One Degree of Change #8
My favorite time is early in the morning, and I do mean early. I roll out of my warm, cozy bed around 3:45 a.m. ready to start my day. We have been having cooler weather than usual. The temps are in the mid to upper forties. Which means it is the perfect season for catching a few shooting stars or meteors. Sunday morning while doing my neighborhood tour during my run, I scanned the crystal clear sky. My joy of seeing rapid fire meteors decorating the sky always makes me smile. This is the Geminid Meteor Shower which occurs each year when Earth passes through a cloud of debris created by the extinct comet 3200 Phaethon ( I know, I sound like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory). They appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini, giving this shower its name. Even the universe understands the idea of seasons.
#8 Enjoy Fruits and Veggies that are in season. Just like the seasonal meteor shower, nature knows the best time for fruits and vegetables to grow. We are fortunate in Florida because we can grow year round. Think about the citrus trees. I have a row of trees which include pink grapefruit, navel, tangerine, blood orange, juice orange, and Meyer lemon. All of the trees flower in the spring, begin forming fruit when the flower falls and the fruit matures in December and January. Those months are also when we need Vitamin C to boost our immune systems. And the cold snap we get in our so called "winter" turns the fruit into a sweet nectar. It is such a delight to walk out to the tree and pluck a tangerine from the tree. I savor the flavor and enjoy the citrus scent on my hands left from the oils of the skin of the freshly peeled fruit.
We are in Zone 9 in Central Florida. It is inclusive of not only Central Florida, but the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas, a good deal of California, and the southern Oregon coast. The growing season is long and our winters are mild; minimum temperatures range from 39 - 45ยบ F with the first fall frosts occurring towards the end of November. These are the veggies that are ready for fall planting to provide produce in the winter.
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Peas
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Spinach
Since beets are one of my favorite veggies and so good for you, I wanted to give you a recipe that I'm experimenting with for a dessert. We make an Avocado Lime Ice Cream that is so creamy and easy to make. So what could be better? That's right Roasted Beet Ice Cream! Hold your judgment till you try it. I like easy recipes. Especially recipes with only 3-5 ingredients! And if you are doing my Standard Process Purification Program in January, this is a legal recipe!
Dr. B's Roasted Red Beet Ice Cream (Healthy Version)1/2 cup coconut milk, I use Thai Coconut Milk in BPA free can
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon arrowroot (I'm going to try chia seeds next time)
1 cup of roasted beets processed in Nutribullet
1 small apple processed in Nutribullet
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced and scrap seeds
In a medium mixing bowl, stir the arrowroot with 1/4 cup of the coconut milk until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the remaining coconut milk and the vanilla seeds in a small saucepan over low heat until it bubbles around the edges.
Whisk the arrowroot mixture into the coconut milk and cook gently over low heat, stirring briskly, until mixture begins to thicken, which will happen quickly.
Once it appears to be thickening, remove it immediately from the heat and whisk in the processed beets and apple.
Transfer the mixture to a metal or heatproof bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
Place metal bowl into freezer and freeze for 3-4 hours. If you have an ice cream machine, process in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.
Enjoy! It will be oddly refreshing!
No comments:
Post a Comment