This week’s 30-minute meal is a riff on a trending recipe that, I’ll admit, I hadn…

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CATCH UP!

I’m going to make this catch up short and sweet because this week’s meal prep recipes are taking up a whole lot of room, but I don’t have anything major to report anyway! Truly the same old, same old. I’ve been enjoying cooking extra lately, probably because I’m leaning into the little luxuries of food. This week, I’ve made a creamsicle matcha, cheese-stuffed dates too many times to count, anchovy, butter, and radish toast, caramelized banana toast, whipped bone marrow…I could go on! I’ll share a roundup of these on Instagram soon, but indulging in these little treats really brightens my day.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

I saw a TikTok where a woman took her toddler-sized t-shirts and turned them into rompers for her baby by adding some snaps. I was inspired, so I went to a thrift store by my house and picked up a few toddler-sized tees and ordered this kit from Amazon to get crafting. This is my new favorite hobby! It ends up giving Sagan unique outfits that literally cost just a few dollars, and it’s very easy to do. One note: the reviews are a little iffy, but I had no issues with it!

This is the summer of jean shorts for me, and I succumbed to the Bermuda denim shorts trend with zero regrets. These are from H&M, and they’re just the right amount of loose without being too baggy. It’s nice to not only have “short shorts” and own a pair with a different silhouette. They have different wash options (including a very cute cream), and at only $30, they’re a steal (plus, they always have sales).

I’ve been holding off on sharing these Masa chips because they are on the pricier side, but damn, are they SO good. My mom is obsessed with them and always steals them from me because she thinks they’re the best she’s ever had, so make of that information what you will. They have different flavors (I recommend a bundle), but the churro ones remind me of those cinnamon twists from Taco Bell, and the Cobanero remind me of Doritos. The ingredients are nice and simple, and they’re cooked in tallow, which adds a nice flavor. Although a minor pet peeve of mine is when brands are loud about not having seed oils, but hey! The product is good.

RECIPE!

Meal Prep for Food Snobs is back! Yay!

This week we are working with salmon, and because this series is for us snobs, each recipe tastes truly different than the next. I promise you won’t be sick of salmon by the end of the week! And you’re going to feel so healthy getting in your omega 3s!

The three recipes we’re cooking this week are:

• Mediterranean Salmon Tzatziki Bowl

• Salmon Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

• Spicy Salmon Hand Rolls

At the start of the week, you’ll make:

• Baked lemon salmon (for everything)

• Quick pickled onions (for bowl and tacos)

• White rice (for bowl and hand rolls)

• Tzatziki (for bowl and tacos)

Here are all the groceries you’ll need:

Please note these recipes serve two people, so cut in half if you’re cooking for one!

• 2 ¾ pounds salmon (confession: I like Atlantic cause it’s so soft and buttery. Whole Foods is my favorite)

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (I like medium-grain)

• 4 taco-sized flour tortillas

• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

• 1 medium red onion

• 6 cloves garlic

• 2 bunches green onion

• 3 medium Persian cucumbers

• 2 red bell peppers

• 1 medium zucchini

• 1 honey mango

• 3 medium avocados

• 2-3 lemons

• 2 limes

• 5 nori sheets

• 1/2 cup feta

• Fresh dill

• Fresh cilantro

• Fresh mint

• Microgreens

Here are the pantry staples you’ll need:

• Olive oil

• White vinegar

• Rice vinegar

• Mayonnaise

• Sriracha

• Soy Sauce

• Sugar

• Ground cumin

• Taco seasoning

• Sesame seeds (white, black, or both)

• Salt

Cooking Order

I made the bowl first so the salmon and rice could both be fresh. I recommend starting here, and you can roast your veggies for the bowl at the same time as your salmon!

Reheating Instructions

I included reheat instructions for the tacos, since it’s part of the recipe to fry them up with some taco seasoning. The salmon hand rolls don’t need reheating (yay), and if you choose to make the salmon bowl later, it can also be enjoyed cold, almost like a salad.

