Here’s a quick little bop of a sweet treat to do you right for Galentine’s or Valentine’s Day (or literally any day, for that mater): Tahini whipped with rosewater and cardamom, stuffed into juicy, sweet, and tender Medjool dates. Any kind of fatty, soft date will work just fine here, no need to be picky. The date works magic to enrobe the fluffy whipped tahini in natural sugars—a perfect match for tahini’s nutty caramel flavor.

Rose (as those of you who own a copy of the Kale & Caramel cookbook already know*) is an aroma that tends to the heart. You can read more about aromatherapy here, but suffice to say that rose is particularly good at evoking compassion, ease, and emotional healing. It’s a scent and flavor I rely on to bring me back to my heart when I’m spinning out in my head. Rose is a powerful ally, and she tastes delicious paired with the subtle spice of cardamom.

The whipped tahini method comes from my favorite chocolate tahini cup recipe, and turns your everyday tahini into a light yet dense, imminently noshable sesame cloud via the magic of emulsifying water into oil. The whole date wonderland takes about five minutes to throw together, and should please everyone in your immediate (and far-ranging vicinity)—unless, that is, they don’t like rosewater.

If that’s the case, feel free to substitute the rosewater for regular water, and perhaps add a pinch or two more cardamom—and maybe some cinnamon, too. Play around! Perhaps top with coconut and cacao nibs? The dates are your oyster(s).

As for where to get rosewater and dried edible rose petals:

Rosewater: I find mine in the Middle Eastern foods aisle at my local Ralphs (same grocery store family as Albertson’s, etc.), and it costs about $3-$5. Sometimes you can also find it in the baking aisle. You can also find many options on Amazon, including the brands that I like best, Sadaf, Cortas, and Nielson-Massey.

Dried Edible Rose Petals: These you’ll find at a specialty grocery store, or I get mine on Amazon. Something like this should work well (though be aware there’s a difference between just petals and petals and buds, where you’ll get the stem and leaves in with the petals)

And if you’d like an extra luscious, body-nourishing DIY self-care moment with rose, try this Edible Coconut Rose Sugar Scrub.

For a more chocolatey and definitely aphrodisiac treat, fall for these Blood Orange Blossom Fudge Brownies.

* This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

The post CARDAMOM ROSE WHIPPED TAHINI-STUFFED DATES. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

Welcome to Wellness Made Simple, a first taste of some big, exciting changes coming to Kale & Caramel over the next few months. Wellness Made Simple is a series that takes wellness and self-care from being

• inaccessible,
• unfounded,
• gimmicky
• expensive, and
• fad-based

to being

• accessible,
• reliable,
• simple,
• affordable, and
• solution-based.

This series returns wellness to its rightful place in the common denominator with vibrant, affordable, and scientifically reliable practices for all. In each post, I will take one notable “wellness” or “self-care” fad and break it down in clear, understandable language. Then I’ll provide an alternative that I’ve found to be effective, affordable, and scientifically sound.

It’s wellness made simple.

In light of the latest celery juice craze (my thoughts are summarized by this article, particularly the author’s closing sentiment: “Your liver doesn’t need detoxing, and please: you wouldn’t take legal advice from a ghost, so don’t take nutrition advice from a guy who claims he can speak to spirits”), I’m starting with the best liquid morning ritual I know—warm lemon water.

First of all—what exactly is up with this celery juice mania? It was started by a guy with zero medical or nutritional credentials, who refers to himself as the Medical Medium, and swiftly propagated by Gwyneth Paltrow’s (historically under-researched) website goop. The Medical Medium claims to receive breakthrough insights about healing and wellness (and science!) before they reach other earthlings. In this case, he claims that celery, when juiced, releases “cluster salts” that “detoxify” your liver and other organs. The article I linked above, penned by a dietitian, tells you all you need to know about why these claims are truly bonkers—and that “cluster salts” are most definitely a thing of the (potentially never) future.

