As spring is in the air and the flowers in my garden are blooming, suddenly my mood has lifted and I am starting to feel alive again. According to Wikepedia, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also know as winter depression, winter blues or seasonal depression is a mood disorder in which people with normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn, year after year.
Interestingly, statistics show credit card debt, chocolate and alcohol consumption, suicide, relationship counselling and even child abuse all reach a peak during the winter months. It is estimated that 1 in 300 Australians suffer from this mood disorder.
Now, I am not one to do a bit of random self diagnosis, but I can say with absolute certainty that I could live on the equator in a heartbeat, I despise the wind, at the slight hint of a cold day I have enough clothes on to make me look like the michelin man and my heating bill in winter is not carbon friendly!!!! I think perhaps this may be more of a Vata trait than a disorder however.
In the first four days of spring here, I have noticed some miraculous things, my orchids have started flowering in the garden, my blueberry bush has flowers and the weather has been glorious this week. What a magnificent entry into spring we are making this year.
SADs or not, four days of warm, non windy weather makes you feel damn good!
Before I rush to consume all the fragile whims that spring brings, I thought I would take a moment to nod to the sturdier fruits and vegetables that see us through the colder months.
And so I present to you………..Pumpkin Pie……..an appropriate dessert whatever the weather……
the crust
2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup crushed walnuts this give a lovely texture to contrast the silken filling)
1/4 cup LSA
120 grams butter at room temperature
the filling
3 eggs
1.2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and cloves
3/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons arrowroot/tapioca flour
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Combine the base ingrediens and rub through with your fingers. (I asked Poppy to do this since she likes mass and she told me that she like mess on the floor, not on her fingers!) Pat into the pie dish until evenly covered.
Cook for 8-10 minutes till slightly browned. Allow to cool.
Cream the eggs and the sugar and then mix in the remaining ingredients. I did this with the whisk attachment on my kitchen aid. It should be about a medium pouring consistency, a bit like thickened cream.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for about 50 minutes. (Try and keep little hands and spoons away from the mixture……….)
Once the pie is cook, it will be set firm in the middle. Allow to cool. Serve with cream and celebrate the end of winter!!!!!
Oh, I just adore pumpkin pie! We’re just entering pumpkin season here. I always look forward to fall, but I do get a touch of the winter blues too. Those long stretches of grey days are really depressing!
Thanks for visiting! I love your blog. Rain, wind and cold! Ewwwww its soooo depressing. Thankfully it doesn’t last all year. I suppose we wouldn’t appreciate summer and all of its wonderful produce if we had it all year long!
this looks gorgeous, make take this recipe (change it up a bit) for my blog ….yum!!!
Thank Joe, I look forward to seeing your take on this 🙂