Lemon Salmon

• 2 ¾ lbs salmon

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Optional: extra lemon slices to top

• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Add your salmon to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2. In a small bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and a good pinch or two of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salmon, and brush the mixture over everything to evenly coat the salmon. Optional: place a lemon wedge on top of each filet for extra lemon flavor.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes until salmon is fully cooked through — check that it’s pink, opaque, and easily flakes with a fork. I usually find 13 minutes is the sweet spot, but it will depend on the thickness of your filets!

Quick Pickled Onions

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Add onions to a medium bowl. In a saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil. Stir until sugar and salt has dissolved.

3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions, stirring to make sure all the onions get coated. Let onions cool to room temperature, and then transfer to a jar or place directly into the fridge, making sure to cover either the jar or the bowl. You can use these right away, but they also continue to marinate after a couple days!

Rice

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked medium-grain white rice

Cook rice according to your preferred method. I use the Instant pot and add 2 cups water. I pressure cook on high for 15 minutes with 10 minutes slow release.

Tzatziki (recipe adapted from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

• 2 Persian cucumbers, grated

• 1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp white vinegar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp chopped dill

1. Grate your cucumbers, and use a cheesecloth (or add to a fine mesh sieve) to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

2. In a small/medium bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt until completely smooth. Then mix in the drained, grated cucumber and dill.

Mediterranean Salmon Bowl (serves 2)

Salmon

• Use 1/3 of your baked salmon for this recipe (cut into 2 filets)

Veggies

• 2 red bell peppers

• 1 medium/large zucchini

Lemon Cumin Rice

• Half your cooked rice (about 2 cups cooked)

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Avocado Feta Salad

• 1 medium/large avocado, diced

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta

• 1 1/2 tbsp chopped dill

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Salt

1. Start by roasting the veggies (you can make these at the same time as the salmon). Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice your peppers in half lengthwise, removing the stem, seeds, and any excess flesh. Dice your zucchini.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add the peppers facing down. Add the zucchini next to the peppers, and toss in a little olive oil and salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes until peppers are nice and charred and zucchini is soft, stirring the zucchini halfway through. Let the peppers cool before removing the skin and cutting into slices.

3. Make your avocado salad by mixing together your avocado chunks with crumbled feta, lemon, dill, and a pinch of salt.

4. Make your lemon cumin rice by mixing together rice, cumin, lemon juice, and salt. Add to the bottom of two bowls.

5. Top each bowl with the salmon, avocado feta salad, red peppers, zucchini, some pickled onions, and a big dollop of tzatziki.

Spicy Salmon Hand Rolls (makes about 8-10 hand rolls)

• Use 1/3 of your baked salmon for this recipe, skin removed (about 2 cups mashed salmon)

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha

• 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari

• 2 bunches green onion, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 5 nori sheets

• 1 avocado, cut into thin slices

• 1 Persian cucumber, cut into matchsticks

• Micro greens (I used assorted rainbow)

• Sesame seeds

1. Add the salmon to a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Add the sriracha, mayo, soy sauce, and green onions, and mix together.

2. Add cooked rice to a bowl along with salt, sugar, and rice vinegar. Since you’re using leftover rice, it may be a little dry, so you can add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to moisten it up.

3. Cut your nori in half lengthwise, and then trim 2 inches off the end. Lay the nori shiny side down. Add a spoonful of rice to end of the nori, and press flat with the back of spoon. Top with a heaping spoonful of the salmon filling, and top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Add 2 thin slices of avocado, followed by a a few slices of the cucumber and a small handful of micro greens.

4. To roll the hand roll, take the bottom left corner and bring it up to meet the right corner of the filling, rolling at a diagonal. When you’ve rolled your hand roll, wet your finger with some water to seal the hand roll closed. Once you’re done with your hand rolls, serve immediately so they don’t get soggy!