Meditating on the celery juice craze, I can’t help but think about Virginia Sole-Smith’s pithy piece on the “Thin White Men Who Rebranded Dieting as Wellness”. Any coincidence that the Medical Medium is yet another thin white man out to help women lose weight? This passage is particularly profound:

It is a revelation to exactly nobody that a thin, white man can eat whatever he wants and not hear anything beyond some gentle “maybe try a salad sometime!” joshing from loved ones, restaurant staff, doctors, and strangers. In contrast, women—especially if they’re middle-aged, not white, or less educated—experience weight stigma much more frequently than their male peers, and at lower body weights, says Rebecca Puhl, PhD, who studies the implications of weight bias at the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. We can’t “just eat whatever we want” because we’ve been conditioned since childhood to view our bodies as unruly, undisciplined, and in need of constant vigilance. And so we blend smoothies, cut out gluten, and start January diets because we long ago internalized that whatever we’re really hungry for is wrong.

Speaking of wrong, none of this is to say there’s anything bad about celery, or its juiced form. I love celery! It’s hydrating. It’s delicious. And it certainly harbors antioxidant properties. As do all vegetables, a fact mindbodygreen food director Liz Moody pointed out in an Instagram Story rant last week. So why do hundreds of thousands of people seem to have such miraculous results (clear skin! no bloating! more energy!) from the celery juice first-thing-in-the-morning routine?

Most likely because they’ve turned their previous morning routine on its head by starting with hydration. But guess what? Water, too, has extraordinary antioxidant, hydrating, and anti-inflammatory powers—no “cluster salts” needed.

So today, I’m turning attention to my personal favorite liquid morning routine: Warm lemon water. Correct, it’s nothing new. Correct, it doesn’t boast miraculous ahem non-existent “cluster salts”. And correct, it will deliver some fantastic hydration and digestive regulation to your body.

Here’s why it’s a powerful first-thing-in-the-morning ritual, based on actual science:

Lemons contain a high volume of flavonoids, or plant compounds, and vitamin C, which work together to bring a number of healing, anti-inflammatory benefits to the body. Some of the specific benefits include:

• flavonoids contribute to anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective effects
• vitamin c improves immune health
• vitamin c increases your body’s absorption of plant-sourced iron, decreasing risk of anemia
• citrus flavonoids and vitamin c reduce risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol
• can jumpstart your metabolism
• anti-oxidizing effects may improve skin quality
• prevent kidney stones from forming

While many people feel that drinking warm lemon water in the morning helps keep their bowel movements regular (and I myself experience this benefit), there’s no scientific evidence that lemons are responsible for this. Instead, it’s warm water that takes the lead here. Here’s why:

• Warm water has a vasodilating effect, which widens blood vessels to increase circulation and blood flow through the body.
• Water is the body’s natural lubricant, so drinking warm water on an empty stomach allows the liquid to flow through to your digestive tract and get things moving.

Just remember to drink your warm water beverage before you take in any other food or liquid in the morning, and you’ll be good to go.

It’s nearly absurd to include a recipe for such a simple morning ritual, but I won’t leave you hanging. Happy hydrated mornings to you.

The post WELLNESS MADE SIMPLE: WHY YOU SHOULD PUT DOWN THE CELERY JUICE & GRAB A LEMON, STAT. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Chances are, if you’re a self-care- or wellness- prone human who spends any amount of time on the internet today, you’ve heard of essential oils. Chances are also that you don’t really know what essential oils are, why you should use them, how to use them, or even where to get them. I understand. And I am here to help.

Why should I be the one to help? Because I’ve been speaking the language of essential oils for literally my entire life. My mother was an aromatherapist and an herbalist, and my parents had a body care and spa product company in which I cut my teeth as a young professional in the Wild West of wellness. My mother studied with herbal queen Rosemary Gladstar, and authored two books, Living With the Flowers and its second edition, The Complete Book of Flowers.

