Meatless Monday

I love that alliteration, and I love the group energy and consciousness when we are all making the same effort at the same time. Here is our dinner last night, so delicious, so easy, so healthy and so inexpensive both to our pocketbook and to Mother Nature!

Enjoy a read about Madhur Jaffrey, and her approach to food, among dining out! I share her joy in eating food prepared at home!

Moong Dal (From An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey)
1 1/2 cups moong dal (can use red lentils)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices peeled fresh ginger, 1" by 1/2" approximately
1 t chopped cilantro
1 T ground tumeric
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or less)
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 T lemon juice
3 T ghee (I used 2 T)
Pinch of Hing (asafeteda- optional)
1 t whole cumin seeds

Rinse the moong dal under running water. Add it to a pot along with 5 cups of water and bring to the boil. When it comes to the boil, let is simmer for a few minutes and remove the foam at the top. Now add the garlic, ginger cilantro, tumeric and cayenne. Lower the heat for a continuous simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Up to this stage the meal can be made in a slow cooker. Although removing the foam is not possible, the dal will cook throughout the day and be ready for you to add the remaining ingredients.

Adjust the seasoning in the dal, now adding the salt and the lemon juice. Have the cooked dal in your serving dish before pouring over the ghee with cumin, described below.

Melt the ghee, when hot enough to sizzle the seeds, add the cumin seeds and the ghee. Turn off the heat, swirl the pan. When the heat calms down pour this over the dal.

Serves 4 for dinner

Finishing Touches to the Meal
Add chopped spinach to the hot dal. It will cook quickly and give some color and added nourishment to the dish. Serve with brown basmati rice, and another vegetable. We enjoyed a delicious salad! Not a traditional Indian combination, but one that kept all of us happy, and satisfied!

Cost (approx numbers)
Dal - $3.00 (plant based proteins are cheaper)
Rice - $1.00
Salad - $4.50
Dressing - $.50
 

Soured Milk

Don't throw it out, or pour it down the drain! Sour milk is like a buttermilk, it acts with raising agents (baking soda in particular) to make baked items particularly fluffy. If the smell of the milk is strong, then do not use it. Otherwise, bake away!

I have just made some chocolate cupcakes with outdated buttermilk. Super moist cupcakes, great structure to the cupcake as well.

Just be sure to slip the soured milk deep into the refrigerator so that thirsty teens do not try to drink it!

Peace

What Will Change

Saving the butter wrappers to be used later for baking, putting every possible piece of paper in recycling,  these acts will not change the world at large. But they will change your world. It changes the meaning and interactions that you have, helping you to go to a meaningful and conscious part within.

This IS what will change the world at large. Our awareness of the needs of Mother Earth, and of one another, gives the greatest meaning and opportunity for sharing in the journey.

Care and share!

Wheat Germ Nummie Muffins!

A friend gave me a jar of toasted wheat germ that she was not going to use. The wheat germ came with a muffin recipe. It called for shortening, and that was enough to motivate and inspire me to create a healthy and tasty recipe for the mothering Mother crowd.

The buttermilk that I used in this recipe was extra active. It was past date buttermilk! It reacted so quickly with the baking soda that the batter was starting to rise before the muffins went into the oven. Soured milk is excellent in muffins! Don't toss it out! Any soured milk is fine in place of the buttermilk. Use rice milk and add some vinegar, or lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Okay, I must confess, that on the day that I baked the muffins, they were so tasty that I ate 3 of them! The coconut oil and the pumpkin seeds seem to agree with my body, or at least I am telling myself that!

1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal

The photo does not do it justice! It must be tasted!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t allspice
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 egg or Egg Replacer - 2 fl oz of combined applesauce and safflower oil
t = teaspoon

Combine the wheat germ, oatmeal, flour, salt baking powder, baking soda, allspice, sucanat, raisins and pumpkin seeds in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Combine the milk, egg replacer and coconut oil and pour over the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Scoop the batter into muffin cups and bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Check to see that the center of the muffin is cooked. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing carefully with a knife. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Mayan Calendar - Ending & Beginning

Today is the end of the Mayan calendar! What all of it means, I don't know, but I do know that I want intention and awareness to be invested in the day.

