Relationships with food are tricky at all times of year, but this is especially the case in January. From the pressures of new year resolutions to weight-loss goals and fitness challenges, January highlights the swing from decadent December eating to body-shaming that’s associated with “getting in shape.” Or, in the words of a recent article by Zoe Fenson: “January is the month of body shaming. I’m tuning out.” In recent years, January has also been fashioned as ... Read more ...
vegan
Vegan Stuffed Dates: 4-Ingredient Decadent Dessert (vegan and gluten-free)
Wanting a simple vegan and gluten-free dessert to serve this holiday season? Looking for foods that connect and fuel us, even when times are tough? This 4-ingredient recipe is a favorite in my house. I find that stuffed dates are a decadent and delicious dessert—and one that many people can eat and build relations around, across faith traditions. It’s a plant-based dish that can comfort and support, making possible liberatory work and public outcries needed now and into ... Read more ...
Eating Vegan in Ireland
From curries and creamy risotto to mint chocolate and coconut ice cream, Ireland offers an array of vegan dishes, including comfort foods and sweet treats. This summer I traveled to Ireland with only a few weeks of planning—after realizing how much I needed a period of extended rest and reset. When I began telling friends and family about the trip, responses went something like this: You’re going to Ireland? That’s awesome! But what will you eat?” The short answer is ... Read more ...
How Small and Sustained Actions Turn Resolutions into Habits
Typically, by mid-year (by the summer solstice for those of us in the northern hemisphere), new year’s resolutions are a thing of the past. Months after setting resolutions, it’s easy to have forgotten or moved through them—with seasons shifting our embodied needs, creating the conditions for new intentions to be named. The summer solstice, then, provides the occasion for setting new resolutions, for looking backward to previous ones and forward to daily practices that ... Read more ...
A Minimalist Guide to Essential Oils
Recently, a friend asked what essential oils might best help with managing back pain, and I realized through answering the question that I take a minimalist (less is more) approach. Most folks I know either invest in a wide variety of essential oils or don’t use essential oils at all. In contrast, I’ve found a few favorite oils—ones that I know reliably help me with recurring issues—and I don’t expand my collection because, well, essential oils take a lot of investment: ... Read more ...
Roasted Red Cabbage: A Simple and Delicious Veggie
Ingredients: Red cabbage (I use a head of cabbage or less: what’s left over from other meals) Avocado oil or other high-heat oil (up to 1 tablespoon, rubbed into cabbage) Sprinkle of salt and pepper, seasoning salt, or other desired seasonings Instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cabbage into strips (roughly ½ to ¾ inch each). Rub oil into the cabbage strips, covering both sides. Sprinkle salt or other seasonings onto the top of cabbage ... Read more ...
Lentil Not-Soup (Or Lentil Soup in Solid Form)
This week I’m sharing a simple recipe combining lentils with chopped carrots, celery, and onions for a quick and tasty meal. It’s essentially lentil soup in solid form: a stir-fry of the basic ingredients that make lentil soup. This creation (perhaps like many) arose from necessity—from facing hunger during and after hiking and needing high-protein food to take on the trail or to prepare in minutes afterwards. Now this dish is also a reliable option when I’m too busy or ... Read more ...
Sweet Peanut-Butter Spread for Snacks, Parties, Lunches, and More
Years ago, I had a college cookbook with super easy recipes: each with roughly 5 ingredients, taking about 5 minutes, and costing only $5. That cookbook taught me that “cooking” can be easy and still delicious. Recipes can be simple enough to be remembered and reproduced through rough estimations. That cookbook had a sandwich that I enjoyed for years while vegetarian, and it was one of the first recipes I “veganized” by making a few substitutions. The idea is to create ... Read more ...
Adaptable Pesto Sauce (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
This summer, as I’ve been working to change my relationship with sugar, I’ve also been trying to eat more greens. I’m preparing lots of green smoothies; growing basil and mint indoors; and learning to make sauces from spinach, kale, and chard. Many of these sauces are adaptations of pesto, thinned with water to make more of a dressing or dip than the typically thick and oily spread. I call this “adaptable pesto sauce,” because there are many ways to prepare it and ... Read more ...
Single-Serve Chocolate Avocado Pudding
This summer, in the midst of a cross-country move and big career changes, I’ve found myself falling into old patterns with sugar. I’ve been binge-eating sugar only to propel myself into a downward emotional spiral and increased inflammation—stirring up old back, neck, and other embodied pains. In the process, I’ve been getting clearer on what I want to change about my relationship with sugar and noticing when—and why—I’m craving sweets. With greater awareness of the ... Read more ...