Salmon Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa (makes 4 tacos)

• Use 1/3 of your baked salmon for this recipe, skin removed

• 1 tsp taco seasoning

• 4 taco-sized flour tortillas (I used street taco sized)

• 1 ripe honey mango, finely chopped

• 1 medium avocado, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint

• Juice of 1 lime (plus 1 lime cut into slices for serving)

• Tzatziki

• Pickled onions

1. Start by preparing your mango avocado salsa. In a medium bowl, combine mango, avocado, cilantro, mint, lime juice, and a good pinch or two of salt. Set aside.

2. Rub 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning on top of your remaining salmon. In a cast-iron skillet (or other large skillet that’s not likely to stick), heat up a drizzle of oil on medium-high heat (I used avocado oil). Add the salmon top-side down, and cook for 1-2 minutes to get the top crispy. Flip the salmon, cover, and cook for another minute or two to get the salmon nice and warm all the way through. Remove from heat, and keep covered while you assemble your tacos.

3. Heat up a small skillet on medium heat, and warm the tortillas for 1-2 minutes on each side. You can keep your tortillas warm while you assemble each taco by wrapping them in foil and keeping them in a 200 F oven or toaster oven.

4. To make each taco, start by adding a dollop of tzatziki and spreading it across the tortilla. Top with salmon, the mango salsa, and some pickled onions. I also added a little extra chopped cilantro on top. Serve with a squeeze of lime!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for a bright and fresh chickpea salad with cucumbers and mini peppers over lemony goat cheese whipped with yogurt. Great to enjoy on your own, with some toasted bread, or even as an appetizer with friends!

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

I told Grant that once I’m done with this project and can get back to cooking strictly for fun—not that the cookbook isn’t fun, but you know what I mean—I’m going to try to get better at baking. And I’m going to start with all these fun recipes in the many cookbooks I own.

Now, I’m typing up this newsletter in my Pages app while I wait for our internet to turn back on. This week’s recipe is sort of a salad but sort of not? It’s made with chickpeas, cucumbers, mini peppers, and herbs and serve over a lemony goat cheese spread cut with a little yogurt for extra spreadability (and more protein). I got this idea from this recipe from Bold Bean Co, and it worked really well!

You can serve this dish as is or with some crusty, toasted bread if you want a little boost. There’s no baking or cooking necessary for this meal, which makes it nice and fast! You could also serve it as an appetizer or snack if you wanted to divide it between more people.

I like to use a mandolin to thinly slice everything, but if you don't have one, you can just use a knife!

Chickpea, Cucumber, and Sweet Pepper Salad over Lemony Goat Cheese

Ingredients (serves 2)

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CATCH UP!

Hi!!!! I was away a lot this week as I helped my sister through her first week postpartum, so I wasn’t able to get together a new meal prep series this week. However, I’m home now and back in action, and we will be back with another “Meal Prep For Food Snobs” next week, so stay tuned! I know I have a lot of new people here excited about this series, and I will definitely keep it going!

We didn't get to celebrate a proper Passover or Easter this year because of my new nephew, but I did put Sagan in his cute little carrot overalls. I’ve mentioned this before, but I love that Grant and I come from different religious backgrounds so we get to celebrate multiple holidays. Even though neither of us actively practice religion, I love that we get to expose Sagan to all parts of our upbringings.

I am living for the spring energy right now, and my motivation in the kitchen is at an all-time high. I’ve been getting more creative with my breakfast plates, my loquat tree is bursting with fruit, and it’s so nice to be cooking dinner while the sun is still shining. One thing I miss is the farmer’s market, and I cannot even believe I’m saying this, but I’ve only gone ONCE since Sagan was born, and that is absolutely not okay. I need to prioritize that!

THINGS I’M LOVING!

I can’t stop eating cheddar stuffed dates, and that’s thanks to Olivia Noceda. This treat was truly made for me, as someone who loves cheese, dates, and sweet and savory things combined. I love using the Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar, and I’ll either eat them as a little snack or add them to my morning breakfast!

