Happy middle of the week, pals!

In productivity news, I’ve been getting up around 6am every morning (we’re in bed by 10pm) and working on the blog until 8am before getting ready for my Alchemy day. It’s been super helpful since I’m far more creative early in the morning versus at night! I get asked often how I balance two businesses, and this shift in my schedule has helped me be more organized with my time.

I’ll set a couple must-do tasks the day before, like read and sign that contract, write What I Ate Wednesday, and send blog draft to client. If I don’t set little tasks, I end up all over the place doing reactive administrative things like answering emails versus creating content that’s getting me ahead.

Breakfast

I had an experience at Northstar (one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus) this past weekend that felt like a true symbol of how far I’ve come in terms of food freedom and listening to my body. Something I’ve always struggled with at restaurants is always ordering the healthy-sounding item regardless of what I’m in the mood for.

Don’t get me wrong—I love my chocolate croissants and egg sandwiches but at Northstar, I found myself sticking to the same thing. But Saturday proved to be different! I was craving something hearty and savory and a biscuit sounded fantastic. The egg sandwich was so simple—two over medium eggs and aged cheddar on a biscuit with blackberry jam—but it was exactly what I wanted.

I told Jeff as I was eating it that this was something I would’ve never let myself order in the past. He agreed, was proud, and we talked about it a little more. (Having a super supportive and encouraging partner is a blessing I think about all the time!)

They also gave us one of their new green smoothies on the house at the register so fruits and veggies found their way into the meal, too. It should come as no surprise that this hella satisfying meal kept me full and happy for hours. Like I always tell my clients, when you’re full and satisfied, you don’t have food anxiety thoughts clogging your precious brain space.

Lunch

I’m still getting over a major cold that knocked me off my feet last Thursday so I whipped up my Cream of Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup for some immune-boosting nutrients. I added diced celery and spinach and used frozen broccoli and cauliflower instead of fresh. I find soup is an easy thing for me to pack in lunches and reheat. Or you can use a nifty thermos.

I packed rye crackers, snap peas, and roasted red pepper hummus plus an unpictured apple from our CSA to go with the soup.

Other snackage included a cherry almond baked oatmeal cup kinda like these (recipe coming soon!).

Dinner

Introducing stuffed shells inspired by my vegan lasagna! Thanks to Dylan for the idea. First I boiled a box of jumbo shells for 10 minutes, rinsed them to prevent sticking. Then I poured enough marinara sauce at the bottom of two 9×13 pans. I stuffed the shells with my tofu ricotta, arranged them in the dishes, and covered them with the remaining sauce from a 32 oz jar.

I made a lot since Jeff eats like 14 shells at a time and I wanted enough to last us two days. You can cut the tofu ricotta in half and just use one pan to serve 4 “normal” people, LOL.

We also had salad with red wine vinaigrette (my balsamic vin recipe but sub red wine vinegar, double dijon and maple, and add a teaspoon of oregano).

Dessert

We snacked on some dark chocolate covered almonds before bed. Have a fabulous week!