This is a shelfie from my office, reflecting a range of reference texts and non-diet memoirs I pull into my work with eating disorder clients, intuitive eating, and helping others heal their relationships with their bodies and with food. I still feel like I’m in transition mode with getting back into the swing of things at work, but at the same time, I’ve felt so grateful for my clients, who show up for such vulnerable, healing work. It’s been a tough week (among many tough weeks on top of what had felt like a tough year for many), and I try to have my professional space be a place of comfort and security for those I work with.
Meanwhile, midweek, I barely registered that it was Valentine’s day. I hope there was an abundance of love and connection for everyone. We didn’t have special plans (I’ve skipped the dinner-out scene since my days as a server myself), but we did pick up a bottle of bubbly and settle in to watch Ghostbusters after the kids went to bed. This was so fun (and Kate McKinnon was a favorite for both of us).
Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:
WEEKLY MENU PLAN
All the options below are dairy-free and soy-free recipes now that we’re managing a dairy- and soy-protein intolerance in our little one.
Sunday: Biryani-style chicken with rice and onions, side salad
Monday: Leftovers (like always on Mondays)
Tuesday: Spinach and sun-dried tomato gnocchi from Power Plates cookbook
Wednesday: Quick fish tacos with roasted corn and red peppers
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Leftovers (again!!)
Saturday: Pudla with sautéed spinach (also from Power Plates), steak tips, and roasted broccoli
WHAT I’M READING AND ENJOYING THIS WEEK:
Tinder isn’t really a part of my life, but even so, I though this was hilarious.
Thin is not the same as healthy
I’ve been so into this pear bread as a mid-morning snack.
I plan on experimenting a bit with recipes from Power Plates, a vegan cookbook from a Food52 editor. I love Food52, though vegan cookbooks always make me a bit wary about extreme health messages bundled along inside. This one seems to have less of that than most.
BOOK REVIEW
Title: Sing, Unburied, Sing
Author: Jesmyn Ward
Date: 2017
Format: e-book
This book got a lot of love from the book bloggers I follow and topped the best-of lists for a lot of major publications. It can be a little dicey picking up a book with that much hype behind it, but I lucked out and enjoyed some other popular books in 2017, and this didn’t disappoint, either.
The book, about a Southern family spanning three generations, delves into issues of race, class and addiction, and the prison system. It has a strong Southern gothic element to it, which I really enjoyed. It felt atmospheric and engaging without being over-the-top.
I read this book in e-book format on my phone, mostly while up at night nursing, or during the day, also while nursing. I remember there was one part that was so engrossing and gripping I felt glued to the book, and when the chapter was over, I looked down to find Will sleeping and sweatily stuck to my arm, things were that intense.
I also liked it, though, because it wasn’t just about some of the challenging cultural issues of our time. It was so much about family and in particular, the relationships between brothers and sisters. No surprise, here, but this is resonating with me right now.
