Hello and welcome to our weekly hang. I caught another bug and have been out of commission all week. Just a rough fever and lots of chest congestion. I’ve been sick for most of October at this point! Really hoping that things start looking up after this weekend and I can get some sleep. Please be careful out there!
I haven’t ate much aside from plain carbs this week. Toast, saltines and oatmeal, and that’s about it. Lots of Gatorade, ginger ale, and this tea in the mix too. The weather has been slightly warm and gorgeous, so I’ve been sitting outside in the sun when I can. It feels really good and the dogs are happy to join me.
Leaving it at that so that I can get a bit more rest. Take care :)
5 Things I’m Reading:
- substack won’t heal your instagram addiction via Letters from Jo on Substack
- Can Chestnuts Save the World? via Tomato Tomato
- Living in community is where self-illusions go to die via Aeon
- The helicopter-powered quest to save salmon in B.C. via The Narwhal
- Every Onion Is a New Onion via Lion’s Roar
5 Things I’m Enjoying:
- Short form content that I’m actually loving right now: Errands (also on YouTube if you’re not on Instagram). It’s kind of unintentionally funny, a little weird, and the original scores for each video are excellent. Just regular folks out doing errands, mundane and unusual.
- The Nature Of Podcast: Step Into an Enchanted Forest With Robin Wall Kimmerer, Giuliana Furci, and More
- Watching: Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald
- How to get nice caramelization on roasted FROZEN vegetables. I’m excited to try this when my palate goes back to normal.
- Still on the electronic and ambient music lately: Fuubuutsushi (Cicada Season is so gorgeous), Resavoir’s new one, and Resonance by Yumiko Morioka
5 Questions:
- Do you have any advice for converting your soup recipes to work in a slow cooker?
Most of my soup recipes simmer for 30-40 minutes. Generally when converting a recipe with this length of simmering time to the crockpot, you would put it on the low setting for 5 hours OR the high setting for 3-4 hours. If you can, I think it’s really helpful to first sauté the flavor base (onions, garlic, woody herbs, spices, celery, carrots etc) in a skillet if you can and then add it to the crockpot. Vegetables like potatoes, squash, and carrots are fine for the entire duration of cooking time. Softer veg like zucchini or broccoli can go in for 2 hours max. If there are chopped greens or something delicate like peas, add them in the last 20-30 minutes. - Curious how you veganized Ottolenghi’s butternut squash parm!
I followed the recipe precisely but finished with the miso garlic sauce from this flatbread recipe. It was great! - Curious about your electrolyte testing journey and if you could please share your results and any hot takes?
My fave is good old powdered Gatorade in the lemon lime flavor. I like Liquid IV and LMNT’s lemon lime/citrus options but find both of them a bit too salty for my needs (and so expensive). Wakewater (a Canadian brand) is pretty good also! Biosteel’s lemon lime tastes like weird fake lime candy–not my fave! - How do you decide which recipe ideas make it onto the blog and which don’t?
The recipe has to serve an everyday role or a specific seasonal role. A weeknight dinner, a soup to make on Sunday, a bean salad to meal prep, a Thanksgiving veggie side etc, a winter salad for when you’re tired of cabbage and carrots etc. There has to be context for the recipe that makes sense in people’s lives. If it has too many appliances or dishes involved in addition to 12+ ingredients, I generally won’t post it. The holidays are an exception! I avoid posting for the sake of posting or using an ingredient because it’s trending. Of course sometimes I do clutter up a recipe! But these days, I’ll only do that if it’s light on dishes/time. I used to have no limits or parameters when I was working on recipes, thinking I had to load them up to make them special, the best etc. Now, I find that a bit of containment or set boundaries help to make a recipe better and more practical for people (and myself!). - Are you dressing up for Halloween?
Probably not! We’re hosting a game night that weekend with friends (if I’m better by then) which will have a bit of a spooky theme. I might bust out a denim shirt + cowboy hat combo, but that’s my hard limit haha. On Halloween night, we generally hide in a room near the back of the house, order takeout, and watch movies until the trick or treaters have all gone home. My dogs do not enjoy folks coming to the door lol. I’d rather keep them calm and not risk any incidents.
Pinned Recipes This Week:
- Vegan Butternut Squash Zuppa Toscana
- Smoky Squash Chili with Quinoa, Pinto & Black Beans
- Vegan Potato Gnocchi with Kale Sauce
- Crispy Air Fryer Tempeh with Gochujang Glaze & Snow Peas
- Roasted Cabbage with Ginger Lime Root Slaw & Cashews
Thanks for answering my electrolyte question (i also found LMNT way too salty and glad to hear Gatorade still holds up :)) I am so sorry you are unwell. Get some rest and hope you are back to feeling better very soon!
Yes, just heard from a friend whose dentist commented that the electrolyte powders is ruining her teeth and causing cavities. My favorite for increased hydration is coconut water. Supposedly it’s the closest to our own natural electrolytes. It’s best served really cold.
Thank you Laura for turning me on to Errands. Now I’m obsessed!
Hi Laura, I always look forward to the Saturday Sun posting for inspiration. Thank you! One question I have is….. “Moong Dal” (split mung beans). I have a large jar of these and was wondering if I can successfully use these instead of red lentils in recipes. I bought them originally to attempt a vegan egg recipe and, the texture doesn’t work for me in that type of recipe. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Also, one comment on electrolytes. I recently added PVL ProH20 to my water at the gym and I will say, it’s one of the best I’ve tried + as a bonus, it’s a Canadian Company. I’ve only tried the “orange” flavour but I’ve become a fan.
I think there is a time to use electrolyte powders (when you need the convenience), but we can so simply make an electrolyte drink at home. A very simple one I make and crave in the hotter months when I’m outside sweating in the garden is just adding some maple syrup, Himalayan salt and fresh squeezed lime juice to a glass of water and with a splash of cold fizzy mineral water. So refreshing and restoring.