The Need for Growth

Now you can interpret that however you like. Today I perceive it for the need to tend growing things... in this case plants. In my ever growing (see, growth!) search to make cheap and healthy meals, I find  new (to me, but most definitely not human kind) ways to achieve this goal. This most recently took the form of sprouting mung beans for... well sprouts. Whilst at Winco and drunk on the limitless capacities in which I envisioned myself consuming bean sprouts I bought an excessive amount, about 4lbs. It turns out that they you know, grow, and therefore you really don't need all that many. Lessons for the Phoebasaurus. (Also, I should be accompanied at all times by a chaperon whilst perusing bulk food sections at any locale.)

They did indeed sprout, and grow, and I checked them giddily, rinsing them, poking them, saying 'Otter can you believe how easy this is! Can you?' They had begun to unfurl in ten hours.
As it happens they were excessively tasty, and this is a method that will be useful for the rest of my life.
Also I am ashamed now that I wanted  tried to replace my camera, look what it can still do! Someday though, someday/
Sometimes, all of my scheming, plotting, menu planning and budgeting falls by the wayside when presented by windfall items like... two pounds of clams and mussels left over from an event. Having never cooked raw shellfish in my life, it was a little frightening. But a little garlic, stock, butter and random white wine (that has been sitting in the back of the fridge for the last 3 months, I understand now mom) there was a small decadent feast. And now I really like mussels. Didn't see that coming. They were grown right in Puget Sound.
While we're on the topic, Otter made the  PERFECT  curried fried last night. Its a new favorite for me!
On the spectrum of growing, it has been discovered over the last year that I am a very lazy tender of house plants. They seem to do just fine when I have the patience to leave them alone, which turns into me wondering when exactly was the last time I watered, much less fertilized? Sadly that meant the enormous Cymbidium orchid that I received on my last birthday became quite root-bound. At first I thoroughly considered cutting the pot off... But seeing as I wished to reuse it later... I persevered. The roots look rather unhealthy, so hopefully giving it new medium and more space will let it bounce back. The foliage still looked relatively healthy, so I shall be hopeful. And I finally trimmed and potted up a couple spider plant shoots that have been biding their time patiently in a half pint jar since last August. Its amazing they have survived! Plants Rock! Yeah!

Today I got two more orchids (I'm too excited not to share), a generic little purpley pink Phalaenopsis (the most commonly grown orchid, found in the plant clearance section for reasons unknown to me as it looked pretty healthy... it was a happily spent $5!) and a firey something or other that I haven't quite figured out.
The colors will help with the last leg of the wintery months, especially since the orange one has a young spike of  buds yet to open. Now there's a book at the library on hold for me about orchids. Maybe I will have more in depth information to offer some day! For now, lets hope they live.

Happy Soggy Foggy Saturday!