Food for the Body and Food for the Soul
Last evening I watched ‘Canada for Haiti.’ Of course I’ve donated … it is the least one can do. Today in the early early morning hours I read … thought … meditated … realized once again how blessed … and how grateful I am. I walked in the chilly, sunshiny landscape with Buddy … and visited our local Farmer’s market … fully appreciating the vast array of fruit … greens … veggies. Today I feasted … body and mind infilled and inspired !
I was creative in the kitchen and the studio … but my pace today was leisurely and reflective. Here are photos of my supper, fresh, crunchy green salad and off-the-cuff soup … and some of the great books I am reading at the moment.
I concocted this nutritious soup from scratch … thick and hearty … very delicious. This is my list of ingredients … for Sweet Potato and Creamy Carrot Soup.
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 sun-dried tomato (from last summer’s garden), soaked about an hour
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (also from last summer’s garden)
2 green onions. sliced
1/2 cup freshly made almond milk
A little Himalayan or Celtic salt
A bit of freshly ground pepper
few herbs, your favourites.
Add enough water to make the consistency you prefer. I made it thick.
Toss all ingredients into a blender and blend until it is smooth and creamy.
This was nutritional and satisfying food for my body.
Quiet moments … good books … sketching and painting … these feed my soul.
Here are some of the books I am inspired to read these days. First … the Tao te Ching … originally written by Lao-tzu. This is the most widely translated book in the world besides the Bible. I have been delving into several translations for quite a number of years. One of my favourites is by Stephen Mitchell. A few months ago I found a “Second Book of the Tao (also a translation of ancient wisdom). It magically appeared under my Christmas tree. It also is a translation by Stephen Mitchell … of certain writings drawn from the work of Lao-tzu’s disciple Chung-tzu … and Confucious grandson … Tzu-ssu.
A few other books that I am devouring at the moment are “The Fifth Agreement” and the “Book of Knowledge” by Don Miguel Ruiz … and his son Don Jose Ruiz. A few years ago I found the book “The Four Agreements”. It was an enlightening read … and these books enlarge on the wisdom of the ancient Toltec traditions. One other … and completely different … book that I am loving is “A Place Between the Tides- A Naturalist’s Reflections on the Salt Marsh” written by naturalist and poet (truly an artist with words) Harry Thurston. Harry and his wife Cathy have a home close to the marshes at Tignish … near Amherst … where they usually live. But Harry is the 2010 Haig-Brown writer-in-residence … so he and Cathy are spending the winter in Campbell River (on Vancouver Island) in BC. Cathy is a watercolour artist who often paints with the SAA Thursday Painters. We miss you Cathy … and trust you are enjoying your adventure on Canada’s west coast.
Here is a glimpse into my inner sanctum … the studio where I spend a lot of time.
Thanks for spending some of this magical mid-winter’s day with me and sharing my passion for good books and good food … truly feeding body and soul !
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