I just finished a sweet little book called Sabbath Keeping by Donna Schaper. She says that we are “bored to death while being bombarded with stimulation” (p14). I don’t know about you, but I feel that way sometimes. As I get busy with on-going commitments and activity, my soul gets restless.

Our modern world never wants to stop. While it’s convenient that almost everything is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the demands on our time are never ending. We must run faster and faster to keep up, but soon realize, there’s no finish line. It just keeps going, and so do we.

In a world where breaks are not handed out and are often frowned upon, we have to carve out moments in our daily lives that feel unhurried and contemplative. We must guard our rituals and our down time as precious contributions toward our vitality.

One of the many things I realized while reading this book is that preparing meals is one of the ways I pull myself out of a packed schedule. When I get too busy to cook, I know I am in BIG trouble

No, I can’t always spend hours in my kitchen preparing elaborate meals. But, even meals that are quick and easy to prepare demand a certain amount of presence – the kind that allows the rest of the world to fall away as I chop and sauté my way through a few moments of peace. Even if the meal only takes 20 minutes to prepare, I consider this time a short meditation that I get to enjoy during my busy day.

So today, I’m here to share with you one of my quick-fix meals that is a breeze to prepare, but tastes like it cooked all day. So slow down for a short time and nurture your tired and restless soul. Your tummy will also thank you!

Gluten-Free Pasta with Beef, Sausage and Veggie Marinara

What you’ll need:

• Olive oil
• 1 pound of pastured meat. I like to use ½ pound of grass-fed beef and ½ pound of Richardson Farms pan pork sausage. The sausage adds more fat and flavor.
• 1 jar of pasta sauce. I like Yellow Barn Biodynamic Pasta Sauce. It is sold in a glass jar and is very high quality in ingredients and taste.
• 1 package of gluten-free pasta. I like Cappello’s Gnocchi or Fettucine. This is a wonderful brand of gluten-free pasta that isn’t made from refined carbohydrates.
• 6-8 organic mushrooms, sliced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1-2 organic zucchini. You will need a spiralizer. I like Paderno.
• Fresh organic basil, optional

Directions

Begin by cooking the meat in a large pan in a dash of olive oil. In the meantime, boil a pot of water to cook the pasta. Once the meat is cooked, place it in a bowl and then sauté the mushrooms and garlic in the drippings left behind. When wilted and fragrant, add the meat back, along with the pasta sauce. Simmer on low. Cook the pasta according to package directions, and while that is boiling, spiralize the zucchini. In a large pan, sauté the zucchini briefly in a touch of olive oil over medium heat; just enough to heat it up. Strain your pasta and you are good to go!

Place the zucchini in the bottom of your serving bowls, followed by the pasta and then a generous topping of sauce with a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Now that you’ve crafted a hearty and delightful dinner, take a deep breath, light a candle and Eat in Peace!

What are some of the ways you find time to recharge during a busy day? Please add your comments in the box below?

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