Meatless Thanksgiving Monday #4 Sweet Potato Casserole

I missed writing on Monday. I'm not one of those uber organized bloggers, who have their posts written weeks ahead of time. I didn't even know that is how things worked until recently, my oldest daughter Alyssa, who knows these things, informed me that most professional bloggers do all their writing on one day and then set their blog to publish their posts on subsequent days.

Wow!

 sadly,

that's not me.

Nope!


At least not yet. I've been too busy raising children, working in my garden, caring for our chickens and creating the life I want to live, to be THAT organized.

I'm living in the moment and blogging that way too. I hope you are cool with that. For now, that works for me as I try to keep things real.

Our Thanksgiving weekend flew by but I'm still glowing happily with the memories we made and how this year the emphasis was less on Turkey time and more on family, friends and enjoying these early fall days.

There is something magical about fall. How the leaves on the trees, turn from varying shades of green to jeweled tones of yellow, gold and oranges, then in their final glory, dry upon the branches and swirl to the ground, covering the earth in a blanket of warmth, finally fading away to create a layer of rich, organic soil for new growth to thrive in spring.

I've said this before but nature gives us clues on how to live our own life. How to let go and surrender to the changing seasons, knowing everything is connected and created for the greater good of all.

We are busy right now in our urban homestead; harvesting the last of our winter squash, picking and processing tomatoes, digging up sweet, crunchy carrots and making our last batches of kale chips. Our compost bins are bursting and leaves are dropping faster than I can rake them. Since my compost bins are overflowing, I'm gathering leaves and storing them in a galvanized garbage can to be used in next year's compost, but I'm also trench composting in the garden with the leaves and kitchen scraps.

I've noticed our chickens, Sadie, Cocoa, Clara and Annie, are all getting big and fluffy. When I picked them up the other day though, I realized they are not any heavier, it's only their feathers that are growing and their bottoms are full of downy, soft fluff. This weekend, David is winterizing their larger run, in preparation for the winter season ahead, when we are likely to get lots of snow. They will need a cozy place to hang out together on those coldest days. As I write this, I'm making them a late morning gruel of oatmeal, cooked grated carrots, broccoli, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Yes, our chickens are spoiled but gee, it was really cold outside this morning so I think they need a little something. We had our second day of silvery frost on the ground and when I took the kids to school, we could see our breath in the air.

Cocoa is one of our chickens who lays beautiful greenish eggs...she loves the camera too!

So life is busy around here. But not too busy, that when the alarm went off early this morning at a still dark hour, I didn't jump straight up, but snuggled deeper under our down comforter, listening to the voice from within.

"Rest more,

be gentle,.

slow down,

be thankful for everything in my life."

There is always, ALWAYS, something to be thankful for.
 
This last Thanksgiving weekend was different from others in the past. I had fully intended to cook a complete vegetarian meal but our older sons protested, LOUDLY, when they heard those were my plans. And then, when I learned our oldest daughter would be taking care of our neighbour's children, as their parents left on a MUCH needed vacation, I thought, maybe they would appreciate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and so, we bought a turkey, and a ham too.

But this year, the emphasis was not on a "turkey day." The focus was on family, friends, on slowing down and being grateful. I cooked the turkey on Saturday and David carved it while watching Saturday Night live, and stored it in the fridge over night. That freed me to sleep in a bit on Sunday (normally I'm up early, making my cranberry stuffing and putting the bird in the oven) and it was easy as I relaxed listening to music, sipping tea, peeling and cutting vegetables, savoring the diverse colours of the veggies, the fragrant spices and the textures of the different nuts I used for the various dishes. Everything was so alive, fresh, and I was giving thanks to the produce from our garden and other farmer's bounty.

I'd love to share the meatless dishes we prepared this year, and hey, if you are living in the States, even though I'm too late posting to inspire my Canadian reader's for their Thanksgiving dinner, it's not too late for you down south to think about how you may want to celebrate your Thanksgiving this year.

