January Soup

Contrary to most people, I love January.  It gives me an opportunity to do my own version of "hibernation".  In the midst of frozenness, seeming barrenness and quiet, the winter days continue their creep toward more daylight.  In the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I begin to feel oppressed by the gradually shortening days.  This was exacerbated when I worked full-time.  In those days, I had to be on the job by 7:00 a.m., which meant I rose from the rack before daylight and frequently returned home from work in the dark.

Another great thing about January is soup.  I love to make fresh soups here at home.  My "mens" are not as fond of my concoctions.  But, that's ok.  What I am unable to eat fresh I put away in little freezer containers to enjoy later.

A third thing I like about January in the South is that we receive most of our "severe weather" in this month.  In my full-time educator days, severe weather meant an unexpected gift - - an extra day off from work.  Depending on the state in which I taught, sometimes those days were even "free gifts" - - we were not required to "make them up".  In the 1981-82 school year, when I taught in the middle of a cornfield, in Fisher, Illinois, we missed about a month of school.  Yet, because of the governor's decree that these were "act of God" days, we were not required to make them up.  This Southern girl was enthralled, even when thick sheets of ice formed on the INSIDE of the large picture windows in the den of the rental home.  Severe weather just meant more hibernating!

After the radical hustle and bustle of the Christmas holidays January comes to me as a welcome friend, a joyful respite from all the falderall. 

God created the Earth such that creation needs times of rest, in order to rejuvenate and to be more productive later.  Farmers know that they cannot plant the fields with the same crops year after year.  If they operate in such a way, the ground will eventually become so depleted of necessary nutrients the crops will not flourish.  Today, I look out my window to see the many hardwoods that surround my home.  Their branches are bare and they look dead.  But, they are not.  They are merely resting, gearing up internally for spring, which should arrive in a few short months.

There are times in our lives when we truly need to hibernate.  Those periods may come in the dead of winter.  Or, they may come anytime.  They often come during a period of transition, especially an unforeseen or unwelcome transition.  I've read that some refer to such periods as "winter of the soul", with some components that are challenging and even painful.  But, we must also acknowledge the presence of God's life, hidden under the ice and snow, waiting, working, ready to burst forth with the obvious beauty and life that characterizes spring!  And, not only acknowledge such Presence, but embrace His deep work in our souls.

It is a sound biblical principle to lean into such periods of rest, rejuvenation and renewal.  Consider that even the Bible itself was silent for approximately 400 years (the period between the Old and New Testaments).  Jesus likewise had periods during His ministry where he "escaped" both the crowds and even His closest companions (the disciples) to go off and be alone with God in prayer.

Psalm 96:8 is a good verse to contemplate in the "dead of winter".

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come into his courts.

9Worship the Lord in the splendor of his^a holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:7-9 (NIV)

"Ascribe" is translated from the Hebrew word,  hā·ḇū , which is translated "give" or "bring", like you would bring an offering in worship.  It is more than merely an affirmation of truth.  It is a truth meant to be celebrated in worship, giving our indescribable God the glory that He is due.  No matter our circumstances, no matter our current "season".  If we allow Him, He will take those disparate pieces of our lives and brew them into something even more beautiful than each ingredient was separately.

Winter can be a harsh, life-stealing month.   As I sit here and blog in the comfort of my warm home I am mindful that it is God, my Provider, Jehovah-jireh (the name of God which means "God provides"), who gifts me with heat and shelter.  He not only has provided, but He also sustains me thorough the cold winter months of life.  I praise Him and thank Him for that!

Now, then, ... it is supposed to snow tonight. The ingredients to make a rich soup are waiting. 

Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup

credit: DrFuhrman.com

My recipe is an adaptation of theirs.

INGREDIENTS:

1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces

1 pkg Kroger Mirapoux Mix (frozen bag of chopped onion, celery and carrot)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons any no-salt seasoning blend, adjusted to taste

2 cups carrot juice

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup raw cashews or 1/2 cup raw cashew butter

5 cups chopped kale leaves or baby spinach

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place all the ingredients except the cashews and kale in a pot. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Steam the kale until tender. If you are using spinach there is no need to steam it; it will wilt in the hot soup.

In a food processor or high-powered blender, blend two-thirds of the soup liquid and vegetables with the cashews until smooth and creamy. Return to the pot and stir in the steamed kale (or raw spinach).

Calories 351; Protein 14 g; Carbohydrates 45 g; Sugars 14 g; Total Fat 16.3 g; Saturated Fat 2.9 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 237 mg; Fiber 9.1 g; Beta-Carotene 17404 ug; Vitamin C 104 mg; Calcium 190 mg; Iron 6.2 mg; Folate 233 ug; Magnesium 201 mg; Potassium 1531 mg; Zinc 3.1 mg; Selenium 9.9 ug