The Casual Gardener

How To Feel Happy In Winter: Surviving Seasonal Affective Disorder When You Cannot Get Out In A Garden

2012-01-30T12:51:00.000-06:00

Winter is long and cold here in the Northern states. It is at least 6 months of no gardening whatsoever. Surviving that is difficult for some and especially for me. I suffer from mild Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). In January and February I find myself depressed, frustrated, and well… sad. Without nature as my companion, I feel like everything I do is a tremendous chore. The good news is there are ways to feel happy and fight the S.A.D. symptoms.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, S.A.D. can be quite devastating for some. If it is severe, you should definitely seek help with a doctor and not brush it off as a case of the winter blues. Professional treatments for S.A.D. can involve light therapy, psychotherapy, and prescription medications.

Gardening, sunlight, physical exercise, and the outdoors are like emotional buoys for me – it keeps me feeling cheerful. To lift my mood up when I am feeling the S.A.D. symptoms, I follow a few simple rules ---

HOW TO FEEL HAPPIER IN WINTER

#1 – Exercise - Get as much exercise as possible. Even if it is cold. Even if it is in the dead of winter. This year I am learning how to run utilizing the Couch-To-5K program. Above you see me running at 6 AM at a local high school. They offer a free open indoor track every morning at that time. I bring my android phone and it helps coach me through the runs. I love it!

#2 – Light - Make the area you spend the most time in every day sunnier and brighter. I have a Verilux daylight lamp for those particularly cloudy days and also place my office in the corner of my bedroom that has full on south facing windows. These windows have no curtains during the daytime and allow the south sun to hit me directly on the face. It helps. A LOT.

#3 – Nature - Go outside as often as you can so you get exposure to the sky and clouds. Take walks. Sit outside in the sunshine. Go to an arboretum and look at trees. I’m not kidding. Typically, I park my car at the back of the parking lot so I can walk, no matter how cold it is, a long distance with a view of the sky no matter if the day is sunny or gray.

Get out there in nature and help make yourself happy. You can feel better in the cold winter months whether you have the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Remember that you are the only one responsible for your own happiness and it can make a difference between living happily and just living during the off-garden season.

Mexican Pazole Soup Recipe; How To Cook Hominy, Onion, Tomato and Pork Soup

2012-01-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

Chef Carlos Capistran and Shawna Coronado fix Pazole Soup in Akumal, Mexico.

Want the perfect recipe for a cold Winter’s day? Pazole soup made by my charming friend Chef Carlos Capistran from the Lol-Ha Restaurant. Above is a video we made showing how to make the soup. We were fortunate enough to prepare the soup on the beach in Akumal, Mexico.

Of all the dishes I prepared with Chef Capistran, this is one of my absolute favorites – it is filled with home cooked flavor and goodness and warms you from the tips of your toes to the top of your soul.

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HOW TO MAKE PAZOLE (Hominy and Pork) SOUP -

Ingredients:

Pork tenderloin,
White onion, one sliced thin
Tomato, one, sliced thin
Garlic, whole, 2 oz.
White posole (hominy), one can – drained.
Guajillo dried pepper, one or two (can be found in Mexican grocer)
Cilantro, handful, torn
Oregano, 1 Tablespoon
Cloves, 3
Water, one gallon
Oil, 2 oz.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toppings -

Fried tortilla strips
Chopped cabbage
Chopped radishes
Chopped cilantro
Diced red onions
Lime juice
Tabasco sauce

Preparation:

Heat oil in a very hot sauté pan (or large pot), sear the pork.
Add onions, tomatoes, cilantro, oregano, cloves,and dried peppers, cooking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
Transfer everything into a large pot.
Add water and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until the pork is cooked completely.
Remove the pork, set aside to rest.
Transfer everything else into a blender or food processor, except the cloves, and puree.
Place puree mixture back in pot and continue to heat.
Shred the pork and set aside.
Add the white pozole (hominy) to the liquid mixture, cook until heated through.
Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve -

Place a portion of shredded pork in a bowl, pour the hot pureed soup over the top, then serve the toppings on the side so the guests can add the toppings themselves to the soup.

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Very delicious and the perfect solution to a cold Winter’s day!

The Casual Gardener

How To Feel Happy In Winter: Surviving Seasonal Affective Disorder When You Cannot Get Out In A Garden

Mexican Pazole Soup Recipe; How To Cook Hominy, Onion, Tomato and Pork Soup

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