Before I get to the dishes though, I wanted to just chat about our other focus this Thanksgiving. I hesitated on whether I wanted to blog about this topic a few times, going back and forth, but finally I decided that if my blog is truly about H.O.P.E. which is my blog acronym for, "Helping Our Planet Earth," then I want to speak up and share my thoughts with you. If you do not agree, let my words go, but if you are on the fence regarding what you think, maybe my words will resonate and for that I will be thankful.

I want to talk about what is occurring in the country south of us, after all we are cousins to the United States and what happens in their country affects us greatly, with regards to trade, travel, our economy to a degree, but with the bigger picture in mind, it affects world peace and the health of our shared planet. Also, since my mom was born in California and was originally an American, I do feel a bit like a cousin from the north. (and really aren't we all related and connected on earth?)

Of course, you would have to be living off grid, in a yurt, without cell or internet service, and never leave your property (and probably not even then) to not know what I'm about to talk about....can you guess? Well, I'm wanting to chat about the Trump/Clinton run for the Presidency in the States.

I wonder if they know the world is watching as much as we are and making HUGE judgements which will have a lasting effect for years to come.

After our Sunday night Thanksgiving dinner, our family and friends headed to the family room where we watched their 2nd political debate. Every time I see how polished and poised Hillary Clinton is, how reserved she is able to conduct herself, with calm eloquence, and then I see Trump looking red faced and a bit slovenly,(despite his expensive suits) his hair frizzed around his head, and his contorted mouth spewing hatred and negativity, I'm at a loss to understand how he got so far in this race. Sadly, pathetically, he represents a good portion of citizens and they actually agree with his rude behavior, over the top racist remarks and disregard for common decency. I feel really sorry for those conservatives who do not share his views and even sorrier for the Clinton supporters who have to contemplate how their country would change if he were elected president.

Last night, I watched a clip of a speech President Obama gave recently referring to Trump's words and behavior as, "not okay." After the most recent scandal over released footage of him bragging about how he can do anything with beautiful women because he was a star, I thought, how can anyone support him now. But sadly, he still has supporters. What are they thinking, or are they in so deep that they don't want to say that he is wrong. that they are wrong.

For some reason, many people in the world have lost their filter regarding what is an acceptable and respectful way to conduct themselves. They have also lost the basic sense of decency toward how to treat other human beings.

Why this is, I don't know, but we need to have this discussion for the sake of our children. Would we like it if our children acted like bullies threatening others, throwing racist remarks loosely around and talking about how they touch others in personal and inappropriate ways? I don't know about you, but I would be having a SERIOUS, face to face discussion with my children, if I thought they were even, THINKING in this kind of fashion. I'm perplexed as to how "some" Americans still think this type of person, would be the BEST candidate to represent them in their highest political office in their land???

I just can't fathom it and I would be remiss, if I didn't speak my mind, for the greater good.

The interesting thing is I believe the energy is shifting in the world right now and we are at a pivotal point for people to really look from within and ask a few poignant questions.

"Is this the world our fore fathers fought so hard for in the first and second world wars?

"Would they be proud of our behavior and conduct"

"Are we kind and living in a society where we think about our neighbour with love, kindness and acceptance?"

My belief is that when we lose a piece of ourselves, the part of us that has common decency, respect and kindness towards others, it creates an unbalance in the world. It's up to each of us as part of our society to speak up when we see or hear in appropriate actions or words and say, "This is not okay," and call instead for some basic kind, decent, respectful, behavior. We CAN return to working together for a better world.

The turning point is upon us and thankfully people like the current President of the United States is sharing his wisdom, and his wife Michele Obama is inspiring us to rise up saying such things as, "When they go low, we go high," Also, prominent actors like Robert De Niro with his intense brown eyes and resonating voice, shares his feelings about Trump.

 And while I winced at a few of his harsh words, I thought, well, someone had to say it and although I'm sure the Trump supporters didn't blink an eye, as they seem to be conditioned to this kind of talk, it was needed to be said.

Those of you who are living in the States and can make a difference in the world, please get out and vote for Hillary Clinton. Make sure Donald Trump is not elected, for if he is, we will have turned in the wrong direction and world's peace, kindness, and the health of our planet will be at stake. You have it in your hands to shift the balance to the greater good. I believe my cousins to the south are strong, brave and free and will rise to be their best selves. America already is great....but in your actions on November 8th you will be greater by ensuring Clinton is elected.

