It’s a little insane to think that we’re at the start of another year.
Originally I’d planned to have this recipe up days ago but (as usual) time got away from me. It seems that was the theme of 2015.
At the beginning of last year I set several goals for myself and was excited about all of the things I was going to do and places I was going to go. As the year went on I found myself a little disappointed and frustrated by the fact that I wasn’t doing any of those things. Now looking back on the year I see a lot of wasted time – time spent working on creative projects for other people and things I wasn’t truly invested in, time spent draining myself over useless things. Anyone who has been following this blog regularly knows that eventually all of this led to me being so painfully drained. I’d lost my spark.
There were quite a few rough patches in the last year. And there is still a part of me that, looking back on the last twelve months, thinks that it was an entire year of nothing. But I believe a lot of the setbacks needed to happen in order for me to learn new things about myself.
I’m getting better at saying no. I’m learning to let go of “shoulds”. I’m becoming more accepting of all the strange quirks that make me who I am – and I’m gradually getting better at communicating those things to other people. I’ve stopped feeling quite so ashamed about being “different”, “difficult”, or “strange”. I’ve learned so much about how to deal with my depression and anxiety and I’ve realized that how others view and treat me is not nearly as significant as how I view and treat myself. It’s more important to me to make sure that I feel safe, loved, and healthy than to appease someone else’s need for normalcy. I still struggle with communicating my needs to other people – asking for help still makes me very uncomfortable – but it’s something I’m working on, something I’m confident I’ll get the hang of soon. Most importantly I’m learning none of these things make me weak.
I think that 2015 provided a lot of very profound healing – even if the ways it appeared in my life feel insignificant sometimes. I like to think of all these little things as building blocks. They’re a foundation I didn’t have before and I’m so excited to see what will grow from this place.
And despite all of the downs there were quite a few shining, glorious moments of love and wonder spread throughout the year. I laughed more in the last year than I had in quite a while.
Every struggle taught me more about how to get back up again. My love and passion for all that I do in life has deepened a dozen times over. I think 2015 was a lot about clearing out the old and dredging up some wounds I hadn’t realized I still had. It was about realizing how I needed to heal in order to get rid of the numbness hanging over me. It was a year of making space for more. More love. More abundance. More healing. More space for child-like wonder, for playing, for creating, for learning.
I feel so full of opportunities. I am infinite possibility. I can already tell that 2016 is going to be an incredible year and my arms are wide open to embrace all of the gifts of this brand new year.
And, as with every year, I plan on 2016 being filled with tons of delicious veggies. (Hopefully it will also bring the return of regular posts to this space!)
This is exactly the kind of meal I love during the colder months. It’s warm and filling and veggies on veggies. I love the combination of the cooked vegetables in the soup and the crisp roasted veggies on top. This chili isn’t really a whole lot like traditional chili (even in the vegetarian world) but that was where the inspiration came from, so I’m going with it. I’ve made this at least three times now, switching up the spices and vegetables a little bit each time. I probably say this a lot, but it’s almost impossible to go wrong with a ton of plant-y goodness.
Sweet Potato, Beet & White Bean Chili
Serves 4-6
2 large onions, diced
4 large garlic cloves, grated
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 large beet, diced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups water or vegetable broth
Juice ½ lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 can cooked white beans
4-5 stalks of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
Heat a bit of coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the sweet potato, beet, ginger and garlic and stir. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, spices, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and beets are tender.
Add the white beans and the kale and cook for another couple of minutes – just until the kale is slightly wilted.
Crispy Roots
2 large carrots
1 large Yukon gold potato
1 large beet
Coconut oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh herbs, optional
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and thinly slice the veggies. Place the veggies on the lined baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of melted coconut oil and some salt and pepper. Toss the veggies until all are evenly coated in the oil. Spread in an even layer across the baking sheet.
Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Give the roots a quick stir/flip and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Toss or sprinkle with fresh herbs, if desired.
Happy New Year!
Lane