What is it that brings us to a place of seeing and experiencing from the Heart? The Native American speaker on the film "Shift of the Ages" stated that "The longest journey we will take in life is from the head to the heart." Why is it that way? If the heart enriches our life experience and the totality of our experiences, why is it a challenge to get there?

I know from my own life that it is the journey in the challenge that can give the greatest serendipities. It is really, within each challenge, that we have an opportunity to journey to the heart, to journey with the heart.

Within human nature are qualities that avoid new journeys. These qualities will come up, that is part of our programming, and the 'living in the head' to which we have been programmed. To walk differently is... is... risky. It is new and uncharted territory. Fear grabs us, and we justify to ourselves why we need to recoil and stay where we are.

This new walk is risky, I won't diminish it. But I won't accept it. Fear of fear itself keep us in the head, and bumbling along, asleep a the wheel of life, while the autopilot steers our ship. The value of shifting to a fuller and richer experience of life can never be fully described, because no two experiences are alike.

"Who am I?" Let that phrase reverberate throughout your day. As you encounter your day, keep that subtle question moving within your thought process, agitating you to move beyond the mind.

Journey well, journey together. We are in the Age of Community!

Peace & Joy
Love & Light
Shanthi (Peace)

Holiday Calm from mothering Mother - Newsletter Dec 2012

mothering Mother in Daily Life

Green Living Bites ~ Replace wrapping paper with wrapping cotton, and cotton reusable bags! Even better, give gifts in the mothering Mother drawstring and velcro closing bags!  ~Give with meaning this holiday. Create something from your own hands.!Yes it takes more time. And yes, it has more meaning!  ~Give the best gift of all - Your Peace. If doing more means that you are falling apart, then the negative energy cancels out the good deed. The greatest gift in the greatest shortage is the gift of time - give a "lunch together card ", with a date in the New Year. Time with a friend or family member can mean more than a material item. mothering Mother Blog For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the  mothering Mother®  blog! Check it out!  Join Our List