Personally, as I watched Trump move through the ranks to be the Republican candidate, I could only shake my head, but I was also listening from within, trying to figure out why I was so angry and bothered by words. I realized, even the most annoying and difficult people on this earth are here to teach me. He has shown me EXACTLY how I don't want to be and is a guidepost to offer my children as a person not to admire or follow.

I'm sure, even he has some redeemable qualities, however I have never observed them over my lifetime of watching him in the news, on his reality T.V. show or at this time in history. Every time I see him, he shows me who is he with his words and his actions. And you know what Maya Angelou said, "When someone shows you who they are, BELIEVE THEM." Sadly, somewhere along his journey, he lost a piece of his soul. Maybe that happens to some people who live with great wealth, property and notoriety. Their EGO (earth guide only) gets so big that they lose touch with who they REALLY are.....love.

When we were talking about his negative qualities after eating a lovely Thanksgiving dinner on Monday, I apologized to my family for speaking poorly of him and my brother in law D turned to me and said, "don't apologize, 'cause he's an ass." But still, this is a hard thing to talk about on my blog as I want to  lift people up, and inspire, always moving with light filled energy. But maybe, we need to gently guide others and remind them to listen from within. Each person we come in contact with on earth are gifts.....and some give more than others.

Okay, I have to take a second here and breathe, maybe I will go outside and feed my chickens.

I'm back! It's glorious outside. The air is crisp but the sun is warm. I'm going to wrap up my blog sharing my Thanksgiving recipes and get out and work in the garden. There's still a lot to do in the garden; dig more carrots, and I see parsley is still looking great so I'm going to cut it along with some sage, lemon balm, and peppermint, before the cold nights kill them for the season. In the winter, it's so nice having homegrown herbs drying in my laundry room.

Well, let's move onto happier topics...FOOD and get talking about Meatless Thanksgiving Monday.

First, if I were NOT doing a turkey, I would have cut up a large squash, like a Hubbard, and dig out the seeds and stuff it with wild rice, quinoa, nuts, herbs, salt and pepper and roasted it. That would be my main dish. Sadly we didn't do that.......NEXT year! Maybe you can do it though.

And to compliment that main dish here are a few of the vegetable dishes we made this past Monday.

The biggest hit with EVERYONE was the  Sweet Potato Casserole, then the Green beans and Mushrooms, the Butternut Squash with Maple syrup and rum was my fav and everyone loved the Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Thanks B for giving them to me) Even the little kids enjoyed them. Finally, what would be complete without our family's Marshmallow Ambrosia. (My mom would consider this the ONLY thing she wanted for Thanksgiving...miss you mom!)

Clark was in charge of making the mashed potatoes and he does a brilliant job....yummy, garlic, dill and sour cream! Yum! Thanks Clark!

So, without any further ado, here are the recipes. Grateful Blessings for sure!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

4 to 5 cups of sweet potatoes cubed (I used 4 large sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp real butter
1/2 cup milk...I used almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour...I used whole wheat
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Place cubes of sweet potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water and cook on medium high heat until they are tender and soft.

2. Drain the pot and mash the potatoes.

3. Add white sugar, eggs, salt, butter and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour potato mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.

4. Mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter with pastry cutter until the mixture is coarse. Add chopped pecans and mix well. 

5. Add this brown sugar, flour, butter and pecan mixture over the top of the sweet potato mixture.

6. Bake in oven on middle rack for 30 minutes until the topping is lightly brown.

Green Beans and Mushrooms

Ingredients

6 tbsp of butter
1 cup mushrooms
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups of long green beans
2/3 cup of vegetable broth

Directions

1. Saute mushrooms in melted 3 tbsps of butter in a skillet for 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a medium size bowl.

2. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in same skillet. Add onions and garlic and sauté until they are  tender, about 2 minutes. Add the green beans and toss to coat them well with the butter. Pour veggie broth over green bean mixture. Cover and simmer until liquid evaporates and green beans are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

3. At this point, add the mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on platter and cover with tinfoil until other veggies are ready to serve.