Between infertility, pregnancy, and then postpartum, I have been on top of filling in any nutrient gaps, which means my supplement collection is the biggest it’s ever been — but each one is full of intention! I’ve circled through many brands, and honestly, most are great, but recently I’ve been using the Needed prenatal along with their Vitamin D supplements. I like that the whole website covers each life stage (trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, etc.) and helps you figure out what you need to be taking during that time. There are even options for male partners!

This is NOT sponsored (just genuine love) but I do have a code if you want 20% off: KALEMEMAYBE

I’m a horrifically bad nail-biter, but press-on nails have been my lifesaver. My favorite brand of press-ons is Olive & June, and I recently branched out from using just using simple colors and went with these blue & green striped nails. I felt out of my element, but I got a lot of compliments!

DISCOUNT CODES!

Supplements

• KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 30% off your first order with Ritual!

• Use my link to get up to 45% off Grüns gummy vitamins!

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Armra Colostrum!

• CARINA gets you 15% off Perelel Vitamins

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 20% off your first order at Needed

Food & Drink

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products

• DRIZZLE gets you 20% off Little Zing Mustard

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Kola Goodies tea lattes

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Primal Kitchen products

• KALEMEMAYBE15 gets you 15% off Flour & Water products

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Juliet Wine!

• CARINAWOLFF gets you 40% off your first order with Hungryroot!

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off of Algae Cooking Club

• Use my link to get 30% off your first order and a free gift from Thrive Market

• KALEMEMAYBE10 gets you 10% off Culture Pop Soda

• CARINAWOLFF gets you $30 off your first box + free croissants for life from Wildgrain

• KMM25 gets you 25% off your whole order at Ground Up Nut Butters

Home & Other Products

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off Starter Kits from Branch Basics!

• CW15 gets you 15% off Bon Charge Red Light Therapy

• Use my link to get 20% off at Canopy

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off at Print Fresh (100% cotton pajamas)

• Use this link to get 10% off your order at Tubby Todd!

RECIPE!

Rather than meticulously recipe planning (with the exception of my meal-prep series, of course), I have instead started to buy ingredients I love and challenge myself to get creative on a whim. This recipe was a result of this process, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to appeal to anyone else. However, when I put it on my story, the results were clear: you guys wanted the recipe!

This recipe is very similar to a bolognese, but it’s made with ground chicken, bone broth, and miso for saltiness and richer flavor. I used ditalini because there's just something so fun about a small pasta. Sometimes, I like when pasta acts as the vessel or base rather than the full star.

You can use regular ground chicken here, but I often like to use Force of Nature Ancestral Blend, which includes regular ground chicken and other parts of the chicken like heart and liver for added nutrients.

I like to use bone broth for the added benefits as well, but regular broth will work as well!

Ground Chicken and Carrot Miso Ditalini with Bone Broth and Parmesan

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 16 oz ground chicken

• 2 tablespoons white miso paste

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 8 oz ditalini (or other small pasta)

• 2 1/2 cups chicken bone broth

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to top

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

• Salt & pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the shallots, carrots, and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-6 minutes until carrots and shallots have softened.

2. Mix in the garlic, and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add the chicken, and break up into pieces using a spatula as it cooks. Cook for 7-8 minutes until chicken is browned.

3. Mix in the miso and tomato paste until well combined, and then add the pasta and bone broth. Bring to a light boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook for about 10 minutes until pasta is al dente and most of the broth has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. You’ll want a little liquid left to help emulsify the cheese. If you use a larger pasta, you might need a longer amount of time to cook.

4. Reduce heat all the way to low, and then mix in the Parmesan until it melts into the pasta. Mix in the fresh parsley, taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm topped with more Parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

I turned my favorite party dip into a full meal! This week’s 30-minute budget meal was a quinoa bowl inspired by 7-layer dip! So fresh and filling

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

If you’ve ever snacked on 7-layer dip and thought to yourself, “Man, I could just eat this as a full meal,” then h…

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CATCH UP!

