Sorry for missing you last week! It’s been so, so hot here lately. Lots of random thunderstorms too. Summer in full swing after unseasonable cool weather and so much rain! I feel for the farmers right now and hope that they can make the best of this growing season.

Not much going on this weekend other than trying our best to stay cool. I also really need to get out there and clean up the veggie garden a bit, get a few seeds going for a few varieties of beans. I feel like the worst gardener ever this year, but I try to remember it’s all about learning and not having astronomical expectations ;)

Our usual reads and links below. Take care and be safe out there!

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. The Art and Challenge of Not Complaining via The Broad Place on Substack
2. The Vegan Empire That Traded Oat Milk for Cattle Ranching via Alta Online
3. Who Speaks for the Trees? A Tiny Quebec Town. via The New York Times (gift link)
4. This Unfathomably Huge Fungal Network Keeps Earth Cool and Green via Grist
5. The Six Forces That Fuel Friendship via The Atlantic (click here for non-paywalled option)

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Making herb salt this weekend!
2. Ordered some of Dandies vegan marshamallow creme so that I can try vegan-izing Pinch of Yum’s S’mores Bars. Wish me luck :)
3. I’m using up all of my skincare backlog before I buy more (no-buy skincare summer!). We had some Osea Dream Night Cream in the drawer and wow, I LOVE it. Super hydrating, non-irritating, and no added fragrance. Why wasn’t I using this sooner?! I’m also a a longtime fan of their Ocean Cleansing Milk.
4. I started the summer by going down to 3 weightlifting sessions a week, just to go a bit easier during this slow season and see what that feels like. But I think I’m gonna bump it back up to 4 per week when I start the next cycle. I’ve been doing this for 2 years now and it blows my mind how much I love it. Never really envisioned myself as a gym gal, let alone one that loves to pick up heavy weights. Sometimes you have to just try the thing with an open mind and see where it goes! Anything is possible!!
5. I received a PR package from Felicia Pasta that I’m thrilled to sample. The buckwheat rigatoni has me dreaming of a fall pasta with smoky caramelized cabbage, roasted garlic, creamy cashew base, lemon, and dill. Just gotta get through summer first :)

5 Questions:

1. Any tips for making your new baked beans recipe in a slow cooker? Can I make them with un-soaked beans? Can you adapt the recipe for the traditional oven-baking method?
   Lots of questions about this that I honestly anticipated as I was working on it!
   🖤 Slow cooker: Sauté the onions and bell pepper with the spices and garlic on the stove first (unless you have a slow cooker with sauté function). Add those to the slow cooker along with everything else up to the Dijon mustard–I would take the amount of vegetable stock up to 2.5 cups. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 8-10 hours. If the beans look like they’re absorbing too much liquid, add 1/2 cup hot stock as you go. Once they’re done, you can proceed with step 9 (adding the miso, vinegar etc).
   🖤 Un-soaked beans: one person has done this and reported back! I’ll quote their review here: “I skipped the overnight soak so I could make these right away (added extra 20 minutes to pressure cook time) and I’m so glad I did.” (Thanks Kim!)
   🖤 Traditional oven-baking method: I would follow the baked beans recipe in my cookbook OR this miso molasses baked beans recipe from the archives, subbing in some of the flavor remixes that are present in the new recipe (add the sautéed shredded onion/bell pepper mix with spices, use balsamic vinegar in place of ACV, add liquid smoke etc)
2. Is there a flavor or ingredient you’re obsessed with lately?
   For folks that have been with me for a while, this will not be shocking. I can’t get enough of sautéed broccoli rabe and white beans lately for lunch. I sauté them in olive oil with a bit of jarred garlic first (yep–sometimes ease is just the thing!), and then add a splash of stock and a few spoonfuls of marinara. Place the lid on top and finish with a sprinkle of hemp seeds and vegan parm. I’ve been eating this for lunch for two weeks straight haha.
3. I struggle with high protein snacks. Any tips?
   If you’re trying to hit a certain protein amount every day (I’m currently trying to hit 130 grams), I recommend loading up your meals as much as possible so that you don’t have to rely on snacks. The only higher protein snacks that I keep around are packets of dry-roasted edamame (Go Beanz is my fave brand) or protein shakes. Sometimes I’ll do a vegan yogurt bowl with protein powder stirred into the yogurt along with a bit of peanut butter plus fruit on top. A little smoked tofu sandwich/salad roll/lettuce wrap is another great option–but I usually turn something like this into a full-on lunch.
4. How to use a surplus of garden basil beyond pesto?
   I like using it as part of a salad greens mixture! Like a high volume of it, roughly chopped and mixed into lettuce leaves (leaf, little gem, butter lettuce etc). This is especially good with a recipe like my Pizza Night Salad, which has lots of complimentary Italian flavors.
5. I noticed that you discuss and post articles about leaving social media a lot. Do you ever think about just quitting that part of your work?
   Yes, all the time. Someone commented that I “look[ed] a little rough” on one of my Instagram Reels a bit ago and I didn’t post for a week (blocked the person, deleted the Reel). I’m human and sometimes I hate it there! But I also find a lot of inspiration on the platform and am honest-to-goodness fully entertained by some creators. I have these moments where I think: If someone like me doesn’t actively try to make this better with the following that I have, what’s the point of complaining?! Contributing is more productive than whinging, mood follows action etc! But parts of it absolutely suck and I am a realist about that and what it entails. My willingness to participate and use it as a tool comes in waves. I’m at the low point of the wave right now, where I just see it as an ad platform and surveillance medium bloated up with shopping/AI features and private profile trolls–so the absolute rock bottom, core-of-the-earth low part of the wave essentially lol. But I know I’ll jump back in eventually. THANK GOODNESS I have my email subscriber base and decent search capital with the blog. I could not make it as a purely social media-based creator. I don’t know how those folks do it and I tip my hat!

Pinned Recipes This Week:

1. Vegan Peaches & Cream Smoothie
2. One-Pan Harissa Eggplant, Pearl Couscous & Chickpeas
3. Vegan Kale Cobb Salad with Almond “Bacon” Bits
4. Grilled Broccoli & Pepperoncini Pasta Salad with Basil
5. Sweet & Spicy Grilled Tofu with Pineapple & Herbed Cauliflower Rice