When I'm cooking in the kitchen, Ryuuki, likes to hang out, usually he's sleeping on our window seat but on Thanksgiving he wants to be OUTSIDE, so he's trying to get my attention by sitting on the stair railing outside the kitchen...I'm so thankful for our cat....something about having a cat in the house makes it homey in my opinion

Butternut Squash with Maple Syrup and Dark Rum

Ingredients

1 whole butternut squash~peeled, seeded, quartered and cut into 1/2 inch slices or cubes
2/3 cup water
1/4 maple syrup
1/4 cup dark rum (I still had a bit left from last Christmas...from our rum and eggnog days)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts  or dried cranberries

Directions

1. Combine butternut squash, the water, maple syrup, rum and nutmeg into a saucepan and bring to a boil. 

2. Reduce heat and simmer on low, stirring until the squash is tender...about 15 minutes

3. Remove the squash and place into a casserole or glass pan. Allow the liquid to simmer until it is reduced and it thickens...about 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Pour over the butternut squash.

5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts or cranberries, if you wish

Cover until the rest of the veggies are ready to be served

Thanksgiving this year was also my husband's birthday so we had a lovely cake after dinner. HB David!

 Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups of Brussels Sprouts
3 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Add the above to a resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly and shake to coat.

2 Pour Brussels sprouts mixture into a glass pan.

3. Roast in a preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring the sprouts every 5 to 7 minutes to ensure even browning

 And for the finale of dishes to accompany the veggies for Thanksgiving, our family's favourite Ambrosia dish.

Ambrosia Salad

Ingredients

1 package of coloured mini marshmallows
1 tub of sour cream
1 can of pineapple tidbits
1 can of fruit cocktail
Coconut to sprinkle on top

Directions

Mix marshmallows and sour cream into a large bowl. Add the pineapple and fruit cocktail. Mix well until all are combined. Sprinkle coconut on top and cover. Chill in fridge overnight at at least 8 hours.



The lovely part of cooking all these dishes is that they really were all done about the same time, so within a short amount of time, you can prepare and then eat. WOW! That's huge, from a woman who used to spend the WHOLE day in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day. That has to be another bonus for having a meatless thanksgiving.

Light the candles on the table and.....say Grace.

Thank you for coming today.  As the season of fall teaches us to gracefully let go and accept the changing season, may we all surrender to the greater good and allow it to prevail.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Homemade Salsa and Mental Health

     

                            
 
Okay, so you're probably wondering what homemade salsa has to do with mental health. Well, if you hang in there, I hope I can make the connection by the end of my blog post but first, I want to tell you what's been going on around here. Did you know that October 2 - 8th is Mental Health Awareness week? Tomorrow is the last day for the heightened focus of this issue, but for me personally, it's going to be a permanent fixture inside of my brain.

I'm a pretty typical person, in that yes, I've had  bouts of anxiety and some depression in my life but it's never been anything that is so dark, or debilitating  that a certain amount of time and learned coping mechanisms didn't solve. I really haven't thought too much about mental health in the past, until this last year that is, because like cancer for instance, where there is only a 6 degrees separation from anyone affected, mental illness is the same.  In fact, in my own family we have several members who are affected and suffer in varying degrees, and for each, it manifests differently. When I started thinking of it, are any of us truly immune from mental issues to some degree or another?

So when I heard about a Mental Health talk being given at one of our local high schools (Seaton) on Tuesday night, I was motivated to attend. Any further light that could be shed on this topic was only an asset in my opinion.Thankfully, a few of our older children were home and agreed to help with their younger siblings, so my husband David and I were both able to attend.

As it turned out, it was an inspiring evening but not in the way I had expected. I walked into the high school theater feeling still at arms length from mental illness and was stunned to realize I was walking out, not only better informed but realizing it was closer to home than I had thought. If I truly believe we are ALL connected, then this is right on my back door and knocking to be heard. 

The main speaker, Sam Fiorella, was the father to Lucas Fiorella, who killed himself after suffering from depression in secret for a number of years.. Lucas was just 19 years old when he died. His passing was a great shock to his family and all who knew him, because Lucas was the most unlikely person to end his own life. He had three passions in his life: being a friend to those in need, snowboarding, and robotics. At the time of his death he was studying Robotics at one of Canada's Ivy League Universities, Carleton in Ottawa. You would think that he would be in his glory studying at such a prestigious University doing what he loved, but the fact was, he had been silently suffering from depression for years.

