Hi everyone!

How is your week going so far? Thankfully it is almost spring!!

We missed out on all the snow in Michigan over the weekend as we were at my cousin’s wedding in Georgia. The sunny and 60-degree weather on Saturday was fantastic!

We enjoyed a long walk in the sun on Saturday morning and also enjoyed the time at the wedding. Some of the best wedding food I have had!

Let’s get to some recent eats!

Anyone else been feeling all the citrus lately as we move towards spring? I was majorly craving my favorite lemon poppyseed bread the other week so I made a batch for snacks during the week. I generally make it without the glaze and used chia seeds instead since I was out of poppyseeds.

Other fabulous-sounding citrus recipes from one of my favorite food bloggers include lemon raspberry poppyseed cake, pistachio poppyseed orange yogurt bread, and coconut key lime pie smoothie.

One of my favorite dinners –> salmon with sun-dried tomato pesto, roasted veggies (I love red bell pepper, red onion, + zucchini), brown rice, and typical side salad. I love adding any variety of pesto to salmon or to veggie pastas!

I generally buy the frozen, wild-caught salmon at Costco because it is of good quality and cheaper than buying fresh. (As much as I would love to buy fresh seafood regularly!) Costco also has a frozen, wild-caught mahi mahi that is another great seafood option.

Leftovers from a dinner that I made when we had my mom and dad over. Creamy layers of lasagna made with ground beef + Italian sausage, homemade sourdough focaccia with rosemary + sea salt, and side salad. Crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan for topping.

I also made these tasty orange chocolate chip ricotta cookies for dessert. I would definitely make these again! I loved how soft they were from the ricotta cheese.

We went out to dinner to Everest Sherpa, a popular Indian and Nepali restaurant in Ann Arbor. Alec loves Indian food, so therefore I occasionally *somewhat begrudgingly* end up going out for Indian. (Despite it not being my favorite cuisine in reality I am happy to eat it once in a while because he loves it so much!). All that to say, I was SO THRILLED to try a new dish that I absolutely loved! I went with the chicken polayko, a chicken marinated in yogurt + spices and roasted in a tandoori oven. I also got a mint sauce which was incredible. That along with some amazingly doughy naan, which is one aspect of Indian I always enjoy! So happy to have a dish option to look forward to at this restaurant (and will seek out other similar options in the future). This restaurant experience was a good reminder to me to continue seeking to be more open to new foods and new experiences in general – you never know what might happen!

What is one way you might consider expanding your “eating experiences”? Maybe it is trying a totally new cuisine or making a dish at home using a flavor profile you wouldn’t normally gravitate towards. Maybe it is engaging with food in a way you don’t normally prefer (like me with Indian) because it is an important part of your relational life and showing value for others’ preferences in addition to your own.

Super refreshing raspberry smoothie on a cold winter afternoon. In Michigan we continually wonder, is it winter? Or is it spring??

Into the Vitamix went 1/2 avocado, a spoonful each of cacao powder + whole milk yogurt + chia seeds, 2 dates, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 cup frozen raspberries, and enough unsweetened almond milk for blending.

One of my favorite soups on a fall or winter day –> chicken with brown rice, kale, veggies (zucchini + carrot + onion + celery), and plenty of herby spices. A satisfying one-pot meal served with some fresh sourdough w/ butter and side salad w/ extra greens!

Comforting overnight steel-cut oatmeal with ground flaxseed, creamy peanut butter, honey, and fresh organic blueberries. You may have noticed if you are a regular reader that I am fans of both ground flaxseed and sesame seeds on my oatmeal. This is part of my seed cycling method for helping with hormonal balance. You can read some basics about seed cycling here! I use the ground flaxseed for added nutrition during the first half of my cycle and sesame seeds during the second half.

Post-yoga late evening meal of JK Caesar salad with the best blackened chicken! YUM.

A favorite frittata combo of sweet potato, jalapeño, yellow onion, and Iowa corn (thanks to Alec’s mom!). Side of cornbread (one of my favorite foods!) and salad for some extra veggies/nutrition/fiber. Maybe I should just eat this everyday! 🙂

Everyday Enjoyment:

Golden chai Rasa blend: When I went to hang out with one of my friends at her house she made me this deliciously creamy golden chai drink with almond milk. Rasa is a company making adaptogenic coffee alternatives that help energize and destress using herbs (not caffeine). I am super pumped to order some for my own kitchen soon! In addition to the golden chai, I’d love to try the cacao and calm blends.

Evening routine: I am really trying to focus on having a good chunk of time for my evening wind-down routine at the end of the day. I am finding this to be more and more important to me lately with all of the busyness of each day and week between managing and growing the business, meeting with clients, household work, working at JK on Wednesdays, and all the other social and relational aspects to the week that can be draining for an extreme introvert such as myself! My evening routine generally includes stretching, a few deep breaths, some quick journaling/reflection (a few gratitudes, high/low to day, etc.), prayer, and reading.

Looking ahead to spring: I am thrilled that spring is only a few weeks away! Some things I’m looking forward to include incorporating spring produce + getting back to my favorite spring dishes, getting outside for some sunshine more regularly, the gradually warmer temps for walking + running (YAY), March Madness (please, Michigan, make the tournament!), and Easter at the start of April.

What are you looking forward to this spring?
Share any other citrus or spring recipe favorites!