Trail Notes: What Do “Health” & “Wellness” Mean To You?

Just as many schools across the nation have recently been starting up again for the fall term, HSHC will also be starting our “new semester” by kicking off our annual small groups program with seminarians and seminarian partners/spouses next week.  Since we have shifted our program online, in part, due to COVID, but also so that we can expand our outreach, we will be having participants from a variety of different seminary communities come together each month to consider and discuss this year’s theme: “Building A Network of Health” in our vocation.  

One of the questions we usually ask the participants in our first monthly gatherings, and one I would like for you to consider for a moment is this: when you hear the words “health” and “wellness,” what images or words come to your mind? 

As you can imagine, participants’ responses vary considerably.  Why?  Because what it means to be “healthy,” and the wellness practices that we establish and follow to maintain our health, are all shaped and influenced by the multicultural contexts in which we live.  In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness.  This understanding is foundational to our organization and is one of the key concepts we share with our small group participants each year.

Being aware of and attentive to multicultural differences is important because:

• We generally have greater success in creating and maintaining our own health and wellness goals when we incorporate practices with which we resonate. 
• Being more mindful of our differences helps us to be less critical/judgmental of others’ wellness practices that may be different from our own.
• This hopefully encourages those who are able to advocate for people facing significant health disparities due to their gender, race, social economic status, etc.

What factors inform your idea of health and wholeness?

To give you an idea of how we start our online small group experience, I would like to invite you to do this exercise.  Using the “Multicultural Wellness Wheel,” created by the National Wellness Institute, please consider the following questions: 

• Without getting bogged down and/or overwhelmed by the details in this image, what strikes you about this image? 
• What questions arise for you?

We’d love for you to share your thoughts with us here so that we can continue this conversation in the HSHC community in the months to come.

Peace,

Karen H. Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.”

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

“Grains & Greens” Salad

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup uncooked grains* (Karen’s favorite combination: 1/3 cup rinsed quinoa, 1/3 cup millet, 1/3 cup raw buckwheat grouts)
• 2 cups water
• 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas/navy/cannellini beans or 1 (15-oz) can of beans (rinsed and drained) or frozen peas/edamame (thawed)
• 1 ½ cups chopped seasonal vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, snap peas, whatever you have on hand!)
• 1 ½ cups lightly cooked/blanched greens (collards/kale/spinach/etc.) 
• ½ – ¾ cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, and/or cilantro) or 1-2 TBSP dried herbs  
• ¼ cup lemon juice (approximately 2 to 3 lemons)
• 2-3 TBSP apple cider vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
• Splash of olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic (pressed or minced)
• ½ tsp salt
• Black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

• Cook grains: put the grains and the water in a medium saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.  Cook until the grains have absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer.  Remove from heat, cover, and let the grains rest for 5 minutes.
• In a large serving bowl, add the beans, chopped vegetables, greens, green onion, and herbs.  Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.
• Once the grains are mostly cool, add them to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season with black pepper, to taste, and adjust the other seasonings as needed. For best flavor, let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4-5 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: I enjoy using millet and buckwheat because they are both nutrient rich, tasty, and generally speaking are more sustainable (socially and environmentally) than quinoa.  

Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate

Herbs/Greens-On-Hand Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• Large handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro) or any kind of greens (spinach, kale, collards, mixed lettuce greens)
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 TBSP lemon/lime juice and/or orange juice
• 1/4 yellow onion (or several green onions or 1 tsp onion powder)
• 1-2 garlic clove (or 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp garlic powder)
• ½ tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Optional:

• 2-4 tbsp olive oil or 1 small avocado pitted
• To add a touch of sweetness try: a bit of maple syrup, agave, more orange juice, and/or several TBSPs chopped dates

Directions:

Using an immersion blender/blender/mini food processor – add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Adapted from: Life Is But a Dish

Photo by Char Beck on Unsplash 

“Greens-On-Hand” Pesto

Ingredients:

• 4 cups greens-on-hand (arugula/collards/kale/spinach/mixed greens/etc.)
• 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 cup nuts or seeds (you pick: pecans/pine nuts/walnuts/sunflower seeds)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3-4 cloves (or more) of garlic
• 1/4-1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

• Using a food processor or small blender, add the greens, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt and blend/mix on high until a loose paste forms.