The mothering Mother® newsletter seeks to address how integral  food and its connection with the Earth is to our everyday lives. Eating healthy foods is easy if you buy healthy and natural ingredients. Get familiar with your produce and bulk bags. Eating Earth healthy foods benefits everyone. Buy fresh produce, fresh seeds and nuts, and follow the recipe below to good and natural eating. Can we eat our way out of the environmental challenges? One thoughtful meal at a time. See the continued "Eating Our Way Out" article at the bottom of this newsletter. Share your joy for the world by using cotton mothering Mother® bags and sharing your home cooked foods with others.   Namaste Sydney Holiday Calmers Any time that the the mind starts to run faster than the body, begin to bring union to yourself with some of these ideas. Ultimately you are in charge of how you move through this season, so take back yourself from the illusion that has been created at this time of year.  The Breathe - this is the immediate connector for the body and mind. Breathe in for 5 slow counts and breath out for 6 slow counts. Inhale through the nose, and exhale out the nose. Inhale smoothly and evenly for all 5 counts, and exhale slowly and consistently for all 6 counts. Let the increased prana (energy) in the body work its magic! Go to the original messages of the holiday season! The weeks leading up to Christmas are about the candles of Advent. Each candle celebrates and invites us to live with deeper meaning and connection. Hope, Peace, Joy and Love - let these qualities permeate your Being. Hanukkah is a commemoration of "rededication" and a celebration of faith and courage from this dedication.  For the mystics out there, this particular year is a very auspicious time! It is a time to "write down your wishes, desires, plans for the New Year and the New Era - one that begins on Dec. 21 when the ancient Mayan calendar ends.  This also marks the shift from the Piscean Age to the Aquarian Age...we are now moving into a time of community, of brotherhood and sisterhood.  An understanding of our interconnectedness, with one another and with all on the planet." (see  www.goodenergyyoga.com and Melissa Elstein) Create away! It is your meaning, your wishes, and your intentions that can make every day a celebration!   KISS - Keep It Simple Silly Bring out the slow cooker! Before heading to work, or heading out to run errands, put on a pot of soup and come home to a meal! Red lentils cook easily, and have a high nutrient density. This is a favorite in our home. I will not take credit for this entire recipe. It comes from the Moosewood Restaurants Cooks at Home book. Using water, not vegetable stock, and simple ingredients that are often in your kitchen, make adaptions to suit your taste and your ease. Red Lentil Soup 1 1/2 cups red lentils   7 cups water 3 bay leaves 1 clove garlic, chopped finely (optional) 2 slices of fresh ginger 2 carrots, grated to make 1 cup 1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or tinned) 1/2 cup diced pepper 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 2 T ghee butter or olive oil 1 1/2 t ground cumin 1 1/2 t ground coriander 1/8 t cayenne (or to taste) 3 cups leafy greens, chopped 2 T fresh lemon juice Salt, pepper to taste Rinse the lentils in a stainer under running water. Add the lentils, bay leaves, garlic, and ginger to the pot or slow cooker. Turn on the heat. While the lentils begin to cook, chop and cook the onions with the ghee butter or oil. When the onions are translucent, add the spices. Add all of this, with the carrots, tomatoes and pepper to the slow cooker. If you are doing this on the stove top, then cook the lentils with the carrots, tomatoes and pepper for 30 minutes, then add the cooked onion combination. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. The leafy greens can be added with the lemon juice, just before serving. Adjust the seasoning, remove the ginger pieces and bay leaves. This soup is an excellent leftover. The flavors of the spices mellow into the lentils. Makes 4-6 servings. Yummy! Eating Our Way Out (Part 18)  Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor At this time of year overconsumption is the way of the day. Approaching holiday eating with your own boundaries will help you to feel merry now, and on Jan 1, 2013! Overeating is not a symbol that you are having a good time. Quite to the contrary, we usually feel more down with ourselves when we overeat!   While enjoying the conversation and connectedness of gatherings, choose foods that are lighter. Keep servings of flesh foods and dairy to a minimum. These foods tend to be high in fats and stay with us for longer. Keep servings of vegetables high. These foods tend to give us micronutrients, fibre, and a feeling of atiation. Feeling a little Grinchy, I will say that meat 'is the first thing to go!' Whatever the reason for motivation - the environment (meat carries a high carbon footprint, creates toxic waste, encourages antibiotic resistance, compromises water quality), or health benefits, or the humane interest of the animals themselves - find something that resonates with you to make this a part of your regular dietary habits. If you are eating meat, make it the side bar of your meal. You will feel better, and everyone will benefit! Consume, on every level, with intention! May health be your birthright! Namaste

Ow, I was Bitten by the Temptation

The price of food does play an influence on decision making. Yesterday I was bitten by the temptation to buy Breyers ice cream for a dinner that we are hosting with children. On every level the ice cream is not a good decision - health-wise it is loaded with refined sugars, high fat and stabilizers; environmentally it has plastic packaging on the lid; and, Breyers tends to be a higher priced ice cream.

But the price, oh, not a $5-$7 gouge, this was a mere $3.25! In a flash I found the flavor desired and I purchased away. At home, I now opened the freezer door to take out some legumes for dinner, and there it was, staring me in the face! How did I come to have this in the freezer?! Oh yes, you justified it through the price. Now I will face dealing with the packaging when we are finished; reflecting on the message and conditioning that I am giving to these children; and, I will face dealing with our son, who will ask for ice cream daily, once he knows it is there. Then I will have to employ more decision-making strategies!

So do I leave the ice cream where it is and let the children have some tonight, or do I return it to the store, and purchase, or make, a dessert that does not challenge so many levels of my personal value system? Cheap food elicits cheap decision making values. It would have been easier to walk by that freezer case if the price was higher.

Where and how do each of us draw the line around our food choices in a society where the poorest are also the heaviest?

Shanthi