After he died however, several high school and University students came forward to share with his family, how he had taken the time to recognize that they were suffering with mental illness and helped them in the process. In one instance, a high school classmate was contemplating how she was going to commit suicide. She decided she couldn't do it at home since she had a stay at home mom, instead, she went to school and was just sitting in silence, trying to sort out what she was going to do when Lucas approached. He offered a simple hello and sat down to talk, but mostly listened to her. After she poured out her feelings and how she was planning to kill herself he said, "how about we go and tell your mom.?" Which was the beginning of saving that girls life. It started with "hello."

"One's life is not measured in years but by the positive contribution made to the lives of others." ~Sam Fiorella~


The organization that was inspired by Lucas's loss is called, The Lucas Fiorella Friendship Bench. 

Here is what the organization is trying to achieve:

"1: The Friendship Bench

Our efforts are built around this iconic yellow friendship bench, which is installed at secondary and post-secondary schools. It serves as a permanent, physical, and year-round reminder to students to take a moment out of their day to sit, breathe, and talk (or think) about their mental health and that of their friends. It’s intended to inspire peer-to-peer conversations about mental health in order to reduce the stigma and encourage more students seek help."

The Seaton high school had arranged for Sam Fiorella to come and speak, in conjunction with this  Mental Health Awareness week but he was also there to present the school with a bright yellow bench that the 1996 Alumni group had fund raised for, in memory of their classmate, who also had committed suicide after struggling with mental illness. 


The realization that this story could be mine, (Grace of God and all that) since we have a son who is also a top student, a high achiever in all areas of his life. Everything always seemed to be easy and natural for our well liked, straight A son, but little did we know  he was experiencing episodes of anxiety, even as a young child. I always thought when he would wake up in the middle of the night, hyper-ventilating and unable to catch his breath that it was his allergies. We even took him to the Doctor to discuss allergies, because mental illness wasn't even on my radar. 

Over the years, he has learned to cope and he deals with his episodes of feeling disoriented and anxious by taking deep breaths and meditating, which helps to calm him. There have been times though where he's told me he's isn't happy and he is just going through the motions of doing what he must do. Oh, my heart just breaks when I hear this, as I'm just like any mom, and my biggest wish is for my children to be happy. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? I'm glad he has been able to talk to us but it scares me at the same time. Even though he says he's okay, when does it stop being okay and will we be there for him when it's not?

Thankfully, the stigma against mental illness is breaking down, opening up and coming to light since mental issues does affect a lot of people and we are starting to talk about it. To break the down the wall further, we need to teach our children from a young age to recognize their feelings and share them. Thankfully, in our children's kindergarten classes, they are teaching the Zones of Regulation, which is a huge step in self awareness and communication.

Our son has been telling us for awhile now that he's not always doing great and after Sam Fiorella's talk, we finally really took it seriously. (Although I have to say, we did encourage him to talk to someone, which he did. On his own, he went to speak with one of the  school counselors but it wasn't a very effective meeting) Why it took so long for us to actually take the reins and get directly involved, I can't tell you. If our son had been suffering from a physical ailment, we would have made sure he saw a medical physician, so why is his mental state of health any different. The day after the talk we contacted our son's University, and booked an appointment for him to talk to a clinical psychologist. Hopefully that will be the first step to help him deal with his mental issues.

If you can't see the above YouTube, click on this hyper-link, Mental Illness: What you see/what you don't see

All this week, I have been talking to people, via Facebook, friends, family, teachers, and now I'm blogging about it. I hope like a pebble in the pond, I'm doing a small part in changing society's ideas about mental illness now, for I believe there is still a stigma. Why else didn't I see it before now? I'm really sad that Lucas had to suffer in silence, and others like him who finally felt they had no option but to take their own life. I'm going to do something about it now....because you know what Maya Angelou says?

