Roasted Root Vegetable with Quinoa

      My friend Beth just gave me a butternut squash and, as luck would have it, we're having a bit of a cold snap (at least it's cold by Southern California standards). There's nothing like roasted root vegetables when the weather turns chilly. I had some other veggies I mixed in, added some quinoa, and dinner is served. Next time I'm going to mix in a can of garbanzo beans for a little bit more substance, but I thought it was really tasty. I adapted this recipe from a couple of different sources, it serves four with 390 calories per serving. 

     1 tsp. ground cumin                        1 tsp. coriander

     1 tsp. ginger                                    1 tsp. salt

     1 tsp. cayenne pepper                     1 tsp. cinnamon

     2 Tbl. honey                                   3 Tbl. olive oil

     1 medium onion, cubed                  2 carrots, peeled and cubed

     1 potato, cubed

     2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed                             

     1 red bell pepper

     1 butternut or acorn squash, cubed 

     1 tsp. thyme leaves

     

 Quinoa:

      1 cup quinoa, rinsed

      2 cups water

      1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar        

      1 tsp. olive oil

Mix all spices except thyme with olive oil and honey in a large bowl, then add the cubed vegetables and mix. Pour in roaster and bake on 375 for 30 minutes. Then add thyme, mix, and return to oven for 20 more minutes or until veggies are soft. 

Follow quinoa cooking directions. When done add vinegar and olive oil. Place a serving of quinoa in a bowl and spoon veggie mixture over it. Serve while hot. 

      

This Is Me Not Talking Politics

   If you live in America, unless you've been holed up in a cave, you're probably aware it's an election year. I'm not going to talk politics here, but I'm going to use this as an opportunity to explore my own humaness. I call myself a liberal, probably not a suprise to most of you. I believe women should have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, I believe everyone should be able to marry whomever they want (love is love, and we certainly could use more of it in this world), and I believe everyone should have access to food and healthcare. I, like the rest of the country, sometimes have a hard time with people who don't share my veiws. My guess is many of you get caught up in the “us versus them” mentality, as do I, and I don't like it; it's certainly not beneficial for our country. I've been grateful for this election because it has afforded me the opportunity to practice non-judgement. I have some friends who are a bit more pragmatic then myself who believe judgement is part of our human nature, and I would agree, but there is also a time for diplomacy. Diplomacy will lead to peace much more quickly then pointing fingers and criticizing one another.

     For years I have tried to practice a mindful existence and this election brings up the fact that I'm still a work in progress. Case in point: Pete and I sat at a restaurant this past Saturday night and a woman was speaking loudly about her political veiws. I found her tone and volume obnoxious and I was irritated, probably in part because she did not agree with my position on many important issues. When I got up to go to the restroom, I noticed the woman who was speaking was someone I know. She is a current yoga student of mine, and I stopped to speak. As we continued with our dinner it occurred to me that as I judged this person for having a different view then me I was not “living my yoga”. The heart of a mindfullness practice is kindness, compassion, and to move away from the divisive practice of judgement. I'm striving to be the change I want to see in the world, and to do that I must open my mind and heart to those who see things differently than me. Our thoughts are powerful and if we can begin to be more respectful in thought and action to those that differ from us I believe we will begin to see a shift in America. I will try this election to choose my words carefully when stating my opinion about the issues and to treat each person with kindness and respect even when I don't agree with their opinion. So.....go vote! And be kind to one another, whether Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Dog, or Cat.

Mom's Vegetable and Beef Soup

     When I was a girl my mom made this vegetable and beef soup a lot. I've made some changes to make it a bit healthier and often I leave out the meat, but still it feels like comfort food to me.  It taste best after sitting in the refrigerator over night. My theory is the tomato base has time to soak into the vegetables. I use organic, fresh produce, but canned vegetables are better than no vegetables. This is easy to make and easily feeds six. Always looking to spice it up, Pete loves this with fresh parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

If using meat choose one pound of a good cut of beef           

  2 carrots, chopped                                                               2 celery stalks,chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced                                                      1 cup green beans

1/2 medium onion, chopped                                                  1 cup of corn

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed                                                1/2 cabbage, chopped

1 14 oz can tomatoes, rotel works well                                 Trader Joe's Tomato Juice(1/2 bottle)

1 Tbl oregano                        

(You can use whatever veggies you like, I sometimes add lima beans, peas, zucchini, whatever I have on hand)

Heat olive oil in dutch oven add meat, onion, and garlic, cook for ten minutes on medium heat. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the cabbage. Cook on medium/low for three hours, adding tomato juice to suit your taste as it cooks. Add cabbage for thirty minutes or so. I love this recipes because you really can't over cook it, the longer it cooks the softer the meat and the more the tomato flavor mingles with the vegetables. 

Bon Apetit!
Calories: 330 in three cup serving, Total of 5 BIG servings!

What To Do With Regrets From The Past?

      I've been having a rough few weeks. Truth be told it's been a rough three months, but isn't that how life is? Filled with ebbs and flows? You would think after all these years (I'm firmly in the middle age bracket now), that I wouldn't be surprised when it ebbs. But here I am, bummed out for the last two weeks and I'm sick of being sad; quite honestly I'm sick of myself. This month is the anniversary of my brother Jack's death. It's been twelve years since he died and I've gotten used to the fact that he's no longer here. Sadly, my family now finds itself saying good-bye to another loved one. I went to Austin last weekend to say good-bye to a man who has been in my life since the day I was born. Billy is not biologically related to me, yet, I struggled with a deep need to go and see him before he died. It certainly wasn't convenient to go right now, but his doctor said two to six weeks is all he has left. Pete was out of town backpacking (which meant I couldn't even consult with him before I made a decision). As a senior in high school, Jayne had her last homecoming on Saturday. The classes I teach at the college would have to be cancelled. But who says life is convenient?

     Billy and his wife Peggy live just down the road from where my brother's headstone rests, and visiting them, saying good-bye to someone else I love, well...I'm just emotionally raw, and what has come up is regret. I have no regrets in regards to Billy, and going to Austin proved to be a powerful life experience. I was able to tell him how important he has been to me, to wish him a safe journey, and to tell him I love him. I didn't have that opportunity with Jack. A few years before his death I found yoga, and I was a bit of a zealot about the lifestyle changes I'd been making. Alright, if you ask my sister or my husband they would say I was downright overbearring about my new lifestyle and judgemental of everyone who wasn't interested in changing. I had decided that yoga and the dietary changes I was making were beneficial to all, and if they would just listen to me they too could reap the benefits. I was so self-righteous in my new-found knowledge that it never occurred to me that maybe they were happy living just the way they were living. My brother was struggling with life when he died and wasn't in a healthy space at all, so I think I was even more obnoxious with him. Being in Austin has brought to the surface this long burried regret. So, what to do with it? I can't change past behaviors, I'm human and I make mistakes, so how do I find compassion for myself? I loved my brother and I have to believe he knows my intention at the time was only to help him find health, I just went about it in the wrong way. I believe that the universe gives us what we need, we just have to keep our eyes open, and just when I needed a little inspiration to get myself out of this black hole of self-pity I got an email from the Dalai Lama. No, I'm not personal friends with the Dalai Lama, it's a mass mailing that comes if you sign up for it, and in this one he is discussing compassion. He said that to neglect compassion is a mistake because it is the source of our own well-being. Bingo! When I'm soft with myself I'm able to be soft with others, especially those I love the most who also happen to be easy targets when I'm not in a good space. By putting this out into the universe my hope is that I will be able to find a little more compassion for myself -and the people I love- and to forgive myself for past mistakes.