Happy Purim

Shavoa Tov

Hope this finds you all inside and warm without ruins outside...

Happy Purim

It's based on a "real" story I heard from my great great grandma Rosy McMaggie (but it could happen!)

During the fall of 1678, they didn't really keep track of dates then, on one of many voyages out to sea, my great great grandpa and his band of merry pirates encountered raging stormy waters. By far the worst storm to this day. Any pirate, even the youngest, is especially worried about the two worst mishaps at sea - storms and diseases!

Even before the storm threatened to capsize the ship, the disease had started to spread. More than half the crew spent their time in their bunks, while the others suffered through their work complaining. Everyone was weak, sick and miserable and everyone was counting the days until they reached land, any land. One evening, after the sun had set, the wind began to stir. My great great grandpa, Blue Scar McMaggie, was worried. He woke up those who were healthy enough to help, and they battled the aggressive storm. No doubt the crew functioned extremely well. There were no injuries and the damage to the ship was minimal.

The next morning was sunny and cloud free, the wind was perfect and sent them at 60 knots toward the Island of the Black Skulls where they planned to bury their treasure. The healthy few were about to make breakfast and went belowdecks to the grain larder. Oh no!! The hold of the ship had flooded! All of their dry crispy grain and legumes were now soaking wet. They couldn't understand why they were having such bad luck as there were no women on board.

Anyway, the crew worked long and hard to empty the ship of the excess water, and they were disgusted when they had to eat the soggy wet grain and legumes. After two days of eating this 3 meals a day (of course the food had began to sprout) everyone was back to good health! (Except for Captain Morgan who drank too much rum, and didn't really care).

So, I heard a similar true story about how it had been common for seamen to suffer from bleeding gums, loss of teeth and bleeding into the skin, muscle and joints after being at sea for a while. After a storm the crew of a ship had no choice but to eat their grains and beans which had sprouted. The sick seamen miraculously got better. From this experience, it was learned that the disease called Scurvy was caused by lack of vitamin C. From then on Grains and legumes were deliberately sprouted upon the ships regularly. Vitamin C, which usually does not exist in the dry seeds, is created in the germination process (like many more wonderful nutrients). High consumption of Vitamin C immediately heals the collagen tissue and the disease disappears.

Now a days, in the western world, our bodies our constantly exposed to contaminants in our food, water, air etc. These oxidants interfere with the body's proper functioning. It is well known that vitamin C is a strong anti-oxidant, and sprouts contain a large amount of it. The germination process increases the amounts of vitamins, minerals and amino-acids by 10 -100 percent, of that found in dry grain.

Lavrioot and Happy Purim

Yours,

Maggie

In Our baskets I expect this week:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Carrots

Fresh onion

Swiss Chard

Parsley

Avocado half kg

Half a kg broccoli

Butternut squash!

green garlic

And potatoes

Larger ones also

Fennel

Cabbage

Green onions

And celery

Fruit baskets

Bananas and citrus and citrus and citrus and citrus ....