And now you are wondering what Salsa has to do with mental health....well......along with talking about mental health all this week, I've been making salsa. And while chopping tomatoes I've been thinking about my own mental health and the things I do personally to try to stay healthy. I was thinking how fortunate I am to be able to quit my career as an Insurance/Employment Officer with the Federal government and now be able to do what I love; raise children, care for our home and garden. It's not always easy and we have had to make a lot of financial trade offs but I swear, digging in my garden, working in my compost pile and creating beauty in my yard, has saved me a number of times over the years. Those and the great hugs I get from my kids.

The most difficult thing about living in today's society, in my humble opinion, is many people are not able to do what they love. We have set the world up for our children to have a certain expectation of what's considered a successful life. Accumulations of wealth and property, is still the benchmark considered, for the measure of success. As parents, we try to give our children the best education and we expose them to all sorts of after school enriched activities, so they can compete to get into the best Universities, obtain the best jobs,  and all the while, we have forgotten to look at them as individuals.  Hey, I'm guilty of it ALL!!! But I'm hoping, with some conscious awareness, like Maya says, I will do better now.

Thankfully, our new school curriculum is moving in that direction. Recently, in our Province teachers have been trained to move in the direction of "inquiry based learning," which allows children to follow their interests and the teachers act as facilitators in guiding them. There isn't any score card or level of attainment. The children are the judge on what is individually successful. Yes, we all have a long ways to go, but with any journey, it takes a vision and the goal to create a healthier, happier society. 

And back to my gardening, growing tomatoes, and making salsa...well, gardening has been my therapy.

A cute quote...but seriously, if you need a mental health check up...GET professional help!

 
Digging deep into the dirt, allowing some of my daily problems and concerns to be dug in and turned over, so I can contemplate my life and put my issues into perspective has been crucial for me, along with knowing the tiniest seeds I'm planting are growing into beautiful plants.

This is a heritage Brandywine tomato plant I put in the ground last May (plant your tomatoes deep is my advice)

In this picture you can see my tomato plants next to the pool fence which works great as a stake. I have just added grass mulch which improves the soil as it decomposes, keeps the weeds down and keeps the soil moist

Observing how graceful the changing seasons flow, also teaches me to look at the bigger picture in my life and know that this too shall pass when problems that may overwhelm me take hold.

Even when I'm stressed with house stuff, kid stuff, financial stuff, world stuff,... when I come back to the simple tomato harvest, picking, cleaning, chopping and cooking, it allows me to let go and realize how great a few jars of salsa feels to create. In the process of growing my tomatoes and peppers, my body received some exercise, some Vitamin D, and now will benefit from the Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium and lycopene that my spicy salsa provides.



If you have an abundance of tomatoes right now or want to buy some from your local farmer (I noticed in our local paper, farmers have U pick fields and the prices are great) and want to join me in contemplating mental health, while providing your families with a spicy salsa, check out how easy it is and yes, while it's cheap to buy salsa....does anything compare to homemade?

Homemade Salsa for Canning

Ingredients

20-30 med to large tomatoes...if you can use the Italian Roma variety, they have less seeds
3 onions (I used my homegrown yellow onions.....but you can use 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 white)
3 sweet peppers and again, if you use one of each green, red and yellow, that is a nice variety
3 to 4 hot peppers
1/2 cup of lemon juice
3-4 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp of chopped cilantro or if you don't like the taste of cilantro..some people, like my oldest son think cilantro is soapy...you can use parsley

Directions

1. Sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. I put my jars in the dishwasher and time the cycle to end when I'm ready to fill the jars so they are still hot. The lids and rings I put in a saucepan, cover completely with water and boil for several minutes and then set aside to dry

Modern canning advice says you don't have to sterilize the lids and rings if you are using a water canner for over 10 minutes...but I'm old fashion and still like the idea of sterilized everything. Here's a link to Modern Canning advice.

2. Clean tomatoes and place them whole into a large pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes. The time really depends on how ripe they are. The riper your tomatoes, the quicker the skins will start to split. Remove and place them in a colander, when drained well, place into a large bowl. I found I had to do this process about three times before I was able to boil and loosen the skin of all my tomatoes.

3.Now the big job of removing the skin on all the tomatoes and cutting and chopping them into chunk size pieces. Place all chopped tomatoes into the same large pot you used to boil them in.

