The other night I came home to my new housemate sleeping on my bed, wagging her tail, waiting for me to pull the covers over myself. September is always a time for new beginnings. I thumb my rose quartz on the train to work this morning and think of all the new starts this year. I don’t know if it’s just me, but sometimes when I get out of bed in the morning I think, “Hey, who is the stranger in the mirror? How the heck did I get to be this old? Where are my underwear?” In all seriousness, where am I going?
I say these questions out loud to myself when nobody is around, maybe because I enjoy talking to myself, OR maybe because it reminds me to keep moving, pushing, and changing.
Reading on the train to work has become ritual. I have perfected the art of reading a book two inches from my face, crammed up against the door, or nestled inside somebody’s armpit. This summer I stumbled into All About Love by bell hooks, who builds off of M. Scott Peck’s definition of love. He defines love as,
“The will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.”
I grew up knowing love as mystery, magic, folklore. In college as I tried to talk about love – how to engage in loving relationships and how to nurture love in my life – I think I had it all wrong. Maybe, I will say that again about myself in another 5-10 years OR maybe I will be impressed with the effort I am putting in now to understand that which has been misunderstood for so long.
For now I am building off this definition that Peck & hooks have given me.
That love is a verb. Love is an action.
This afternoon I am asking myself, “What have I done today that shows love to others?”
-Refried Black Beans, Sweet Potato & Nutritional Yeast Quesadilla-
ingredients.
refried black beans
– one can black beans, drained & rinsed
– 2 cloves of garlic
– 1/4 cup onion
– handful of cilantro
– 1 lime, juiced
– 2 tbs olive oil
– water
– salt
– hot sauce
sweet potatoes
– 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
– 1/2 cup rolled oats
– 1 tbs nutritional yeast
– 1 tbs flax seed
kale
– 4-6 stems of kale
– 1 tbs olive oil
– pinch of salt
process.
In a pan, heat olive oil & add onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add beans and cover with water. Cook until water is mostly absorbed and add cilantro, lime, a pinch of salt, and your choice of hot sauce if you would like them to be spicy. Mash beans until mostly smooth. Set aside.
In a separate pan, heat olive oil. Add kale & salt. Cover until kale is cooked down and lightly toasted. Set aside.
In a large pot bring water to boil. Once water is boiling place sweet potatoes and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain & place in large bowl. Use a fork to mash the potatoes until smooth. Add rolled oats, nutritional yeast, and flax seed, set aside.
In a tortilla, spread sweet potatoes, refried black beans, and top with kale. Add pico de gallo, flax seeds, avocados, lettuce, or any other of your favorite vegetables. Top with nutritional yeast and cook in a pan until brown on both sides.
Recipe for guacamole & vegan sour cream coming soon…
Tea & Stories 