Author Archives: leeyinger

Vegan Chili @ The Pittsfield Farmer’s Market 2013

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Okay so this isn’t the farmer’s market I’m talking about but this is my favorite walk ever and each time I travel to California to visit my family we go to Monterey Bay and take this walk to Pacific Grove. This is the most beautiful ocean walk I think! The Farmer’s Market I’m talking about is the Downtown Pittsfield Farmer’s Market, http://farmersmarketpittsfield.org/dpfm/.

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I had so much fun this summer being part of this new venue. It is the finest group of people running the market and the people participating in it are equally delightful. I did my last market of the season and just want to shout out to all of you a grand thanks. The market will continue until the end of October on Saturdays from 9-1 across the street from the Pittsfield Common. I look forward to seeing you all again next year.

This is one of the recipes I demonstrated at the market. My focus this weekend was cooking for women’s health. This dish offers good quality soy in the form of Hosta Hill tempeh, http://hostahill.com/ and kidney beans. Both are considered foods that promote women’s health. To learn more consider attending my cooking class at Wild Oats Food Cooperative @ http://wildoats.coop/ in Williamstown, MA on 10/26 from 12:30 to 2:00pm. We’ll make a few delicious dishes that contain health benefits for women.

Vegan Tempeh Chili

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 8-ounce package tempeh, crumbled by hand

2 tsp soy sauce 1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 cup kidney beans rinsed, soaked and cooked with 2” kombu

1 8 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 cup fresh/frozen corn (optional)

fresh cilantro to garnish (optional)

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil, sauté tempeh until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, add soy sauce, and sauté another minute or two, until soy sauce is sticky and dissolved. Set aside.

In a large soup or stock pot, sauté the onions, garlic and bell peppers in the remaining olive oil until just barely soft. Reduce heat and add remaining ingredients. Allow to simmer for at least twenty minutes and up to forty minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding a bit more liquid as needed.

Garnish with a sprinkling of fresh minced cilantro.

My kitchen at home no longer exists as the demolition was completed today. I will share my remodel progress with you as the construction now begins!

Be well and remember to smile and sing a happy song every day…it’s good for the heart!

Kitchen Remodel 101

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I spent a good part of this day emptying my kitchen so that the deconstruction can begin with the construction to follow. This is what things looked like this morning…fortunately this scene has improved!

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AND…Yesterday some of my dearest friends came to help construct my IKEA cabinets. I can’t tell you how blessed I am to have these people in my life. That they would take time from their busy lives to come to my home and build cabinets is such a gift.

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My dogs are wondering why the refrigerator is parked in the living room along with several large cabinets built by the above good friends….my brain and whole body are screaming for a hot bath so I will close this post and oblige…be well fellow foodies life is good when we are able to enjoy good food, good company and the comfort of our home regardless of the mess!

Brightest Blessings

 

A Buddhist bles…

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A Buddhist blessing for food

This food is the gift of the whole universe,
Each morsel is a sacrifice of life,
May I be worthy to receive it.
May the energy in this food,
Give me the strength,
To transform my unwholesome qualities
into wholesome ones.
I am grateful for this food,
May I realize the Path of Awakening,
For the sake of all beings.

Namo Amida Buddha.

A Buddhist blessing for food

 

Food and Faith

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Have you ever considered the role food has played in various faith traditions? Humans have for centuries used food in sacred meals and in some cases asked for a blessing at everyday meals. There is sacred fasting and sacred feasting in many faith traditions. Take for instance the Passover Seder, the Muslim tradition including both fasting and feasting of Ramadan, the Buddhist practice of Mindful Meals, the Christian Eucharist, the Sikh Langar and the Native American Corn Harvest Ceremony.

Food is the core of these and so many more faith traditions both for nourishment and for the symbolism of the foods. It is simply heavenly to prepare and offer meals to those we love whether for special occasions or for the joy of “breaking bread” together at sunrise or sunset.

ImageBreaking Bread with friends @ Michaum Point

I consider myself a spiritual person and so I love to read and research many things that involve our spirit, essence, soul or whatever term you’d like to attach to your deeper self. In fact, I have been invited to speak on this topic on Sunday October 6 at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, MA. Since the invitation came I have thoroughly enjoyed researching various world religions and faith practices to learn more about how people celebrate their families, their lives and the beginning and end of the day. It is undeniable the power of food in our lives and it goes beyond nourishment.

