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. 

MFM REcipe: Chickpeas, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi

Happy meat free Monday all! Here's a recipe my husband and I enjoyed last week. Its an adaptation of a recipe I found on Eatingwell.com and a great way to use butternut squash other than roasting it or putting it in a soup. My husband is definitely a carnivore but he really enjoyed this and we both found it to be very filling.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen or shelf-stable gnocchi(we used fresh sweet potato gnocchi)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced peeled butternut squash or unpeeled delicata squash (1- to 2-inch-long slices)
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots (1-2 medium)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction or 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see Note)

Preparation

1. If using frozen gnocchi, cook in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse and pat dry. (If using shelf-stable gnocchi, skip this step.)
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, squash, shallots and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, currants, sage and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring, until the squash is almost cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach, chickpeas and the gnocchi and cook, gently stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Serve drizzled with balsamic reduction (or balsamic vinegar).

Tips & Notes

• Note: vinegar reduction, simply balsamic vinegar that is cooked down until thick and syrupy, is sometimes called balsamic glaze or balsamic drizzle. Look for it with other vinegars in well-stocked supermarkets. Or make it yourself: Bring 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully in the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 458 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 88 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 15 g protein; 10 g fiber; 620 mg sodium; 597 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (225% daily value), Vitamin C (53% dv), Folate (33% dv), Iron (28% dv), Magnesium (19% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Calcium (16% dv).

A Preventative Approach to Battling Winter Runny Noses

Winter is upon us, which means we are in the midst of cold & flu season. Being a student of Holistic health care I believe in taking care of my body so I can avoid getting sick if at all possible.  Here are a few tips to help prevent the runny noses & sinus infections that seem so prevalent this time of year:

1. Use the humidifier you have had stashed away in the closet or basement. We have all bought these machines, we just never remember to use them. The moisture in the air will not only help your sinuses, but will also help your home feel warmer. I like to add a few drops of fragrance oil to the one in my bedroom. If I'm feeling stuffed up a blend of eucalyptus & mint seems to help nicely.
2. Use a Neti-Pot. Both my doctor and favorite Yogi recommended using this and it works great. Sounds a little gross and intimidating at first, but they really do work. basically they flush & clear out blocked sinus passages with a salt water solution. They're great for people with allergies or who get frequent sinus infections.They are available in plastic or ceramic models. 

Touching the telephone and door handles are two of the fastest ways to catch and spread the cold or flu. They are like germ magnets. be sure to hit them with some rubbing alcohol or an antibacterial wipe once a day.
Make sure you get your body's much needed daily dose of sleep.If your body is too worn down, it won't have the extra energy it needs to fight off an infection.
Eat your winter veggies. Having a strong immune system has a lot to do with the fuel you feed to your body. We tend to forget about all the wonderful, vitamin & antioxidant rich veggies available during this time of year: beets, dark leafy greens (which are full of vitamin d, key to aiding your immune system), pomegranates.....Keep your eyes peeled for some recipes over the next few weeks.

Wash your hands..... frequently.








Stay hydrated. Cranked up heating systems tend to help suck the moisture out of our skin. Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water each day. Teas count toward this goal as long as you drink them plain. I love drinking Stash's green chai tea to help warm me up & keep me hydrated.
Snack on almonds & sunflower seeds. Not only are they full of vitamin E, an antiocidant that fights free radicals & keeps skin young- looking, but they are also a great source of essential fatty acids which help keep the body systems running smoothly. 
Make sure you're getting your body's full dose of much needed B vitamins and zinc. (even if it means taking a supplement or two).
Lastly, don't overlook the power of complex carbs such as beans, whole grains and sweet potatoes. Our bodies need these carbs for energy and when not enough is present, the body starts cannibalizing other tissues for the power needed to function. This creates a deficit somewhere else in the body, weakening defenses along the line and creating a toehold for invading germs.
Hopefully you haven't gotten a cold yet and you can use these tips to stay healthy. Look for thh follow up to this blog with natural remedies to help your cold symptoms , coming next week.

Meditation

Let's face it, we live in an extremely fast paced society. We don't do tasks anymore...we "multi task". And as a result, most of us are very stressed out, tired and have about 10 thoughts in our head at once, at any given time. And time is now considered a luxury. It isn't. Having time for yourself is a necessity for your health, and general peace of mind.

Have you found yourself frustrated waiting in long lines? You get upset if the cashier is too slow, or the customer dumps a big pile of change on the counter, and starts counting so slow it seems like they're counting backwards. Often people in the line exchange expressions of frustration with each other. Instead of getting frustrated, try slowing your breathing, and fall into a gentle meditative state by thinking of a wonderful place, or other pleasing thought, and the time slips by so fast you might have to be reminded your next!


Meditation allows us to quiet our minds, relax, focus, and concentrate on one single thought...or nothing at all. There's the old cliché that meditation is just sitting around staring at a candle. It's true. It's one very effective way to start learning to meditate. But think about fire, when ever someone starts some kind of fire, one person will inevitably say how much they love watching fire, and everyone instantly agrees. While the flame from a candle isn't the same, it can be just as exciting to gaze at. It's peaceful, pure, bright, and even has a visible aura around it. It's beautiful. A stunning, small flame made from an element of destruction. Ironic that it is used to bring about a peaceful, or romantic atmosphere.  


The benefits of meditation that many experience are feeling of peace, improved concentration, and a feeling of being more in touch with ones self. Not to mention, helping lowering your blood pressure & heart rate. 

The whole point of meditation is to relax and concentrate, so you can't be disturbed while you're trying to meditate. Turn off the phone, find a place where you will not be disturbed by people, your cell phone, computer sounds, TV, and such. Turn them all off . It's VERY important not to pressure yourself into trying to get certain results of any kind. Breathe in deeply, allowing your stomach to expand and retract. Don't worry about your lungs, they'll fill up without your help. So take in a deep breath, hold it for the count of 3 to 5, and exhale the same amount of seconds that feel right to you. After doing this breathing exercise just 3 times, should make you feel more relaxed, so you can imagine how good it would make you feel if you kept doing it as much as possible. 

Try this  outdoor winter meditation:

Sitting on a bench, walking in a park or along a snowy street is an opportune time to practice regular even breathing. If sitting - counts 1, 2, breathe in; counts 3, 4, breathe out. And, if walking - take 2 steps while breathing in; 2 steps while breathing out. After a few minutes seep within to your own center of warmth. Reflect that in the meeting of stillness outside and within, we reach a natural balance of appreciation and connection with the rhythms of life; the coming and going of day and season. Finish your outdoor meditation with a deep breath in and out; going indoors revitalized!