Decompressing it all

I can’t even begin to describe August, and even if I can there is no way I can give it justice. So many good things came from the whirlwind that blew past: meeting with family and making chosen family, my further understanding of food and fermentation, farmers markets, working with an amazing group of kids, taking a course or two in the fall as a non-degree graduate student, and finally taking charge of my life.

 It’s time I grow up.

After my weekend in Toledo with new-found chosen family and coming home with new ambitions and goals, I finally have someone with an outside view to help me make sense of it all. It’s dizzying, gratifying, and very much necessary that I hold onto my own power and make things happen for me. But since this is the last week of camp, I am focusing on my 9 1/2 hours with the kids, and doing my best to not get wrapped up in the waves but to ride them in style.

In order to do this, I’ve been eating wholesome, tummy-happy foods and experimenting with soaking grains. My house has seen them as porridges and congees, puddings and simply eating from the jar. Besides my Sweet Beet Steel Cut Oatmeal, I made the multi-grain congee I said I’d make last year and a savory oat dish that I was very happy with.

Multi-grain Congee shown on the right

Multi-grain Congee

45 g Brown rice
50 g Teff
42 g Quinoa
45 g Steel cut oats
40 g Rolled oats
48 g Wild rice
45 g Forbidden (Purple) rice  
Filtered water
15 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar

Soak the ingredients overnight to twenty-four hours (the longer, the better).
To see how I make congee, click here.

Makes 7 servings.

This particular congee was deliciously sweet, and the perfect base for apple chunks, coconut flakes, peanut butter, cacao nibs, and chia seeds. Butter and coconut oil can be interchanged depending on your preference or dietary lifestyle.

For some reason, the United States usually sees oatmeal as a sweet phenomenon. Even the savory ingredients used, such as carrot or pumpkin, only amplify the natural sweetness of the oat grain. I made quite a delicious dinner last week consisting of steel cut oatmeal, stir-fried leafy greens, and egg, and was determined to try and get my beloved rolled oats into the savory category of my palate as well.

Though I was no longer the Art Specialist for camp, I did work with such a wonderful team of staff and kids alike. These kids are thought of having “special needs”, which only means that there are some things they need to work on more in a classroom dynamic. I learned a lot from them, especially how we’re all not so different and the beauty of patience, but it still took a lot out of me.

To keep myself balanced, I made a lovechild of chicken soup and chicken with dumplings. It was one of those lunches I didn’t think much of… until I took a bite. This is definitely something to make for those sick days you need to use up for work.

Savory Chicken Oatmeal

40 g CGF Rolled oats
Filtered water
5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
2 Chicken tender pieces (or whatever chicken you happen to have on hand that equals a serving), cut into bite-sized chunks or left whole
1 Celery rib, finely chopped
1 Small carrot, finely chopped
25 g Petite peas
1 Small white onion, finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Salt and spices, to taste

Soak the oats in the filtered water and cider vinegar for twenty-four hours or more.
Pour the oats into a small saucepan with additional filtered water and cook on low heat until thickened.
In a small cast iron pan (or stainless steel pan if you have it), cook the remaining ingredients with enough water to cover (my chicken was frozen, which gave the stock an amazing depth of flavor and stayed in nice cubes after cutting into pieces).
Allow both pans to bubble (watch it so they don’t burn) and check on the chicken and vegetables to ensure doneness.
Pour the oatmeal in a large bowl and top it with the other ingredients.
Serve hot.

Makes 1 serving.

Ginger Lemon Tea

It has come to my attention that I have to rethink my life a little bit. My last semester as an undergraduate is less than 1.5 months away from ending, and my schoolwork just sits there, mocking me with its incompleteness. I have been going to class, and it’s not like I don’t have time to do it all, but when I actually get around to reading the books and doing the assignments... let’s just say trying to stay awake is hard enough.

Does this mean I’m lazy? Does this mean I don’t care about my academic career? I don’t think so. I love George Mason University, and I love my major. Without it I don’t think I would have realized my love for food and the magic of bringing people together. In fact, my final project in my Integration class is all about the crime of hunger, and why food from restaurants and supermarkets in the United States are thrown away and not donated to people in need. But even then, as I try to bring it to focus, it remains slightly blurred around the edges.

As you may know, I’ve been sick since last Thursday. With a sore throat, losing my voice every other day, an achy body that especially hurts when touched, and a strange fatigue even after taking naps in the mornings and afternoons, getting glutened didn’t help very much. My immune system was totally compromised. As a result, my stomach was unable to digest the last of the congee without cramping and bloating. Even rice crackers have become a no-no. All that good gut bacteria had been killed off because of the whole flu-gluten thing. As of this morning (i.e. Saturday), the congestion is finally breaking apart and I’m not coughing up what feels to be my good lung. Hopefully by Monday I can resume my running.

I mentioned my undergraduate career is almost up, but I have yet to mention my birthday. The big 2-2 on Wednesday the 16th. Did anyone else have a mid-mid-mid life crisis in their early twenties or before graduation? Despite all of the things I do, I just feel I’m not doing enough or not doing it well enough. I’ve been considering my restaurant idea that has evolved into a café that has evolved into healing resort type thing. I’ve also fretted where I’ll be working to make this dream a reality. But I have to consider the people I love (namely the boyfriend) into my life plans. Life isn’t all about Morri’s, you know.

Life doesn’t start after graduation, and I have to continue to believe in the process and believe this is the path I’m, err, we are meant to take. Everything happens for a reason. And yes, that does include getting sick and getting glutened. Luckily, because of feeling meh, I came up with a delicious tea recipe. When you lose you voice and your tummy is queasy, ginger, lemon, and mint have great healing properties. 

Ginger Lemon Tea

1.5 oz (or more) Fresh ginger, peeled and chopped into big piece
1 Lemon, juiced
32 oz Filtered water
1 pinch Sea salt
1 Mint sprig (with at least 10 leaves), left whole
Honey (or maple syrup), to taste

Bring the water to a boil and steep all the ingredients (sans the honey) on medium-low heat up to an hour.
Turn off the heat and let sit for another hour.
After the water has taking on a light golden color, bring to medium heat until hot.
Pour into up to four teacups and add the amount of sweetener to your preference.

Serves 2 – 4.