Celebrate the Spring Equinox with These Healthy Recipes
The Vernal Equinox
March 20th - the vernal equinox - marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. If you were to ignore all cultural significances attached to this date, it would still be important to pay attention to the fact that this date marks the beginning of Spring. It indicates that our days are now becoming longer and our nights shorter. We’re leaving winter in the rearview and speeding toward summer. But it’s also important, and interesting, to pay attention to the importance of the vernal equinox in other cultures. Previous to modern-age technology, the sun and its warmth were integral to our survival. We would not be able to grow food, work, or survive without the Northern Hemisphere pivoting its way back towards the sun and allowing us to once again grow our crops, breed our livestock, and… do just about everything we love to do. So you can see why, in pre-modern times, the days getting longer and warmer were so heavily celebrated. Rituals and feasts have been cataloged all over in celebration of the vernal equinox, and in many places still are.
Energetically speaking, this time of year is more in line with a new year. In fact, many cultures celebrate their new year around the time of the vernal equinox. So if you have any New Year’s Resolutions that you haven’t gotten around to yet. Not to worry! It’s not your fault - the sun and the moon were actually in opposition to those resolutions coming true. However, spring is the time! With more sunlight, we have more baby greens, which are notorious for their effervescent energy, and when we eat more fresh foods and have more sunlight in our lives, we finally feel active! After a long winter of sleepy sluggish behavior, we finally have spring back in our lives. This is the time of year we do spring cleaning, not just in our homes but also in our bodies, our relationships, and our careers. We take stock of what has worked and is valued, and what can be gotten rid of, replaced, or repaired. This act of spring cleaning is incredibly cathartic and that’s probably why the ancients have placed so many wonderful rituals along the path leading up to the day of the equinox.
However you choose to celebrate the wonderful return of the sun, may we suggest they all involve treats of some sort. Here are just a few recipes to keep your equinox celebrations tasty.
Snacks for a Spring Celebration!
All Natural Homemade Lozenges for Allergy Relief
While this time of year is absolutely beautiful, you may be like me and need a break from all the beauty to blow your nose and apply eyedrops to flush all the pollen out. This often isn’t enough so here’s a quick and easy recipe for cough drops. Recipe by Tastyeverafter.com
Ingredients:
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
Directions:
Using a wooden spoon, mix together honey, lemon juice, and fresh ginger in a medium-sized, deep saucepan with heavy sides and bottom. Heat to boiling over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning.
Using a candy thermometer, heat the mixture to 300-310F/148-154C degrees, until it reaches the hard crack stage (If no thermometer, test the mixture by dropping some of it in a cold bowl of water and if it hardens, it's ready).
**Watch the pan closely, as the mixture will foam up the sides of the pan. Take the pan off the heat briefly to allow the foam to subside, then place the pan back on the heat to continue cooking. May have to turn the heat down to low to prevent honey from burning.
Once the mixture reaches the hard crack stage, remove from heat, and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes until thickens slightly.
Pour mixture into small candy molds or drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper or a silicon mat. Allow to cool until drops are hard and firm.
Once drops are fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc, to prevent drops from sticking together. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place.
Bright Spring Salad:
This salad employs some of spring's loudest cheerleaders: tender asparagus, spring peas, mint, chives, and radishes! Recipe adapted from Love & Lemons
Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus, tender parts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ of chopped snap peas
A few handfuls of salad greens
2 radishes, thinly sliced
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ avocado, pitted and diced
¼ cup chopped, toasted pistachios
½ cup roasted chickpeas
Fresh herbs, for garnish (basil, mint and/or chives)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Dressing
¼ cup fresh basil or a mix of basil and mint
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus ½ teaspoon zest
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as desired