Shit I’m Diggin’
Fall Edition
Grounding recipes, seasonal wellness tips, elemental practices, kitchen herbalism, holiday treats, and whatever other shit I’m diggin’…
Fall signals the end of a high energy season and a transition into a slower more rooted season. This is the crucial time to strengthen the immune system and prepare for winter. Hydration, adding electrolytes, and warming rituals are key. This season is about grounding down and turning inward, a wonderful time to hone in on a mediation practice . Switching up raw and cooler foods, like salads and smoothies, to cooked and stewed ones helps to comfort and nourish the body by stoking and supporting digestive fire. Spending time listening to the body, making space to be alone, spending time in nature, and enjoying the stillness of resting are just what the season calls for.
ELEMENTAL EATING & WELLNESS TIPS
Excess dry and cold qualities can lead to feeling anxious, irritated, and contracted. Give yourself permission to enjoy the pleasures of this time by making a really comforting meal or cozying up with a yummy cup of herbal tea.
Eating for immunity means packing in as many seasonally available, immune-supportive foods into your daily meals as possible, while avoiding those that may compromise your immune function or aggravate seasonal symptoms.
ELEMENTS: Ether & Air
SEASONAL QUALITIES: Cold & Dry
OPPOSITE QUALITIES FOR BALANCE: Warming & Moistening
AYURVEDIC DOSHA: Vata
BALANCING FALL FLAVORS: sweet, salty, sour, spicy, pungent
KEY SPICES: Grounding and warming spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, nutmeg, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, horseradish.
KEY HERBS: Nutritive nervous system herbs such as chamomile, lavender, milk oat tops, passionflower, skullcap. Warming and building adaptogens such as ashwagandha, eleuthero, reishi, licorice, maca.
KEY FOODS: Warm and hydrating cooked foods such as soups, stews, and broths. Grounding starchy and root vegetables such as beets, carrots, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and turnips. Seaweed broths and sea salts added to water to support hydration with electrolytes along with healthy fats from tinned fishes, ghee, olive oil, sesame oil, and coconut oil to help balance the dryness of the season.
REDUCE:
• Bitter, astringent, cold, and raw foods
• Crunchy and dry foods and snacks
• Ice cream and cold drinks
• Excess caffeine
• Exposure to cold and wind - it’s beanie season (my fav!)
• Time spent on technology - too much in the ethers
• Impromptu travel and decision-making
“I like spring, but it’s too young.
I like summer, but it’s too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow, its tone mellower, its colors richer, and it’s tinged a little with sorrow and premonition of death.
Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, not the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content.”
-Lin Yutang
Seasonal Produce Spotlight
RED KURI SQUASH
Red Kuri Squash has this glorious earthy, nutty flavor. Originating from Japan, Kuri actually translates to chestnut. The texture is tender yet firm- in a good way, smooth and creamy. Bonus, no need to peel as the skin is edible and also very yummy!
Red Kuri Squash is so amazing roasted, which brings out all the sweetness and creaminess. Prepare squash by scooping out seeds and cutting into wedges. Toss in olive oil, or coconut oil, S+P (I love to add freshly grated nutmeg for an added earthy kick) and roast in a 425 oven until golden brown and tender.
Add roasted squash to any meal. I have been LOVING it added to my morning savory oatmeal or stirred into risotto. YUM!
Seasonal Wellness Recipes
Nourishing Adaptogenic Bone Broth
Broths are fundamental to my fall & winter kitchen practices. I love compounding their benefits by adding adaptogens, mushrooms, and seaweeds. I often use these broths to cook grains and porridge (hello savory oatmeal!), and as a base for soups and stews. They can also be sipped like tea in the heart of winter (cold season). This broth can be made in bulk and stored in the freezer for later use, that way you have it handy when you need it in a pinch or when you feel a cold coming on.
Fills roughly 3-4 Quart Sized Jars
1 ½ pounds chicken bones, include feet for extra gelatin
1 onion, chopped skin and all
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed skin and all
Handful of fresh herbs, rosemary/thyme
2 Tbsp ACV
3" thumb fresh ginger sliced
Adaptogens *optional
4 slices astragalus root
2 oz goji berries
2 slices reishi mushroom
1Tbsp dulce flakes
2 oz codonopsis
Add all the ingredients and about 1 gallon of water to a large pot, enough to cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer on low for 3-4hours. You can tell the broth is done once it's rich and the veggies have been expelled of their flavor. Then strain out ingredients. Allow the broth to cool before putting into glass jars. The broth will be thick and gelatinous when cold, which is a sign of a super nourishing bone broth that's filled with gut-healing gelatin. If not using within a week, store in the freezer.
Fire Cider
A warming and energizing concoction, Fire Cider is designed to light your fires. It can be taken as a daily wellness tonic, added to salad dressings, used to flavor steamed veggies, and sprinkled on steamed grains or legumes.
At the onset of sickness, take 1 oz shot 3x a day.
