Seven Months Down, A Lifetime To Go

I'm feeling a lot lately...the gamut of emotions is running a marathon through me.  I'm overjoyed and deliriously happy about my Babydoll's growth this year.  She is speaking so well and making connections.  She's very affectionate, and independent, and sassy, and funny.  SO funny.  Her memory is amazing.  Physically, she is just beautiful (sure, I'm biased, but really she is).  She's even beginning to read.  I couldn't be prouder of her.

Then, I'm overtaken by sadness.  Her Daddy is missing all of this.  He hasn't seen the last of her babyness fade away to her becoming a full-blown kid.  He hasn't heard her be bossy with the dogs (and everyone else).  He hasn't witnessed the unbelievable growth spurts.  He doesn't know that she has watched "The Lorax" 86,000 times.  He hasn't sat beside her and listened as she read one of her books all by herself.  

"He sees everything from Heaven."  Well, that sure is a nice sentiment, but IT IS NOT THE SAME.  This morning, another child told my daughter that she doesn't have a dad.  My heart split into a million pieces.  My spunky little girl shook her head and said "My Daddy is in Heaven!"  Pride overflowed from me, but the sadness has been pricking my eyes for hours now.

He's been gone for seven months.  It is not getting easier.  There have been periods where I thought it was, but nope.  It actually seems harder now than ever before.  In the grand scheme of things, seven months isn't that long, I suppose.  But F-WORD, I need to know that it's not going to hurt forever.  Some days are a lot harder than others...today is one of those days.

Groovy Recipe: Lentil Kale Soup with Sweet Potato and Andouille

My dear friend and business partner recently gave birth to her fourth child, and I wanted to make a tasty, nourishing soup for her.  Lentil soup always makes me feel comforted and warm, and I always have dried lentils on hand, so I threw open the fridge to see what else I could throw in the pot.  Behold, a spicy, filling, extra-yummy soup that is so full of goodness, even the most exhausted Supermom will gain back some of her super powers after grubbing a bowl.

The wine was for me.

Lentil Kale Soup with Sweet Potato and Andouille

*serves 6(ish)

Ingredients

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup dried lentils (I use green)

4 links cooked chicken andouille sausage, quartered and sliced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups kale, torn into small pieces

1 large onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat the coconut oil in your stockpot over medium-high heat and add the onion.  Cook onion until translucent and it begins to just caramelize (about 10 minutes).  Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.  Lower the heat to medium.  Add the lentils, sweet potatoes, and carrots.  Stir in the paprika, nutmeg, and turmeric.  Let simmer for 20 minutes, then stir in the sausage and garlic.  Let simmer another 10 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.  Drop the heat to low and stir in the kale.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grub.

You can spice up this soup to whatever heat you like.  I didn't want it to be too spicy for the postpartum mama, because she's breastfeeding.  And if you've been a postpartum mama, you know that spicy food is not always kind to your lower half.

The soup came out great.  So great in fact, that my friend got exactly one bowl out of the batch and her husband Bogarted the rest.