What a big week so far! My sister had a baby, and I got to be there for his birth, which was incredible to witness. There was OBVIOUSLY the Summer House scandal, which had me glued to my phone but also has me a little concerned about people taking parasocial relationships way too far. Sagan turned eight months!! And it even rained a little here in Los Angeles.

Last week, I went to my friend Marissa’s book launch, which was eventful because 1. I rarely get out to West Hollywood these days, and 2. I got to chat with a bunch of my peers about the ins and outs of writing a cookbook. I was with a friend who isn’t in this space, and she was amazed at how much goes into writing a cookbook, and I agree.

The process typically works this way: An author develops and test their recipes, and once they feel good about what they’ve come up with, they send them out to an outside recipe tester. That person goes through each recipe and checks that the instructions make sense, the amounts listed are correct, the cook times are right, etc. Once that’s done, you have to complete the manuscript, which includes chapter introductions, headnotes, formatting the recipe to the publisher’s style guide — the list goes on.

Then there’s the photography of it all, which is usually done towards the end when the recipes are fully complete. In most cases, you’re hiring a food photographer and stylist, and you’re either shooting in your home or on location at a studio somewhere. This is done over the course of a couple weeks! Once all of this is submitted, the design team gets to working, and typically, the book comes out about a year later. Like I said, it’s quite the process!

I think it’s fun to share with people the behind-the-scenes because I don’t think it’s obvious what goes into it. I’m in the thick of recipe development right now, creating the recipes and sending them out to testers! Sometimes I feel behind, and sometimes I’m extremely calm, but I try to take it one month at a time. Regardless, it’s a special project, and I can’t wait for it to make it out into the world, when that time comes.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

I have worn this linen polka dot dress so many times now that I figured it was time to share. Polka dots are considered trendy right now, but I also feel like they never really go out of style, and I, for one, love that they add a little fun to an outfit. The dress is a pure linen and cotton blend, which makes it so breathable for warmer weather, which is mainly why I keep wearing it. The cut is also very flattering, and because it has buttons, I can wear it breastfeeding, which is a huge perk. I also love that it works for both daytime and evening. Hot tip: code FOR YOU gets you $20 off at Sézane through today, April 2 (not sponsored, just sharing the love).

I love how everyone is having so much fun with their matcha flavors, and I saw Foodieeshh make an earl grey milk coffee latte with infused earl grey milk, and I slightly tweaked her milk recipe to use in matcha lattes. I prepare the milk by steeping 5 earl grey tea bags in 3 cups of milk — I find letting it sit overnight for 2 nights gives it better flavor. I also like to mix in a little maple syrup or the Trader Joe’s Vanilla Bourbon Paste. And then I use about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the milk in my matcha lattes. The matcha I use and love is called Ikuyo from Ippodo. Nothing beats it IMO.

As someone with curly/wavy hair, I’m always looking for ways to tame the frizz, and This Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil makes my hair SO soft. A little goes a LONGG way, but it’s not heavy! I’ll comb it through my hair before or after blow-drying, or I’ll use it after airdrying to smooth out my waves.

DISCOUNT CODES!

Supplements

• KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 30% off your first order with Ritual!

• Use my link to get up to 45% off Grüns gummy vitamins!

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Armra Colostrum!

• CARINA gets you 15% off Perelel Vitamins

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 20% off your first order at Needed

Food & Drink

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products

• DRIZZLE gets you 20% off Little Zing Mustard

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Kola Goodies tea lattes

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Primal Kitchen products

• KALEMEMAYBE15 gets you 15% off Flour & Water products

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Juliet Wine!

• CARINAWOLFF gets you 40% off your first order with Hungryroot!