• Add the water a little at a time (trickling it in while the machine is on if possible) and scrape down sides as needed until the desired consistency is reached – a thick but pourable sauce. 

• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for overall flavor, nuts for nuttiness, garlic for bite / zing, or lemon juice for acidity.

• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week. After that, pour into ice cube molds, freeze, and store up to 1 month or more.

Notes:

• I like to use toasted nuts as that adds to the overall flavor.

• I usually use raw greens, but lightly cooked or blanched greens also work.  And, yes, this recipe works really well with basil. 12

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

Trail Notes: What is the Reason for This Season?

Between it being the beginning of summer and the fact that society is starting to open up, I find that there are a lot of new opportunities starting to unfold in front of me, especially since Travis and I recently moved to a new community.  As a result, I have been reflecting a lot on what my current expectations are.  What do I want to prioritize right now?  How do I utilize and honor the wonderful gift of time that God has given me? 

One expectation I have recently wrestled with is that my initial vision of what the vegetable garden in my new home was supposed to look like this summer is vastly different both from what it currently looks like and what it will continue to look like for the next few months.

I’ll explain.  One of the factors that significantly influenced our decision to purchase our new home was that it appeared to have a great space in the backyard to put a garden.  This was something I was eagerly awaiting, since we had been renting a home for the past 6+ years while we lived in Decatur and most of my garden had been relegated to 5-gallon pots on the deck.  The new yard appeared to be relatively flat, it was not going to require the removal of any trees or previous landscaping, and the sun exposure seemed ideal.  I envisioned a garden with raised beds, framed by logs from trees that had recently been taken down in our area, positively teeming with organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs, intermixed with a variety of different flowers and shrubs to attract pollinators, repel pests, and nourish the soil for future gardening seasons.  It was going to be amazing!

What I did not envision was how many hours it was going to take to put up deer and rabbit fencing or the fact that I was going to have to “tithe” a certain percentage of our produce to chipmunks.  I am thankful for the opportunity to share the space with them, but I wish we could negotiate who gets what.  Currently, the chipmunks are enjoying way more than their share of the strawberries!  

I also did not envision how much work it was going to be to prepare the gardening space.  After all, I was “only” digging up grass!  Oh, and that “slight” elevation change between our driveway (where the soil was delivered) and the garden space was, paired with the fact that I am now 10+ years older than the last time I put in a garden of this size, much steeper than I anticipated!    

Pair all of that with some of my current priorities in life… preparing for HSHC’s fall programming and fundraising campaign, assisting Travis with his dissertation’s data analysis, wanting to take time to visit family and friends this summer, welcoming three (unexpected, but amazing) new kittens – Theo, Barth, and Silas – into our home just a little over a week ago… 

it’s been a whirlwind!

What I came to recognize and accept is that, right now, the garden is neither anything like my initial expectations (as you can see in the photo), nor can it be one of my priorities right now.  And that is okay.  It is something I can return to in a few months when I can more fully enjoy the process of creating it and may actually have the time to make it fit my vision a little more closely (although, as any gardener knows, gardening is never done!).  

Besides, it was when I let go of my expectations for my backyard garden in this particular season that I not only discovered the other fruits in my life that wanted to be cultivated and nourished but, with the time I intended to work in the garden, I realized I can actually now pursue them.

During COVID, many of us have taken the time to evaluate our physical spaces, perhaps through removing clutter or doing a deep cleaning of the things that we may have put off reorganizing or remodeling for months (or even years).  As we enter into summer and reemerge from COVID, we may all be well served to consider taking some time to assess our mental, emotional, and spiritual spaces.

