I spent the afternoon driving around applying for jobs. I know I already have a job, but I'm not making enough money or getting enough hours. So, I'm getting a second job. I applied to be the assistant general manager at a restaurant here called Noodles. I have an interview tomorrow with the manager, hopefully it goes well. It looks like a fun restaurant to be a part of. I also applied for the graveyard shift at Planet Fitness. I saw an ad on Craigs List for the position today, so I dropped off my resume. The manager will be back in on Monday, so hopefully I can catch her. That would be perfect for me because it wouldn't effect my hours at Yankee Candle and it would give me a free gym membership. We'll see what happens.
Anyway, I promised you directions on how to make your own bean sprouts. Sprouting is super easy, I promise. I always use green lentils when making homemade bean sprouts. Lentils help cleanse and stimulate the kidneys and adrenal system, strengthen the heart and circulation and increase energy and vitality. When lentils are sprouted, their nutrients become more easily digestible, and after just 3-4 days of sprouting, their soluble fiber, which helps lower LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar and regulate insulin levels, increases 300 percent!
I'm lucky enough to have a farmers market right down the road from our apartment, so whenever I stop by, I always dig into the bulk food section. I get about a pound of whole organic green lentils for $1.99 and that makes about 4 to 5 jars packed full of bean sprouts. If you don't shop at a farmers market, check the organic section at your local grocery store. It is very important that you get whole lentils though.
What you'll need:
- Large Mason jar (about 24 ounces)
-Cheese cloth
-tight rubber bands (I used a thick hair tie, see below)
-1/2 cup of organic WHOLE (not split or dahl) lentils
1. First step is to rinse your dry beans (1/2 cup) thoroughly and soak them in a large bowl over night (8-12 hours). Be sure to only use about half a cup of dry beans, you need a lot of room in your jar to allow your beans to sprout. After soaking them over night, they'll be nice and plump in the morning.
2. On day 2, rinse your beans again and pour them into the mason jar. Place enough cheese cloth over the jar to allow you to tie rubber bands around the opening. This cheese cloth will allow you to rinse your beans without having to pour them out every time. Once your cheese cloth is secure, rinse them again and give them a good shake to get all of the water out. You don't want a puddle of water at the bottom of your jar, it will make your beans slimy (If it does happen, though, just rinse and shake them until all of the slime is out). Set your jar in a window or just on the counter. I don't have a window in my kitchen, so my sprouts never get any sunlight. They turn out just fine.
3. On days 3-6 rinse your beans through the cheesecloth 2- 3 times per day. You want your beans to remain moist, but remember to shake the excess water out so you don't get slimy sprouts. This is what my day 3 looks like:
You'll see the the beans splitting and little white tails start to poke out around day 3. You know they're ready when you see a little green leaf bloom from the tail (like in the first bean sprout photo I posted above). When they're finished sprouting, they're going to be super packed into that mason jar. I just shove a pair of tongs down into the jar and pull out what I can. I usually leave them in the jar so that I can rinse them easily. I also put some in little sandwich bags and give to people at work because 1/2 a cup makes so many. They're amazing on sandwiches, salads, in hummus, soup, stir fry or just by themselves. My cat loves to play with them when I accidentally drop them on the floor. He's a little turd most of the time, but I love him.
Enjoy your sprouts and have a great weekend!
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