Farm Kitchen Chronicles: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Black Beans make a magical combination.
Winter is officially just a handful of nights away, and it is normal to feel the exhaustion and heaviness of it, deep in our bones. We got back from our trip out east, first to Virginia, and then to central New York, and all I want to do is sleep. I know it is partly the trip, which was tiring and entailed a lot of driving, but it is also the season.
In winter, it is important to sink down and relax into this feeling of wanting to curl up on the couch with tea and a book and go to bed early. The holidays are hard, since many of us are still working/homeschooling/etc., and there is seemingly pressure to stay out underneath bright lights doing holiday stuff, but we should also remember to listen to the need to be cozy in darkness, burrowed in our underground hole. Warming activities like warm baths are also good; the house we are currently renting does not have real bathtub, but I would be taking a lot more baths if I could!
Here are some important winter tips for staying healthy and cozy in the winter:
Get your lymphatic system moving. Walking is an easy way, and I bundle up these boys and take them for a walk everyday. Sometimes, we go on two! (Also sometimes, I bribe them with a hot chocolate elixir to get them out the door.) There are lots of youtube videos on how to get your lymph moving that include things like dry brushing or just some easy self-massage, if you are looking for a rabbit hole to go down, or you can just do some easy things like bouncing to get things moving at home (jump rope!). Simple yoga would also help!
Eat warm, nourishing foods, and add something to make it spicy if you can. Your body slows down in the winter, including your digestion, so making sure you can help with the sluggishness is important. Spices in your food can help this. Now is not the time for raw salads. Stews and soups or hot dishes could include warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, garlic, horseradish, star anise, and black pepper. Winter herbs that are warming and muscus-destroying would include sage, thyme, oregano, cayenne, garlic, onions, and rosemary.