Month: April 2023

Pivot

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking1 Comment

Remember last week how I said my allergies were SO BAD? It turns out that it wasn’t just allergies making me miserable, it was my first bout of Covid. I tested negative on Monday, woke up Tuesday, wrote my blog, and then tested again. This time it was positive. As Tina Fey’s character on 30 Rock Liz Lemon would say: BLURGH. I immediately went into isolation and started on Paxlovid. Thankfully, after six days of a very mild (by Covid standards) course of illness, I tested negative. I’m still quite tired but hopefully the worst is behind me.

Needless to say, none of the cooking plans I had for last week materialized. Whenever I’m sick I crave Pho and Tom Yum soup, so I started there, ordering in. I moved on to noodles and spring rolls. Then my husband and daughter left for admitted students day at my daughter’s college, a trip I was supposed to take her on, *sigh*. I proceeded to order in a falafel wrap from an African deli and a kale and vegan chorizo salad from a health food restaurant. And once, in a fit of feeling very sorry for myself, I ordered delivery from Taco Bell and a pint of Peanut Butter World ice cream by Ben & Jerry’s. I drank copious amounts of kombucha, Liquid IV, and water. Pro tip: Fill up an insulated large water jug with ice water, sliced lemons and sliced cucumbers. It’ll keep your water icy cold all day and night, and encourage a lot more consumption of liquids. Mine is 40 oz and has a straw, which makes it so easy just to take sips all day long. It is is from Target and you can find it here.

While I’m negative for Covid now, I’m still dealing with fatigue, so I plan to take it as easy as possible to reduce my chances of long term fatigue. That includes not doing a lot of (or possibly any) cooking this week, as standing up for longer periods doesn’t feel good. I ordered the chicken street taco kit from Costco yesterday. I like it because it comes with corn tortillas (whole grain) and cabbage as a topping along with the cheese. Overall, not a bad choice. I also bought more Rao’s sauce, which has been consistently rated the best jarred pasta sauce available. That on top of some Banza (garbanzo bean pasta) served with the easiest salad ever (arugula, squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper) makes for a great dinner. As for the rest of the meals this week, I’ll play it by ear. My husband works from about 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. these days, but he’s always more than happy to stop by the grocery to pick something up.

If you’re in the cooking mood, might I suggest this whole wheat orzo salad? I’m also partial to this braised chicken with green olives. And if you need some inspiration to let some things go, I still love this blog post from 2016. It resonates especially right now for so many reasons.

I hope you have a healthy week!

Perspective

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Health and wellness1 Comment

We got back recently from a much-needed spring break trip to somewhere much, much warmer than Minnesota. Traveling is always such a good reminder that it’s important to step away from regular life in order to get some perspective on things. Without fail, anytime I leave my home (whether it’s for a quick trip up north to a cabin, or a longer trip to a different country), I am able to see things in a different way. That thing that bothers me so much at home? Space and distance helps me realize it’s not a big deal. Meeting new people from different walks of life? A really good reminder that the bubble I live in is just that: a bubble. It’s important to re-learn this lesson, over and over.

So, I didn’t cook on vacation, and I truly enjoyed being provided with all my meals each day. However, I also realize how hard it is to eat 80/20 (80% health-affirming, 20% whatever TF I want) when I don’t have control over what’s being served. Luckily, the place we stayed had tons of fruits and veggies, really fresh fish and salads, made to order smoothies, etc. On the converse, it also had unlimited open bar and really good churros. I would say I veered more towards the 50/50 or maybe even 40/60, which was totally enjoyable but wholly unsustainable in the long run. I always welcome coming back home to my routine. Here’s a couple of photos of one of my breakfast and lunches, and you can see my plate is filled with really good stuff. On the left is one of my breakfasts and on the right is one of my lunches. I really miss my daily breakfast churro. Not pictured are the very yummy cocktails, the slab of steak and potatoes, the emergency hot dog I had to eat when my blood sugar dropped too low and nothing else was available (at home I would have had a banana, some peanut butter, Triscuits or something similar) and the six or seven mini desserts we would sample from the buffet. And it’s all good.

Plain yogurt with granola, oatmeal with chia seeds and almonds, veggie scrambled eggs, smoked salmon with caviar, and my beloved breakfast churro.
Salmon ceviche, salmon and cucumber salad, marinated hearts of palm and asparagus, a big green salad, some hominy and a bit of seaweed salad.

I came home to an obscene amount of snow mold everywhere, of which I’m super allergic, so this week has been rough so far. My throat is scratchy, my eyes are itchy, my nose is runny, and my energy is nonexistent. My meal plan for the week seems like it might be out the window, which is fine. My husband picked up convenience food from the grocery on the way home last night (veggie sushi and Brussels sprouts for me). I will take each day as it comes. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite recipes from previous posts that you might enjoy. One pot pasta is a perennial favorite and so easy. Customizable in so many ways, you can make it your own. And now that it’s warm in a lot of places, it’s time to bring back the caprese pasta salad we love so much. This one is Dr. Jill Biden’s recipe. If you’re looking for something that isn’t pasta, try this BBQ chicken, Spanish style.

Have a tasty week!