Lovely Meals Lately: July 2022 + a Change!

Friends! It's been a minute since I've posted meal inspiration because hello, we moved to Denver!

We've been spending our free time soaking up the sunshine, hiking, and exploring new restaurants in this vibrant city. Drumroll please...I started eating meat again!

As a refresher, I grew up eating meat and had a very "normal" diet. I was vegan for part of college, which is also when I was struggling with disordered eating. I then followed a plant-based, pescatarian diet for ten years. I've always loved seafood, but I never had much of an interest in meat until I was pregnant. My mom always found it funny considering the meal I requested when I came home my freshman year of college was meatloaf.

Fast-forward to this past winter when I was suffering from insane fatigue. It felt like I was pregnant again but I knew I wasn't. I saw my doctor for blood work and discovered my ferritin, or long-term iron stores, was low. I was relieved to have answers; but when O started taking an iron supplement, the uncomfortable GI side effects were a major struggle.

At my friend's wedding in Montana a couple weeks later, I ate a burger. There wasn't much to it--I saw it, it sounded good to me, and that was that. I didn't overthink it. After that moment, I found myself wanting to eat meat again on several occasions.

The freedom to follow through on those feelings without self-judgment was a breath of fresh air. I've learned that boxing myself into a a diet label can be stressful, confusing, and guilt-inducing.

It definitely feels strange at first and kind of, against my identity? But if there's one thing I've learned in the last couple years after making some of most drastic shifts of my life, it's that change is good. And living in a way that sets my soul on fire and feels true to the core of my being is the only way I want to live.

I will continue to be transparent about the changes in my life as I know they've inspired many of you to make your own changes. I will continue to evolve and I hope you challenge yourself to do the same. Ultimately, what we eat should never define or divide us.

Here I am, no longer working in the restaurants I thought were my entire life, no longer in the state I lived for 32 years in, no longer a vegetarian. All things I didn't see coming!

And guess what? I've never felt more home in my body and my life.

Lovely Meals

You may be thinking, is she going to start posting burgers and chicken?! I don't think so, considering I don't even know how to cook those things (LOL). Like so many situations in life, this is an and, not an or. I can enjoy meat when it feels right for me and also continue to share plant-based recipes. Onto the eats!

A big batch of my summer quinoa salad for the win.

This dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe's is absolutely beautiful if you love super dark chocolate like I do.

Fajita night is the best night.

Blueberry banana muffins with a couple handfuls of spinach blended into the wet ingredients. I'm working on a new banana spinach muffins recipe to share! So good slathered with tahini.

I can't stop with steel cut oatmeal slathered in tahini and topped with juicy local peaches. Salt not optional.

My second hamburger in a decade. This one was enjoyed al fresco at my parents' house with all the best cookout fixings.

This strawberry pineapple banana smoothie (plus spinach) is the most refreshing. Mmmmmm.

Have you made my s'mores cookies yet? Little dream clouds!

This is my favorite cold brew combo lately. We've been sooooo exhausted every day since moving to Colorado, so this helps.

Whole wheat pita stuffed with tuna salad and topped with arugula and banana peppers. Potato chips on the side!

White Pie's Sicilian pizza has stolen my heart. This is the Spicy G with house red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, pickled chiles, spicy honey, ricotta, and poppy seed crust. We keep wanting to try new places but it's too good!

Divine sweet and savory pastries from when we visited Breckenridge for the weekend. Plus Max's pouch.

Over easy eggs with salted peach tahini toast. Major yum.

Things I'm Loving Lately

1. We enjoyed The Bear so much! The cooking scenes were like art, filled with emotion, and the characters were so likable. It hit home and brought back a lot of restaurant nostalgia. It was vivid and raw and stressful, which the food service industry very much is.
2. These outdoor rockers are the best. We got two for our front porch. They're comfy and really nice looking.
3. I can't stop with Beam's Dream Powder as a nightcap before bed. It tastes like hot cocoa but has CBD, magnesium, and reishi--all the things to help me fall asleep and stay asleep! Use code HUMMUSAPIEN15 for 35% off your first order.
4. I've been devouring Abby Jimenez books. My favorites were The Friend Zone, Life's Too Short and Happily Ever After Playlist. I loaned them all on Libby, which totally changed my book-reading and listening life.
5. Klorane dry shampoo. I've tried a bunch, but this is my favorite so far.
6. Great salt and pepper grinders. Ours were breaking and I love the look and price point of these!
7. Cocofloss is the best floss ever and basically the reason I floss. It gets so much out of your teeth that you can't not. Love the natural ingredients, too.
8. I'm obsessed with these baby/kiddo pajamas. They're a great material and super stretchy. I think they'll fit Max for a long time!

What are you eating and reading and listening to lately? Drop a comment with something you're loving!