Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday. How is your week going so far?

We finally had some sun here yesterday. I can’t remember the last time I saw blueish skies when I was out running! I didn’t sleep very well the night before so was grateful for the sunshine throughout the morning that helped with giving me some much needed energy!

This past weekend I spent time with a good friend, went to another friend’s 30th birthday party, and then Sunday was usual church activities and Michigan basketball. I find that having some fun plans to look forward to throughout the month is so helpful for the winter months especially!

Some recent eats from the past couple of weeks!

I really enjoyed these salsa verde burrito bowls that we had for dinner several nights in a row. They were based somewhat off this recipe. Cilantro lime rice, extra cilantro, salsa verde shredded chicken (made in the Instant Pot), more salsa verde for topping, roasted red onion, arugula, some mashed avocado w/ lime juice + sea salt, and sour cream. Such a delicious combination of flavors!

I have been SO into these chocolate peanut butter protein bars. So easy and only a few ingredients! I made them x2 and have been keeping them in the freezer for tasty + energizing afternoon snacking the past couple of weeks.

The mornings we were in Phoenix I enjoyed yogurt bowls for breakfast. I’ve been gravitating towards yogurt bowls as more of a go-to breakfast when traveling because it is easier to whip up compared to cooking eggs/oatmeal/etc. and keeps me full for a good while like my usual oatmeal bowls. Organic whole milk yogurt topped with peanut butter, granola, and strawberries + blueberries. If you have never had nut butter on your yogurt bowls, it is a MUST in my opinion!

I personally prefer full-fat dairy as I prefer to eat foods in their less processed + more natural forms whenever possible –> meaning dairy with fat. The fat helps with flavor, satiation, and hormonal health, among other benefits to getting a good amount of fat in one’s diet! Also, the fat in dairy is where the fat-soluble vitamins are found (vitamins A + D). Full-fat dairy is going to have these vitamins in their natural / more absorbable forms, compared to fat-free or lower fat dairy options where the vitamins are synthetically added back in.

Gelato outing (also featured in last week’s post). Half chocolate, half some sort of cookies and cream situation (it had a fancier name than that that I don’t remember, lol). I LOVE good gelato, probably more than regular ice cream!

When we regularly enjoy treats and don’t experience them as “off-limits” or “bad,” it is a lot easier to feel more mindful and less chaotic around sweeter / more indulgent food options.

I finally got around to trying out sourdough focaccia for the first time. It was FANTASTIC. Also even easier than regular sourdough. I added some fresh rosemary to the dough before baking. Will be a regular addition to my bread rotation.

One of my informal baking “intentions” is to continue experimenting with sourdough this year. Different add-ins, flavor combos, sandwich bread, whole wheat, etc. I love the creativity and hands-on nature of making fresh bread!

We had the fresh focaccia with my favorite roasted garlic + cauliflower soup topped with shredded cheddar. Such a nourishing cold-weather meal!

I ended up getting more cauliflower at the grocery store than I needed for the soup so I roasted the rest of it to eat throughout the week. This was the first time I have roasted just cauliflower (vs. with other veggies) and I was surprised by how tasty it was! Roasted cauliflower for the win versus any other method of eating cauliflower. (Isn’t raw cauliflower the worst?? Or maybe it’s just me!…). We had a bit of the cauliflower alongside some leftover Moroccan chicken couscous I had frozen a while back when we didn’t finish it all. So nice to have a few frozen options on hand for busy evenings or when we are back in town from a weekend away!

I mainly used up the roasted cauliflower for toppings on salads. Arugula with roasted cauliflower, chopped cucumber + bell pepper + cherry tom, shredded parmesan, salted pistachios, and dark balsamic dressing. Also lots of freshly ground black pepper!

I continue to be all about the smoothies lately. Similar to last smoothie post but this time using frozen raspberries for a chocolatey raspberry combo! Avocado, cacao, chia, dates, whole milk yogurt, vanilla protein powder, frozen organic raspberries (found at TJ’s), and plain almond milk for a delightful smoothie treat. If you have never made smoothies with avocado, it basically just serves as a creamy/flavorless base for whatever flavors you are going for. Bananas are the one food I absolutely hate and will not eat so avocados are a wonderful creamy alternative for my smoothies. Also a great source of fat + potassium!

Juicy Kitchen meal with a roasted veggie/kale/potato scramble topped with tempeh + pepitas and a side of spicy kimchi. Fermented foods (tempeh, kimchi) to support gut health!

One more recent dinner – one of my go-to salmon dinners! Salmon seasoned + baked in the oven, roasted red onion + bell peppers, and coconut rice. I buy the frozen wild-caught salmon at Costco to save money / to still be able to eat salmon somewhat regularly. To make the coconut rice, simply pour a can of coconut milk, a can of white rice (as in just use the can to measure), and ~2/3 can of water into a pot with a good dash of salt. Then bring to a boil + simmer like you normally would with rice!

Brown rice has more fiber and other health benefits, but sometimes I go with white rice. I typically get a lot of fiber and other whole grains in throughout the week anyway so not a concern to me to have some white rice when it’s going to taste better with certain dishes! Do you have any food rules surrounding brown/whole wheat vs. white that maybe are a bit too rigid?

Lately I have been tired of hot oatmeal so have been eating my steel-cut oatmeal cold. I also added some chia seeds when I made the oats for a chewier texture. I go in phases with oatmeal – sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes overnight w/ yogurt. Always nut butter + fruit + honey for topping! This time topped with plenty of frozen (thawed) organic strawberries.

Everyday Enjoyment:

Breakfast devotional: I used to mainly check my personal email during breakfast (which is somewhat fun since I get some recipes + interesting blog posts/articles sent to my email) but decided recently I don’t want to be using my computer during breakfast. I wanted breakfast to be a slower time of continuing to ease into the day, especially considering my personal email could be checked for about 5 mins before beginning my workday. But I also like having something to read or look at during breakfast. So instead of reading things on my phone or laptop I got this devotional by Paul Tripp to read most mornings during breakfast. I’ve never really been a huge devotional person (as far as reading devotionals written by other people go), but I am liking this one! I don’t see it as a replacement for my personal bible reading + prayer time (which I do right when I wake up), but rather an encouraging supplement and more life-giving-to-me alternative compared to other things I might read during breakfast!

Occasional TV shows: I have never been a big TV person at all but do enjoy having a show or two that I watch with Alec as something fun to do together (usually on Sunday evenings). I don’t really like watching TV by myself but like it as something to occasionally do with others. My appreciation for TV shows + movies (in moderation) has grown over the past few years as I think there is a lot of value to be had with fiction/storylines conveyed visually (similar to the value I see in reading fiction novels). We started watching The Middle in March of 2020 when there wasn’t as much to do during the evenings and finally finished all 9 seasons a few weeks ago! I have many thoughts which are irrelevant to this blog post (lol) but overall it was enjoyable and fun to watch! I tend to like older comedies versus what is newer so we recently just started Everybody Loves Raymond which I imagine we will probably continue. Other series I want to watch soon are the second season of Alex Rider (the first one was really good!) and All Creatures Great and Small.

Christian disordered eating bible study idea: I am floating out an idea that I’ve had for a while about starting a (virtual) bible study later this year for anyone interested in reading Scripture together with more of a focus on disordered eating recovery / having a healthy relationship with food/exercise/body image. Feel free to email me if you have any interest in potentially being a part of this! I don’t have many details yet in mind other than it would probably be one or two times a month and would be totally free as far as cost. For now just something to keep in mind or to contact me about…

Do you have a go-to breakfast or do you prefer to switch it up?
Any TV show recommendations??

Enjoy the rest of your week!