Hi Sister On! Family,
Finding ways to nurture our gratitude practices was the exploration of this week’s podcast. We reframed the January blues as a February focus on gratitude.
The inspiration was Nat’s deep dive into The Huberman Lab podcast which touched on her favourite topic: narrative! He talked about the necessity of introducing story/narrative to really make for a truly brain-changing gratitude practice.
Which meant we had to practice on one of our brains! Which led us to me reading a shiver-inducing letter from one of Nat’s students. Fortunately listening to someone else’s gratitude story can trigger the same effect on your brain. So go find your story!
We also committed to writing our kids letters to encourage their own practice of gratitude.
And then we cook!
Reframing Humpday Midweek Lentil Soup
2 or 3 medium sized carrots, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 tsp of ground cumin
2 heaping tbsp of tomato paste
2 cups of red lentils
4 cups of chicken or veggie broth (or enough to well cover the lentils before they start to absorb the liquid)
A swirl of sriracha to finish!
The order of these ingredients dictates what gets tossed in the pot first… start with the carrots and then add the onion right away. Let the two veg cook over medium/high heat and then once the onion is translucent add your garlic. Turn down the heat a bit so that it doesn’t burn and immediately add the cumin. Stir in the tomato paste and then add the lentils. Give a quick stir to coat the lentils with the veg and tomato paste mixture and then add the stock. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer with the lid on. The liquid will absorb quickly with red lentils so keep an eye on the soup (about 20 min simmering) — add a bit of water if the soup gets too thick.
A swirl of sriracha and you’re done! Easiest midweek dinner to be enjoyed with toast and salad on the side… a winner for the whole family.
p.s. I’ve done this soup blended in the Vitamix so that it’s completely smooth and, though yummy, I prefer a little chunky thanks to the texture of the carrots.
Books we mentioned in the podcast:
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
An Interrupted Life by Etty Hellisum
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
And… we launched our Patreon page. If our conversations have encouraged you on your reframing journey, please consider participating.