Morning announcement from Jane, "Ten and half real days, eight and a half school days til summer!"  

Almost time for flip flops, watermelon, and popsicles in the yard.  And the start of our short growing season here in Bozeman.  I celebrated last Friday with a trip to MT Gardens to pick out veggie starts:  sungold and red and black cherry tomatoes, (and who can resist a brandywine?), kohlrabi, buttercup squash, a pepper called "hot rod", jalapeños, and an artichoke that'll "grow like a weed" (thanks, Todd!)  Rosemary, sage, oregano, marjoram, basil, and thyme are my herbs...still looking for chives, but Greg said he has plenty, and "bring a truck and shovel!"

Sunflower sprouts got us through winter, and the too-cold-for-gardening period known here as "spring".  We will setup another batch pretty quick here, as we miss walking into our dining room and snipping off handfuls for lunchboxes and dinner.  We even call it "salad" with a squirt of fresh lemon!

Soak raw sunflower seeds until the little white root appears, sprinkle them into a tray (don't worry, they figure out which way is up all on their own - quite smart, those little seeds!), add water...and in a few days you'll have a forest of green sprouts that will last for a week or two!

(Thanks to my friend, Janice, for the pointers.  Her recipe from Everyday Healthy Everyday Delicious is below.)