My Son the Superhero and a Yummy recipe

Hello from Sunny Orlando, Florida! Yes, we've moved again, this time to the land of all things Disney (which I love!). We had a dream, saw an opportunity and took it. We've been here for about two months now and life is finally normalizing as much as it can for our little family.  We've been pretty busy with big lifestyle changes lately, so I've been posting more on Facebook as opposed to different posts here as well. I'm trying to streamline all these accounts together so bear with me.

A few months ago our son was identified as having a neurological condition known as Sensory Processing Disorder. I had never even heard of this a few months ago and now it tends to occupy most of my  time; whether I'm learning more about it, taking care of my son, or juggling speech and Occupational therapy appointments. We're dealing with a number of what most people would consider quirks in a two year old.  With sensory processing disorder, funny things that my son does are not things he will outgrow, they are a part of who he is. A simplified explanation of kids with Sensory Processing Disorder, is that I like to think of them as superheroes. Absolutely every sensory kid is unique and different, as is how they feel things.  These kids are amazing. They literally have super senses, which could be insanely hard and frustrating for them to cope and deal with, not just daily, but minute to minute.

 In my son's case, his nerves don't feel it when he's exhausted,  things such as textures or even if he's cold or overheated. His body craves stimulation and feedback. In the SPD community of parents, he is known as a "seeker". Its kind of  like he has super strength because he just goes and goes. He also has insanely sensitive super hearing. People speaking loudly and crowded places with lots of background noises are completely overwhelming for him.  Even things that I take for granted, such as my love of food, are extremely hard for him.  Don't get me wrong, he's a great eater for a two and a half year old, but its the same things all the time because trying new foods are literally almost painful to him because he feels things so intensely. A new texture can make a favorite flavor taste disgusting to him so he spits it out.  On days when his nerves are really seeking he only eats super crunchy or super smooth things. On these trying days, I end up cooking multiple meals.  This is quite time consuming so I need something easy.

 Here is a grilled sweet potato salad does double duty in our home.  I grill a whole sweet potato for my son (so he can it eat it mashed), while I grill off slices for this yummy side dish that is ready in just a few short minutes. Its also gluten free and Vegan friendly for those of you living those kind of lifestyles or just a nice choice for a friendly potluck to share. It is a dish that is light and delicious on a hot day.  I am quickly learning that this is the norm here in Florida, so we will be eating this A LOT. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

By the way, this post is a new feature I'm running on my Facebook page,  (facebook.com/lifeinbalancewellness),  I'm calling Tasty Tuesdays.  Check back every week and you'll find a new recipe on Tuesdays by lunchtime.  I will also post these on my Pinterest board the following day. Let me know what you think and if you're craving a certain type of recipe. I'll do my best to help.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Basil Viniagrette
Serves 4

4 Sweet Potatoes ut in 1/2" slices
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsely

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp chiffonade basil (fancy term for sliced into super thin ribbons)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
dash of dry yellow mustard

1) lightly coat sweet potatoes with some avocado oil ( i find spraying them with a misto works best)
2) grill potato slices until they are tender.  If you're like me, I love the smoky char taste using wood lump charcoal creates.
3) cut up the potatoes into small 1" cubes and then combine them with the bell pepper, onions and parsely.
4) whisk together dressing ingredients
5) toss the salad mixture with the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. this can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!

A blizzard, turning forty and yummy stew

Apologies for delays in posts here but I've been all over the place.  I never know where best to put my thoughts.  I've got a facebook page, twitter and this blog. They tend to overlap and I forget which spot I place my posts and regardless, they always end up on facebook.  With that being said I'll be publishing some back pieces that I've written over the last year that have remained in drafts. But before I get to those, lets live in the now.  I've just spent the weekend in a blizzard. Also,  I am turning forty tomorrow and I'm freaking out a bit about that.  I don't feel like what my mind thought a forty year old person should be like. I think its actually a good thing though. I like my life and I think it shows through in photos, especially when I'm with my two favorite people on the planet, my husband and my little boy.  The picture below, taken earlier this morning as we were digging ourselves out, is the perfect example of this. Other than the fact I was going on no sleep and didn't have basic makeup on, I really enjoy seeing myself happy and  beaming in this photo.

 While our family was holed up, we had what I like to call Soupapalooza. I made a different soup or stew every day. Batches of soup are great to use up leftover bits (like carcasses,  bones and random leftover vegetables) and you can stock your freezer with yummy, homemade & healthy meals for when you need a lazy dinner night.

One dish that I've have had recipe requests for is my Bavarian Lentil Stew.   My husband called it "rich and meaty  with a hint of sweetness".  To me, it reminds of one of my favorite comfort foods that I enjoy in the summer, my maternal grandmother's German potato salad.  The best part of the Stew is that the meatiness comes from lentils. The only actual meat in the recipe is the bacon I rendered down at the beginning of the cooking process. The other thing I love about making a stew like this, is that it gives me the perfect excuse to break out my favorite tomato red, cast iron dutch oven. I hope you enjoy this hearty meal as much as we have and that it warms you up on a chilly night.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. sliced bacon, roughly chopped
• ½ c. diced onion
• 3/4 c. diced leeks (white parts only)
• ½ c. diced celery
• 2 medium carrots, unpeeled & diced
• 1 qt. chicken broth
• 1½ c. brown lentils
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 3 medum sized, raw, yellow potatoes, unpeeled & diced
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 generous splashes of red table wine (make sure its one you would drink yourself, I used "19 Crimes"

Instructions

1. Heat a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has rendered into the pot and the bacon is crispy.
2. Add the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots to the pot. Saute five minutes, or until golden.
3. Pour in the wine and scrape any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, stock and nutmeg. Cook for 30 minutes on medium, covered.
4. Add the potatoes and cook an additional 15 until lentils and vegetables are tender.At this point decide if its thick enough for you.  I wanted mine extra thickso it could almost pass for a side dish as aopposed to a stew.  I fixed this by adding a small amount of roux. I took 1 tablespoon of butter and melted in a pan with 2 tablespoons of flour until it is dark golden to light brown in color. then stir it into yoiur soup mixture.   Stir in vinegar and sugar, then add salt to taste. Serve with warm bread and butter.

Serves Six.  Once you prep by chopping up all the veggies the actual cooking time of this rich dish is about an hour give or take a few minutes.