Today, I see much misinformation and confusion circulating about how and why we should use essential oils—and I’m here to clear some of that up. As my mother would have said, these plants are our allies, but we must know how to use them. We must know how to listen to them. And we must respect their potency. Essential oils are strong plant medicine, and must be used appropriately to reap their benefits.

Here, I’ll give you the rundown on what, why, how, and where to use essential oils, along with the top 5 oils I keep on hand for daily use and healing.

You can find a great deal more information on using aromatic herbs and flowers in my book Kale & Caramel: Recipes for Body, Heart, and Table.

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?

An essential oil is the oil extracted from its originating plant, typically by distillation (using steam) or expression (as how citrus skins express oils when broken). The extraction process yields a highly concentrated oil that should be used with care, since its intensity can cause both external (skin) and internal irritation.

Essential oils have been used for millennia in cosmetic, medicinal, and aromatic applications. Evidence points to earliest use of essential oils in ancient Egypt (2000 BC), and perhaps even earlier in China and India. The Greek physician Dioscorides described use of essential oils in his medical tomes of 1st century AD, as did Avicenna, one of the forefathers of modern medicine, in the 10th century AD.

The use of essential oils for healing properties is called aromatherapy, a term coined by French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé in 1910. Gattefossé, who experienced extraordinary healing results after submerging burned hands in a vat of lavender oil, wrote the first book on aromatherapy in 1937, entitled Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles, Hormones Végétales (the English version came out in the ’90s). During World War II, a French military physician named Jean Valnet began using essential oils to treat wounded soldiers.

In the mid-20th century, Marguerite Maury, an Austrian biochemist (and finally, a woman in all this scentual history) began championing the use of essential oils mixed into a carrier oil for massage therapy. And in 1977, Robert Tisserand wrote the first English language book on the art of aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy was thus born, a way to use essential oils for healing of all kinds. Today, aromatherapy is used widely around the world.

WHY SHOULD I USE ESSENTIAL OILS?

I may be the daughter of an aromatherapist, but I’m also a skeptic. And while no scientific research has conclusively demonstrated the medical or psychotherapeutic effects of essential oils, I believe there is validity in my own lived experience. So while I would never use essential oils to treat serious physical, psychological, or emotional ailments, I do experience great relief and joy in their use. Try them yourself and see how you feel.

I experience a wide range of benefits from using essential oils, and outline some of those below, with the corresponding oils.

Essential oils are excellent for:

• Regulating mood: lavender, rose, neroli (orange blossom), peppermint, geranium and rose geranium
• Relieving anxiety: lavender, rose, neroli
• Reducing inflammation: lavender, peppermint, tea tree
• Improving the appearance of skin: sandalwood, lavender, rose, geranium and rose geranium, frankincense, tea tree (for acne)
• Easing nausea: peppermint, ginger, cinnamon
• Easing headaches: lavender, peppermint
• Clearing congestion: eucalyptus, tea tree, rosemary, oregano
• Reducing fever: lavender
• Boosting the immune system: oregano, lavender
• Aphrodisiac: jasmine, neroli, vetiver
• All-natural perfume: jasmine, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, juniper, neroli, rose, any plant you can imagine
• And so much more: For more information on essential oils, I recommend my mother, Denise Diamond’s book Living With the Flowers, and my book Kale & Caramel: Recipes for Body, Heart, and Table.

HOW DO I USE ESSENTIAL OILS?

Essential oils can be used in three different ways:

• Atmospherically: Via diffuser, spray bottle, or other method of aeration.
• Topically: On the skin, either directly or in a carrier oil (see below for further instruction).
  • For face and body: To use essential oils topically on your facial skin, blend just a few drops of essential oil in a carrier oil, like sweet almond or jojoba oil. Because essential oils are so strong, even a single drop can have a profound effect.
  • For perfume: Most perfumes should also consist of essential oils mixed into a carrier oil. If you would like to apply an oil directly to your pulse points as a perfume, try one single drop on your wrists to test for possible skin irritation.
  • Blend your own: Pick up some 4- or 8-ounce glass bottles with dropper lids—as well as some pipettes to measure essential oil drops—from Amazon to start blending your own oils.
  • Read my guide to using natural oils to moisturize your skin.

