Outside my window the world is white. I’m not sure if the snow is here to stay quite yet, but one thing is sure: the cold is. Winter’s boney fingers slowly graze the once cushiony ground, casting December’s spell. The trees stand out against the white-grey sky, proudly showing their shape, leafless and spindly.
My apartment is warm and my desk is graced with overflowing mugs of tea. As long as my shelves are full of heavy squash and my fridge is stocked with soup, I don’t mind that the days of fresh, delicate greens are so far off.
But there is one hideout. In a small jar in my cupboard, things still grow. Like a reminder that this cold death can’t last forever, their green curls bring a smile to my face and a bittersweet crunch to my sandwiches.
It’s quite a miracle, really. Seeds and water, soaking; life in a jar.
*Sprouting jar with three different sized draining lids, and sprouts provided by Sprout People. These people have a great selection of organic beans and seeds on which to try your sprouting hand. Their site also offers hints, information about the health benefits of sprouts, and interesting recipes.
Fresh Cracked Pepper 
I used a mason jar with a lid specifically for souprting. The brand of the lids are Sprout-Ease, it came with 3 different lids that fit on a wide mouth mason jar. The holes on each jar are different sizes for different size legumes or seeds. I rinsed seeds every morning and evening and then turned jar upside down on kitchen counter. I don’t have a rack so I put a towel on the counter and just proped the jar up against the backsplash to drain. Not really a dark spot but not direct sunlight either.