Turtle Island Tales (2025)

24/10/2025

As the leaves change, there’s nothing cozier than a bowl of homemade soup simmering on the stove. Igmu found a recipe from our friends from Indigikitchen that’s perfect for today: Pumpkin Lentil Soup, hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor.

This plant-based dish blends seasonal ingredients like pumpkin and sweet potato with warming spices and creamy coconut milk. A nourishing option for family dinners or batch cooking for the week!

🧄 Ingredients

- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1-inch piece ginger root, grated
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1–2 tsp ground cumin (adjust to taste)
- 1 (13 oz) can coconut milk
- 1 (32 oz) carton vegetable stock
- ¾ cup lentils, washed and drained
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée

Instructions

1. Mash garlic and ginger into a paste using a mortar and pestle (or the back of a spoon).
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté onion until translucent.
3. Add garlic-ginger paste and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Stir in coriander and cumin; sauté another minute.
5. Add coconut milk, vegetable stock, lentils, sweet potato, and pumpkin purée.
6. Simmer on medium-low for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender.

What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin in the kitchen? Share with us below!

22/10/2025

Hey Turtle Island Friends!

Tamfula is a traditional Choctaw dish made with ground corn and simmered low and slow often all day over the fire. Today, it can still carry that same spirit, even if we make it in a modern kitchen. ✨

Basic Ingredients:

- 3 cups ground corn or cornmeal

- 6 cups water or chicken broth

Boil in a large pot for 3 hours or cook in a crock pot on high for 4 hours. Stir often early on and add liquid as needed.

💡 Want to make it heartier? Here are some favorite add-ins:

1. Cooked pinto beans
2. Green chiles
3. Diced hickory nuts or turkey
4. Onions, sweet corn, sweet peas
5. Garlic, black pepper, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon

Tamfula is delicious as a side, stirred into soups, or topped with salsa. It’s a dish that connects us to the land and to tradition with every bowl.

17/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Tales!

Wisdom doesn’t always speak loudly, it lives in the pauses, the choices made with care, and the moments we choose understanding over reaction. This past month, Igmu found that the more he watched and listened, the more there was to learn from the world around him.

Now that we’re in October, we carry these lessons forward. The season has shifted, but the roots of Wisdom remain.

🧡 What part of Wisdom are you taking with you into this new month?

Each teaching builds upon the last. Stay with us as we welcome the next one on the path.

15/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

If you’ve got chili peppers in the garden, you’ve got a simple, powerful spice ready to go! Homemade Chili Pepper Flakes!

Dry them, grind them, and you’ve made your own chili flakes, perfect for adding a kick to pizza, eggs, roasted potatoes, veggies, or meats. 🌶️

Once the peppers are fully dried:

✅ Snip off the stems
✅ Grind in a small coffee grinder (under $20 at most stores!)

Once ground, store your flakes in a small glass shaker bottle. No additives. No preservatives. Just pure pepper power. 💥

Do you dry and store your garden peppers too? Tell us your tips below! 👇

10/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Looking for a snack that’s hearty, spicy, and packed with flavor? Sweet Potato Salsa and Baked Fries!

This sweet potato combo is a cozy fall favorite part roasted veggie, part zesty salsa, and 100% delicious.

✨ What you’ll need:

- 4 medium sweet potatoes

- 4 scallions or 1 large sweet onion

- 3 raw jalapeños (seeded) or ½ cup pickled

- 1 red bell pepper (sautéed)

- 1–2 large tomatoes (optional)

- Cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt & black pepper to taste

- Juice of 1 lime (for salsa)

🔥 How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Peel & dice sweet potatoes—or cut into fries!

3. Toss with olive oil and spices.

4. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for ~20 minutes until tender.

5. While they bake, chop or blend jalapeños, red pepper, and tomatoes to make your fresh salsa. Stir in lime juice, cumin, garlic, salt & pepper.

6. Serve together as a side dish or build your own snack bowls! Igmu might say the sweet heat combo is just right for fall evenings. 🍂

08/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

October has arrived, and with it, we offer a moment of gratitude for the teaching of Wisdom!

Wisdom reminds us to listen deeply to others, to the land, and to ourselves. It shows up in quiet moments and gentle choices. Igmu noticed the soft hush of autumn settling in and the lessons carried by each falling leaf: “Let go, so something new can grow.”

As we begin to explore a new teaching this month, we invite you to reflect:
🌾 What did Wisdom offer you in life?
🌾 Where might you carry that learning forward?

Thank you for walking with us in this circle of teachings.