¼ cup fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh horseradish root, thinly sliced
⅛ cup garlic chopped
⅛ cup fresh turmeric *optional
1-2 serrano chilis, thinly sliced
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey
Place all herbs in a quart glass jar. Pour ACV to fill the jar. Seal tightly (use plastic between the lid and the jar to prevent corrosion). Let sit for 4 weeks. Shake often.
Strain herbs from the vinegar. *optional sweeten with honey to taste.
Divine Pumpkin Spice Golden Milk
Turmeric is a root that has been used for thousands of years by many cultures for its potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Golden Milk is a great way to get the benefits of Turmeric daily. This comforting beverage has the power to help fight off cold & flu!
STEP 1: WHIP UP A BATCH ADAPTOGENIC GOLDEN TURMERIC PASTE
1/2 cup organic turmeric powder
1/4 cup mushroom powder - Reishi, lion’s mane, turkey tail, etc.
1/4 cup Ashwagandha powder
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
3 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp organic ground black pepper
A few pinch of pink Himalayan salt
1-1 ½ cup filtered water
Whisk water and turmeric together, and bring to a simmer. Continue whisking as you adjust water amount for desired thickness. Add ashwagandha, mushroom powder, black pepper, other spices and salt.
Add coconut oil and whisk until fully combined. Turn off heat. Add the raw honey and whisk until dissolved. While still runny, pour into a clean jar and refrigerate.
Turmeric is powerfully anti- microbial (as are most of the ingredients). This should last many weeks in the fridge, especially if you dip in with clean spoon each time.
STEP 2: MAKE YOUR OWN NUT MILK – HERE’S A CASHEW VERSION.
1 cup raw (preferably organic) cashews
4-6 cups filtered water (less water yields a thicker, creamier milk)
1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Add cashews, water, vanilla and salt to a Vitamix. Blend on high until all chunks are gone and consistency is uniform.
STEP 3: BLEND TURMERIC PASTE INTO NUT MILK & VOILA – GOLDEN MILK!
Heat 1 cup nutmilk or water and whisk in 1-2tsp paste
MAKE IT A RITUAL
This pumpkin spice golden milk is a powerhouse of minerals and nutrients. The spices in this recipe are warming and grounding which is perfect for any fall night you just need to unwind, relax, and let your intentions and potion do their magic. Read a book, close your eyes, say a prayer, journal, or get cozy.
Healthy Cookie Dough Bites
The perfect healthy Halloween treat! Kids will absolutely love these too!
1/3 cup cashew butter (or sub any nut/seed butter)
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
2-3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 Tbsp almond milk
1 cup almond flour
few shakes cinnamon
1/2 tsp flakey sea salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 bar dark chocolate, or 3/4 cup chocolate chips, melted
Whisk together wet ingredients in large bowl.
Add dry ingredients until well mixed, then start rolling into small, bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch big). Lay on parchment paper.
Once all rolled out, set in freezer for 30 min to harden.
Melt chocolate, then using two forks, roll each cookie dough bite in chocolate. Let excess drip off, place on separate place with parchment paper.
Before it hardens completely, sprinkle with a touch of flakey sea salt.
Immediately put back in freezer to harden for 30 minutes then enjoy! Store in airtight container in freezer.
Seven Sisters of the Moon - Diana Denslow 1991
Samhain
also known as the Witches New Year, is always held on October 31st. A time when the veil thins. Samhain is a cross quarter day, marking the mid point of Autumn. Falling between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice.
Samhain is also known as Halloween, or Hallowmas. It is an ancestor holiday in North America. It is a time to welcome the darkness of winter and shadow. It is believed the barriers that normally hold steadfast between our world and the other world thin, letting us walk with spirits and ancestors long passed. What a wonderful and holy time to practice leaping over the edge of Surrender into the dark juiciness of all Unknown.
Ritual: Create an Ancestor Altar
Embrace the bareness of the season with bringing in warmth and love into your home. Samhain has been long associated with death and the Underworld. To honor this day, creating an altar to your loved ones who have passed can bring much needed warmth and fond memories of those who no longer walk on this side of the veil. An ancestor altar can be dedicated to friends, family or beloved pets.
Altar Supplies:
Cloth or veil to lay over your altar area. You can chose the favorite color of your loved one, or take inspiration from the season with fall colors. Blacks, greys, oranges, reds, yellows or stark white as the snow.
Candles, to light the way and focus your energy.
If you have them, add items given to you by your ancestors.
Add photos!
Food in some cultures is the most important part of their altar. Bake bread for the spirits or cook your ancestor's favorite meal or secret recipe. Remember to leave a slice on the altar for the night.
Marigolds, which facilitate connection to the divine
Once your altar is made, you can honor your ancestors with a ritual. This can be a guided meditation or a simple ceremony of lighting the candles.
It's important to remember your ancestors during this time. Sing their favorite songs, and tell stories that live close to your heart.
BOOK REC
“The Ministry for the Future” is a novel set in the near future which describes the disastrous consequences of a warming planet and the steps humanity takes to mitigate them. It is ultimately an optimistic and enlightening story that I encourage everyone to read.
“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.”
