and Nora wants hers plain.

I always have some sort of tortilla chips for a snack along with some great tasting crackers. Granola bars and nuts (pistachios, walnuts and almonds) will round out our snack shelf.



As for canned foods, we really do not have much. I always have tomato paste on hand and a few canned soups. I do like to have canned pineapple and sardines, but usually just one of each. I can my own tomatoes in the summer, along with jams, jellies, fruits and salsa. I make my own coconut milk from dried unsweetened coconut.

As for spices, I will be the first to admit that I have way more than necessary. Good quality spices are the key. I label all my spices as to when they are purchased and never keep them more that 1 year. Spices that are past their prime are just a waste of space and effort in my opinion. Some good ones to keep on hand are salt, pepper, red pepper, rosemary, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and Old Bay.

I hope to plant an herb garden this spring so I can keep thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, parsley, chives and cilantro. Fresh herbs just taste so much better than the dried ones.

For fresh produce I always have onions, potatoes, garlic, ginger, carrots, salad greens, broccoli, apples, lemons, limes and bananas. I know that these are not always available local, but they are the basis for much of the cooking done in our house. I buy organic whenever available.

What is missing from my pantry is processed, premade food. I prefer to cook with whole ingredients. With a little bit of planning, real food does not take any longer to make than the boxed version.

These staple ingredients are just a sampling of what I feel are necessary for the way my family eats. This list of course will have variances for what your family likes to eat. Another great site to check out for pantry staples is Sustainable Pantry. They have a great list of pantry items and great recipes.