Imbolc is this weekend.  This is traditionally the end of Winter... in places other than Upstate New York.  Even though we still have a good 6 weeks (give or take) of the chilly white stuff to contend with, the sun has gotten stronger and is out noticeably longer than it was just a few weeks ago.   The birds' behavior has changed as of this morning.  The latest edition of "Polar Vortex" has just broken with a balmy 30f predicted for this afternoon.   The ice is starting to melt in my driveway (a little).

But, I still have a hard time believing that the darkest and coldest months are indeed behind us.  It sometimes feels like it's never going to end, and this is why I do my yearly seed sprouting meditation!

Sprouts sound yummy right about now, right?  Tired of living off of heavy comfort food and whatever's in the pantry??

We start off this meditation with dry seeds.  The only ones I had on hand earlier this week were white beans, but this works beautifully with any sort of bean you may want to try.  I've had fantastic luck with mung beans and lentils in the past.
Put them in your  (wintry/pruney/in-need-of-a-manicure) hand and really look at them in the light of a window. They're small, hard, and usually used as food by us.  They don't really even seem alive...  Do you believe this will work?  Do you believe Winter will ever be over???

Put your seeds in a mason jar and cover them with warmish water and allow to sit on a window sill for about 8 hours (overnight).
Drain them, and replace them on the window sill.   Moisten them whenever you think of it (at least 1 or 2 times a day) every day for about 5 days.
And they WILL sprout.

This is a picture of my sprouted beans on day 5.  In another few days they'll be sprouted far enough to be yummy in a salad... if I wait that long.

These can be stored covered in their mason jar in the refrigerator once they have sprouted.

Enjoy your sprouts and keep an eye out for MORE signs of Spring.