• Internally: Some essential oils can be ingested, if they are of food-grade quality and specifically marked for internal use. Only ingest oils that are specifically labeled food-grade. Personally, I prefer to ingest aromatic hydrosols (water distillations of plants), as I believe these to be safer.

 

WHERE DO I GET ESSENTIAL OILS?

Essential oils may seem expensive on first glance, but remember that you’re only using a few drops at a time. A one ounce bottle might last you years. Places to purchase essential oils:

• Your local health food store: Many health food stores sell high-quality essential oils, often with testers so you can smell before you buy. As with buying food, organic options may provide a higher quality oil. Keep an eye out for the oil’s source, as well.
• Your local apothecary shop: You know that little witchy shop that sells crystals, incense, and moon charts? They definitely have essential oils, too. And likely someone working there who knows a bit about oils.
• Online: A few favorites I trust:
  • Mountain Rose Herbs: Excellent for purchasing affordable staples.
  • Floracopeia: For when I want super high quality, wildcrafted oils and blends.
  • Agua de Flora: These exquisite perfume blends are made by friends of mine, using oils hand-distilled by some of the world’s most skilled living plant whisperers.
  • Young Living: I trust their food-grade oils for ingestion, if that’s your thing.
  • Amazon: Always there for a good search binge.

THE 5 ESSENTIALS FOR EVERYDAY USE

Finally, here are my top five essential oils for everyday use.

Lavender

Lavender is an all-purpose healer that soothes and calms the nervous system, supports rest and relaxation, reduces fever, boosts the immune system, uplifts mood, and provides anti-inflammatory effects for the skin (burns, rashes, and irritation). Excellent to travel with, as it’s naturally antibacterial.

Peppermint

Peppermint is a whiz at easing nausea and headaches, and putting some pep in your step when you’re exhausted or worn out. Also great for travel.

Rose

Rose is the perfect wind-down after a long day, or a sweet and gentle way to begin an adventure. It helps calm and open the heart, soothes rocky emotions, and tames inflammation. It’s a go-to.

Tea Tree Oil

Tree tree is phenomenal for drying up skin congestion and acne, and is also antibacterial, making it an excellent travel companion.

Jasmine or Neroli

I alternate between using jasmine and neroli as mix-ins for my full-body and facial moisturizers. There are many different types of jasmine; neroli is orange blossom, which also may have varietals. They’re both exquisite, intoxicating florals that have an aphrodisiac effect. Warning: You’ll probably want to make out with yourself after application. They’re lovely paired with one of the woods below.

Sandalwood or Cedar or Juniper

These woods bring clarity, sanity, and a sense of connection to the earth. Sandalwood is an excellent multi-purpose mix-in for both facial and body oils. Cedar and juniper are great for body oils as well as in more concentrated perfume use, along with sandalwood—which pairs particularly well with florals.

Bonus: Vetiver

My current favorite essential oil is vetiver, extracted from the roots of a bushy grass. Vetiver smells like the spicy, fecund floor of a rainforest, and is the perfect match for a light floral, like neroli.

What are your favorite essential oils, and how do you use them? Please leave any additional questions below, and I’ll do my best to answer them. 

All skin conditions, medical ailments, and psychoemotional challenges should be immediately treated by a qualified medical professional.

The post HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS: AROMATHERAPY 101. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

It’s citrus season.

