They're sprouting!

I went to check on my little seeds today and discovered that they're already sprouting! I'm so excited! At my seed class, I learned that the most important thing that germinating seeds need is warmth (and water, of course, to break the seeds' dormancy). In cleaning out my art room, I cleared off a shelf (one of those metal utility shelves, not a solid wood shelf) that is right above a heat vent on the floor. I put my seed flat on that shelf and apparently, that warm and cozy little spot in doing them good. I didn't even need to get a heating pad to set them on. It's great! I placed an order today for a little light set up because once my little seedlings have two true leaves, I'll have to transplant them into little pots and they'll need lots of light. I learned that little seedlings need at least 16 hours of light, so my grow-light set up will help out with that.

On another note, I've been eating pretty well lately too. On Saturday, I made Turnip and Apple Soup with crispy sage and caramelized apples with a recipe that I scored at the Farmer's Market. Turnips are actually pretty tasty and go great with apples and sage. I have also been eating a ton of kale since I started this whole endeavor. Tonight, I made a recipe from my Local Foods cookbook, Kidney Beans with Redbor Kale and Feta. So tasty and super nutritious too. Did you know...kale is a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, and minerals, containing twice the amount of vitamin C as an equivalent portion of orange juice. It also has vitamin E and more calcium than milk! Isn't that amazing? Coincidentally, the baby seedlings in the picture above are kale sprouts! I hope they survive!