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off of Algae Cooking Club

• Use my link to get 30% off your first order and a free gift from Thrive Market

• KALEMEMAYBE10 gets you 10% off Culture Pop Soda

• CARINAWOLFF gets you $30 off your first box + free croissants for life from Wildgrain

• KMM25 gets you 25% off your whole order at Ground Up Nut Butters

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Ippodo Tea (my favorite matcha)!

Home & Other Products

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off Starter Kits from Branch Basics!

• CW15 gets you 15% off Bon Charge Red Light Therapy

• Use my link to get 20% off at Canopy

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off at Print Fresh (100% cotton pajamas)

• Use this link to get 10% off your order at Tubby Todd!

RECIPE!

This springtime salad could truly not be easier to make. It doesn’t even have a real dressing — I just drizzled on some olive oil, lemon, and honey, and it was PERFECT. The base is arugula, and then you get your protein from crispy chickpeas (clearly my favorite protein option). Then it’s all topped with thinly-sliced radishes, grapefruit, shaved Parmesan, chopped pistachios, and some flaky salt and pepper.

The ingredients below are truly just starting points — they do not need to be followed to a t! Adjust as needed depending on your personal taste. If you don’t like the bitter crunch of radishes, feel free to use less! If you love cheese and nuts, pile them on, baby!

Spring Arugula Grapefruit Salad

Ingredients (serves 2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer)

• 1 (14.5 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• Cumin

• 5 oz arugula

• 1 grapefruit, peeled, white pith removed, and cut into chunks

• 3-4 small/medium radishes, thinly sliced

• 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Honey

• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F, and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the chickpeas and olive oil, season with a few dashes of cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy and golden, mixing halfway through.

2. Assemble your salads by adding arugula to 2 bowls or plates. Top with the crispy chickpeas, grapefruit, radishes, Parmesan, and pistachios. Drizzle on more olive oil to coat the salad, squeeze on the lemon, and drizzle on some honey. Finish off with a pinch of salt (preferably flaky) and some fresh black pepper.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received the 100th (!!!) recipe of my 30-minute budget meal series! This one was a pan-fried gnocchi with asparagus, lemon, parmesan, and a fried egg.

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

To celebrate, I’m offering a 25% off discount for a year-subscription! That’s just $3 a month for access to every single 30-minute budget meal recipe I put out for the year Plus, you get unlimited access to everything else in the archives! All 100 previous recipes, plus our infertility podcast and egg retrieval breakdown, other past paywalled recipes, guides, etc.

This promotion will run until April 1st, so don’t miss out! I’ve loved doing this series, and I cannot wait to do more!

Get 25% off for 1 year

RECIPE!

This week’s recipe is a springtime, pan-fried gnocchi bowl with roasted asparagus, lemon, Parmesan, and a fried egg! I always forget how quickly asparagus roasts in the oven, and it just feels like the epitome of springtime to eat it with some lemon.

I like to pan fry gnocchi to get it crispy and golden, which sometimes I prefer to the traditional soft texture, especially paired with the asparagus and some runny egg yolk. I ended up using 1 egg per bowl here, but you could definitely go for 2 to amp up your protein. Plus, I love when a runny yolk gets paired with lemon juice — it almost tastes like a sauce. Again, I used 1 lemon here, but if you like your meals extra lemony, you can increase to 1 1/2 or 2 (which is noted in the recipe below).

Ingredients (serves 2)

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Hello!! I’m so excited to have so many new people joining me here, and I’m so happy that this new meal prep series is resonating with so many of you. Last week, I was working on my newsletter, and I spent hours filming, editing, and typing up all the recipes, but I felt a little frustrated after it all because I figured no one would see it due to the unpredictable algorithm. I was so elated that this wasn’t the case, and I won’t lie, it definitely motivated me to keep the series going this week. But also, now I feel a lot of pressure to live up to expectations!

I worked hard again on this week’s recipes, and I’m also excited to keep doing more! I may not be getting any sleep this week (help), but it sure feels good to know I’m helping people with their cooking!

