Sprout Report

For my birthday my brother gave me the book, THRIVE: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, which has significantly influenced his diet. He bikes for a living, and relies on his body working at its best. He is 98% vegan. The extra 2% is because he is a self described "opportunivore," not wanting to turn down any free meal.

The book revived my interest in sprouting. You can sprout most seeds and legumes at home, they don't have to be sold for sprouting. Just look in the back of your cabinet and use the odds and ends of lentils, beans, or raw sunflower seeds. Though there are endless tips for success and instructions, sprouting is essentially two simple steps:

For the Love of Goats

Sometime in elementary school I decided I wanted a baby goat as a pet. Was it on the visit with my aunt and cousins to a farm in New Jersey where we got to hold ducklings, chicks, chickens, and kid goats? I remember how special I felt being the only kid in the family big enough to hold these adorable little kids. Maybe it was the family trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where we purchased ice cream cones full of goat food, before entering a trail of tourists trying to avoid being attacked by goats.

Since then, I've always held a flame for goats. But, until I have space and time for goats, I will settle for making our household favorite - goat yogurt cheese with olives, crocheting with mohair, and reading to my kids from the copy of Gregory, the Terrible Eater that my grandmother gave me when I was a kid.

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Fruit Compote Intuition

Last month my husband requested that I make fruit compote for dinner on the first night of Passover. It was a tradition in his house growing up. I emailed his mom for the recipe, but her version had too many packaged foods that we don't use on Passover. I'm not a huge fan of fruit compote, but I threw some things together in a simmering pot and it was delicious!

Enjoy it on it's own or use it as a filling for Pesach Crepes.

I used:

• Pitted prunes (dried plums), coarsely chopped
• Dried apricots,  coarsely chopped
• Chopped fresh apples
• Sweet red wine
• Fresh orange juice
• Orange zest
• Freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• (optional) fresh or crystallized ginger