015. for the blustery days/for zipping up coats

And here we are. The yellow leaves are blowing off the trees and the squirrels are everywhere, cheeks stuffed to bursting. The heat comes on during the day and my toes are ice cold when I get into bed at night (J's least favorite thing.) I daydream of crock-pot recipes and Morning Glory muffins and hearty apple cakes. We have a lot more bundling up to do of the children at the Preschool for outside time-- so many hats to tug on and zippers to zip, fuzzy boots to smush their little feet into and red noses to wipe. It is cold and, for me, that's when I feel the most at peace. When I look out the window to yellow leaves barely visible through thick fog and I see my breath when I step outside. When the world feels still, yet especially habitable, I feel like me.

I am getting used to my new job. I work at a Preschool, as a French teacher and assistant teacher in the toddler classroom. I am so happy with it. I like nothing more than spending my days with little ones, watching them learn and helping them grow. I am grateful to have finally discovered this about myself. I am completely myself around children, there's no act. Around adults I always have to put on some sort of mask, but not around children. Its refreshing to let so much of myself out on a daily basis. The daily routines are getting better, too. I am learning to be in bed by 11:00 every night and I'm learning that if I leave my house after 8:10 am I will get stuck in all the school zones. I know what jeans will work for constantly getting up and down all day (answer: none. leggings all the way.) and what shoes will kill my toes after an hour. I am learning to expect less of myself, not in a negative way but in a "recognize my need for me-time" kind of way.

I am learning what recipes are always worth the extra time (lentil soup) and which ones are not (cauliflower pizza crust.) I have spent a lot of time on lentil soup. Not necessarily because it takes so long but because I make it constantly. I came across the recipe on Megan Gordon's blog, A Sweet Spoonful, last January. Megan is excellent at weaving food into stories and I find myself re-reading this particular blog post often. I recommend it, the post and the recipe. What appealed to me about the recipe was the inclusion of red wine vinegar and dijon mustard-- combined with lentils brings up many memories of childhood. I made them once, last winter, and was immediately hooked. I've experimented since then, adding more liquid, no celery, ground bison, italian sausage, fried egg on top.

It's such a hearty, soul-warming meal. It's perfect for days like today, when the wind is blowing all the yellow leaves off the trees and the squirrels' cheeks are stuffed to a brim. I will make it again for dinner tonight and I wanted to make sure you'd be able to, as well.

Cold Day Lentils

(adapted from Megan Gordon's recipe for Sam's Lentils) 

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, very thinly sliced
1 cup of green French Le Puy lentils
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lbs ground Italian sausage, mild (or get spicy if you prefer!)

In a kettle or pot, boil 3 1/2 cups of water.

Heat the oil on medium heat in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until it's translucent. Fold in the carrots and celery and cook until soft. 

Add the lentils to the saucepan and stir well to coat the lentils in the veggies. Pour the boiling water into the saucepan until the lentils are fully covered with about an extra 1/2 inch of water on top. Bring back to a boil and then turn the heat to low and let them cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. 

Stir in the mustard, vinegar, and salt and let cook for another 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, cook your sausage in a seperate pan. When fully cooked, stir into the lentil pot and let it rest for the full 15-20 minutes. 

Test for doneness-- I usually have to wait a little longer but sometimes they're ready after 15 minutes. The lentils should still be slightly chewy but mostly tender. Serve immediately! They're also great the next day, so I usually make a little extra. This amount feeds 2-4 people, depending on how hungry you are.