4. Cut the onions and sweet and hot peppers into a large bowl. (Just typing about it now makes my eyes water and I start to cough. Something I find helpful is putting my onions in the fridge...there is something about them getting cold that helps to reduce the watering of eyes.) Add the chopped cilantro. (Some people use a food processor but I like to therapy of cutting up everything with a knife.

5. Add the lemon juice, the garlic and the salt and pepper.

6. Now add the onions, peppers, lemon juice and spices in the large pot with the tomatoes and heat them up. Bring to a boil and then simmer until ready to put them into jars. Stir really well. At this point, I do a taste test to check the spice level. If you want it hotter, add more pepper, or garlic but keep in mind that the processing of canning will increase the heat and intensify the spice.  

7. When the jars are done in the dishwasher, fill them with the salsa mixture, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar. Wipe the top edges of the jars before putting the lids on, finally screwing the rings on tight...but not too tight.

8. Place filled jars into the boiling water of the water bath canner, making sure the water covers all of the jars by a few inches. Cover and boil for 15 minutes.

9. Remove the jars from water bath canner and cool them on the counter.

10. Before storing the jars tighten the rings and make sure the lids have sealed by pressing down on the middle of the lid...if they don't move, it's all good.

So that has been my week.

Whew! Big stuff!

Now the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is upon us and I can only think, "how grateful I am." Grateful for my family, my friends, for a peaceful country to live in, but mostly for the freedom to express my thoughts and ideas. Also, I'm thankful for Canada's health care system, as we can get help and all it takes is a visit to a physician for a referral to a mental health professional.

I hope you share with me in spreading Lucas's story and ensure the loss of his life was not in vain.

I'm also thankful to you, my readers for coming to visit me here. Thank you!

And before I leave you, I wanted to share a song that the little kids like me to play when I pick them up from school...."Ain't no Mountain High Enough," by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. 

I open up the sun roof on our van, and we crank the tunes....and we all sing really loud, "Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough baby...to keep me from getting to you." I hope they are taking in the words really well...and we are singing loud enough that their big brother away at University hears them and knows, we are there for him.

Listen baby, ain't no mountain high,
Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough baby
If you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far; don't worry baby
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry,

Oh baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe

Remember the day I set you free
I told you you could always count on me darling
From that day on, I made a vow,
I'll be there when you want me,
Some way, some how

Oh baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe

Oh no darling
No wind, no rain
Or winters cold can stop me baby, na na baby
'Cause you are my goal
If you're ever in trouble;
I'll be there on the double
Just send for me, oh baby, ha

My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand,
I'll be there on the double
Just as fast as I can........

Let's be there for one another and start talking and LISTENING..... That is my HOPE!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope





  

Meatless Monday #3 Vegetarian Lasagna

Hi! Welcome to my blog and thanks for joining me for my third Meatless Monday meal. This week, I thought I would make an Italian classic, but when I did some research, I discovered that Ancient Greeks were responsible for making this pasta out of long strips of dough they called, "laganon. Fast forward, several more centuries and Italy claims they perfected the delicious layers of meat, vegetables with these long pasta strips. To complicate the origin of this dish further  however, the first cookbook with a lasagna recipe was found in Britain in 1390.

So wherever this recipe originated, I'm sure over the centuries each country contributed their own flair to the dish and while I used to stick to a classic meat lasagna recipe, in the last 10 years my family has enjoyed my vegetarian twist. Maybe that is how in this day and age, we are re-shaping the classic lasagna. As we contemplate eating less meat for many reasons, health, environment, ethical treatment of animals, I personally find this recipe more delicious than my old meat version, as the vast array of vegetables contributes to a layer of delectable flavours.

This is also a meal that can be prepared in advance and frozen if you wish for a small gathering or a large. Or better yet, make one to eat now and one to freeze.

Join me out in my garden where I have to dash to pick some tomatoes, some carrots and basil and oregano.

