What a cool date this is. The snow is falling ever so gently this morning. I dusted off the car windows so the kids could get to school and shovelled the first layer. It was light and fluffy and gave me a decent work out, so my cardio is covered for today. Walking the dogs was enjoyable for it is so serene. I hope to be able to nest at home in front of the fireplace all day, but may have to travel up north to retrieve my baby boy. We'll see.
Courage
is not the absence of fear ~
it is the resistance
and mastery of fear xo
It looks bare and naked but the ground is being warmed by a blanket of snow. This is perfect weather to make comfort food such as stew, chili or soup. The aroma will keep the house cozy. Today I prepared lentil soup. I'll have to freeze some for another day to taste it as I am still on my cleansing fast - day 9 and feel great. I savor a clementine each day and think they are the best thing ever created. Margarita got me hooked on them and they are only 35 calories.
lentil soup
Yep, that's a lemon floating in there. I researched how to diminish the spice in dishes and this is one of the things suggested. I have tons of lemons around so I popped a few in. I think I added too much sriracha sauce and it dominated all the delicious ingredients. We'll see if it works. I will not include the sauce in the recipe because most people don't like too much spice, unlike this family, but if you do, go for it, but only a drizzle. Trust me, that stuff is potent!
1 pkg. lentil beans
2 onions
5 celery stalks
bag of baby carrots
napa cabbage
mustard greens
dash of cumin
garlic to taste
au jus/beef broth
6 bay leaves
drizzle of oil
dash of sea salt
fresh parmesan cheese
Rinse and drain lentil beans. Chop onions, celery, garlic and carrots. Saute onions, celery and garlic in oil until tender, then add carrots. Confetti chop napa cabbage and mustard greens. Feel free to use something different as there are an assortment of lettuces and cabbages so today I tried these two. The mustard greens were just too pretty to pass up. I freeze my au jus after making beef so this is what I used for extra flavor but beef broth is just as hearty. Place all ingredients in a crock pot, add a dash of sea salt, cumin and bay leaves and keep on low for hours. The lentils need time to soften and the flavors blend beautifully. Make sure to remove the bay leaves when ready to serve. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top for a nice touch. Bake a loaf of homemade bread and your home will smell divine. Food for the soul.
thumper pillow pup
Please pray for all the victims and their families in these tragic times. Somedays I feel the world is falling apart at the seams and we need heavy doses of prayer to conquer the sad times. I am noticing more and more people are willing to take a chance and help their fellow man. All the heroes are giving us examples of how it should be done all the time. Compassion fuels our souls. Take it from Mark Twain (my paraphrase) Courage
is not the absence of fear ~
it is the resistance
and mastery of fear xo