03/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu spotted a pot bubbling on the stove and his ears perked right up. 👀🐾
Turns out, it was a pot of Dry Meat Soup simmering low and slow. Just the kind of comfort that fills both your belly and your spirit.

This traditional recipe takes time and patience, but the flavor is worth every minute. It’s made with simple ingredients, but the process is what brings it all together. Whether you use potatoes or hominy, this dish tells a story of care and connection.

Ingredients:

- Dry meat
- Potatoes (or hominy, if preferred)
- Salt pork
- Water (boil it down, no adding water during cooking!)

Steps:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add dry meat.

2. Let it cook until the meat softens, this can take 3 to 4 hours. You can change the water early on.

3. Once the meat is soft, add in the potatoes or hominy and salt pork. Don’t change the water now, it holds all the flavor.

4. Bring the pot to a boil again, then turn down to medium heat until everything is fully cooked.

🍴 Simple, slow, and soul-warming.

01/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

This past weekend, we joined Igmu in planting garlic, one of our favorite fall traditions.

Here in our region, garlic is planted in the fall so it can rest through the winter. Under the cold soil, the cloves take root and prepare for a springtime sprout. By next summer, we’ll have strong, flavorful bulbs ready to harvest!

Growing your own food is a beautiful way to connect with the seasons, the land, and your wellness journey. Gardening supports physical activity, fresh air, and the joy of nourishing meals.

Have you ever tried planting garlic? Share your gardening tips below! 👇

26/09/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu caught a whiff of something buttery and warm and followed it straight to a tray of Double Cornbread Muffins fresh out of the oven. 🐾🌽

✨ Double Cornbread Muffins (Makes 12)
Ingredients:

- 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tray and spray with cooking spray.
2. In one bowl: mix cornmeal, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl: whisk butter, oil, and maple syrup into a slurry. Add eggs (one at a time), then whisk in buttermilk and sour cream.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients; fold gently until fully incorporated.
5. Fold in corn kernels and sage. Batter will be thick.
6. Fill muffin cups halfway.
7. Bake for 20–30 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
9. 🌽 Store wrapped at room temp for 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks. Reheat frozen muffins at 300°F for 15–18 minutes.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy cornbread?

24/09/2025

Hello Turtle Island Friends!

As September winds down, we hold space for the teaching of Wisdom!

Wisdom is listening with patience. It’s choosing kindness when things are hard. It’s knowing that sometimes the quiet path is the strongest one. 🌾

This month, Igmu watched the days grow shorter and the light change. In each leaf that fell, there was a small lesson: everything has its time, and there’s beauty in letting go.

What did the teaching of Wisdom show you this month?

As we prepare to welcome a new teaching next month, let’s thank Wisdom for walking beside us.

19/09/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu discovered a bowl that’s as colorful as it is nourishing, Corn, Blueberry & Wild Rice Salad! 🌽🫐🌾

With wild rice, sweet corn, fresh blueberries, and a tangy-sweet dressing, this salad is full of texture and flavor. It’s a beautiful way to bring together ingredients connected to the land and it only gets better after resting overnight.

🥗 Corn, Blueberry & Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients:

- 6 ears sweet corn, husked (or 1½ cups frozen corn)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup cooked wild rice
- 1 small cucumber, finely diced
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add corn and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
2. Let cool, then cut kernels from the cobs.
3. In a bowl, combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, wild rice, and jalapeño.
4. In a jar, shake together lime juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, cumin, and salt.
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
6. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours for best flavor.

💬 Igmu says it’s a salad worth waiting for. What would you pair it with grilled fish, frybread, or something else?

17/09/2025

Igmu joined a wild rice reseeding trip in northern Wisconsin, learning firsthand about the importance of wild rice, or manoomin, alongside friends from the Red Cliff community!

Wild rice holds deep cultural, nutritional, and ecological significance for many Indigenous Nations in the Great Lakes region. Re-seeding efforts help ensure future generations can continue to harvest this sacred food while protecting its natural habitat.

Seeing how the seeds are gently spread across the water reminded Igmu and all of us that caring for the land means thinking ahead and honoring what it gives us.

🌾 Have you ever seen wild rice growing in the water? Or helped with a harvest? Tell us your favorite wild rice memory below!

Turtle Island Tales

24/10/2025

22/10/2025

17/10/2025

15/10/2025

10/10/2025

08/10/2025

03/10/2025

01/10/2025

26/09/2025

24/09/2025

19/09/2025

17/09/2025

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