I have also thought more about how I use food in my life as a means to speak to people and care for them. When my children were not feeling well my first impulse was to make them soup or tea so they would feel better. When a friend was sad I would invite them to come for a meal so we could spend time together and cooking something for someone who has touched my heart and I can’t find the right words to express what they have given me. The very practice of “breaking bread” is in my world sacred and loving. It is a time when we catch up with those we love and share our hearts.

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So as I rise and move through my day I am just taking note of how I interact with food and notice what purpose it plays beyond nourishment in my interactions with self and others. I invite you to do the same and to keep in your minds and hearts all those who lack food and other types of nourishment in their lives. How do we offer what we enjoy to those who have or experience less?

ImageBlessed Be!

 

Other places I will be this fall include:

The Pittsfield Farmers Market on 9/28 and again on 10/12 from 9am-1pm

Wild Oats Food Coop on 10/26 12:30-2:00pm “Cooking for Women’s Health”

Unitarian Universalist Church Sunday service “Food and Faith” 10/6 starting at 10am

Private cooking class at the Unitarian Universalist Church on 10/19 from 3-6:30 “Cool Kids Cooking Class”

Private cooking class at the Unitarian Universalist Church 3 Saturdays from 10/26 to 11/9 4pm-7:30pm “Healthy Holiday Cooking Class”

Wild Oats Food Coop on 11/16 1pm-3pm Healthy Holiday Cooking

for more information contact me at Leeyinger@yahoo.com

 

Pathways, Rivers, The Journey

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Just beyond this point across The San Francisco Bay on a clear day you can see The Golden Gate Bridge in all it’s glory.

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It is a chilly but sunny morning here in Western Massachusetts. Thoughts of beautiful pathways and flowing rivers were the first thing that came to mind as I lazily awoke to the crisp air this morning. These images were not of the local natural world but from past hikes in California. Muir Woods, Land’s End in San Francisco and The Bay Area are very much on my mind. That may have something to do with the fact that I am missing my youngest daughter, Hannah who lives currently in The Bay Area and possibly because I spent the day yesterday at a delightful wedding party of my dear friend’s son who also lives in The Bay Area. What ever the reason it is a nice way to wake!

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With the crisp air I find myself searching for one of those comfy long cooking meals that you smell all afternoon while it simmers. So I am planning to make an heirloom mixed bean stew with barley and loads of vegetables for dinner. I love making stews and soups that cook for long periods of time so we get to smell the mixed foods and anticipate the flavors. And there is always plenty left over for another meal on another day.

My heirloom bean stew will be cooking this afternoon while I pack my kitchen for the upcoming demolition and remodel that starts the end of this month. I am anxiously excited about this project which has been in the planning stages for over 2 years. Once the kitchen is complete I imagine spending time cooking wonderful new foods, enjoying lively conversations with family and friends, and embarking on adventures far from my soon to be cozy kitchen.

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Let me share the recipe so you too can explore one of those long cooked meals.

Heirloom Mixed Bean and Barley Stew

 1 diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrot

½ cup each of any other vegetable you choose

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 cups vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked barley (washed and pre-soaked overnight)

1 ½ cups mixed heirloom beans (washed and pre-soaked overnight)

1/3 cup crushed tomatoes

¼ tsp sea salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp each of following herbs: basil, oregano and thyme

Sautee the vegetable in oil for 3-5 minutes. Add broth and remaining ingredients bring to boil then reduce and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the beans and barley are tender.

 These meals are like a big hug from an old friend or like when your heart just swells with joy at seeing someone you adore.

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Ahhh… such a nice way to start the day!

 

 

 

Fall Food and Beauty

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The trees are beginning to change from the vibrant green of summer to the golds and reds of the fall in New England. I’ve come to find these visual changes in nature bring about a time of introspection for me. Maybe it has to do with the weather cooling, the crisp air or beautiful blue sky or maybe it is just the reminder that another year has come and is now going. Not sure but it is familiar and in some ways comforting…kind of like that wonderful soft afghan you wrap yourself in on a chilly night. What ever it is I am welcoming the change.

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I woke up this morning thinking about cooking a nice fall meal and I remembered that I picked about 2 pounds of green beans yesterday. So I’ll share a favorite green bean recipe with you.

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

1 lb green beans

¼ cup slivered almonds

1 tblsp olive oil

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp thyme

¼ tsp sage

1 clove garlic crushed

1 pinch sea salt to taste

Wash and trim green beans, then steam for about 3-5 minutes. Toast almonds in a dry skillet until fragrant and golden stirring constantly so they don’t burn. Add the herbs and oil to the skillet and toss well. Then add your green beans to mix.