I’m back from my annual new year’s desert retreat, full of sunshine, citrus, palm trees, and the looming inanity of the government shut down. For the first time, we did not visit Joshua Tree National Park—too dangerous without any of the supporting infrastructure in place. No bathrooms. No rangers. A more adventurous friend decided to drive through, and got their car stuck on one of the sand-swept roads that course through the park like lifelines to the surrounding expanse of nothing. For the first time, too, my father joined our annual Palm Springs crew. Much hiking, music-making, and hot-tub opining ensued.

We watched the sky. I taught a toddler (wearing goggles) to whip cream. I learned to play Settlers of Catan (and I won my first round—perhaps I should never play again!). I thought about all the work of 2019: A book due, a new iteration of this space, decisions to be made about my body (to cryoovopreserve, or not), my home, my thirty-fifth year around the sun.

I thought, too, about this salad.

Here it is: My annual citrus season salad contribution—the Mecca of citrus glory in vegetal form, a way to eat up all that sweet-tart magic that doesn’t involve shoving it hand to mouth. Though you may find yourself doing that with this easy winter vegetable and fruit wonder—it’s just that delectable. Layers of tender, bitter radicchio leaves, shaved golden beets that get quick pickled in what then becomes the base for the dressing, and every kind of sweet citrus I could get my hands on: tangelos, tangerines, cara cara oranges, blood oranges, you name it, I citrus it.

The salad itself couldn’t be simpler, but it presents in full citrus regalia, a winter salad jewel for the dining table’s crown.

It comes to you with a photo essay and photographic study of this winter produce: deep purples, vibrant corals, gentle yet pungent greens, vibrant yellows, triumphant rubies. These colors awaken. I like to imagine what they do inside of me.

Happy citrus salading.

Thank you for being here for this new year.

The post RADICCHIO, BEET & CITRUS SALAD WITH GOLDEN BEET VINAIGRETTE. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

This post, and the travel described therein, was created in partnership with Earthbound Farm, who is committed to the betterment of the planet through growing delicious organic produce.

This fall I had the pleasure of traveling to a few of the farms that make up the Earthbound Farm network of organic growers here in California. What I discovered was a profound community of earth servants, committed to producing extraordinary organic fruits and vegetables while doing everything possible to heal the environment and make their goods accessible to all. Click here to read more about my trip with Earthbound, and read on for a perfect winter salad that utilizes their new Rosé Blend and their Baby Red Butter Lettuce greens.

This salad is the perfect combination of fresh winter crunch—sweet and bitter lettuces (baby red, oak, and butter, and a splash of radicchio), hearty apples and persimmon—with satisfying crispy shallots and toasted seeds. With a salty, tangy cheese finish (pick goat, feta, or even a hard cheese like cheddar), it’s the perfect salad to bring to dinners and parties all season long.

Earthbound Farm’s lettuce blends were a major time and flavor saver—not only did I get to skip all the lettuce selection, but the greens also come pre-washed. That means absolutely zero prep from opening the box to getting peak deliciousness in my salad bowl. I finished the perfect leaves with a light stoneground mustard vinaigrette, but any vinaigrette would be lovely. And don’t forget to keep an extra close eye on the shallots as they fry—they’ll quickly go from golden brown to burned.

Happy winter salad season!

And don’t forget to read up about why choosing organic matters in the age of global warming.

The post WINTER CRUNCH SALAD WITH APPLE, PERSIMMON, AND TOASTED SEEDS. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

I wasn’t raised in a very politically-minded family. We were tofu-eating, flower-in-hair-wearing, naked-yoga-doing liberal Jews, but political conversation wasn’t a regular at the dinner table. We didn’t protest or march. We were comfortable in the semi-blissful bubble of our white, middle class privilege. We could afford—financially and racially—to choose when we engaged with politics. And that’s how I thought it went: There were the folks who were “political”, always agitating and blustery, and then there was the rest of the world.

