"No, it's not possible." The fact that she kept denying it made her know it was true. She was pregnant. She stared in disbelief at the positive red mark on the tester. She had been careful, and the father was someone she loved. But this? Neither of them were ready for this. She thought for a brief instant about terminating the pregnancy but she had been raised Catholic, and while she did not object to abortion, she knew that she was too internally conflicted to be able to choose that.
She threw the tester into the trash, folded her arms and stared out the window. Snow was falling, coating her yard with frozen tears. She didn't even know where to begin. Even though she knew her partner would support her, this would turn both of their lives upside down, and ultimately she would be the one most affected. A hundred questions raced through her mind at the same time, colliding with each other, pushing to get answered first. Could she even finish college? or even finish this semester? She had an intense workload and the unrelenting nausea of the last few days is what led her to take the pregnancy test. And she had been so tired lately. How could she complete her school assignments when she was having trouble just staying awake? And her job? Her head began to hurt with the weight of the questions.
She turned away from the window, walked into the kitchen and picked up the tea kettle. She filled it with water and put it on the burner. A cup of tea seemed to be one of the few things that calmed the nausea. When the kettle began to sing, she realized she had not moved since turning on the burner. She shook her head, turned off the flame and poured the hot water into a cup. She looked out the window and watched the snow piling up. She sipped her tea, feeling it warm and calm her body. Slowly her awareness opened up, there was music playing in the background, she heard the lyrics of the Taj Mahal song and thought if she were still religious she would have thought God was speaking to her, "leave your yesterday behind and take a giant step outside your mind."
NO WINE, NO BEER FOR ME, JUST A GUAVA COCONUT SPRITZER
8 oz coconut water
2 or more oz of guava juice
2 or more oz of sparkling water
Mix together and serve over ice.
NUTRITIONAL TIPS: Coconut water is one of the highest electrolytes known, it has the same electrolytic balance that we have in our blood, but with less sodium, more potassium, more magnesium and added medicinal benefits. Guava is beneficial for the skeletal and lymphatic systems.
WARMS MY HEART CAULIFLOWER TURNIP SOUP
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t white pepper
1 t sea salt
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 turnips, peeled and cut into cubes
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
dash of tabasco
5 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
blanched sugar snap peas tossed with fresh lime juice
Saute the onions and garlic in oil till translucent. Stir in seasonings. Add the stock. Add the cauliflower turnips, and dash of tabasco. Cook over medium heat until cauliflower and turnips are tender (about 20 minutes). With a hand blender (Cuisinart Smart Stick works very well) puree the soup till smooth and creamy. Serve hot and garnish bowls with a few sugar snap peas and basil chiffonade.
NUTRITIONAL TIPS: Cauliflower and Turnips have sulfur which is a natural antibiotic and antiviral. Cauliflower is also a good antioxidant and can help purify the blood. Turnips are said to energize the stomach and intestines. Raw turnips can serve as a digestive aid.
SOME CRAZY MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS SALAD
1 lb carrots
2T cherry balsamic vinegar
toss with carrots
1 fire roasted pascilla pepper, peeled, seeded and diced
1/3 c chopped dried cherries
2 thin slices of red onion, finely diced
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
toss with balsamic carrots
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Coat a skillet with olive oil. add almonds and stir through oil so they are lightly coated with oil. Lightly brown over medium to low heat, then season with salt and pepper. Toss through carrot salad.
organic arugula leaves
Meyer lemons
make a bed of arugula leaves and squeeze a meyer lemon juice over the leaves. Top with a serving of carrot salad. Enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL TIPS: Carrots are rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes and they are one of the best foods for the liver and digestive tract. Carrot juice is one of the best detoxifiers, it cleanses, nourishes and stimulates almost every system in the body. Peppers have capsaicin which aids in healing and cleansing. Peppers also help normalize blood pressure, and can help make the body more resistant to colds. Cherries are rich in antioxidants and help eliminate excess body acids.