Green beans contain vitamin A, B-complex vitamins and calcium and potassium. And garlic is antibacterial, anti-carcinogenic and anti-fungal. It is good for respiratory problems and ear aches as well as acting to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.

Along with the green beans I plan to make a brown rice and red wheat berries and adzuki beans with squash since I have some beautiful winter squash to use. The last time I prepared the brown rice and wheat berries my daughter came home with photos of our resident eagle. He had landed along the shore of the lake and was watching her as she photographed him.

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Here are the recipes for the other dishes I mentioned in this blog.

Brown Rice and Wheat Berries

 2 cups short grain brown rice, rinsed and soaked 6-8 hours

½ cup wheat berries, rinsed and soaked 6-8 hours (red winter variety)

3-3 ½ cups water

Pinch of sea salt per cup of grain

Place washed/soaked rice in pressure cooker, mix in the wheat berries.
Add the water and cook over low flame for 15-20 minutes
Add salt and cover pressure cooker.
Bring up to pressure, then lower flame to medium-low and cook for 50 minutes.
Remove from flame, and release steam from pressure cooker or allow it to release on its own.
Open cooker and let rice sit for 4-5 minutes before serving.

Brown rice is high in vitamin B which helps to reduce depressive symptoms. It is also a good source of minerals and healthy fat. Great for we New England residents who will begin to see less sun as fall brings in winter. Whole wheat berries contain 12 B vitamins, vitamin E, protein, essential fatty acids and important trace minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. If you are sensitive to wheat make the rice it stands alone.

Azuki Beans and Squash – Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook

1 cup Azuki Beans, washed and soaked at least 6-8 hours

1 cup good quality organic Butternut, Buttercup squash or Hokkaido pumpkin, washed with seeds removed cubed with skin left on.

¼ sea salt

1-2 inch piece kombu

Water

Soak kombu in ¼ cup water until pliable (5-10 minutes)
Cube squash and set aside.
Place soaked kombu in bottom of heavy pot.
Add soaked beans with soaking water on top of kombu carefully so kombu remains on bottom of pot.
Make sure there is enough water to just cover the beans.
Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
Add the cubed squash on top of beans making sure the water is covering just the beans to set up steamer effect for squash.
Continue to cook over low heat for 45 minutes checking often to assure the beans are no burning on bottom of pot.
Once the squash and beans are soft remove from heat and serve.

Adzuki beans are an excellent source of soluble fiber, which helps to keep cholesterol levels in a healthy range. They also contain folate, potassium, and magnesium, all of which are essential for a healthy heart. Adzuki beans are a good way to get B vitamins, including B6, B2, B1, B3, and folic acid.
Squash is naturally sweet and is a good source of beta-carotene and complex carbohydrates. Squash contains vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium. It has anti-carcinogenic properties due to containing high amounts of pre-vitamin A and carotenoids.

So what are we waiting for…let’s get cooking!

Quote for this glorious day by Nancy Wood

Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of Earth.

Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.

Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.

Hold on to life even if it is easier letting go.

Hold on to my hand even when I have gone far away from you…

AND as my great nephew Cooper says….Peace Out!

On Nature…

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On Nature

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.”
                                                               Lao Tzu

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
                                                               Rachel Carson

“Let my words be bright with animals,
images the flash of a gulls wing.
If we pretend that we are at the center,
that moles and kingfishers,
eels and coyotes are at the edge of grace,
then we circle, dead moons about a cold sun.
This morning I ask only the blessing of the crayfish,
the beautitude of the birds:
to wear the skin of the bear in my songs:
to work like a man with my hands.”
                                                               Joseph Bruchac

“The Earth is all that lasts.
The Earth is what I speak to when
I do not understand my life
Nor why I am not heard.
The Earth answers me with the same song
That it sang for my fathers when
Their tears covered up the sun.
The Earth sings a song of gladness.
The Earth sings a song of praise.
The Earth rises up and laughs at me
Each time that I forget
How spring begins with winter
And death begins with birth.”
                                                              Nancy Wood

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.”
                                                               Maori Proverb

“In every walk in nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
                                                               John Muir

“The Wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.”
                                                               Nancy Newhall

FIRE: the power of creation and destruction

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I woke this morning thinking about the devastating fires that have once again burned so much of the West coast this summer/fall. I wrote parts of this post several years ago when the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, a place of my heart and much of my youth were on fire. At that time Yosemite, and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir which provides most of the water for The San Francisco Bay Area were at risk of being badly damaged. People were being forced from their homes and the loss of wildlife was unmeasurable.

