Nurturing 

The definition of nurturing according to Merriam-Webster includes to care for, educate and further the development of.  When I think of nurturing, I think of caring, but on a much deeper and more committed level. Kindness and feeling good about extending it is a common denominator for both caring and nurturing, but I do think there are differences between the two.  Acts of caring are quick and don’t come with any further expectations. No ties or promises.  Holding a door for a stranger,  or posting a happy birthday message on a friend’s social media account are common acts of caring.  You feel good about yourself because you made a difference in the life of someone else in that moment. In that moment, you may get to see the smile on someone’s face or hear a thank you because you extended a kind and caring act such as opening a door. What you may not get to see is how or if that caring act impacted the rest of their day. It all happens quickly and on a surface level.  Nurturing goes deeper. It does come with promises, ties and commitments.  It is investing your soul into the soul of another.  It takes more of your energy and time, so naturally you will be more discerning as to who you will invest your soul into. Usually an investment of that nature will be reserved for those closest to you. 

If you are a parent or a caregiver, you understand the nature of the investment you are making. Parents and caregivers of children spend a great deal of time nurturing the children in their care.  There are countless examples of how to nurture children.  Bedtime routines that include story time and lots of I love yous, asking about their day at school and helping them with their homework or teaching them how to paint, ride a bike or write their name.  All of these things fill their souls, make them feel loved and like they matter. These are all very powerful and intense feelings for a child to have and contribute to their healthy and happy development.  It’s not only the children that benefit from your nurturing.  You do too.   When you nurture a child/children, you have the privilege of seeing the long term effects of your nurturing.  You see daily how your nurturing impacts the lives of these little humans as they grow into happy and healthy adults.  Your soul becomes filled with feelings of joy, love and knowing that what you did or are doing matters for a lifetime.  The return on your investment is so great it goes beyond measuring.  

For the Love of Breakfast

Unlike so many other things in life, nurturing comes easy to me.  Before I became a mom, the majority of nurturing was directed at my pets. I bet many can relate to that.  After all, entire industries were built on the practice of pet nurturing. I still nurture my pets with the same intensity and enjoyment as ever but I also get the privilege of being a mom and expanding my nurturing to my children.  I often joke with them about being spoiled breakfast babies because they rarely have cereal for breakfast.  They rarely have cereal for breakfast because I almost always make them, what I consider to be, a nice breakfast.  I am lucky enough to have a bit of time in the morning hours so I can make it happen.  It is something simple I can do to start their day with a little joy that really doesn’t cost anything extra and fulfills my nurturing desire for a few hours.  We sometimes have waffle Wednesday or Muffin Monday for no reason other than I love them and I want to do something nice for them. Fruit salad faces and homemade cinnamon and apple oatmeal are also favorites. 

My nurturing instinct runs high in the kitchen.  Making their meals fun and nutritious is probably my favorite way to nurture them.  Nurturing their bodies with healthy food is definitely of great importance to me.  The nurturing of their souls is of equal importance. The best way I know how to do this is through the time and effort I put into making their meals and snacks.  My kitchen, which really is the heart of my home, is filled with love and nurturing. The pleasing smells of my cooking and baking will often bring everyone to the kitchen to see what awaits them and to ask if they can sample anything.  I absolutely love that!  I am always trying to come up with different ideas and recipes that my family will enjoy so I don’t ever stop having volunteer tasters and company in the kitchen.  

Filling Bellies and Souls

Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding always brings volunteer tasters to the kitchen. We usually eat it for breakfast but it’s a quick win for breakfast or dessert.  I make it the night before I plan to serve it for breakfast.  Be sure to use pure canned pumpkin and not canned pumpkin pie filling, which will have other ingredients listed.  Using a simple can of pure pumpkin will ensure this recipe stays on the side of healthy.  Adjusting the spices in the recipe is easy too.  If you want a spicier flavor add a bit more, if you want to dial the spices back, it’s just as easy to do that too. Some tasty toppings include pumpkin or sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, coconut or fresh fruit such as berries, sliced apples, pears or bananas. Once you are done blending it,  you can  easily warm the pudding in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, to enjoy on those chilly fall and winter days. 

Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

• One 15 oz Can of Pure Pumpkin
• ½ Cup of Chia Seed
• One Cup of Plant Based Milk Such as Almond, Soy, Cashew or Coconut
• ¼ Cup of Pure Maple Syrup
• Three Teaspoons of Cinnamon
• 1/2  Teaspoon of Ginger
• 1/2  Teaspoon of Nutmeg
• 1/8  Teaspoon of Ground Cloves

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend.
2. Let sit for 10 minutes or overnight.
3. Spoon into bowls, add your favorite topping and serve. 

Check out the Facebook Live I did with this recipe.

Facebook Live Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding

Show Us Yours

If you make this we would love to hear about it!  Send us a pic on Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messaging at Grow Your Lunch Oh.  Who knows, your picture could be featured (with your permission of course)  in one of our upcoming posts, emails or newsletters!