“Lightening Up” Expectations 

With the holiday season close upon us, it’s natural for our stress levels to start to rise.  Why does this happen in such a predictable pattern every year?  Perhaps, in part, it’s the expectations we set for ourselves and others.  We may make it our mission to set the perfect table, find the cutest photos for holiday cards, create boxes filled with homemade goodies, or find the perfect gifts for everyone on our list.  

Or perhaps some of our stress and expectations fall along relational lines.  We expect the headstrong child to return home for the holidays, estranged relatives to reconcile, and neighbors to get along.

However, I would like to encourage you to reflect upon your holiday expectations (or other expectations that you are wrestling with right now) and consider whether you can lighten any of them up.  I know for me, my “middle-aging” body has forced me to reflect on some of my personal expectations.

In September, I ran the Berlin marathon—a goal which took two years of planning.  First, my goal was to qualify and, second, to run under my target time.  

Did I meet my expectations?  Yes and no.

Yes, I qualified for the 2023 Berlin marathon. 

Yes, I completed it within my target time.

No, I did not expect that now, almost two months later, I would need to completely stop running (something I have not done in more than fifteen years other than an occasional week here or there) to give my body time to heal.

While slowing down has certainly been challenging, it has also shed some new light on my holiday and future expectations.  As we head into this holiday season, I have been reminded that:

• Some expectations we set are realistic, and some are not.
• Sometimes, there is a cost to meeting ours or others’ expectations.
• Sometimes, expectations will be met, but perhaps not within the timeframe we initially set or in the way we envision.

So…how do we deal with this tension between planning for anticipated outcomes and accepting reality as it unfolds?

Scripture speaks of Jesus as the light of the world (John 8:12).  When we, as disciples, walk in the light, we gain increasing clarity about who and what  to center our lives around: Jesus and Love.  

In this season when daylight doesn’t last as long as we would like, we can set aside more time to soak in the light of God’s word.  Doing so will help us shine Christ’s light and love and establish healthier expectations of what that looks like in practical terms.  

It will also give us a sacred space in which to recharge during this busy season.  We are told not to cover our light under a bushel basket, but this does not mean our light has to be “always on.”  Seeking activities that replenish rather than drain our energy may translate into paring down your holiday feast to give yourself more time to spend with family.  For me, slowing down has enabled me to be gentler on myself and others when we don’t meet my expectations. 

So this season, when you sense your spirit tiring, why not respond to God’s open invitation to walk and talk out in the sunshine (of course, for those of us living in colder climates, this may mean throwing on another layer or two!)? This activity is doubly beneficial because spending time in the physical light (sunshine) also improves our health in multiple ways.  For us humans, light is essential for healthy bones, mental wellbeing, immune and neuromuscular function, glucose regulation, and decreasing some forms of cancer and other diseases.

In addition, spending time in nature gives us the opportunity to connect with plants, which need sunshine as much as we do.  In plants, light generates food (photosynthesis), creates new growth cycles, and promotes healthier development.  Being outside also reminds us how connected we are to all of creation and gives our own body a chance to relax. 

As counterintuitive as it might feel at first, the next time you’re overwhelmed by expectations (like the endless to-do list), I want to encourage you to pause and plug into the various sources of life-giving light that are all around you. 

To learn some more tips and strategies for establishing and nurturing healthier expectations, we have provided a few resources in the “Health Highlight” section of our newsletter. 

May the light of Christ shine upon you this holiday and into the new year,

Karen Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

*Photo Credit: Canva

Lightened Up Holiday “Classic” Recipes

Raw Cranberry-Orange-Apple Relish

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. cranberries (fresh or thawed frozen, not dried) 
• 1 navel orange or two tangerines/mandarins (cut into slices, we like to include the peel as well)* 
• 1 large apple (cored and coarsely chopped) 
• 3/4 cup dates and raisins (we use ½ dates, ¼ raisins, but you can use just one or the other)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until well combined! 
2. You might have to scrape down the sides a bit to make sure everything is mixed together! 

Notes:

* We highly recommend using organic citrus (if feasible), especially if the fruit is imported.  For more information about the health concerns of conventional citrus, click here.  Apples are also on the “Dirty Dozen” list, so we encourage the use of organic apples as well.  

