Mindfully Mothering

I have been experiencing a dilemma that might be familiar to you (if you are a breastfeeding mother).

I wake up and have a nice bowl of steaming oatmeal with raisins, walnuts and coconut butter and a cup of herbal chai with rice milk. An hour and half later, I am HUNGRY. Can you say, “Second breakfast.” 

The other half of my dilemma is that I am really focused on being healthy. So, a big stack of toast or buttery waffles (while being my first choice) is not my highest choice.

Yesterday, I made a big pot of veggie soup. Today, we are having it for second breakfast. Little monkey is happily lapping up carrots and rutabagas and I am enjoying the steamy, rich broth. Why didn’t I think of this before?

Here is today’s breakfast soup:

• Heaping handful of white beans (soaked overnight)
• One large carrot, sliced
• Half a yellow beet, cubed
• Large onion chopped
• medium rutabaga, chopped
• couple of stalks celery, chopped
• two cloves garlic
• chunk of ginger
• several cups of broth (I use a bone broth that I make in big batches and freeze) so that when you add to veggies, it covers them plus about two inches of liquid.

Saute all ingredients in a large soup pan with some sea salt and olive oil for a few minutes (until onions soften a tad) then add broth and simmer for two or so hours. I add a few pinches of curry powder or other herbs.

YUM!  And, after a second breakfast of soup, if I am still hungry, that piece of whole grain toast or bran muffin seems quite reasonable. At least it won’t be four pieces of toast!