Friday’s… ain’t what they used to be.

Friday’s have lost their luster in my world.. between quarantine, sobriety and geez, let’s call it celibacy… Friday is like Thursday or Tuesday. Just another day. Another hangover free day, thankfully. I was thinking though if I could relive any Friday night ever which would it be? Instantly I remembered when Friday’s started with my mom dropping me off at the roller skating rink with my best friend Gabe. Our hair always heavily teased. Friendship bracelets stacked up on our wrists. Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers liberally applied. We said “like” way too much and always got in trouble for chewing gum on the rink. We felt so rebellious. Gum! Can you imagine? We would skate in circles until we had blisters or they killed the lights and made us leave. Whichever came first. In remembrance of those innocent, stellar Friday nights.. I made a little Skate Nite mix. I will 100% be adding to this. Slow skate, fast skate, backwards and couples! Please send suggestions!

Day 188: Leftovers and scrambled eggs. A classic move. Potatoes, scallions, roasted poblano pepper, corn, & shishitos (aka shi-shi’s) with cilantro and sunflower sprouts. Fruit on the side.

We’re half way there!

Alright guys, I want you all to take a second and sing the chorus of Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer with me because we are officially half way through a year of breakfasts here at Naked and Eggs! This project has been such a fun and nourishing way to make sure that I am taking care of me first. If you are someone who is prone to prioritizing others needs above your own I highly suggest you carve out some non-negotiable time in the morning just for you. Every day.. And put a egg on it! Wake up, look in the mirror and ask yourself how you feel and what you want. Going into each day knowing what you want saves time. I have also noticed that creates less space in your life for other people who do not know what they want. What a gift! So today I am feeling accomplished and I want EGGS and Bon Jovi on blast! 182 days down.. 182 day to go!

P.S. I am 100% positive that if I had not been sober this entire time I would have given up on this project long ago.. I would have woken up feeling like steaming trash and not had the energy or desire to make myself something beautiful to eat. I would have ordered a taco (outsourcing my self care) and eaten it in bed… I do not miss that.

Day 182: Cheesy egg with sautéed kale, potatoes, bell pepper, shi-shi’s (shishito peppers) scallions and tomato confit. Berries on the side.

DID YOU KNOW… Blueberries have the ability to control the release of cortisol in your body? That is the stress hormone that is produced by the adrenal gland during stressful moments. It travels to the hippocampus and unleashes an emotional response (aka potential freak out). Blueberries help in controlling this hormones impact on your mood. Keeping you calm and relaxed. So eat up!

What is new and good? V

Welcome back for the fifth edition of What is new and good?

Mercury retrograde is over! If the last three weeks have felt like a long and not so funny blooper reel you’re about to get a break. As Mercury goes direct we can all look forward to better communication, fewer misunderstandings, less technological glitchiness and generally smoother times.

Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey donated $3 million to introduce universal basic income to several US cities that want to give the idea a go. It’s awesome to see someone with means give a crap about the wealth gap. High fives to Jack!

Today is Sir Patrick Stewarts 80th birthday! No, he’s not new BUT his longevity definitely falls into the category of good. He has done so much with in his career and so many awesome things with the celebrity it has brought him.

last but not least.. these Pecan flour pancakes are new and good. My best friend came upstairs for breakfast this morning and she is currently keto and I wanted to throw something together that she could enjoy without breaking her stride. We share a love for pancakes so I danced this keto friendly idea around. They were good but they could be better. I’ll play with the recipe and post it in the future.

Day 180: Pecan Flour Pancakes with yogurt, banana, blueberries, chia, pumpkin seeds, crunchy quinoa, honey and nasturtium flowers.

Overwhelmed..

Damn y’all.. Yesterday was an emotional day for me. 24 hours of reflective celebration will do that. I was caught off guard and truly overwhelmed by all the response to my one year soberversary. It had me blushing, honestly. All the comments, messages, texts, phone calls and even kind words from several people I ran into at the farmers market. It blew me away! So, thank you for your support.. for being my community.. for cheering me on. Y’all totally, 100%, completely rule. I’m am forever grateful. If you are struggling with sobriety reach out to someone. Times are strange and incredibly challenging. There’s no shame in falling off. Get back up. Fuhk shame.

I mentioned that moving forward I would be focusing more on nutrition in recovery. I will be covering more than simply what to eat. We will discuss some ways to nourish your energetic body as well. We will take a look at how WHAT we eat greatly effects our mental state. HOW we feed ourselves and the way it effects our sense of self worth and how sometimes looking into WHY we eat a certain way can help us heal our emotional wounds. So, please stick around, click subscribe and if you know someone in recovery please share this with them. Once again, I am forever and ever grateful.

Day 179: Quinoa, tomato and pepper confit, pesto-mole (recipe to follow) + 6 minute egg.

Pesto-mole:
I like this treat for people in recovery because.. It is high in Omega 3 fatty acids which help us fight anxiety and depression while reducing the frequency of mood swings. It can also combat autoimmune disease. Which, substance abuse has been implicated in many autoimmune disorders.

Pesto-Mole is simply pesto mixed with avocado so.. we gotta make pesto! We are going the classic route today but we will explore other options in the future.

You are going to need…

• ½ cup pine nuts

• 3 oz. Parmesan, grated (about ¾ cup)

• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 6 cups basil leaves (about 3 bunches)

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• Toast nuts on a baking sheet at 350° for 5-7 minutes. You will want to toss them nuts once halfway through. Take them out when they are golden.

• Cool them down. This is important. The cheese and basil want nothing to do with your hot nuts. Things will melt and oxidize and you will be sad.

• Throw them in the food processor. Add garlic and cheese. Pulse until finely ground, 1 minute or so. Add basil. With the top on and the motor running, add your oil. Slow and steady here. You want a consistent stream so it emulsifies. Dump all the oil in at once and you will have a sloshy mess. Blend until pesto is mostly smooth, with just a few green flecks here and there, about a minute. Salt to taste.

• Now that you’ve got pesto… grab a large avocado. Pit it. Mash it up. Add 3-4 Tbsp of pesto and fold it in. Huzzah! Now you’ve got pesto-mole.

This stuff will stay happy in the fridge for a long while if you top off the finished product with a 1/4 inch of olive oil to keep it from oxidizing.