Growing up in the Deep South the word parsnip was not even a part of my vocabulary until I moved to London in the early 70’s. It was there that I was introduced to this very interesting tuber vegetable and have since grown to love its versatility.

Take a moment to think about how often you jump to conclusions—at work, at home, with family and friends, or even amongst random people you encounter in daily life. In many cases, the sensitivities and opinions that we have accumulated over the years frequently cause our minds to leap to a conjecture that is just plain wrong. For example:

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “antibiotic”?

For many, a visit to the doctor’s office comes to mind where our physician prescribes a treatment and sends us off to the pharmacy. After that it would seem that all we need to do is take the proper dosage to eradicate the bacteria—right? Unfortunately it’s not that simple, and closer look into antibiotics and their use will bring you shocking and disturbing facts that are not so obvious.

When the weather turns cold and one starts to turn “inward” to think of ways to cope, I love to take this time to reflect and mindfully create “warming” foods for my family. These are two of my quick and easy favorite recipes that have energizing, power packed nutrients: