♥Hi Friends!
From what I can gather through a Google search, the first known publishing of the quote “Patience is a Virtue” was from a poem written between 1360 and 1387. And according to scripture it would seem that Cain struggled with it clear back at the beginning, so it appears to have been a problem for a very long time! I struggle with it on a daily basis. Although I will tell you that through my HEALING journey I’ve gotten better and better at being more patient. I have learned it takes years to create disease, so it makes sense it will take some time to HEAL from it. That goes for SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL or EMOTIONAL disease. And it’s exciting to see the little positive changes in my HEALTH, along with the beautiful insights that pop up every once in a while in the process.
Patience is a theme for our preparatory lives here on Earth. I’m pretty sure it’s all part of the Atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The “Lord’s time” thing is always a little difficult. But in the end, His time always turns out to be the best time. It’s just crappy going through the challenges that go along with it. The older I get the more I feel brief little moments of comfort amidst the “Lord’s time”, because I have enough experience to know that that means He is shaping and refining me, and there are amazing blessings on the horizon.
I was suppose to publish my post on school lunch ideas last week but for the last 12 days or so my sweet daughter, the oldest, has been doing that “on-again-off-again-labor-hospital-visit-thing” that happens so often at the end of pregnancy. I’ve been on the call and taking care of her and my other two grandbabies while my son-in-law flew to his home state of Washington for a wedding last weekend, and while he works during the day. We are all anxious to meet the newest member of our family so we are all re-learning the patience thing! But most especially my sweet daughter. I’ll tell you though, this “Grandma Katie” business is good stuff!
So while I keep working on my school lunch post, and stand at the ready for my sweet grandson to join us, I just wanted to check in with you all and get this quick post out. And since Fall and cooler weather is upon us, introduce you to this delish recipe for ‘GRANDMA KATIE’S RED LENTIL STEW’. I love soup season!
♥Love you!
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One day last year, I was trying to put together a lentil and vegetable soup. I just happened to use some red lentils I had in my pantry. Low and behold, I learned something about the properties of red lentils. They soften as they cook and make a nice thickener! This recipe almost tastes like you’re eating hamburger stew, minus the hamburger. And because there isn’t any meat in it, it doesn’t taste funny the next day like I think hamburger stew does. My family loves this one. Not only is it easy, it’s full of good for you stuff so that makes me love it too! Even more!
GRANDMA KATIE’S RED LENTIL STEW
- 12 cups purified water
- 1 Tbsp no salt seasoning*
- 1 heaping Tbsp Better Than Boullion Organic Vegetable Base
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 large carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 large potatoes or equivalent, diced
- 1 pound red lentils** (or 2 1/3 cups)
- 1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (to brighten the flavor)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or 1 tsp Real salt, more to taste
- 2+ cups frozen sweet peas, optional but amazing!
In Dutch oven size pan bring first 8 ingredients to a boil. Turn to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and lentils and bring to boil again. Turn to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes stirring often so that it won’t stick. At the end of cooking time, adjust flavor with salt (and more Better Than Boullion if needed), add peas and cook until peas are crisp tender. Or better yet, cook the peas separately and add them as desired. That way they don’t get too soft. I don’t like mushy peas!!!
*I like the organic no-salt seasoning from Costco.
**Make sure you use red lentils as they soften up and thicken the soup making it more like the consistency of a stew.
