Welcome In Spring!
This week we're featuring sunflower shoots, our cortisol mocktail, a spring refresh wishlist and breeze block ideas.
This is a free newsletter we write in our leisure time about growing advice, home, clean-ish recipes, wellness, and everything microgreens. If you like our posts consider subscribing, hitting the heart button, sharing with someone you think will love it, or by leaving a comment. - Melissa & Kelly
In this post read all about sunflower shoots, a sunflower shoots salad recipe, a mocktail recipe with lemon balm for adrenal balance, a spring refresh wishlist that includes a $25 garden tool set, garden breeze block inspo, and more.
Happenings
This week I’ve found myself talking to the bees. Yes, literally, it’s a habit I picked up from a beekeeper in Margarat Atwood’s Maddadam Trilogy books. A beekeeper dutifully reported human news to her bees. I don’t think I understood the bee-scene years ago when I devoured the those books. But now, I find myself stopping to murmur the news to the bees, because, after all, the bees share his beautiful Earth with us. Shouldn’t they know what’s happening? - Melissa
Small Bites
Counting Penguins for Earth Day: Looking for a fun activity for Earth Day (and any other day)? If you have a tablet or touchscreen, join the thousands of volunteers counting penguins in images from Argentina to assist researchers. Look at an image and click on all the penguins, eggs, or other animals you find in the image.
Quick Pickled Red Onions: I’m a big fan of texture in food, which is probably why I love Thai food so much. My mom made this Sloppy Joe Bowl recipe last week, swapping lean chicken mince for beef mince at my request, and it was so good that it’s going on my meal rotation. But the star of the meal was the quick pickled red onions that came piled on top. The onion recipe made a big batch, so I still have some left over and I’ve been adding them to pretty much every savory meal including lobster rolls and cheese boards. I plan to always have them on hand to add crunch and sour notes to my meals.
Did you miss the Total Solar Eclipse in North America? Me too (But if you did see it, please leave a comment about it! We’d love to hear.) Start making plans today to see the next one! This website can help you plan your trip. I’m thinking New Zealand July 28, 2028! Who’s coming with me?
Earth Day’s Theme This Year: Did you know that every Earth Day (April 22, four days away!) has a theme? Earthday.org is the official website for the globally recognized Earth day. This year the theme is plastics, and notably the impact of microplastics on babies. I’m planning on making time to read the 60-page report Babies v. Plastic, even though I’d rather live in ignorance. You can also find an event to attend near you!
Cortisol Mocktail Recipe (Lemon Balm + Cucumber)
While a single beverage can't erase stress entirely, incorporating intentional ingredients can create a powerful tool for relaxation.
This cortisol mocktail uses the natural stress-reducing properties of matcha, we like this kind, cucumber, and lemon balm to create a delicious, sophisticated, and functional drink.
Sunflower Shoots Salad with Citrus Recipe
Have you experienced a sunflower shoots salad yet? Move over lettuce, sunflower shoots are the star of this crunchy, simple, and flavorful salad. Sunflower shoots are not a “field crop.” They are not dosed with herbicides or grown with modified seeds. They are grown from the humble black-oil sunflower seed.
They are grown so fast, herbicides are never needed. You don’t have to worry if sunflower shoots are full of toxic junk. Sunflower shoots are the ultimate clean eating salad green.
WISHLIST: A Spring Refresh
This week’s list is dedicated to a handful of home updates to welcome in the season of renewal.
