Getting off the Food Grid...

Today has been a feast day - and I haven't stopped since early this morning. I have been cooking our Samhain dinner all day - thankfully I had most of the treats done in the past few days as well as our desserts for today.

Right now everyone is very full and feeling really good. In case you are wondering - our menu for tonight's feast was marinated roasted venison, thyme roasted root vegetables, including our own fresh baby carrots and corn, Waldorf salad with homemade mayonnaise, stuffed onions with rice, leeks and feta cheese - sweet bread made with cranberries and walnuts and gravy.

It was fabulous, one of the best meals I have ever had and even the venison turned out tender and nice. I have not cooked game meat in several years, so I was fairly careful with this piece I wanted it to be just right. 

I marinated it for over 24 hours in homemade mustard with salt, pepper and extra olive oil to ensure it would not be tough or gamey tasting. I think the trick for this kind of meat is the marinade but also to keep turning it over as it sits in plenty of juice. The olive oil helped as well.

A lovely meal all round at the end of the day! 

Now that this day is coming to a close it will be interesting to see what this next month or so brings in terms of change, learning and my continual discovery about food. I am constantly surprised and amazed  at how much further we can go as a family to live more sustainably as well as to get off of the grid more and more.

For us, getting off of the food grid is our priority - I don't want to eat anything prepared by someone else. And it appears we have achieved exactly that and are now completely comfortable with that. Now, my mind has been wandering to how else we can remove ourselves from other energetic signatures around our food....

Time will tell

April 

Colourful veggies ready for the oven

Raw Pumpkin and A Scary Night

One more day until Samhain - this is such a big time of year for us here - things really get down to the crunch of detoxing after this last Feast of the season. What we try to do then is really enjoy this week and this season to the fullest.

When we strip away the commercial aspects of Halloween, the sugar, candy, and the near Christmas like atmosphere it has started to resemble - what are we left with? Perhaps a raw pumpkin and a scary night.

Of course being an Intuitive I am always trying to figure things out, I need to know why we think a certain way, why we eat the food we do and then how to make it better. There is no doubt the veil between worlds is thinner at this time of year.

What that means is that beings from other worlds can move more easily back and forth. But it also tells us they are supposed to - otherwise this time would not have been possible and built into the nature of the earth herself.

Why might this be important for those of us living here on this planet? And what does this all have to do with the food we are eating, detox and cleansing....well. Perhaps there are both living and dead parts of ourselves - in the same manner we would eat some of our foods dead.

In times past animal meats from game such as deer, rabbits, ducks and fish would have been consumed fairly regularly. To use such meat meant giving thanks for the souls of each animal as well as providing them with a place (and a space) to leave the earth on their own journey.

This is the time of year when these animals would have traditionally been hunted and killed for our food. It would have been important to the ancient Pagans that the spiritual aspects of these animals would be able to move on after death.

When we eat animal meats from animals who have been ill treated or are unhappy about being part of the food chain, we do end up taking on that energy. Perhaps that's why many people have trouble digesting meat in any quantity. 

Of course we only need a little meat (and many would argue none at all) - I have personally spent more than a few years as a vegan and would now only eat meat selectively. I would also prefer game meat and home raised food animals over commercial types of meats.

Maybe during this Halloween season you can give thanks in some small way for the animals who gave their lives for your dinner - mindfulness.

April 

Goose in the grass

Sugar Free Samhain

Today has been a busy day with running around for classes with the kids - I love Saturdays for that reason and I get a lot done out and about. One thing caught my eye today however and it never dawned on me before now -

It's Halloween in a couple of weeks and we don't do anything processed! Not that I have given out sugar treats in the past 10 years or so, however, I would buy healthy snacky things to have on hand. This year with our nothing processed rule, is going to be interesting indeed.

This was our topic of discussion as we were coming home earlier today - what on earth to do about Halloween. First of all, let me clarify things here - this is Ireland and usually we would not get anyone at all come to the door trick or treating. But the odd time it does happen.

The other point to be made is in years past my own children would get to eat the snacks and we would have our own little celebration of Samhain. However, this year we are all geared up for some great homemade treats such as cookies, halva, flapjacks and so forth.

As of right now I have quite a line up of delicious foods to make over the coming holiday (love long weekends) and our house will once again go into party mode. My own children don't eat sugar and never have - they are quite happy to indulge in our own homemade treats.

Other people's kids I am not so certain about! LOL It was decided today that should someone show up looking for a treat, we would invite them in for home pressed apple juice and sugar free cookies and cake. 

I'll have to let you know if there are any takers!! 

April

Nut butter cookies