Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The Build-Up to Christmas and My (Newly) Lowered Expectations


I approached the few weeks leading up to Christmas like a madwoman, creating list upon list of all the tasks that needed to be done. I had a shopping list, a housecleaning list, a list of blog posts that needed to be up before Christmas, a list of freelance articles due and a general to-do list. I did things that didn't need to be done at Christmastime, like having the bedroom carpets cleaned (which of course "necessitated" hours of purging closets and drawers). I am that person who sorts the pantry and cleans the area under the kitchen sink when guests are coming over. Tell me I'm not alone.

I crossed pretty much everything off those lists, including "find Jolene's collar." (That one took a while, seeing as she managed to misplace it out in the backyard, no doubt while poking her head through the fence in the hopes of getting a treat from our neighbour.) With apologies to my brother-in-law, we finally gave him a gift for his birthday (which was in September). Things were looking good. I never did make my own seitan or finish reading Ian McEwan's new novel. But that was what this post-Christmas week was to be for.
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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Spring Fever Soup

After our recent trip to Niagara Falls, my mom and I both developed colds. My son had a bit of a nasty cold first, and we all shared a hotel room. Hard to avoid picking up those icky germs.

Anyway, I think it is the time of year for colds, with the seasonal changes and all. I really can’t complain, because it could be (a lot) worse.

There is one problem though. I really don’t like cooking when I’m feeling under the weather. Thankfully, my husband came through for me last night with this delicious chickpea quinoa soup.

This hot and hearty vegetarian soup is great for those times you need a bit of comfort. It is a meal in a bowl, with healthy chickpeas and quinoa for fibre and protein and veggies for vitamins and all that other good stuff. If you have some quinoa cooked ahead of time, it is super quick to prepare, but the tamari makes it seem as if you cooked it much longer.

Happy spring!



Chickpea Quinoa Soup


by Joann MacDonald

Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 or more cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp tamari
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas
  • 1 tsp each dried oregano and basil
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa (or as much as you prefer)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh parsley
Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium to high heat.
Sauté onion until translucent.
Add carrots, celery and garlic and sauté until tender.
Add tomato and sauté briefly.
Add vegetable broth, tomato paste and tamari.
Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chickpeas and dried herbs and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add quinoa and salt and pepper.
Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Lost Days

One evening last week, while the boys were watching the Stanley Cup, my daughter and I decided to make some delicious peanut butter coconut squares from La Dolce Vegan. Just as I wrapped the plastic wrap over the finished squares, my knees started to ache and I felt a bit of a chill. By the time I got upstairs to lie down, I was shivering uncontrollably. For the next two days, I barely moved from my bed, suffering from nausea, fever, aches and pains. I was eventually diagnosed with a chest infection. As I started to heal, I wondered how we can find inspiration on those dreary, painful days when we are sick. It brought to mind the story of American writer Flannery O'Connor, who was diagnosed with lupus in her twenties. Faced with the same disease that had killed her father, she returned to her family farm, but she didn’t abandon her passions. She went on to complete more than two dozen short stories and two novels while raising her beloved ducks, hens, geese and exotic birds and occasionally travelling to give lectures on faith and literature. She died on August 3, 1964, at the age of 39. “In a sense sickness is a place more instructive than a long trip to Europe, and it’s always a place where there’s no company, where nobody can follow,” O’Connor said. For me, my temporary illness was a reminder of some very simple lessons. Your body speaks to you. If you don’t listen, the messages get louder. If you feel sick, chances are you need a break. Ask for help from anybody who can give it. Grab a cup of tea and curl up under the covers with a good book. Or just go to sleep. The bad days will make the good days sweeter.
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