THINGS I’M LOVING

I’m super into fancy French butter right now. I bought this Beurre de Baratte because I wanted something nice to accompany my homemade English muffins, and then I found out later it’s Ina Garten’s butter of choice, so I feel like a woman of taste. I recently made this sardine toast using the butter, and it came out beautifully, so now I’ve found my new hyperfixation meal.

I have a great collection of matching dinnerware, but for some reason, we were a family of mismatched mugs. I was okay with that until all of our handles started breaking, and then it was time to get a matching set. Fable was kind enough to to send me these matte navy mugs (which also happen to be on sale right now), and we’ve been so happy to have them! I love the color and especially the size — they’re roomy, but not too massive.

I bought these striped shortalls from Levis last year when I was pregnant, but since I had a big belly, I couldn’t fit into them! Now that I’ve given birth, it’s my time to shine. I also own them in the light wash, and they have been a staple for me during warm weather. Levis has the BEST fit when it comes to overalls — loose and comfy, but not overly baggy so that you feel like you’re drowning.

RECIPE!

Welcome back to “Meal Prep For Food Snobs,” the series for people who hate eating the same thing everyday but want the ease and convenience of meal prep!

This week, we are making a sweet and spicy baked chicken made with a miso, maple, and chili crisp marinade that will then be used in a rice bowl, a soup, and a salad. You’ll also prep some vegetables ahead of time that will be used in multiple dishes!

These recipes are all dairy-free, which to be honest was a happy accident, but last week we had a lot of dairy, so it only feels right. They also can be made gluten-free if you just substitute out soy sauce for tamari!

I also went heavy on the veggies this week, so it feels extra healthy. At first glance, the ingredients lists may seem long, but like I mentioned above, you’ll prep most of the vegetables at the start, and then use them multiple times later on.

The other great thing about these recipes is that you don’t have to worry about reheating your chicken and drying it out. The first recipe is a rice bowl, and you’ll use the chicken straight out of the oven for that one. The second recipe is a soup, and the chicken reheats in the broth, so that’s covered. And the third recipe is a salad, so no reheating required.

All of these recipes are for 2 people! So feel free to halve everything if you’re cooking for one. You’ll split the chicken 3 ways into each of the dishes.

Ingredients to Prep At The Start Of The Week

• 3 1/2 to 4 lbs chicken (I did a mix of boneless skinless breast and thighs, see below)

• 1 head of broccoli (about 1 lb) and 1 lb carrots, roasted (see below)

• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced

• 4 scallion bunches, thinly sliced

• 1/2 red onion, sliced

Rest of Ingredients to Purchase or Find In Your Pantry

• white miso paste

• cup maple syrup

• chili crisp

• low-sodium soy sauce

• rice vinegar

• white rice

• avocado

• sesame seeds

• cilantro

• ginger

• garlic

• white mushrooms

• baby bok choy

• chicken bone broth or chicken stock

• curly kale

• sliced almonds

• lemons

• olive oil

• optional: furikake seasoning

Miso Maple Chili Crisp Chicken & Roasted Veggies

You have some options on what kind of chicken to make here. I did a mix of chicken breasts and chicken thighs because I wanted thighs for the bowl and breasts for my salad. This is a slightly more complicated way to do things, because chicken breasts bake more quickly than chicken thighs. I actually cooked mine the same length, and the breasts were a little dry, so I recommend getting out your thermometer and pulling the breasts when they reach 165 F.

If you want to make your life easier, you can opt for just breasts or just thighs. If I had to choose, I’d probably pick thighs — they came out nice and juicy, but truly, either works. I’ll include instructions for both below.

You’ll divide the chicken evenly into each recipe, so just use 1/3 of your cooked chicken per day.

You can also cook an extra cup of rice here to add to the soup later, if you’d like!