Reflection Questions:

• What are some of your current expectations (personally, relationally, and beyond)?  Which ones are reasonable to keep?  Which ones may you need to (or can you) alter?
• What are your current priorities (responsibilities)?  How are these the same as or different from what you would like your current priorities to be?
• How do you sense God calling you to use your time this summer?

P.S. As you think about how you are going to utilize your time over the next couple months, consider adding some fun!  This past year has taken its toll on us in so many ways, and the health benefits that come with fun are quite remarkable.  To learn more, here is an article that provides 5 research-backed reasons why we should have more fun and elaborates the benefits that we can reap in just 30 minutes of fun a day!

Peace,

Karen H. Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

“This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.”

Exodus 12:2

Potato Chip Cookies

(Makes 12 cookies) 

Ingredients: 

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-oz) can 
1 ½ cups dates (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes) 
2 cups crushed “reduced/low fat” potato chips 
1 cup almond flour (or oat flour) 
¼ cup coconut oil (or 1 avocado*) 
2 tsp vanilla extract 
1 T apple cider vinegar 
1 tsp baking soda 
½ tsp salt 

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or brush a small amount of oil onto the sheet. Using a food process or blender, blend all of the ingredients together except the flour and potato chips. Once the ingredients are well incorporated (no chunks of chickpeas or dates are visible), blend in the flour. Remove the dough from the food processor or blender and divide the dough into 12 balls/blobs… the dough will be fairly soft and somewhat sticky. 

Fold in some of the crushed potato chips into each ball and press the dough ball onto the cookie sheet. 

Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 350 degrees. The cookies are done when they reach 200 degrees (using a cooking thermometer) and/or they have turned golden-brown, and the middle of the cookies are only slightly soft (as they cool they will firm up a bit). 

Enjoy!

*Note: This is a good “no-oil” alternative. However, it will turn your cookies slightly green

2021 Lenten Challenge Reflection

Trail Notes: Bloom and Grow

3-Ingredient Raw Cacao Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnuts (115 g)
• 1 cup Medjool dates (200 g)
• 2 tbsp raw cacao

Directions:

1. Place the walnuts in a food processor or a powerful blender (food processors work better) and blend until they have a crumbly texture.
2. Add the dates and the cacao and blend again.
3. Make balls with your hands and they’re ready to serve.

You can store the bites in a sealed container at room temperature, or keep them in the fridge, especially in summer.

Recipe adapted from simpleveganblog.com

Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl

Ingredients:

Grain (makes extra):

• 1 cup raw quinoa, rinsed
• 1¾ cups water

Creamy Kale Pepita Pesto (makes extra):

• ½ cup pepitas (or shelled raw pistachios)
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1 packed cup chopped kale
• 1 packed cup cilantro, more for garnish
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey

Roasted Vegetables

• 2 parsnips, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• florets from ½ cauliflower
• ½ bunch broccolini
• 1½ cups halved Brussels sprouts

Protein

• 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained & rinse, use ¼ cup per bowl, save the extra

Garnish

• sauerkraut 
• toasted pepitas

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make the quinoa. 
   • Add the rinsed quinoa and water to a medium pot. 
   • Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. 
   • Fluff with a fork. 
3. Make the sauce. 
   • Combine the pepitas, garlic, kale, cilantro lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, water, and maple syrup or honey in a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Roast the vegetables. 
   • Place the parsnips, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower on one large baking sheet. Place the broccolini on the second baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper, toss to coat, then spread evenly onto the sheets. 
   • Roast the parsnips/Brussels sprouts/cauliflower 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Roast the broccolini for 10 to 12 minute or until tender. 
   • When cool to the touch, chop up the broccolini stems.
5. Assemble bowls with a scoop of quinoa, the roasted vegetables, about ¼ cup chickpeas, and a scoop of sauerkraut and top with pepitas. 
6. Drizzle with the sauce. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.

Recipe adapted from loveandlemons.com