According to Merriam- Webster, a recipe is:
1. a prescription
2. a set of instructions for making something from various ingredients
3. a formula or procedure for doing or attaining something I would like to consider all three.
The Number One absolute best prescription for feeling good from the inside out is to cultivate gratitude. To do this, we must surrender our busyness and experience the gifts that are ever present in the moment.
Years ago, I met New York Times bestselling author, Sara Ban Breathnach, of Simple Abundance, The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy and her most recent release, Peace and Plenty. Below are some of her wise words of wisdom:
“Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday. Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it. Let the past go. A simply abundant world awaits.”
“Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it.
“Chronos is clocks, deadlines, watches, calendars, agendas, planners, schedules, beepers. Chronos is time at her worst. Chronos keeps track.... Chronos is the world’s time. Kairos is transcendence, infinity, reverence, joy, passion, love, the Sacred. Kairos is intimacy with the Real. Kairos is time at her best.... Kairos is Spirit’s time. We exist in Chronos. We long for Kairos. That’s our duality. Chronos requires speed so that it won’t be wasted. Kairos requires space so that it might be savored. We do in Chronos. In Kairos we’re allowed to be... It takes only a moment to cross over from Chronos into Kairos, but it does take a moment. All that Kairos asks is our willingness to stop running long enough to hear the music of the spheres.”
“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”
Would you like to experience awe, unbounded appreciation and the gift of a happy life? My Number One ingredient for the Happy Herald holiday recipe that will make you smile is gratitude.
Number Two: If you want a set of instructions for making some thing from various ingredients, take a moment to watch others out and about in life. Note their face and hone in on their mouth. Observe the corner of their lips. If they are downward, frowning, in the gloom or the frustration that often accompanies the holidays, add the simple ingredient of an upward shift in your mouth, and SMILE. That’s it. That’s all it takes. Not only will your feelings change, theirs will too. If you have ever wanted to change the world, remember, smiles are contagious! Try it… you will most probably feel happier from the inside out.
Number Three definition of recipe is: a formula or procedure for doing or attaining something.
Here is my formula for making this holiday season the best ever. Lights abound throughout the holidays; whether it be the Christmas lights, Hanukkah lights, decorative lights, or even the lights in stores, an unknown author once wrote, “A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you’re at home.” This year, as you move through the weeks that lead up to the New Year, smile, light the way for others to see your joy. Let the outer lights be a reminder of your inner light. And as British artist Evelyn Dunbar reminds us, “We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.”
Happy Holidays to all our readers. May this New Year be filled with health, peace, harmony, the exuding of your inner light, and many many smiles! :)
Roasted Red Kuri Pumpkin Coconut Soup
Serves six as a main course
For the Soup:
- 4 to 4 1/2 pounds red Kuri squash* (See Note)
- 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 small shallots
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, from a 3-inch long piece
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 dried red chili, about 2 inches long
- One 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons
For topping:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil
- 2 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
Heat the oven to 400°F. Use a heavy, sharp knife or cleaver to cut the squash into quarters. Place these quarters in a roasting pan and bake for 1 hour. (Alternate method: Place each squash directly in the oven, whole. Bake for 20 minutes or until soft enough to cut in half with little effort. Cut in quarters, place in a baking dish, and roast for 40 more minutes or until the skin can be easily peeled away from the flesh.)
Put the squash aside for 15 minutes or until it is cool enough to be easily handled. When cool, peel the skin away from the squash flesh. You should have about 3 packed cups of roasted squash.
In a 4-quart or larger pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, shallots, and ginger, and sauté for about a minute. Add the tomato paste (optional) and sauté another minute. Turn the heat down and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shallots are beginning to really soften. Add the curry powder and crumble in the red chili. Fry for another minute, then add the squash. Turn the heat back up to medium and sauté the squash with the aromatics for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the coconut milk and vegetable broth and bring to a light simmer. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat and puree the soup with a hand blender, or pour the soup in batches into a blender and carefully puree it there, holding the top down with a towel (be careful it’s hot). Add the salt in 1/2-teaspoon increments, tasting as you go, and stir in the juice of the lime. Serve immediately with Love.