Bonus: How to Nourish Yourself When You Don't Know Where To Begin
Tips and Tricks to Make Your Own Kitchen the Sanctuary You Always Wanted (Even if You're Not a Cook).
Look, I know not everyone finds solace in their own kitchens. (Truth be told, our dishwasher just gave out this week and I’m feeling something akin to betrayal myself, about my favorite room in the house). But I also know with inflation prices still on the rise, going out to eat isn’t really in everyone’s budget. ( Honestly, food shopping isn’t really in the budget, either, these days, but we make do with what we can, right?)
I know I’m not the only one who can get stuck in:
Ignoring my own body due to body image concerns or trauma
Thought patterns of fear and uncertainty
Neglecting my own needs for those of others
So these are my go-to, food-related tips and tricks to communicate to my own body that I matter. That I care deeply and lovingly what I put into it. That it is about the nutrients, the satiation, how my body feels when I care for it, AND the joy that simple foods can bring. It’s my deep-seated belief that how we feed ourselves and others matters. And it’s magical. If you’re longing for both (and not to break the bank) these ideas are for you.
SPA WATER
When I’m feeling a little like, “I do everything for everyone else and no one cares,” otherwise known as the, “woe-is-me-Mama” syndrome, I add some fresh mint, a ginger slice, some sliced cucumber or a combination of the three to a big glass of water with ice. Sound simple and ridiculous? Like there’s no way it’s going to cure anything? Trust me. Just do it. Chances are, you’re dehydrated running around like a maniac to everyone’s rehearsals, practices and gymnastics classes. Adding something to flavor the water communicates to your spirit that you are indeed worthy to add joy and taste and vibrancy to your life- even if the most you can muster is some leaves in your glass.
LEMON, SALT AND EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Alison Roman and I have very few things in common, but we both swear on one tenet of our cooking: Freshly squeezed lemon, good olive oil, and flaky sea salt are basically all you need to elevate any dish. Steamed broccoli? Yes. Dressing a salad? Uh huh. Roasting a chicken? Same, and throw in an allium or two. Want pasta, but a little lighter? Sautee some shrimp, add some cooked pasta and-you guessed it. Lemon, sea salt, olive oil, and maybe a sprinkling of parmesan. Honestly, it makes all the difference in the world. Because they are such minimalist ingredients, you have to make sure you’re using good quality. I won’t lie and say that I don’t get my extra virgin olive oil from a local specialty food store to which basically 50% of my income is deposited once a quarter, but do yourself a favor and if you don’t have, “ a guy” who presses it himself as I do, order this one from Amazon. This is my favorite, affordable flaky sea salt and yes, use it for everything but only after it comes off of the heat. You want the flakes to sit nice and pretty like crystalized snow on whatever you sprinkle it on.
FRENCH-PRESSED COFFEE WITH CINNAMON AND ALMOND EXTRACT
Perhaps this is not for everyone, but I do not drink flavored coffee very often. I just don’t love it. It’s either too strong, or too synthetic tasting- and I certainly can’t have it first thing in the morning. But- every once in a while I want the ceramony of brewing coffee to feel just a tad bit more, special. And when that happens, I simply sprinkle a little cinnamon onto the grounds and add a drop or two of almond extract. It’s more for the smell than the taste for me- it elevates the experience and makes me feel cared for. Give it a try.
CRISP-IT
This is not a recipe, it’s a loose formula. It’s for when your spirit longs to be comforted by something sweet but your body wants to be fed and doesn’t want to waste a lot of time in the kitchen baking something. Enter, the crisp. Stone fruits, berries or a combination of the two are our favorite around here but apples are lovely, too. Simply chop them up and place them in a baking dish with a sprinkling of sugar and a splash of lemon juice. The best part about the topping is, it is technically baking but there is NO precision involved. You will need the following:
Oats (approx 2 cups if using an 8x8 but you get to decide because this is NOT that kind of dessert!)
2 TBS of Flour ( Rice, Potato, Almond, Hazelnut, Wheat, literally anything it doesn’t matter)
1/4 cup of Fat ( Melted butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil are my go-tos but vegan butter also works)
A Sweetener ( preferably a wet one, 1/2 cup like honey, maple syrup, agave but I’ve also used brown sugar, and no one has suffered)
Sea Salt ( just a pinch)
Nuts ( optional, I guess, but Pecans are delightful in crisps)
You can add some vanilla or cinnamon, but it’s just fine without them.
Bake at 350 for a half hour or until golden brown on top. Serve warm with ice cream for dessert. Serve cold again in the morning with yogurt for breakfast. Eat standing up at the counter and lick the rouge blueberries off the serving spoon. This is about nourishing yourself, after all.
BE AWARE OF THE BOXES YOU PLACE FOOD IN
No, I’m not talking about storage. I’m talking about how you won’t eat the cold pizza you really want for breakfast because it’s not breakfast food. This is a box. Don’t put pizza in a box. Well. You know what I mean. I woke up this morning with the August sun streaming through my kitchen window on the most beautiful tomato I’ve ever seen just sitting on my sill and I KNEW I needed it. For breakfast. But I struggled, truly, because an open-faced tomato sandwich on sourdough toast was NOT breakfast food. For the good of my soul, I got over it. The runny juices and the farm-made sourdough were just the thing to get my morning started- because I listened to my body and nourished her just how she asked me to.
.
Food is more than carbs and macros ( no shade if you’re one who counts such things. Not this time, anyway:). It’s been a way of talking with my body that I have never had access to before. Every time I offer her something she asks for, it’s like restitution. Like I’m making up for all the times I didn’t acknowledge she existed.
That’s why I couldn’t let another week go by before telling you- your body is telling you something. Something important. Something of value. What a joy it would be to actually listen to her- with a glass of mint water or cup of steaming cinnamon coffee in hand.
I hope you love on your body the way it’s asking you to- maybe for the first time. And I hope this helps.