Hey Reader, I keep noticing something in non-diet spaces. A coach will use all the right phrases. Food freedom. Ditch the diets. Listen to your body. And then, further down, the actual offer: lose weight, but slowly and "sustainably" this time. And look, I'm not trying to drag anyone. But you've probably worked hard to get skeptical of diet culture, and this is exactly the kind of messaging that could still get past you. It's using the non-diet language you trust to sell the thing you're...
20 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the tension between wanting to eat intuitively and still needing to plan ahead. I was working with a client who’d bought ingredients for the meals she planned at the start of the week, and by mid-week, she wasn’t really feeling any of them. She wanted to eat what sounded good, but the produce was sitting in the fridge and she felt like she had to use it. She wasn’t sure if honoring that felt more like being practical, or like following a rule....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, We got back from a long weekend away earlier this week. The unpacking is mostly done, the laundry is mostly not, and I'm finding my way back into the kitchen. For me, the reset that matters most after a trip like this is getting back to consistent, nourishing meals as the foundation. This week that looks like mixing freezer and pantry staples with whatever fresh ingredients are easy to grab: coconut ramen with sweet potato and tofu, fish tacos with a quick cilantro lime slaw, and a...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, By the time this lands in your inbox I'll be in Vail for the Mountain Games: some yoga, a couple of child-free nights with my husband, and then the kids join for playgrounds, swimming, and lots of village strolls along the river. One thing I'm looking forward to is the food. I love cooking, and I'm also very happy to let someone else take care of the prep and cleanup for a few days. We have a favorite Thai restaurant in the next town over. It's a little more low-key than the places...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, The rain finally showed up in Colorado this week, which is good timing because the garden is coming together. We have potatoes, spinach, and kale on the deck, tomatoes and basil and lettuce inside, and the boys each planted their own section of the yard. I also had friends over, finished a chunk of eating disorder coursework for my practice, and did what I always do when life gets full: leaned hard on the pantry. This week that looked like bean and rice tacos. Eden Organics sent me...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, This week I turned 40. It's still a little bit hard to believe, because life really is happening in all of these little moments that somehow add up to months and years and decades before we know it. At the last minute, I decided I wanted my whole family around me and my favorite meal, tofu palak at the local Indian restaurant, over anything fancier. It was intentionally simple in the best possible way. Just good food and the people I love most. There's something about a whole new...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, This Thai red curry has been on repeat at our house for the last few weeks, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. We go pretty heavy on the curry paste (we like the heat) and I set aside a little plain tofu and rice for the kids before everything goes into the sauce. One dinner, everyone covered. A couple of weeks ago I shared crispy air fryer tofu with the no-press method that pre-boils the tofu before air frying. It changed how I think about cooking tofu. That same method...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I've been cooking tofu for years and truly love it. For a long time I was making it with decent results, but then I added cornstarch to the process, and combined it with a quick pre-boil in salted water. The difference was transformative enough that I had to share it. The pre-boil might sound like an extra step, but it makes pressing tofu completely unnecessary. Boiling draws moisture out from the inside, instead of just squeezing the surface, which means better browning and more...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Protein content is everywhere right now. Tracking grams, hitting targets, optimizing every meal. I'm not going to add to that noise. What I do think is worth saying: meals that include a solid source of protein alongside fat, fiber, and carbs tend to feel more satisfying and grounding. Not because of the numbers, but because of how they actually feel to eat. Peanut noodles with edamame have been on repeat at my house lately. 15 minutes, one bowl, and somehow both my kids and I are...
3 months ago • 1 min read