The Latest Happenings: January Edition

Hello 2021!

Who knows what the year will bring.. but is it safe to say that 2021 will be less crazy than 2020?! One can only hope ?

 

What did you learn in 2020?

Before looking ahead to 2021, I’m curious, what you learned from 2020? Personally, I learned that..

  1. Online grocery shopping is GREAT! I can stand in my kitchen while shopping, which significantly decreases my chances of forgetting something. At first I was very concerned about the thought of someone else picking out my produce. However – aside from occasionally getting a few un-ripe avocados, I’ve been very pleased with the quality of my fruits and veggies.?????? As for the time when they put someone else’s ground beef (EW) in my order.. I can’t help but think Kroger was playing a mean joke on me ?
  2. Healthy actions don’t just apply to chronic disease. When counseling individuals, I most often discuss actions to prevent chronic disease, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. Together we make goals related to things like healthy eating, managing stress and exercising. One barrier to sticking with these goals is that our actions today may not pay off (i.e. – prevent diabetes) for YEARS to come. With infectious disease, when we take actions today, we can prevent disease – literally – today!! As we’ve seen, with infectious diseases things happen FAST. But how cool is it that this means we can see results from our actions FAST as well? Thank you coronavirus for this *subtle* reminder. ???
  3. People need people! We’re all connected and this is not only how we survive, but it’s how we thrive. However is it that you connect to your people – FaceTime, game-night at home, Zoom, a walk with a friend – be sure to get your daily dose.
  4. Finally – buying my toilet paper in bulk is about more than simply saving money. ???

 

Snowy Logs

We woke up to a white landscape this morning with perfect white snow blanketing everything. This is a photo Lex took in our parent’s woods. 

 

 

Good reads

The current book on my nightstand is Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline. Thank you to my book club gals for challenging me to expand my reading horizons. I’m also reading I Love You Rituals, by Dr. Becky Bailey (thanks, Mom!). It’s full of fun rituals for connecting with little ones as well as fascinating research about healthy childhood development.

Lexie just read Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell and says it’s a must read. She just started Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz. (*All affiliate links)

Have you read any great book lately? Let us know in the comment section below!

 

In the kitchen

During our most recent cooking adventure, Lex and I tried making scrambled “eggs” out of mung beans. While there was no lack of eggy flavor (and smell ?), the final product looked like a pile of mush. Back to the drawing board on this one, folks! But no worries.. we had more recipe development wins than losses. Some of my favorites include Veggie Pinwheel Rull-ups, Italian Nut Sauce over Roasted Veggies, and Squash & Lentil Curry.

Side note – a recent pantry staple that I’ve been lovin on: Bragg Liquid Aminos. This all-purpose seasoning is perfect when you need to add some flair to roasted or steamed veggies or you don’t have time to make your favorite salad dressing. Or just a splash into a soup in need of a little flavor. An easy way to make anything taste yummy.. and a little bit goes a long way!

 

Mini-me is 6 months!

That’s right – our little peanut is now over 6 months old! She’s starting to eat solid foods.. though the pureed veggies, cereal and fruit are anything but solid. Also, the word eat is hardly appropriate given that most of the food ends up on her face, high-chair, hands.. you get the picture. But this new stage has gifted me a reason to try something new in the kitchen.. baby food! Though it’s just one ingredient, I’ve still enjoyed putting my immersion blender to use. I love the trick of making a batch of pureed veggies and then freezing in ice cubes. When it’s time to eat, we simply pop out a “veggie cube”, thaw and let the fun begin!

 

Here’s to 2021! ??

– Nat

 

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