Today’s Observations
Today is the first day of Autumn.  Although we don’t have the dramatic changing of the seasons here in SoCal that I experienced when I lived in Boston, I still enjoy the reminder of change… a new season, a new day, a new opportunity.  This morning while I was doing yoga, I went to do a pose that has always come easily for me – plow pose. I was surprised and a little disheartened that I could barely get my feet over my head, let alone go into a decent plow pose.  I’m so out of ‘yoga shape’ I thought…  my back is stiff, my hips are tight, and my legs are crooked. This evening I had a session with my Pilates teacher and I told her how stiff I was and how I couldn’t even do the things I used to do so well.  The lesson she shared was simple, yet profound… She said that she has learned to accept her body each day exactly the way it shows up, and that today is a new day with a new body, and that, while today’s body may not be able to do some of the things it did yesterday, today’s body is full of new possibilities. I love that… and think it is a fitting lesson for the first day of Autumn… a new season, a new day, a new body… full of possibility and potential.  And so today I enter Autumn as a season of acceptance and anticipation, as I look forward to the newness each day brings.

Today’s Menu
Orange, Mango Salsa for breakfast
Avocado Soup for lunch
Snacks – apple
Beet Ravioli for dinner with Cardamom Ice Cream for desert

Today’s New Recipe – Beet Ravioli with Pine Nut ‘Goat Cheese’
I’ve wanted to make this recipe from Living Raw Food for a while, so tonight I invited a friend over who was a willing participant in my experiment.  We both liked it a lot.  It is a bit rich, so you can’t eat a lot, but the flavors were very good.  You really do need a mandolin for this one in order to get the beet slices as thin as possible.  And although it may look like a lot of steps and ingredients, it actually is pretty easy to make.  I made half a recipe for 2 people and it was more than enough. All together, this gets 4 Yums. Enjoy!

Pine Nut ‘Goat Cheese’
4 cups pine nuts, soaked for an hour or more
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots (I used green onions)
Zest of 1 lemon
21/2 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender of food processor and blend until very smooth.  Reserve 1/2 for the sauce.

Rosemary Cream Sauce
1/2 the pine nut goat cheese
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
3/4 cup filtered water
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

Puree ingredients in high speed blender until smooth.  This is yummy.

Assembling the Ravioli
2 medium beets, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Microgreens or other herbs for garnish. (I did a nice salad of microgreens on the side.)

Using a mandolin, slice the beets very thin (1/16″).  If you want, you can place them all in a stack and cut into even squares.  I just left them round.  Place in a bowl and cover with remaining ingredients and let marinade for 30 minutes if you can (I did not).  Lay half the beet slices on a plate, add a rounded teaspoon of the nut mixture, and top with another slice of beet to make the ‘ravioli’.  Spoon sauce onto the plate, and arrange ravioli on top.  Garnish with rosemary and serve with salad of microgreens.

Today’s Affirmation
I accept my body exactly how it shows up today, knowing that today is full of new possibilities.