“Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, or no hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” ~Unknown

Know what feeds you

I am a part of a triathlon training group and we train from January to August. I love the seasonal nature of triathlon training. I love that we start a fresh season at the beginning of the year and slowly ramp our training through the spring. We take a break in the fall and then start all over in January.

This year was my second season with the group and something interesting happened shortly after we wrapped up our season. Up to that point, I'd honestly been feeling a bit burned out on training and I welcomed the end of August with open arms. The first couple of weeks were fine. I changed my exercise routine to be more weight-training focused and cut back on my swim/bike/running. I was still getting the exercise that I needed to keep my spirits up but something was missing. I started to feel stressed and grumpy and a bit depressed. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on with me but, after some reflection, I figured it out: I was having tri training withdrawals! I missed my tri training friends and the support and friendship that I get from this group that is unique to that area of my life.

I have so many wonderful people in my life whose friendships feed me in a zillion different ways. This was a great lesson that reminded me that, despite my somewhat introverted ways, I still have a social side that is energized, fed, and nurtured by the company of others.

Winter survival plan

I don't want to wait until the dark days of winter and the craziness of the holidays kick me in the backside to think about how I'm going to stay centered. It is really important for me to approach this season with a plan. Not a shopping, cooking, party plan. But, a plan for nurturing my whole self; physically and mentally. I'll share my list of reminders to myself for this year. When I get to January, I hope to have gained some wonderful new memories and to have enjoyed the winter holiday season moment by moment. I hope that you will stop to consider what you need as well.

My list:

1. Social: Spend time with friends and family doing things that are fun instead of stressful. Make time for gathering just for fun.
2. Fitness: Keep up with my running plan. Consider entering a turkey trot and a snowshoe race! Go full moon snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
3. Health and immunity: Get lots of sleep. Get a flu shot. Drink lots of water and eat whole foods. Get my omega 3s. Stay away from high-sugar foods. Get some sunlight as often as possible. Play outside!
4. Soul: Take hot baths with pretty smelling things followed by my favorite lotion. Sit in the spa. Do one thing at a time and finish one thing before starting another. Read books and magazines. Light candles. Listen to music. Work in some yoga and meditation. Write.
5. Family: Spend more time on "want to" than "have to". Laugh together every day. Take day trips to build a snowman or to the beach. Read stories by the fireplace. Have date nights with my hubby. Have a nighttime stargazing picnic with hot drinks and fuzzy blankets.

What is in your plan this winter?

Injera bread:
I didn't have teff flour, so I processed a small amount of teff grain in my VitaMix to make flour (1/2 cup teff made about 3/4 cup flour).

Recipe:

3 cups self-rising flour (or 3 cups all-purpose flour plus 4 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1 1/2 tsp salt)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup teff flour
1 Tbsp dry active yeast
3 1/2 cups warm water

1. Combine all of the ingredients except for the water and mix well. Add the water and mix until well combined. Cover and let sit for 3-6 hours (for traditional sourdough, the dough is let rest for 3 days).
2. After the rest period, stir the dough again to incorporate any liquid that may have separated. Add the dough to a blender 2 cups at a time along with about 1/4 - 1/2 cup water and blend to mix for a few seconds. The dough should be very thin- thicker than crepe batter but thinner than pancakes.
3. In a non-stick skillet heated over medium heat (no oil), pour the batter 1/2 cup at a time. Move the pan in a circular motion to spread out the batter so that it is no more than 1/8 inch thick. Cover the pan and let the injera cook until it is cooked through (don't flip). Remove from the pan and stack the breads as they are made. They will initially be a little crispy on the bottom but will soften up.

Misir wat (wat or wot is a stew and misir wat is a common lentil stew that is seasoned with traditional berbere spices).
I made my own berbere using:

¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp cardamom
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cayenne
¼ tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Squash tibs (tibs are sauteed veggies or meats).

Kik wat (a stew made from yellow split peas).

Sauteed greens (I used turnip).

Put on some Ladysmith Black Mambazo, get out your copy of The Ladies #1 Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, pour the African red bush (rooibos) tea, and dig in...with your hands, of course!

I really love the ceremonious nature of traditional dining in other cultures. I am also fascinated by traditions such as the Japanese tea ceremony. In Ethiopia, one very simple such ritual is goorsha, which is an act of friendship. During a meal, a person might roll a piece of injera bread in sauce and place it in a friend's mouth. The larger the goorsha, the stronger the friendship. Amesege'nallo' (thank you)!

If you have the chance, I encourage you to expand your horizons and give Ethiopian or other new-to-you foods a try. After all, life is too short for frozen pizza!  

These were easy to make using a food processor and they tasted perfect!

I started with this recipe from Oh She Glows and it worked really well. I used the same ingredients and measurements.

Here are the steps that I followed:

1. Place the chopped dates in the food processor and process until they start to stick together and ball up. Remove them from the food processor and place them in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the cashews, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and vanilla in the food processor and process until the nuts are finely chopped.
3. Add the nut mixture to the dates and mix together as best you can.
4. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and pour/plop the mixture onto the plastic. Fold the plastic over the mixture to keep it from sticking to your hands and knead it until it all sticks together and you can form it into bars. Divide the mixture into two or three pieces and form into bars (using the plastic wrap to shape them to keep them from sticking to your hands). Wrap the bars in plastic and refrigerate.

My approach to eating is balanced. I believe that eating a whole foods plant-based diet is the healthiest way to fuel our bodies. I also believe in chocolate. One of my mantras for daily living is, “something is always better than nothing.” GetNatured isn't about perfection. It is about the simple pursuit of health and happiness. Sometimes that means watching the sunrise on a morning run. Sometimes it means forgoing my “to do” list in favor of sharing freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with my favorite person. Health and happiness are both physical and mental. I believe in feeding both.

I love new flavors and combinations of foods and my desire for those continually inspires and challenges me to learn new things. I have gained countless new ideas and have been so immensely inspired by reading blogs. Though the world of food blogging is huge, there is a feeling of solidarity that runs through this virtual community. My family may not understand my excitement over finding "00" flour for pizza crust, but I know that my fellow bloggers do!

My family and I are vegetarians and, while I truly believe with all that I am that is the healthiest way to eat, I do not want my readers to ever feel like they're getting the cold shoulder for enjoying animal-based foods. I know that everyone has their own favorite foods and traditions and that is their personal journey. I share recipes and my food successes because I believe passionately that healthy food can be simple and delicious- even to kids! My hope is that others will be inspired to integrate more whole foods into lives as well.