Embracing Hibernation

Right before our eyes the beautiful fall reds and oranges quickly got swept away in the wind...and in entered the quiet chill of winter. It seems that we were just enjoying long nights filled with music, fresh fruit, and summer breeze. Now, we have retreated indoors. We are enjoying the cozy Christmas tree, our precious books, and thick socks. Rather than go crazy, I'm making myself busy inside. My mornings are full of nesting. Laundry, dishes, fluffing pillows, putting 8,794 children's books back on the shelves - all the little things that make this house our home. My afternoons are filled with homeschool lessons and baking. Seth loves to get in the kitchen with me. I've noticed, since the weather changed, he wants to bake something every afternoon. I'm ok with that. We warm up the kitchen and enjoy the fruits of our labor by the Christmas tree.

Food is such a big part of our lives. Here are a few recipes that we have warmed ourselves with this season.

Super Immunity Warm Smoothie
a warming drink to be enjoyed anytime during the day

Saute 2 bananas in a large spoonful of coconut oil. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Continue cooking until the bananas are brown and gooey. Meanwhile, gently heat up 2-4 cups (depends on how much smoothie you want) of milk (we've used raw cow and almond). Put cooked bananas, milk, and 1-2 tbsp coco powder in the blender. Blend and enjoy in a mug.




Supper Immunity Warm Oats
reap the benefits of coconut oil in your morning oats

1 cup oats, soaked overnight
2 cups milk (or water)
1 banana, chopped
1 spoonful coconut oil
spinkle cinnamon
1 tbsp coco powder

Combine and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until oats and banana is soft.






Broccoli and Leek Quinoa
a simple, satisfying lunch

1 head broccoli, chopped small
2 leeks, green tops removed, sliced, and cleaned thoroughly
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
butter, salt, pepper

Rinse and soak quinoa overnight. When you're ready to cook, drain and rinse quinoa again. Cook in chicken broth. While quinoa is cooking, saute broccoli and leeks in butter with salt and pepper. You can add any spices you like here, but I keep mine basic. Cook veggies until soft. Combine quinoa and veggies. Serve.





Potato and Spinach Frittata
a crowd-pleasing dinner or brunch

5 or 6 smallish potatoes, whatever variety you prefer (red is always a favorite for us)
1 medium onion, diced
5 -6 eggs (I always start with 5 and usually end up scrambling up one more to cover the potatoes)
handful frozen spinach
butter
salt, pepper, herbamere (or your favorite season all salt)

Slice potatoes thin, about 1/8th of an inch. Thin potatoes are the key. If they are too thick it will take too long for them to cook, and everything will get too mushy. Saute the potatoes and onion in butter. You need to be generous with the butter, because you want it to coat the pan later too. Add the salt, pepper and herbamere. If you want, some dried parsley would be a nice touch. Keep a close eye on the potatoes so that they don't burn or stick to the pan. Keep the heat low, and keep stirring. Once the potatoes are soft (10-15 minutes), add the spinach. Put a cover over you skillet and let the spinach soften. In the meantime, whip your eggs with some salt/pepper. Arrange potatoes evenly in your skillet. Add your eggs to the skillet and move it around, so that they eggs fill all the gaps. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Transfer your skillet to the oven to finish cooking. Cook another 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through in the middle. Cut into slices and serve alongside a leafy salad.








Enjoy the warmth of your food, your homes and your families. At this busy time of year, may we stop and truly contemplate what it means to give. I hope we can all share and feel of that perfect Christ-like love this month.