While this isn't my large Roma (Viva Italia) tomatoes, which are perfect for this dish, it's a picture of my cute Juliets...definitely needed in any tomato garden

This year, I planted carrots all over my garden, wherever I had a spot 'cause you can never have too many carrots. They get even sweeter with the crisp fall days and are delicious fresh from the garden

Go outside and our girls are ALWAYS wanting to get in a photo shot...here's Cocoa cruising in the kale

Are you ready to cook with me today? Okay, let's go inside.

 Find your cutting board and a sharp knife because the biggest part of making this dish is in chopping of vegetables. Here we go.....

Homemade Hearty Vegetarian Lasagna

 Ingredients

Lasagna Dry Noodles (I prefer whole wheat for the higher fiber content) I'm using a large Lasagna pan and I cook 14 noodles (I use 12 for the dish, 6 on each layer, but always cook a few extra...great for dipping in the sauce, yum)
1/2 tsp salt  
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion chopped finely
3 garlic cloves
1 small green pepper
1-1/2 cups of  sliced carrots
1 cups of sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 cups of sliced zucchini
5-6 large tomatoes cut into quarters (if you don't use fresh tomatoes, you can add another jar of sauce)
1 large jar of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil and oregano or 1-2 tbsp of dried herbs
4 cups of lightly packed fresh spinach or 2 packages of frozen spinach
454 grams of  partly skimmed Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
2 -3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (add more if you want a really cheesy top

Directions

1. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 7 to 9 minutes. Drain water and rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.

2. In a large pot, saute onions, garlic and green peppers in olive oil. Cook several minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook several minutes allowing vegetables to soften. vegetables are soft. 

 


3. Add fresh chopped herbs to the vegetables, then add the jar of sauce stirring and cooking for several more minutes. If you are wanting a rich taste, you can also add some dried oregano and basil. When I cook this in the summer when I have fresh herbs, I use fresh AND dried herbs. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese, the eggs and the spinach.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

6. Now layer 1/2 of the tomato/vegetable sauce in the bottom of your pan...most people use a 
13x9...but mine is a bit larger

7. Lay 1/2 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

You need two eggs for the ricotta/spinach layer...here is Victoria with our new egg basket, which we had to start using since the girls like to collect the eggs and bring them in IN their hands...but earlier today we had a slip up and lost two eggs, ooops! hence our new egg basket

8. Lay the ricotta cheese/spinach/egg/Parmesan mixture on top of the lasagna noodles

9. Lay the other half of the lasagna noodles on top of the ricotta cheese/spinach mixture

10. Now spread the 2nd half of the tomato/vegetable sauce on top and finally layer this with all the mozzarella cheese.....if you want a lot of cheese use 3 cups but I found 2 full cups enough and then I sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top

11. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. I place some tin foil on top to keep it hot.....and allowing it to sit helps it to firm up when you are serving the pieces.

Note: If you want  the sauce to be hearty...you can use even more vegetables than the above....I know when we have served this to some of my children's friends, they have not appreciated the mushrooms but they really do help to make the sauce thicker and heartier. 

Sorry for the glare...the rear of our house faces south and on a nice day, at 6ish the sun shines right into the back of our house...lovely but not great for pics

The little kids love lasagna

We are missing Alyssa and Harrison tonight. Alyssa has agreed to do some childcare/house sitting for our neighbours who are gone for a week, and Harry is at his part time job....Lasagna warms up really well and is better on day 2

And you know what seems to go really well with lasagna?...Carrot Cake. Have you tried my recipe?...well it's actually my sister C's recipe, which is awesome and we have tweaked over the years. Try it and see what you think.

And I think our cat Ryuuki must have known it was Meatless Monday, 'cause as soon as our son Clark got up to go and get something from the kitchen, our sweet little guy jumped up into his seat and settled in, soaking in the rays from the sun. When Clark came back, he let him hang and he pulled up another chair. Our pets remind us to go where there is love and FOOD.

Are you still on the fence regarding choosing a vegetarian lifestyle? If so, check out Graham Hill's TED talk video, "Why I'm a weekday vegetarian." Any steps we can take in the direction of choosing meatless meals, helps our planet earth. (if you are unable to see the link below, click on the hyper-link above)

Well, thanks for joining me and my family today and I hope this lasagna recipe inspires you to choose it as another vegetarian meal for your repertoire.

 Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful

Blessings from Hope