Ur Happy Place

welcome to Ur Happy Place for the week of september 23rd! the images today come from my friend chrissy anderson they're perfect images to make us smile today as we spend a few minutes together in UHP.

so settle in and breathe with awareness for a minute:

breathe in and thank yourself for taking this time to nourish yourself here right now.

breathe in the potential of this day.

breathe in the possiblities open to you.

breathe in the beauty of the changing leaves.

breathe in the crisp air.

breathe in the anticipation of the things you look forward to this time of year.

breathe in and welcome change.

breathe in and smile and be. ur happy place haiku:

our lives like the falling leaves

brilliant, colorful

never doubting, full of grace


today marks the full moon, this month commonly known as the harvest or barley moon. i like to put my own names to the moon each month and for me september is the moon of change (see a theme here??) how about a couple yummy recipes to embrace the themes of both the harvest and change?


in honor of the harvest, i've picked a fresh apple sauce recipe from one of my fav witches and authors, starhawk, which will go perfectly with a recipe i'm sharing with you from one of my fav cookbooks, the self healing cook book by kristina turner. her recipe hails from the macrobiotic world (a japanese style of cooking with the seasons) and so here is ur opportunity to try something a bit different for a change as it involves cooking with seaweed! serve up with some fresh crusty bread and butter and ur good to go! munch outside under the moon if u can...


aduki squash soup

1/2c. aduki beans (yummy little black beans u can get from the whole foods store)

6"strip kombu seaweed(again find it at the whole foods store, be brave!)

1c. buttercup or butternut squash, cubed

1/2tsp. sea salt, or to taste

1 green onion ,sliced

to make:

"sweet and savory this soup is especially good for diabetics, or anybody with strong sweet cravings. bring beans, kombu, and water to a boil. cover and simmer 1 hr. peel and cut squash, add and simmer 1/2hr.or more until squash is tender enough to dissolve. season with sea salt and add green onion (save a few slivers to garnish each bowl)"
my note: i cut up the cooked kombu into tiny pieces.

yum!

enjoy this with starhawk's recipe from the book, circle round; raising children in the goddess tradition:

starhawk's easy apple sauce


5 apples

1/2 to1 c. apple juice, apple cider or water

1/2- 1c. white sugar

1tsp. lemon juice(optional)

" loosely chop and core apples, and place in a covered saucepan with half the liquid. bring to a boil, then simmer until apples are soft, adding more liquid as needed and being careful not to burn the apples. you can adjust the amount of liquid to taste-more makes a softer applesauce, less a chunkier mixture. when the apples are soft, mash them with a potato masher. add the sugar, adjusting the amounts to your taste. if the applesauce is too sweet or too bland, add the lemon juice. simmer until the mixtures thickens."

*substitute lesser amounts of honey or maple syrup for sugar

*peel the apples right before cooking.


may u take a moment to appreciate all that you've harvested in your life and spend some time this week maybe over a steaming bowl of aduki sqaush soup! reflecting on the bounty and gifts that have come you way..and if you're feeling like sharing, invite over a few friends and make it a party!

see u next week!