And today, we woke up to a very different feeling country today than yesterday. To be honest, I was afraid. Afraid I’d wake up the way I did two years ago after the 2016 presidential election. But we won’t revisit that day. Instead I’ll turn to the refrain that I came to again and again that day: We have so much work to do. And you know what? We did a tiny little bit of that work over the past two years.

There is much, much work forever to be done to bring us to a place of real reckoning with the human rights violations, the racism, the sexism, the bigotry, the white supremacy our country carries. But last night, as we elected a record-breaking 100 women to Congress, as we saw black and brown women, gay women, and other minorities secure victories around the country, a tide turned. We showed our children the kind of humans we want representing us. And if I’m being really honest, I showed myself. I needed to know this was possible. Hope was possible.

I saw it first in the victories of the women we spoke with on What’s Your Story? LaShawn Williams was one of 19 black women who won judgeships in Harris County, Texas. Catalina Cruz was a DREAMer who grew up undocumented and secured a State Assembly seat in New York. Deb Haaland became one of the first Native American women in Congress, representing New Mexico’s first congressional district. Jena Griswold was elected Colorado’s first female Secretary of State—and the first Democrat to hold that office in sixty years.

These women won last night, as did so many others who contributed to a wide range of historic firsts. The first gay Native American woman in Congress. The first Black woman District Attorney of Boston. The first Muslim women elected to Congress. The youngest woman ever to join Congress. And so many more.

And while the victories are truly everything, I also want to honor the many courageous women who fought extraordinary campaigns that didn’t have the outcome they desired. Paulette Jordan, who was set to become Idaho’s first Native American, and first female, governor. Anita Malik and Felicia French, who made exceptional strides for Democratic women of color in deeply conservative Arizona. And Deedra Abboud, whose fight to represent Muslim American women in the Senate made waves in that same state.

In my own small way, I relearned hope over these past months. I interrogated the places in myself I did not think of as “political”, the parts of myself that did not believe I could make a difference. Do you see those spaces in yourself? I urge you to ask yourself who robbed you, your heart, of that agency. And if you think it’s too late to make a difference, know that it’s not.

We’re only just beginning. We have so much work to do.

Oh yes—and lest we forget we need physical sustenance, I present to you the holiday side dish that will steal hearts and wow mouths everywhere. You could make the base with sweet potatoes, yams, or any winter squash you like. They’re mashed until creamy, then enfolded with crispy shallots and olive oil, and topped with perfectly pan-fried mushrooms and thyme.

This excellent side could also be transformed into a brunch or dinner main with some sautéed greens and an egg on top.

The post CREAMY ROASTED SQUASH & CRISPY MUSHROOMS. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

We are T-minus three days until it’s officially midterm Election Day, but the frenzy has been in full force for, well, two years? More? Regardless, here we are. We are older, wiser, and better equipped to actively participate in the resistance. And ice cream? Ice cream.

I’ve been deeply immersed in the launch of What’s Your Story? podcast—the first season is well underway, a powerful symphony of stories from women running for office—and have hardly had a moment to spare for the kitchen. But. But. Late one night, early this week, I found myself attempting a batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies for my neighbors. They were a flop (I tried to sub almond butter for almond milk, heaven forbid), but the perfect crumbly texture for…ice cream?

I liked where this was going, and decided to keep with the vegan theme. Remembering I’d once made a literally perfect batch of vegan vanilla ice cream from the book N’ice Cream by Virpi Mikkonen and Tuulia Talvio, I got to summoning ingredients. It’s simple, thank goodness, because the election anxiety-addled brain could hardly handle anything complex.

Here’s what you’ll need: A couple cans of coconut milk. Some raw cashews, soaked. Some maple syrup. Some sea salt. Some vegan chocolate chip cookies, or your cookie of choice. An ice cream maker, whose churning vessel you’ve frozen overnight.

The point here is to de-stress, to let the political anxiety and news cacophonies inside your mind flow away like rivulets of melting ice cream. For the sound of the ice cream churner to gently massage the corners of your soul that have become mangled messes of polling results and forgotten hope. This is ice cream to fill your psychospiritual bucket of resistance, to get you through whatever might happen on Tuesday.

