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This is the kitchen where we talk about food, life, and recovery—a spiritual path to healing and peace.

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You are invited to keep coming back to A Cup of Kindness to share your experience, strength and hope; fears, doubts and insecurities; and to pick up information, inspiration … and have a little fun!

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In January 2007, at the age of 51, I joined a 12-step program and began my recovery from food addiction, losing 75 pounds in the process. Read more…

In January 2011, at the age of 55, I began my recovery from a multi-trauma accident, 36 fractures, damaged lungs, and post traumatic stress. Read more…

I am deeply grateful for all the kindnesses, large and small, offered to me in recovery. Here I am... alive… still making progress … still not perfect … finding a new way forward in a growing community of women and men who share a lot in common around food and life.

I hope you'll join me in this kitchen and let me know what's cooking with you.

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Breakfast

 

Photo credit: www.fullcircle.com

A couple of months ago, my friend Irina visited bearing gifts, including a bag of millet! She knows me well. What a good gift.

If you don’t know about millet, it’s a nutritious seed that’s usually classified as a grain. It has all sorts of healing properties. It’s easily digested; and contains calming serotonin, along with magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants. That’s a pretty good way to start the day.

For my weighed and measured portion, I put 2 oz millet in a pot with warming spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and organic orange zest. I gently heat for a moment to release the oils in the spices and lightly toast the millet.

Photo credit: www.countryhome.com

Then I add 1 cup water (or a little more), with a pinch of salt. Whisking all the while, I bring the mixture to a gentle boil; reduce the heat; cover and simmer slowly until the cereal has a soft texture.

For breakfast, I top the warm millet with 8 oz  yogurt, 6 oz fresh fruit and 1 oz slivered almonds or walnut pieces. (See my Food page for How I Eat to understand the weights and measurements.)

FYI, millet can be cooked ahead of time (1 cup millet to 3 cups water) and kept refrigerated for up to a week.

Here’s the whisk I use to keep the millet smooth. It’s actually my favorite kitchen utensil.

Photo credit: lakeland.co.uk

This whisk is great for pulling together a luscious vinaigrette. See Salads for recipes.

I also use it to make polenta. We call it corn grits if it’s breakfast-time.

Enjoy y’all!

Love & Light,

Valerie

6 Comments to Breakfast

  1. nicola's Gravatar nicola
    March 9, 2012 at 2:35 am | Permalink

    Good for fingernails and hair. And the reason you lightly toast it so it is more digestible. I highly recommend using organic millet.You can taste the difference. AND FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO RECUPERATE FROM ILLNESSES, WEAKNESSES, etc, the simpler you keep your food, i.e. minimize mixing fruit and dairy and grain the easier on the digestion. So I have learned, anyway, especially cooking for youngsters and remembering my own childhood: the more stuff is mixed into the food the less they like it. I respect that. Sometimes I imagine myself being the stomach. Like I am having a party. First guests: a spoonful of blueberries. Cool, quick hello. Thanks for the vitamins and the sugar. Quick, let’s put it away. Goodbye. Then comes a varied group, all different characters, deep conversations with some, woody info from others and oily, too, and in between. The moo from the cows. Whom to turn to first, and not bore the others to turn sour on me, ups, and more fruity ones that want to paid attention to right away, or they may start to get yeasty and turn alcoholic. Oh, now I am getting confused and my juices mixed up.
    I may be off, there are surely some stomach processes scientists who can refute these musings. Me, I like to start with fruit, if there is salad, that comes next, then the rest. Interesting that the Chinese people often end with a bean dessert: the hardest to digest. They can wait, so to speak. Love,
    nicola

    I like the potential of your page, Valerie.

  2. Myra Tat e's Gravatar Myra Tat e
    March 9, 2012 at 9:14 am | Permalink

    I’m going to try millet -where can I buy that adorable whisk? I don’t generally eat one food at a time, but I’m going to try it today! mom

  3. ladawna's Gravatar ladawna
    March 9, 2012 at 1:30 pm | Permalink

    Sounds wonderful! And, surprisingly enough, I’ve for millet and all those spices on hand. I’ll make this tomorrow morning!

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