This year the fires have impacted my home town of Morgan Hill and the Santa Cruz Mountains along with so many other treasured places in California, Oregon and Washington States. Now, like then many very brave firefighters been providing round the clock efforts to tame the wildfires while risking life and limb to do so. I have been a constant consumer of the Calfire briefings this year as the fires directly impact family and friends.

Santa Cruz West Cliff Area

As I return to my blog I am compelled to dedicate my first post after a year off to the beauty of this region of the world. I ask that we all consider how we impact this planet every day…what care do we take to honor all that surrounds us?

John Steinbeck wrote:

The Redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always…from them comes silence and awe.” The most irreverent of men, in the presence of Redwoods, goes under a spell of wonder and respect.”

California Redwoods

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Valley floor Yosemite

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Mom and me atop Yosemite Valley with Half Dome as a back drop

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Hannah with one of the many water falls of Yosemite as a back drop

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Nature is mysterious, beautiful and wise. We are blessed to be included in the great web of all life and have a responsibility to be good stewards of these gifts we have been given. We cannot live without them but they can live without us…humbling and true.

Let’s all imagine a world or wonder and awe that we pass along to our children and their children and their children!

Walk gently and leave things better than you found them as you go

Mom, IKEA and the Pittsfield Farmer’s Market this weekend

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Well we did it! What started out as an ordinary yet insane day closed with pizza, beer, good friends and MOM in my backyard….AND the unloading of about 2000 lbs of kitchen cabinets!

I guess an explanation is needed here for those of you who don’t know me. First a photo from the Stoughton IKEA store where my daughter Kristen, my dear friend (I think we are still friends) Helen and I had just loaded the 2000lbs of kitchen cabinets into my car and Kristen’s SUV…notice we are all smiling still!

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Ok…let me give you the context of this insanity… so we had driven 3 hours prior to this photo and got up at dawn so I could be the first person at the IKEA kitchen design center this morning to purchase my future kitchen which by the way my dear mom made possible…Thanks mom hope you know how much I love and miss you!

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Sooo…after loading our cars (with the help of a very strong…very young man who then disappeared as if by magic)… we began the the 3 hour drive home (it took longer due to the weekend travelers all returning home at the same time we were)…

En route home I was running the whole scene of how, upon arriving at my house we would unload the cars, walk the dogs, eat and survive it all…it was clear we three could not do it…so I began to panic…a little.

Then after several truly crazy moments on my part which I choose not to share here a bit of magic occurred. There were suddenly 2 strong men related to Kristen and Helen waiting at my house to help unload the 2000lbs of cabinets…another dear friend Donna had purchased beer and was on her way to my house to take care of my crazy dogs…and 2 large pizzas had been ordered to arrive right after the cabinets were safely in my basement. AMAZING I thought simply amazing.

AND yesterday all the women mentioned in this blog including my mom who is always present in my life were at the Pittsfield Farmer’s Market sharing whole foods and in particular “ALL THINGS BEANS”

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We had lots of fun at the market as we do every time we participate or visit. I want to share this recipe with you which continues to make me smile…

Chocolate Adzuki Bean Balls:

Chocolate Adzuki Bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Ingredients:

For the adzuki balls:

  • 1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
  • 3/4  cup pecans
  • 6 or so pitted medjool dates (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
  • 1-2 teaspoons rice milk (optional)

For the topping:

You can choose either shredded coconut, chopped pecans or chopped cashews. You’ll need about a cup of whichever one you choose. For the nuts, I recommend blending them in the food processor before you make the balls because then you don’t have to clean it out.

  • 1 cup of selected topping
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt (the larger flakey kind if possible)

Directions:

Put the adzuki beans in a small pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Boil for about an hour, making sure you don’t let them dry out, until they are soft. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, blend the nuts for your topping (if using) and set aside. Add 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (they will have swollen up so your 1/2 cup should have turned into at least 3/4 cup), 3/4 cup pecans, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. If it is too dry to blend well, you can add rice or almond milk a teaspoon at a time to add moisture. You can also add a teaspoon of maple syrup to make it a little sweeter (if you use the maple syrup you probably won’t need the rice milk)

Scoop out the dough a tablespoon or so at a time and roll into balls. Sprinkle them with just a bit of the sea salt and then roll the balls in the topping until they are coated then put them in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

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I must admit that I am beyond tired so will sign off for this week…more to come.

I’d like to end with gratitude for my family and friends, for this glorious life I have been given and for the hope of more to come. I am truly blessed and know this each day I wake to greet the sun!

Peace and Brightest Blessings Dear Ones!