So it has been a complete week now of vegan eating and unlike my previous times of eating vegetarian, we have found ourselves going through some changes I was not anticipating. Yes, menu planning is taking more time as I realize how much of our previous meal plan was meat, cheese and egg dependent. I have also come to realize how, with my hectic schedule, I had become dependent on 30 or less minute meals. This week I have learned to slow down, breathe, and take time to think things through.
Interestingly, one day this week I was reminded to take time to do nothing. It was during that “do nothing” time that I began to gain insights into how this change was going to affect every aspect of my life. Zoe who is normally minimally engaged in meal prep and planning, has begun helping me, which is an awesome surprise. The other day she helped me grate potatoes for potato pancakes and realized just how much time I sometimes put into meal preparation.
Read moreThis morning I was having a conversation with a friend who lives in Ontario and she got me thinking about our Cut n Seal. For a variety of reasons, the name really struck me this morning because it reminded me that there are things we need to cut out of our lives as they cut away at the foundation of our spiritual relationship and things that we need to seal in as they are important of us to hold within us and will bring us through the challenging moments in our lives. So today I want to focus on five cuts and five seals and then I will share five of my favorite recipes from the website and five that you can’t find on the site. 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 . Let’s go.
I have been thinking about five things, which can cut away at our lives and our spiritual foundation.
Too much on your plate
I know this is true for me and I am constantly working on keeping room in my life for the Ultimate Consciousness aka God to use me. It seems like good people are always busy. I constantly have to look at my schedule and see what I can cut off or cut out so I have more time to focus on my relationship with the Divine. When I don’t then I can feel the impact on my life emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Sometimes I need a Cut n Seal on my calendar to cut things out and off.
Read moreMaybe it is because Chopped is the last thing I watch on
Tuesday night, but I generally find myself inspired by something from the show.
Last night was no different. This week the theme for all the baskets was
wasted; they contained products that would normally be wasted and thrown away.
This included things such as parmesan rinds, wilted carrots, potatoes with eyes,
meat trimmings, etc. While I was impressed by some of what the cheftestants
created, it was similar to a special the Food Network had created before where
the team of Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli competed against Bobby Flay and
Michael Simon. The show served two purposes. It was a documentary about the
food wasted in our country because it does not fit the “appearance” standards
of the American consumer. It was also a challenge to them to collect these “wasted”
foods from farms, markets, and even the trash outside of grocery stores with
which to prepare a gourmet meal.
Read moreAlex defines Old School as “anything or things that refer to
a previous generation of a subject/idea/object/etc. typically, they are highly
regarded and sometimes the very things that started it all.”
What makes this book old school is that it tells the story of how things got
started within her and continue to exist in her cooking to this day. It is the
common thread, which runs across her life and her cooking, which tells the
story of how she came to where she is in her culinary journey.
Read moreA former professor once told that the way to entice people to read your blog or peak their interest in your sermon was to come up with a catchy title. So if you are reading this, then hopefully that means my title worked. I was playing with the tile “parsley, sage, rosemary, and time”, but decided I liked Herbal Essence better because it really got at the essence of what I have been thinking about this week: herbal essence.
There was a time (not thyme), when I never used fresh herbs and spent my entire cooking life using dried herbs and spices. Then I expanded my repertoire and began using fresh herbs. However, as a scripture says, “for everything there is a purpose under heaven.” This is true of herbs as well. There is a time for dry and a time for fresh. There is a thyme for every seasoning under heaven. (Hope you do not mind my humor). However, the essence of my herbal humor is true.
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