Adapted from: https://www.plaidandpaleo.com/2016/11/raw-orange-cranberry-relish.html

Mushroom Gravy (8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable broth or cooking wine
• ⅓ cup onion (finely chopped)
• 16 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
• ½ Tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if gluten isn’t a concern)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1½ Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1.5 teaspoons dried) 
• ½ Tablespoon chopped rosemary (or ½ to ¾ teaspoon dried)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free thickener options → sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, or cornstarch)*
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the 2 Tablespoons vegetable broth or cooking wine in a large skillet over medium heat.  
2. Add the onions and cook until soft (about 4 minutes).
3. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft (about 8 to 10 minutes).
4. Stir in the tamari, garlic, thyme, and rosemary.
5. Sprinkle the flour* over the mushrooms and stir (about 1 minute).
6. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, whisking often (about 20 minutes). 
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

* To make this recipe gluten-free:

• Omit the flour in step 5.
• Before adding the broth to the skillet in step 6, spoon a few tablespoons of the vegetable broth into a small bowl.  
• Add 2 Tablespoons of your gluten-free thicker and stir until smooth.  
• Pour this mixture back into the pan and stir until the gravy thickens (1-2 minutes).

Adapted from: https://www.loveandlemons.com/mushroom-gravy/#wprm-recipe-container-52727

Pumpkin Pie (or 16 mini-pies)

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free for a GF option)
• 2/3 cup dates (pitted, packed)
• 1/3 cup nut or seed butter
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (omit if nut or seed butter has salt)
• 2 Tablespoons plant-based milk (or more if needed to bring the crust together)

Filling

• 1 15-oz can (398ml) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 2/3 – 3/4 cup raw cashews (2/3 for slightly softer set, 3/4 for firmer)*

• 1/3 cup plain or vanilla unsweetened plant-based milk (we prefer soy because of its thickness, but the choice is yours)

• 2/3 cup dates (pitted, packed)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder (or sweet rich flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, corn starch – all of these are gluten-free)

• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, optional – ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper)*

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Make the crust.

1. • In a food processor/blender (or we use an immersion blender in a 1-quart mason jar → less clean up), add the oats, dates, and salt for the crust.
   • Puree until fine and crumbly. 
   • Then add the nut or seed butter and puree (about 1 minute).
   • Add the plant-based milk and pulse through until the mixture becomes sticky (it should hold together when pressed/pinched).
   • If it’s not holding together, add a little more plant-based milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it does. You shouldn’t need more than another 3-4 teaspoons (unless your dates are dry and you may need a bit more).

• Make the filling.

1. • In a food processor/blender/using an immersion blender – purée all the filling ingredients together until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3a. For making a pie (we use a glass pie plate).  

• Be sure to first lightly wipe the inner surface with a dab of oil (or spray).
• Press the crust mixture in the prepared pie plate with your fingers until evenly distributed on the base and a little up the sides of the plate (not fully up the sides to prevent burning of the crust).
• Pour the pie filling into the pie crust and gently tip back and forth to distribute evenly.
• Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes (we don’t preheat the oven), then reduce heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and has mostly set (temperature reaches 180°F, the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools).
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving (can refrigerate to chill first).

3b. For making 16 “mini” pies (we use a 24-slot mini tartlet pan, a mini 

cupcake pan should also probably work, but we haven’t tried that.)

• Be sure to first lightly wipe the inner surfaces WELL with a dab of oil (or spray).  Or, if using cupcake liners, you can skip the oil.
• Divide the crust into 16 doughnut hole sized balls.
• Press crust into the individual mini-tartlet pan spaces.
• Put approximately 2 Tablespoons of the pie mixture on top of each of the 16 individual pie crusts.
• Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes (we don’t preheat the oven), then reduce heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 12-15 more minutes, until the pie is golden and has mostly set (temperature reaches 180°F, the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools).
• Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before removing (from the pan) and serving (can refrigerate to chill first).

4. Serve with: plant-based whipped cream, plant-based vanilla ice cream, or other topping of choice.

Notes:

* To make this nut-free use raw, unsalted, sunflower seeds.

Adapted from: https://dreenaburton.com/pumpkin-pie-vegan-soy-free-gluten-free/#recipe