My Favorite Breakfast Fruit Bowl

(As a heads up- this post is discusses diet culture (which I am not a fan of) and may not be for everyone. If you are not in a space where you can read this, it is ok!)

I’m not a dieter. I’ve been there, done that, and I’m still trying to mentally heal after the damage I’ve done to myself by restricting what I’m “allowed” to eat to a short list. Counting calories, working out for the sake of burning said calories, and feeling discouraged for not making any progress and, if anything, seeing the numbers go the “wrong” direction. The cycle was always the same. And it made me deeply sad and disappointed in myself. Not only that, dieting stole my joy.

About 3 1/2 years ago, I tossed out my scale, started moving my body in ways that made me feel great, and ate what made me feel great. The main goal? To be healthy and strong, mentally and physically.

Why am I writing about this almost a week after one of the worst days in American history? Why is this relevant after a group of insurrectionists…white supremicists…stormed the Capitol? Because if I’ve learned anything during these “pandemical times” (my favorite way to describe the past 10 months a la Emily P. Freeman) it is the impact our wellness has on our ability to process the constant stream of huge world and national events that seem to be coming our way. It can be tempting to numb all the emotion with food/drink/distraction, but when it comes right down to it, that doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, we are foggy brained, tongue tied, or simply silent. None of these things are helpful, are they?

For the last week and a half, we have been eating a lot of veggies, fruit, healthy protein, and leaving out sugar, dairy, grains, legumes, and alcohol. We are truly doing this in an intuitive way, sticking to what makes us feel our best but also evaluating what we need more or less of by listening to our bodies. Eating this way has cleared up my head in a way that allows me to sit down and write my thoughts out on paper. It also helps me recognize what I need (and what I don’t need) as I move through my day. Sometimes I need a nap (that was Saturday). Other times an intense workout is in order (yesterday morning). And then there are most days when I just need to write and talk and brainstorm how to insist on justice and look ahead to eventual healing as a country. In between times, I take photos of life at home during distance learning, finish my to-do list, drink lots of water and tea, and listen to good music.

OK- now that I have all of that out of my system, here is a little bit about this Breakfast Fruit Bowl that I’ve been loving lately:

• Combination of any fruit you like. My favorite combo is banana, berries of some kind, and apples.

• Top with unsweetened almond butter, coconut flakes, and chia seeds. Cashews, walnuts, and cashews are all lovely additions to make it a little more filling if that’s what you need.

• A sprinkle of flaky sea salt doesn’t hurt.

I’m a big fan of eggs, but there are some days when I just want something a little lighter and sweeter and special. Typically, this is the only fruit I have for the entire day and it absolutely hits the spot!

Moral of this post: You can’t pour from an empty cup and that is especially true in pandemical times/political turmoil/mid-winter. We can (and should) do hard things, my dears!

Fresh Peach & Tomato Salsa

Can we agree that chips and salsa is the best snacking combo on the planet?

Good. I knew we could be friends.

Since our move from Colorado to Minnesota at the beginning of the summer, we’ve consumed many bags of tortilla chips and many jars of salsa with friends and family because a) SO easy, and 2) YUM. I’ve mostly gone for the store-bought version because it turns out moving is completely exhausting and leaves me with little to no energy for cooking. But there have been a couple times when I’ve found myself with some random ingredients that come together to make a killer homemade salsa. This fresh peach & tomato salsa has to be my favorite.

One perfectly ripe fresh peach, one locally grown tomato, some lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, salt and pepper is all it took to make this bowl of beauty and you need to get on board immediately. It’s not hard and it is sure to impress your friends!

Fresh Peach & Tomato Salsa

• 1 medium fresh peach, peeled and diced

• 1 medium ripe tomato (or a handful of ripe cherry tomatoes), diced

• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

• juice of 1 lime

• salt to taste

1. Add all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

3. Enjoy immediately! This one is best fresh because it can get pretty watery the longer it sits.

Date Night Grilled Steak Salad

I’ve tried sitting down to write this post several times. Inevitably, life gets in the way. The 4 year old needs me to put on his shoes (something he’s done with zero help approximately 147 times) or the 7 year old has a story to tell me (I realize this may not be the case forever so I try to drop everything and listen when I can). Other times, I get a phone call or someone comes to the door or the dogs are getting antsy and need some attention. Finding the quiet space in my day that I need to focus on writing is difficult right now. Sure, I could just sit down and write something for the sake of getting words on a page, but that’s not what makes me feel good about posting here for you all. I want my words to be thoughtful and meaningful and honest. That is something that only comes with the proper conditions.

Right now, I’m sitting at my kitchen counter. It is dreary outside as we await a late spring snow storm, which is allowing the kids to sleep in a little longer than usual. I have my coffee. The dogs are snuggled up on their beds and all is quiet. So here I am. Soaking up one of the last mornings I’ll have like this in our home in Colorado. In just over 6 weeks, I’ll be doing this in my new kitchen in Minnesota. I’ve been quiet about this here because I hate saying goodbye. It feels like everything has to change and change makes my heart hurt. I’m so excited to be going back to my home state. I’ve been waiting for this for nearly a decade. But transitions are hard for me. Are they hard for you, too? How do you cope?

