Tag: life

Summer Living

Things have been a little quieter on this website than I like lately. Honestly, I’ve been making an effort to spend more time in the moment; quality time with Grant and with friends, enjoying the outdoors, taking more time to take care of myself. When prioritizing these (irrefutably good) pursuits, I just haven’t had as much screen time to sit down and write/photograph all the posts that I want to share with you. But don’t worry – things have been in the works, and you have lots of good stuff to look forward to!

Before July passes by in silence, I want to take a moment to catch up and chat about the things that have been feeding my spirit. I hope you can derive some inspiration, and I’d love to hear about what has been nourishing you lately too.

  • summer gardening: I really like having plants around… it just feels right. My apartment doesn’t have any outdoor space at all, but we still make room for our botanical friends with a little container garden outside our front door. This summer we’ve been maintaining our current resident herbs (parsley, mint, basil and chives), harvesting a bumper crop of jalapenos, and freshening up our window box with a blooming bunch of portulaca (gorgeous and very prolific!)
  • summer reading: I’m currently deep into Ram Dass’ Journey of Awakening and on the foodie front, I’ve also been working my way through An Everlasting Meal. Tamar Adler takes us through a leisurely discourse on ‘cooking with economy and grace,’ weaving together conventional wisdom and recipes with a sense of calm and appreciation that draws the reader to see the true beauty of simple cooking. It’s a real delight, highly recommended.
  • summer cooking: While I might have slowed down on posting, I never stop cooking! I’ve been living on fresh peaches, making lots of quick dinners with Instant Pot, experimenting with culturing my first sourdough starter, and scheming over lots of exciting healthy foods to share with all of you very soon.
  • art is another thing that nourishes my spirit on the regular, mostly because I’m lucky enough to live with a really talented artist. The image above is a painting by Grant Fraker; you can find it along with other original paintings and prints at GrantFrakersArt on Etsy (and follow along on Twitter and Instagram).

My First Year as an RD

This time last year, the grisly scene above – probably familiar to some of you! – was a mainstay of my living room floor (the only place with enough room to spread out all of the materials I wanted at my fingertips). That’s right… Today I’m celebrating my first full year as an RD!

While becoming a registered dietitian was a major undertaking, from the years of classes, to the way-too-long-to-be-unpaid internship, to the final frazzled study sessions (Even Chuy seems to say, “Um… is everything OK??”) I’m confident that it was the best choice I could have made for my future. So I’m taking this milestone as an opportunity to share some of my perceptions from my experience so far. If you’re into it, come join in for a little #RDChat!

Continue reading “My First Year as an RD”

Pick Your Own Produce: Flavor and Fun!

U-Pick strawberry fields forever! Over the weekend, I took a trip with friends to do some berry-picking at the Carlsbad Strawberry Company. Seriously, what a great way to celebrate Spring! Sunshine, fresh air, and a moment of Zen to fully dedicate our thoughts to the perfection that is a peak-season berry.

Continue reading “Pick Your Own Produce: Flavor and Fun!”

Florida Faves

Whew, back to reality. I’m back in San Diego again after a long weekend in the small town where I grew up in central Florida, to see my brother get married. In typical Florida fashion, the nice weekend was punctuated with pretty severe thunderstorms (complete with tornado warning) exactly at wedding-o’-clock. But it didn’t slow us down from having the best weekend! My little dog Chuy even got to come; I was nervous about hauling him on a airplane, but he loves my parents’ farm so much that I had to bring him along. Not completely stress-free, but he was a pretty good boy!

I was so preoccupied with the whirlwind of family events, that I kind of completely dropped out of social media. Whoops. But I still want to share a few shots of the special local foods and experiences that I like to enjoy when I travel home. It’s a nice opportunity to look back and get inspired by the flavors of the region. So let’s enjoy these glimpses of Florida’s Treasure Coast through the eyes of a visiting native / foodie dietitian!

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Weekend Aspirations and Healthy Food on Pinterest

Happy Friday, friends! My latest kitchen experiments are in need of further testing, so no recipe today. Instead I’m stopping  by to say hello, share some blog housekeeping, and rejoice in the coming weekend.

Life can be a little exhausting sometimes, and I think we could all stand to benefit from taking a deep breath and spending some time on ourselves. My self-enriching goals for the weekend:

  • Breathe some fresh salty air at the beach (I love you, California)
  • Take a long run while enjoying the new episode of the always delightful Joy the Baker Podcast
  • Bust out the yoga mat and stretch out my body.
  • Kick back with the new issue of Cooking Light (my food magazine of choice!)
  • Cook lots of delicious food to share with you!

Finally, I’ve been doing some revamping of my Pinterest profile, including creation of a new board – “Super Healthy” – to help organize the recipes that most appeal to my dietitian sensibilities. When you’re in the throes of a health kick, look no further!

I love finding new sources for inspiration, and since you’re here you probably have great taste. Just kidding, but seriously, if we’re not already connected, follow me! While we’re at it, I’d love to see how you’re taking advantage of your weekend on Instagram, too. What are you planning for yourself?