Happy Holidays

As the holidays approach, I begin to see more and more stressed out and, often, depressed massage clients. People rush in for a "quick" massage between frantically running errands, grocery shopping, and picking up last minute gifts. The hustle and bustle of the season seems to take it's toll on a lot of people. People are anxious about family gatherings - some in a good way, others in a dreading sort of way. Some people are grieving the loss of loved ones and others simply depressed because they can not make it to their annual gathering this year. It's no wonder that Dr. Oz devoted one of his recent shows to the documented increase in heart attacks on December 25th and 26th of each year. The holidays are stressful! So, as you find yourself in a panic (shoulders shoved into your ears and the rest of your muscles converting to concrete under the stress of it all), remember to take several long, deep breaths. Take a few quiet moments to yourself. Pause to take a wonderful and delicious stretch or two to appease your aching muscles. Cat/Cow followed by a long, slow downward facing dog are some of my favorites. Take care of yourself this holiday season, take a moment of silence to show gratitude for all of your blessings, go with the flow, and everything else will fall into it's natural place.

"There is enough for every one's need. There is not enough for every one's greed." - Ghandi

Christmas Gumbo

For reasons I have forgotten, my East Texas family has a Tex Mex Christmas Eve filled with enchiladas and spicy sauce complete with rice, beans, and tortillas and a Cajun Christmas complete with simmering gumbo and pomegranate martinis. This is our annual Christmas Gumbo adapted and twisted over the years from Emeril's Gumbo Ya Ya. This recipe can be made with smoked sausage, chicken, quail, or seafood. If you would like a vegetarian or vegan version skip the meat and use seitan or add extra veggies. Feel free to play around. Our family has experimented with all sorts of things.



Christmas Gumbo



1 cup of oil

1 cup of flour

2 cups of chopped onion

1 cup of chopped celery

1 cup of chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup of chopped jalapeno (omit if you don't like it spicy)

6-8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1-2 cups of chopped okra

1/2 lb of chopped cooked chicken/quail, or cooked shrimp, or prepared and chopped seitan

salt and pepper

parsley, chopped green onions, and file pepper for garnish



In a large, heavy pot, make a roux by combining the oil and flour. Stir over medium heat for 20 - 30 minutes until the roux is fragrant and a deep, chocolate brown. Don't rush this process! Pull a bar stool over to the stove and enjoy a martini while you stir. Add the onions, celery, and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the vegetable broth and add the okra. Simmer on low for at least an hour and a half. Add in any meat or seitan you plan to use and adjust the salt and pepper. If it is not spicy enough, throw in some red pepper flakes. Garnish with the parsley and onion. Serve the gumbo over rice and pass around file powder and tabasco at the table.