On grey January days when the snow steadily drifts down and the winds blow, I’m thankful for a warm house and a steaming bowl of veggie and bean stew.   In honour of winter crockpots, this is an excerpt from a poem by poet and Episcopal priest  Alla Rene Bozarth.

Blessing of the Stew Pot

photo from diabeticfoodie.com

…Blessed be carrot and cow,
potato and mushroom,
tomato and bean,
parsley and peas,
onion and thyme,
garlic and bay leaf,
pepper and water,
majoram and oil,

and blessed be fire —
and blessed be the enjoyment
of nose and eye,
and blessed be color —
and blessed be the Creator
for the miracle of grean bean,
for the miracle of fawn mushrooms,
and blessed be God
for the miracle of earth:

ancestors, grass, bird,
deer and all gone,
wild creatures
whose bodies become
carrots, peas, and wild
flowers, who
give sustenance
to human needs, whose
agile dance of music
nourishes the ear
and soul of the dog
resting under the stove
and the woman working over
the stove and the geese
out the open window
strolling in the backyard…