 One of the ways I’ve been dealing with our impending move is by making time with my husband a top priority. Even more than usual. We’ve started going climbing together, and sometimes following that up with a happy hour date involving margaritas, chips and salsa. Other days, we stay home and cook together. Just a week or so ago, we made this delicious grilled steak salad. We went to the store together and picked out the ingredients that looked best. Then, we came home and brought it all together into something simple, beautiful, and full of flavor. Nothing complicated. But the perfect meal to eat on our back patio while playing a game of scrabble and drinking wine.

Nurturing our relationship is the main thing that makes me feel grounded in life. Brad and I have been together for nearly 15 years, married for nearly 12. And still, after all that time, my soul needs time with him to feel settled and safe. Both our date nights at home and our dates out and about, whether they happen weekly or only once a month, are something I am thankful for.

This grilled steak salad doesn’t exactly need a recipe, but I’ve written one anyway ;) Now, take this as a sign that you need to carve out some time for you and your partner to reconnect! This is not something to brush aside. Instead, make it a top priority and everything else will fall into place a little easier as a result.

Date Night Grilled Steak Salad

*to make this recipe Whole 30 friendly, simply skip the bread! Done and done.

Serves 2 (maybe with leftovers)

• 1 ribeye steak (16 oz)

• 1 medium head of butter lettuce (or your favorite greens)

• cherry tomatoes on the vine (if you can find them)

• 1 ripe avocado, halved and pit removed

• 2 spring onions, trimmed and halved lengthwise

• Sourdough bread, cut into 1 inch slices

• Favorite dressing- we went with this store-bought dressing but we also love making our own!

1. Prepare your grill by bringing it to high heat. While you wait, season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle the tomatoes, bread slices, onions and avocado with olive oil. Wash the lettuce and tear into preferred size.

2. Begin by grilling the steak to desired doneness. We like medium rare, which takes about 3-4 minutes per side. Don’t move the steak once you place it on the grill. You’ll get a nicer crust and it will not stick it you let it be. Remove the steak and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes on the vine, the avocado slices, the spring onions, and the bread to the grill. Grill until just cooked and charred in places, being careful not to let anything burn (i.e. don’t multitask). Remove everything from the grill.

4. To assemble the salad, arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Slice the steak and arrange on top of the lettuce along with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and serve with a nice (but affordable) red wine.

Instant Pot Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I think I’ve settled into a bit of a routine around grocery shopping. For someone who prefers to wander through the grocery store looking for food that looks freshest and sparks inspiration, this has been a long road. Before we had kids, our food budget was more fluid and our shopping list (if you can even call it that) was always flexible. Now, with 7 and 4 year olds running the roost, I have to be more intentional. So, we’ve been using the same list of ingredients in different ways. The kids both love bell peppers, 3 out of 4 of us eat ground beef, and we all love tacos. So consider these Southwest Stuffed Peppers a creative alternative for taco night!

It isn’t always easy to make food everyone will eat, but here, I have been able to take recipe like this one and use the same components to piece together something our pickiest eater won’t scoff at. Does he always eat what I give him? Um, no. But at least he gets a selection of healthy foods to choose from.

Other perks of this recipe:

• gluten free

• Whole 30 (as long as you leave out the cheese and have a compliant salsa/seasoning blend)

• made in under 30 minutes

• minimal dirty dishes

I mean, this is basically my dream weeknight meal. And if you’re looking for the best, meltiest cheese, you know I’m going to tell you that Tillamook is the best choice.

Instant Pot Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Makes 4 servings plus leftovers

• 4 medium/large bell peppers

• 1 lb lean ground beef

• 1/2 cup salsa + 2 tablespoons

• 2 teaspoons Penzy’s Southwest Seasoning or other salted seasoning you like

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 cup frozen corn

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch

• 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cut the tops off your peppers and clean out the insides. I like to use my hands to pull out the membrane and seeds. Set the tops aside (I cut them so I have some raw pepper on hand for the kiddos throughout the week).

2. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, 1/4 cup of the salsa, Southwest seasoning, egg, and cornstarch. Use your hands to combine.

3. Fill each pepper with 1/4 of the beef mixture. Add 1/2 cup water to the Instant Pot and set the rack inside. Set the peppers in the instant pot, on the rack, top spoon the remaining salsa evenly over the top of each pepper, and seal the lid. Press the Manual button and set the time for 20 minutes.

4. When finished cooking, do a quick release by using a towel or oven mit to rotate the knob to release. Top the peppers with the cheese, cover for 5 minutes, and serve!

Detoxing Blended Green Juice

I am late to the juice game. To be honest, I never wanted to buy a juicer because they seem so clunky and messy. (If anyone wants to send me a juicer that is neither clunky OR messy, I’m willing to give it a try!) But then we moved close to an amazing smoothie/juice spot and my love affair with green juice began. The only problem? The price tag. Who can even afford to get a green juice whenever they want? If you can, I’m very happy for you and I would very much appreciate it if you could send me a gift certificate to Nekter Juice Bar on a regular basis. THANKS.

Long story short, I started making my own green juice with my trusty blender at home. And you know what? It’s actually really, really delicious and just the thing I need when I’ve overindulged (read: all of December).

They key here is to use a high powered blender. Beyond that, it’s a balance of greens, citrus, an apple, and a touch of cayenne!

Detoxing Blended Green Juice

Makes 2 servings (or 1 large serving)

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 1 lemon, peel removed

• 1 small green apple, peeled, cored and cubed

• 1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger, grated

• 3 cups water

• 1/2 teaspoon-1 teaspoon cayenne

1. Combine all the ingredients in a high-powered blender.

2. Blend on high until smooth.

3. Pour over ice and enjoy!