Showing posts with label harvest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harvest. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Enjoy The Harvest Of The Season
As the Sun enters the sign of Libra, day and night are again in perfect balance. Temperatures begin to drop, leaves begin to fall, and once again, the element of Change moves into our lives. In truth, change is the one constant in the Universe that we can rely on.
Around the time of the Summer Solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food. And oh, what changes have ensued.
Transitioning to a raw foods lifestyle has had a significant effect on me physically. My body has let go of roughly 50 pounds; chronic heartburn, fatigue, headaches, and joint pain have vanished.
Perhaps more significant than my bodys physical changes, are the internal changes taking place. Heres a bit of what Ive learned about myself:
Around the time of the Summer Solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food. And oh, what changes have ensued.
Transitioning to a raw foods lifestyle has had a significant effect on me physically. My body has let go of roughly 50 pounds; chronic heartburn, fatigue, headaches, and joint pain have vanished.
Perhaps more significant than my bodys physical changes, are the internal changes taking place. Heres a bit of what Ive learned about myself:
- Certain foods trigger the phenomenon of craving for me. Before, my foods came in bags, boxes and cans. My three basic food groups were refined sugar, refined flour and trans fats. Foods falling into those three groups trigger a physical craving for me. I want more, more, more. Eliminate those foods, eliminate the craving.
- The compulsion to overeat is emotional for me. Its all related to how Im feeling. Sad, angry, lonely, tired, bored...Ill turn to food. I have a holy hunger that no amount of food can satiate, because its not a physical hunger. I have to discover ways to feed and nourish my Spirit.
- Certain behaviors can trigger unhealthy food choices for me: eating standing up at the kitchen counter; eating in front of the fridge; eating in the car; eating in front of the television. Eliminate those behaviors, eliminate the risk of making poor choices.
The contents of my kitchen and pantry sure have changed dramatically since the start of last season. Gone are the prepared and processed food items. I am so blessed to live within 20 minutes of a half dozen farmers markets. As I was gazing upon the bevy of fresh local produce I scored this weekend ~ squash, cabbage, lettuce, eggplant, cucumber, collards, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, apples, pears, grapes ~ I was overcome by the beauty and bounty of the seasons harvest. And, it got me thinking about my own experience of the harvest.
First and foremost: its hard work. We sometimes have the mistaken notion that once weve done the work of preparing the fields, planting the seeds and tending their growth, when harvest time comes, we can sit back and enjoy. But the work doesnt end ~ it just changes, and the important work of gathering in and preserving begins.
Now is the time to look back over the season, at the goal(s) we set, the work we put in, and deciding whether what manifested is what we really intended. It is time to process, to assimilate. Did it work out the way we intended? Whether it did or not, we have gained valuable information. This is stored and becomes part of us and our wisdom grows stronger.
So, we separate the wheat from the chaff ~ what nourishes us stays in the plan to strengthen us, what doesnt is kicked out to the compost pile. Those lessons will fertilize next seasons garden.
CrockPot Harvest Stew Recipe
Day 287.
Here is a cozy stew certain to warm you after a day of pumpkin-picking. Or after a day of spending $5 a pop for a corn maze, hay ride, pumpkin cannon, inflatable bouncer, pony rides, or kid-size tractors.
Or after a day watching other people pay $5 a pop for those things, and then deciding to get your pumpkins in front of the grocery store.
The Ingredients.
--1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken (I used chicken)
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--3 chopped garlic cloves
--1 can kidney beans, rinsed
--1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
--3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
--1 whole can tomatoes and chilies (rotel)
--4 cups chicken broth
--1/4 tsp cloves
--1/4 tsp all spice
--salt and pepper to taste
The Directions.
Use a big crockpot for this stew. I used a 6.5 quart eLume.
Guess what? I didnt brown the meat. If you are using extra lean ground turkey or chicken, there really isnt a need--the only worry about using beef or pork is the fat content. If you prefer those types of meat, or already have it on hand, brown on the stove top and drain before adding to the stew.
I used my moms microwaving-the-squash trick for cutting the acorn squash, and it worked. It worked so well, Im not scared to buy squash anymore. I microwaved it on high for 2 minutes. It sizzled and freaked me out, but it cut easily, and I used a paring knife to cut away the skin.
Peel and chop all of the vegetables, and add it to the crockpot. Break up the ground meat with your fingers and add it in. Dump in the kidney beans and the can of tomatoes and chilies. Add the broth and the seasonings. Stir well. It will look like there isnt enough liquid, but more will be made from the vegetables and meat. I promise.
Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. I cooked ours on low for exactly 8. It was perfect.
The Verdict.
My parents and brother ate this with us (well, the kids had toquitos), and we (the grown-ups) all liked it a lot, and had 2 bowls each.
Well, maybe my brother had only one bowl because he was going out to eat.
Anyhow, it was good.
Adam suggests next time using stew meat instead of the ground meat for a more-filling meal. He was pretty hungry a few hours later.
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