Cheers to Wednesday, pals!
My main hope with these posts is that they inspire in you creativity, excitement, inspiration, and balance.
My main hope with these posts is that they inspire in you creativity, excitement, inspiration, and balance.I hope you leave here as inspired to bake cookies as you are to try a new vegetable. Life is a beautiful mess of both, sometimes more of one than the other.
When I was struggling the most with being obsessed with health, I didn’t know I was struggling. I was so thrilled to teach people how to eat like I did while unbeknownst to me, I was suffering and dragging other people down with me.
I remember the only time I would step outside of my perfectly controlled bubble of health was at restaurants. Like those four walls had some kind of power over me to widen my boundaries.
I knew I reached new heights in my food freedom journey when I gave myself permission to enjoy things like non-whole grain bread and cheese and wine in the comfort of my own home. On a Tuesday. Releasing that control was–is–euphoric.
I hope now more than ever you feel encouraged to evolve, and to talk (or not!) about changing without a laundry list of justifications. Whether that’s as tiny as what you eat or as big as who you love, you’re a human evolving. And we’re just humans being.
I spent years seeking identity, belonging, and value from what I ate. So I’m telling you what I needed so badly to hear in 2014: IT’S AMAZING TO CHANGE.
To all the women who have emailed me saying these posts have helped you see food through a new lens or aid in the recovery of your eating disorder, thank you tremendously. You’re my why. Stay curious. Don’t fear change.
Lovely Meals and Snacks
Lavva vanilla yogurt with a crumbled lemon poppyseed muffin (Alchemy Meal Prep item) with orange segments from our CSA and these fabulous buckwheat crunchies. This was SO tasty.
Jet’s pizza is officially my favorite pizza in Columbus. The Detroit style deep dish is a must.
Overnight steel cut oatmeal with sea salt, strawberries, raspberries, almond butter, and toasted hemp seeds for crunch. Really into this combo for breakfast these days.
These chewy chocolate chip cookies are out of this world good. We froze half of the dough and it was really nice having it ready to go when we were craving cookies to just pop in the oven!
Instant pot dried pinto bean soup with a bunch of veggies, spices, cilantro, and yogurt stirred in at the end. I topped it with tortilla chips and avocado for extra yum.
After this soup I heated up a baked sweet potato and topped it with kimchi, tahini, micro greens, and this fabulous green sauce I made with arugula, almonds, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, water, cardamom, salt, garlic, and pepper all blended up. So random but hella flavorful!
Some eggs and pancakes with peanut butter and maple syrup! I wanted super normal, non-healthyish pancakes and these were awesome. I had another pancake after these two!
On the same trend of wanting “normal” muffins, I made this blueberry muffin recipe and they were amazing. We made a half batch using local white spelt flour from our CSA. Don’t skip sprinkling some sugar on top for that crunchy exterior.
My favorite tuna salad piled high on toast with micro arugula from our CSA and tortilla chips.
Almond flour chocolate banana bread. I confirmed that flax works as an egg sub per the recipe!
One night I was craving buttery noodles, so I made some shells with ghee and salt and some herbed goat cheese for a snack and it was heaven.
And now for something fun…five things I’m loving RIGHT NOW!
And now for something fun…five things I’m loving RIGHT NOW!1. Favorite wine: Apothic Inferno (aged in whisky barrels, spicy and robust)
2. Favorite quote: “Blessed are those brave enough to make things awkward, for they wake us up and move us forward.”–Glennon Doyle
3. Favorite slippers: These fuzzy open-toe ones! I have these normal ones, too but I love this style for warmer weather.
4. Favorite song: I’m loving “Think of Me” by Olivia Lunny. It’s a wondrous workout jam.
5. Favorite article of clothing: I’ve been obsessed with these nursing bras for months now ever since one of my best friends told me about them. I know that sounds silly since I’m not pregnant nor nursing (yet ;), BUT these are literally the most comfortable thing I’ve ever worn. I couldn’t tell you the last time I wore a real bra or even a sports bra during the day, and I started wearing these long before the virus.
What’s one thing you’re loving right now?
Those cookies are to die for!!! Also, love that wine 🙂
Heheh virtual wine date!!
Thank you for your posts! They are always inspiring and refreshing! Also we found the after baking your cookies and then freezing them once cooled is also a great way to eat them…straight out of the freezer (or warmed slightly with a little ice cream of course)!!
That means so much. And heck yes to frozen cookies!
Thank you so much–as always–for these wonderful refreshing posts, especially during the noise of the “quarantine 15” & similar nonsense.
Crumbled over yogurt is my FAV way to eat muffins! & do you just toast the hemp seeds in a skillet? Intensifying their natural nuttiness sounds so good.
Oy…so noisy–I agree. I actually got those hemp seeds online; check out the link in the post! They’re SO nice and crunchy.
What a great variety of comfort food! So happy you found Lil Bucks! Emily is one of the most inspiring girl bosses I have collaborated with, and it’s been so fun to see her company grow! Oh and that chocolate banana bread looks life-changing =)
Her sister worked at Alchemy–so cool! She sounds like an awesome lady.
Thank you for sharing your food on Wednesdays. I really enjoy it.
I do have a question. If we’re trying to normalize all foods, why did you label the pancakes that you wanted as “non-healthyish”?
Hey, Julie! Thanks for the comment. I’m always working to improve and didn’t think of it as labeling the way you did. I was trying to get across that I wanted a “regular” recipe versus one geared toward something like a whole grain option and “non-healthyish” is what came to mind for me.
Thank you for your kind response!
Hi Julie and Alexis! I’m definitely not an RD, and I’m just starting to totally rock intuitive eating, but I have a thought to share.
I think you’re getting caught up in labeling food as “healthy” and “not healthy.” But it is the truth of the matter that some food is good for you and some isn’t. The real problem is labeling certain foods bad or good. THAT is the problem.
If you can eat decidedly unhealthy food with intuition, wisdom, and enjoyment, then you have succeeded. You will never NOT know that broccoli is better for you than pumpkin scones, but you will realize that right now, pumpkin scones sound good and enjoyable, and that is awesome. Other times you will want broccoli because it is tasty and healthy. No choice is good or bad; the goal is neutrality while still taking in account nutritional benefits. EX: I am not “good” if I eat kale, and I’m also not “bad” for eating muffins. My morality is hinged upon my character and my own merits, not what I put in my mouth 🙂
I find it’s healthier to ask, “How can this food benefit me”? For a pumpkin scone, the answer might be enjoyment. For broccoli, it will might be nutritional value, or maybe even taste also (broc with garlic is yummers!) 🙂
Do you understand the distinction?
Good luck! <3
Wonderfully said! Thanks for the conversation, Emma 🙂
I love making banana bread with Pamela,s baking and pancake mix, thought you would love also.
Ohhh good to know!
I look forward to seeing all of your food on Wednesdays! Thank you for sharing.
I do have a question. If the goal is to normalize all foods, why did you refer to the pancakes you were craving as “non-healthyish”?