For The Inside
European Linen Sheet Set: I experienced true linen sheets at a hotel in Palm Springs five years ago (specifically belgian flax linen), and since then they will forever be my favorite sheets for the warm seasons. I’m a believer that new sheets = fresh start. ($159.90)
Salt & Stone Bergamot & Hinoki Body Wash: Spring is the perfect time to swap up your body wash for something fresh. I love that it’s bottle is eco friendly and refillable.($36)
Vertical Canvas Wall Organizer: Yes, this organizer is a bit pricy for a glorified stuff organizer, but I’d be so happy every time I need to grab some tape. ($152)
Nessesaire Rosemary Shampoo & Conditioner: This fresh scented duo of clean haircare is going to be my next hair care purchase. ($56)
Stone Diffuser: I love candles but have drastically reduced my usage since having a very mobile toddler in the house. A diffuser allows me to pump in delicious scents without worrying about where the flame is. ($123)
Organic Turkish Waffle Bath Towel Bundle: Feels so soft and adds sophistication to the washroom.($79.90)
For The Outside
Garden Tools Set: I’m loving the luxurious splatter design. This set looks like it costs much more than it does and I’m guessing it will sell out. ($25)
Scallop Patio Umbrella: My umbrella from the last two years is so faded, so I want to invest in an umbrella that will actually hold up to the elements and last. This one is made from Sunbrella fabric and has a design that looks like it came straight from St. Tropez. ($489.99)
3-Wick Citronella Candle: Most outdoor candles tend to gather muck without a lid, so I like that this one that looks great and can be covered up. It would be a great housewarming gift to have on hand in case of last minute invites this spring/summer. ($20)
Rechargeable Table Lamp Set: Add these to your al fresco dining for that lovely, moody glow when the sun sets. ($80)
Scallop Doormat or Half Moon Doormat: Throw out the old doormat and swap it for a pretty new one that will stand up to muddy shoes. The whole doorstep vibe will be better for it. ($78)
Farmers Market Tote: I love mine, and use it for much more than just the farmer’s market. It even has a fabric “hook” for a bouquet of flowers. ($50)
Microgreens Spotlight - Thoughts On Growing Sunflower Shoots
Sometimes you lose a crop of microgreens to funk. Especially when growing sunflower shoots. It happened to me. The usual thick, milky tangle of roots was replaced with puny, short nubs. Only half of the seeds germinated. A carpet of cotton-like fungus smothered the few green shoots daring to grow. Though the cause of the fungus is undetermined, I have a theory.
Our microgreens grow outdoors in a protected shade house. Unless you are growing in some kind of germ-free lab, your grow is exposed to NATURE. The air, filled with thousands of different kinds of microorganisms, dust, and pollen, moves freely in and around everything.
Fresh air is alive and ever changing. Air blows around the globe without a care, it enters and leaves our own bodies, it connects us all.
The shade house where I grow my microgreens is also alive, inhabited by its own unique community of microorganisms in balance, most of the time. But sometimes, it seems, a foreign microorganism enters from the air, a new seed, or a new bag of soil. The newcomers blitz the unsuspecting grow house community, reproducing rapidly and overcoming the usual shade hours “biome.” The rapid growth of the microorganism overcomes the typical balanced biome, damaging the unprepared microgreens.
I’ve had the the entire shade house of microgreens are affected all of a sudden, or sometimes just a single variety, like my sunflower shoots. Over the years of growing microgreens, I’ve noticed this situation typically occurs when the seasons change. Spring and Fall, I plan on having a two week period of increased crop-loss.
But despite the loss, there is Wonder.
We only need to wait a week or two and the community of microorganisms will respond and restore, adapting to the invader, keeping it in check, ensuring again the symbiosis of plant and organism. Balance is restored
At least, that is my theory. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Inspo Lately: Breeze Blocks
I’ve been noticing a lot of breeze blocks coming into my Pinterest feed, which inspired me to make this board. Utilizing breeze blocks to bring architectural detail to your outdoor space can make a big design impact, and will contribute to thoughtfully designed areas within your garden or backyard—all while allowing the breeze to flow.
If you love breeze blocks as I do, you might like admiring Palm Springs architecture. When I visit, I always take a morning or dusk walk to admire the vintage homes. There’s a lot of breeze block design there, it’s incredibly dreamy, especially since the town is set at the foot of the dramatically close San Jacinto Mountains.
I’d love to attend Modernism Week which happens in winter, a week dedicated to mid-century desert design where you can admire the curb-appeal from a double decker bus. Have you been? - Kelly
Flora & Fauna
From Kelly: The flora this week is this happy spot of tulips I found on 82nd and Madison in the Upper East Side last weekend on a trip into the city. Watching tulip mania happen everywhere in NYC during April is a highlight of the season.
From Melissa: My cat Maya found a spot on our old microgreens display trays!
Keep reading!
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