My Sprouter

Okay, so I’m just the littlest bit embarrassed here. I’ve had my sprouter for quite a little while now, and I just haven’t had the heart to mention it.
Let’s face it, I’m just no Alice Waters. While she likes to whip egg whites by hand, preferring the silence of her whisk to the roar of the Kitchen Aid, I really like my gadgets. Yeah, you’ve heard it- you know about my yogurt maker and my hand blender. And have I mentioned that one of the main reasons I had a wedding in the first place was for the Kitchen Aid? (totally worth it, by the way)
But now I want to tell you about my sprouter. To be fair, this one’s got a little story.
I’ve always been a sprout fan. As a picky kid, I used to eat whole boxes of alfafa sprouts at a time. That love has never left me. And I buy sprouts, and the kids eat them too, and I like too put pea shoots in everything, which seems to be appreciated.
So a few months ago, I start thinking, “Why am I spending a million bucks on these organic sprouts, when I can be sprouting at home?” And although I know a mason jar usually does the trick, those easy pioneer methods don’t usually seem to work for me, hence the gadgets. And so I think some more.
And of course, the answer is quite prominent. Since childhood, I have known a man who goes by the name Sproutman. I babysat for his kids, I stuffed envelopes when his business was younger- it just never occurred to me to ask his advice on the question. And he is just the nicest guy- his whole family is wonderful. I think that it is all of those sprouts they eat.
So when I ran into Sproutman at the community center (or as I like to call it “the gym”, just so I can say “I went to the gym today”) I asked him if he would help me out.
“Of course!” he said. “Stop by the office- I’ll set you up.”
I thought maybe I’d walk away with one of his little sproutbags, or an instructional booklet or something. And I did. I walked away with all those things- and my sprouter.
Joey laughed. “Where the hell is that going?” he asked me.
I slouched, shrugged. “I’ll find somewhere.” I was a little embarrassed.
But this is the thing. It’s awesome.
It’s a little mini greenhouse, and it makes amazing sprouts out of everything. Well not everything, but pretty close. You spread the seeds on a tray, put it in the bucket, put that bucket on another bucket with water, and it waters itself, several times an hour, The little sprinkler turns, and it entertains your kids.

After a week, you have many many fresh and wonderful sprouts, and then you start again.
So now I’ve done it. I’ve told you about the sprouter. And I feel OK. I don’t feel silly- I feel good about sharing this precious information with you. Unless you think I’m silly- do you? Then I might feel a little silly- but the sprouter is so great, I swear! OK, maybe I have to get over this one a little more. I’m not Alice Waters, but that’s alright, I guess. Maybe someday I’ll whip my eggwhites by hand…