And if the thought of making ice cream is contributing to, rather than detracting from, your election anxiety, might I suggest this handy kitchen trick? Go buy yourself a pint and forget I ever mentioned making it yourself.

But in the case that you feel drawn to give yourself the gift of this extraordinary plant-based, totally vegan ice cream, know that you are in for an incredible treat. This recipe makes enough to serve at least 8, so feel free to halve it if necessary. But maybe you’d like to de-stress a crowd of anxiety-ridden friends, too?

Go forth and election anxiety ice cream yourselves through Tuesday. And might I suggest an episode of What’s Your Story? with your next scoop?

The post ELECTION ANXIETY COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM (VEGAN). appeared first on Kale and Caramel.

We’re living through a historic moment right now—collectively enthralled by the Senate judicial committee hearing of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations of sexual assault by Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Goodness, I got tired just writing that sentence. Concurrently, I’m working on a very special project, which will contribute more fully to the conversation around personal and civic forms of activism, particularly as located in the bodies and minds of women. More on that soon (get excited!), but for now, I want to talk about how we are staying sane.

Yesterday, on Instagram, I wrote about the sociopolitical importance of believing women—and of no longer accepting women’s bodies, women’s trauma, and women’s suffering as a necessary martyrdom by which their oppressors will learn the lessons they need to learn. We’ve been here so many times before. Not just in 2016. Not just in 1991. Not just in almost every religious text ever written. We’ve been here enough to know that the martyrdom of any oppressed party—women, people of color, queer folks, and so many others—in order for their oppressor to have what Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) called a “teaching moment”—is not a culturally functional option.

I applaud the solidarity and support of so many Democratic senators in the room yesterday, and yet. And yet. Here we are today, and it’s almost as though nothing has changed. There is still so much work to be done.

And before, and during, and after the work, we must find ways to nourish ourselves.

 

In the spirit of being wrung dry by the resistance, by politics, by staring at a room deafening in its whiteness and its maleness, I am sharing with you the meal I prepare for myself when I have nothing left to give. This is pure comfort food for me: easy, infinitely customizable, both nutritionally dense and a little bit indulgent. I wish I could prepare a trough of it for Dr. Blasey Ford—and all survivors (all women)—right now.

What’s required:

1. That you have some inclination or appreciation of Mexican flavors in a healthyish Cali-Tex-Mex form.
2. That you have a can of black beans. Or pinto beans. Or any kind of bean, really. God, I love beans. (Doesn’t need to be a can. Maybe you soaked and sprouted and boiled your own beans. Bless you.)
3. That you have some salsa or hot sauce.
4. That you have some kind of cheese. I like goat cheese here.
5. That you have some veggies: some greens, and some herbs (cilantro, preferably), and some cabbage, or carrots, or something crunchy.

The rest is optional. (Though honestly all of it is—maybe your ideal resistance self-care meal is actually a plate full of nothingness. That works, too.) But in the case that you opt for the food-centric version, I also recommend avocado and chips. Make this your own.

The hardest thing you’ll do here is sauté the beans in olive oil, garlic, and cumin, and slice up the cabbage or other crunchy veg for your cilantro slaw. It comes together in under ten minutes. Use those precious moments to focus your breath on the sensory experience in the moment.

What does your body feel like, right now?

How is your breath moving in and out of your body?

What parts of your body feel tense, and what parts relaxed?

What do you smell?

What textures do you feel?

Taste as you go. What flavors are present?

Experience the animal qualities of your body as anchors to the present moment. Remember the power of fully occupying your body, your self. Remember your power. Remember what you believe in. Refuel.

And then go out there and slay.

The post EASY BLACK BEAN SALAD BOWL | WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU HAVE RESISTANCE FATIGUE. appeared first on Kale and Caramel.