Soul Nourishment… gifts of self-care
Soul nourishment… when I read those words my body starts to relax, and my breathing calms. I’m at peace. I don’t know why these particular words awaken in me such a restful state, but they do.
Have you found that certain words, scents, or food bring about feelings of soul nourishment, of being loved?
I don’t know what draws these moments to us, but they truly are precious gifts. Sometimes we don’t appreciate them in the moment though. We may get so caught up in pursuing big “HAPPINESS” we forget that it’s the everyday little things that bring us the most joy.
I want to talk more about gifts, because they can bring such joy to our lives. They can also be a way to express friendship and love, maybe when words are too are hard to say.
When I was growing up I used to bring home small gifts for my mom. Sometimes it was flowers, or an unusual rock, it might even be a frog or a caterpillar. As I got older I would come across a soft, forest colored sweater, a pair of quirky earrings, or maybe a book that I thought a friend or other special person in my life would like.
It wasn’t always a physical gift. Sometimes it was a hug full of love, or laughter and a smile to lighten darkness…
I wonder how many of us remember to also give gifts to ourselves. We spend much of our time taking care of others, and thinking about their needs, or what they might like. And we’ll make an ordinary item into something special for them, but oftentimes we forget to do the same for our self.
Will Frolic for Food has some lovely articles on self-care and soul nourishment
I’m just starting to do that. Starting to to give myself little self-love gifts. Like when I’m making food just for me. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but now I’ll take a little extra time to dress it up into something more pleasing than just throwing it on a plate. I guess it’s another way of nourishing my soul, along with my body.
Super Greens Matcha & Vanilla Chia Parfait
Print RecipeIngredients
- Vanilla Chia Pudding
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/3 cup of chia seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt
- 1/2 to 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- natural sweetener (maple syrup, agave or brown rice syrup, etc,) to taste
Crushed Raspberry Layer- handful of ripe raspberries mixed with natural sweetener
Super Green Matcha Smoothie / Nice Cream- 2 ripe bananas, sliced & frozen
- 1/2 avocado
- large handful fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon matcha
- sweetener to taste, optional
Instructions
Chia Pudding: Whisk the milk, chia seeds, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a bowl; taste and add sweetener. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, stir again, and refrigerate for 3 hours but preferable overnight.
Smoothie / Nice Cream: Place the bananas on the counter for about 10-15 minutes to thaw a bit. This makes it easier to churn, and I find that I don’t have to continually scrape down the sides.
Blend the bananas, avocado, spinach, and matcha powder in a food processor or blender until thick and creamy. Taste and add sweetener if you want. If your bananas are very ripe you usually don't need it.
Assembly: You can either stir the pudding and nice cream together in a glass or bowl, or layer it like I did. Top with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, or whatever you like.
Notes
This makes a thicker pudding, so the heavier fruit or layer doesn't sink. You can decrease the amount of chia seeds to 1/4 cup or less, or just increase the amount of liquids you add. You can also skip the coconut yogurt, but it does make a creamier texture.
