One Way I Stay GROUNDED in {Uncontrollable} Chaos

You might have noticed that things have gotten a little quiet around here. While I’d intentionally planned to spend my fall without projects on my plate or big events on my calendar, I hadn’t planned for the absolute upheaval of my sleep, which of course – affects everything else.

For the last month, Will went on what I’m calling a sleep strike. He’s been potty trained since April, with a “big boy bed” that’s given him freedom to get up as needed to go to the bathroom. But it wasn’t until September that he decided he was going to use that power to drive Regan and I insane. Things got progressively worse – bedtime routine longer (up to 2 hours), up and down in the middle of the night multiple times and waking super early, unwilling to go back to sleep.

Of course, as the sleep deprivation built, mine and Regan’s patience dwindled – we would tag team bedtime and middle-of-the-night wake ups depending on who was the calmest. As soon as one of us was at our “whit’s end” (can you guess who got there more often?), the other would step in. Will was relentless. I think I lost even more sleep just bracing for him to wake up all night. And the sage advice of “it’s probably just a phase” isn’t much comfort when you’re in it. Right? Like all things – it’s hard to see the light when you’re so deep into the darkness.

If I’ve re-learned anything about myself through parenting (which has touched every. piece. of my life), it’s that my life works best when I’m both grounded and fluid. Much like a tree, my roots, my foundation – that which KEEPS me grounded – must be strong. But my branches, the various elements of my life must remain flexible to the winds of change. If I become too rigid or forget to nourish my roots, two things would happen – I break (or have a breakdown) and/or I feel uprooted and have nothing solid to build my life, my health, my business or my well-being on.

So what keeps me grounded? First of foremost? Food that makes me feel the way I want to feel. Food that keeps me LIGHT when the world (or life) feels heavy. Food that GROUNDS me when life is spinning. Food that CALMS my body and STABILIZES my blood sugar instead of adding to the chaos and sending me crashing farther down. Food that most of all, ENERGIZES my body and NOURISHES my soul to bridge the gap between feeling exhaustion and feeling (more than) capable.

In a nutshell, it’s E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. and nothing less. it’s the one thing that affects *all* the things. It’s something that’s got a bad rap for being too complicated or taking too much time. But sister, I promise you this: you don’t have time to NOT prioritize the foundation of how you feel daily and in your body. You’ve got important work to do in this life – for yourself, for your family, for those whose lives you touch each day and for the world. You need that energy, that strength, that nourishment and peace (around food and in your life) so that you can always bring your best, truest self to the table.

Cooking nourishing food is one of my foundational (and centering) rituals – a non-negotiable, regardless of the season of life I’m in because I know the depths of its reach. What I eat today not only affects my energy in the moment and throughout the day, but it literally builds the body I live in and determines the quality of everything – my mood, focus, energy, headspace, sleep, patience level, emotional volatility, productivity and my ability to truly feel my limits and know my boundaries. It’s something real and tangible that I can always count on and feel centered by.

And one of my favorite fall recipes to help me do that? My Mom’s Spaghetti {Squash} Pie. On the blog today and soon-to-become a new staple in your house too. Maybe the best part? The recipe makes two pies. One for nourishing you in the present and one to love you up the next time a sudden gust of change tries to uproot your life. 

One more secret? In almost every recipe, there’s a period of down time – when the food is cooking itself and you’re hands-off. You can use this time to be in the kitchen, prepping or making something else (some examples: cooking some quinoa you can pop in the fridge for bowls or breakfast porridge later in the week, chop + saute/grill/roast some extra vegetables to have under eggs, in a salad or as part of another recipe later in the week, or even tossing a whole different recipe in the crockpot to have on hand for busy nights later in the week – it can cook overnight or you can just prepare the ingredients and pop in the fridge to cook the next day). Or you could see it as extra free time to play with your kids, answer some emails, read a book, dance in the kitchen or catch some fall sunshine. 

 

MY MOM’S SPAGHETTI {SQUASH} PIE:

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
• 2 Tbls. organic + grass-fed butter or ghee, OR organic, cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced thin [click here for how-to video here from our friends at barre3]
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ lbs. grass-fed beef OR organic, free-range ground turkey
• 1 jar pre-made organic, tomato-based marinara
• 1 (15 oz.) can olives, diced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 6 crimini mushrooms, washed, stems removed and chopped
• 1 small bunch of chard, washed + leaves removed from
• SPICES: 1 Tbls. each: oregano + sage, 2 tsp. sea salt + 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 (16 oz.) container of organic, grass-fed cottage cheese OR 2 cups cashew cheese
• Optional: Raw, organic, grass-fed parmesan cheese OR nutritional yeast and fresh basil or oregano

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Make spaghetti squash: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop seeds out. Using hands, rub oil on inside and place face-down on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. When done, remove and let cool for 10 minutes, then scoop squash out of shell.
3. Make the sauce:
   • Add the butter/ghee/oil to a sautoir pan over medium heat to melt. Then add chopped onion + garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
   • Add meat (if using) and cook until browned.
   • While onions, garlic and meat are cooking, prepare + chop olives, zucchini, mushrooms and chard, then grate carrot.
   • Then add olives, carrot, zucchini, mushrooms, marinara and spices to pan.
4. Make 2 Pies. To assemble:
   • Find a square or round, glass or ceramic baking dish.
   • Grease dish using butter, ghee or olive oil then add spaghetti squash to the bottom until it’s about 1” thick.
   • Spread cottage cheese or cashew cheese over the top of spaghetti squash.
   • Next layer on chard.
   • Finish with the sauce.
5. Place one pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Wrap the other with tin foil and place in your freezer!
6. Optional: when there’s 5 minutes left to cook, add parmesan cheese on top of pie, then adding back to the oven to finish cooking time. Cheese should be melted/slightly golden. If you’re dairy-free, you could also add 3 -5 Tbls. nutritional yeast on top instead of the cheese. When done cooking, chop fresh basil or oregano and garnish on top. 

 

NOTES + TIPS:

• FOR VEGETARIANS: Omit meat! Option to top with nutritional yeast in Step #6.
• To save even more time, pre-cook spaghetti squash ahead of time. I love to roast vegetables when I’m home during the week or weekend – in the kitchen preparing another meal (and already chopping) or in this case, spaghetti squash takes 2 minutes to prepare to roast and then is hands off until done (when you can be doing other things).
• For summer, use spiralized zucchini or summer squash noodles instead. After spiralizing, press into bottom of a greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes to crisp. Then make recipe as written from Step #3 on.

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