Ingredients

• 3 1/2-4 lbs chicken (I used a mix of chicken thighs and breasts, both boneless and skinless)

• 1/4 cup white miso paste

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 2 tbsp chili crisp

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

• 1 head of broccoli (about 1 lb)

• 1 lb carrots

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together miso paste, maple syrup, soy sauce, chili crisp, and rice vinegar until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade, and set aside.

2. Add chicken to a large bowl, and add the marinade, tossing to coat all the chicken evenly. Transfer to the fridge, and marinate while you prepare your vegetables and rice, if you’re making the bowl. It’s best if you can marinate it for 30 minutes!

3. Break your broccoli into florets, and peel, halve, and cut your carrots on the bias. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper, add the veggies, and toss in a good drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

4. Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spray with olive oil or cooking spray. Add the chicken, and spoon on most of the remaining marinade.

5. Transfer everything to the oven. If you’re making breasts, cook for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 F. If you’re making thighs, you’ll go a little longer, closer to 25 minutes. The vegetables should be ready around 25 minutes, but they should be soft and starting to char around the edges. If you're doing a mix of breasts and thighs, pull the breasts earlier if they’re cooking faster. I like to broil the thighs at the end for about 2 minutes to brown the top. You can spoon on a little more marinade when you do this as well.

6. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before cutting into it!

Rice Bowl (serves 2)

I like to make the rice bowl first, since the chicken and veggies are already cooked and hot. I used the chicken thighs here, and they were delicious! I actually recommend slicing the chicken first before adding it to the bowl, which I did not do but wish I had done!

You’ll use 1/3 of your cooked chicken here, whatever that looks like for you. I ended up using about 4-5 chicken thighs, which was all I had cooked (about 1 1/2 lbs).

Ingredients

• 1/3 of the cooked chicken (I used 4-5 thighs, but you could use about 2 breasts)

• 1/2 of the roasted broccoli and carrots

• 1 medium/large Persian cucumber, thinly sliced

• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

• Rice vinegar

• 1 cup uncooked medium white grain rice

• 1 small avocado, sliced

• Cilantro, for garnish

• Sesame seeds, for garnish

• Reserved marinade

1. Prepare your rice with your preferred method. I like to cook it in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the cucumber and red onion. Pour on enough rice vinegar so the veggies are submerged, and mix together. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to marinate.

3. Divide the rice into two bowls, and top with chicken, cucumber mixture (including most of the rice vinegar), half of your roasted carrots and broccoli, and avocado. Spoon some marinade over the chicken, and serve topped with fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. Use more of the marinade as sauce, if desired!

Lemony Chopped Chicken Kale Salad (serves 2)

You can prep this recipe right away and let it sit in the fridge (kale holds up well), or you can prepare it any other day if you want to eat it fresh, since the chicken doesn't need to be reheated. I used chopped chicken breast here, but thighs also work! You can shred or chop your chicken. The lemon dressing here is simple and based off of this one.

Salad Ingredients

• 1/3 of your cooked chicken (I used 2 breasts), chopped

• 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed and finely chopped

• 1 avocado, finely diced

• 1 large Persian cucumber, thinly sliced

• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

• 2 scallion bunches, thinly sliced

• Handful of cilantro

• Optional: Furikake seasoning, to top

• Olive oil

Dressing Ingredients

• Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tbsp)

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp Dijon vinegar

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• Pinch or two of salt and pepper

1. Add your kale to a large bowl, drizzle on some olive oil, and add a pinch of salt. Massage with your hands to break down the fibers and soften the kale.

2. Add the chicken, avocado, cucumbers, red onion, almonds, scallions, and cilantro the bowl,.

3. Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl or jar, and whisk together to combine. Toss the salad in the dressing, and top with furikake seasoning.

Garlic & Ginger Chicken Bone Broth Soup

For this recipe, you’ll use your remaining 1/3 of chicken. I broke mine up with my hands into shredded chunks, but you could also shred with a fork. I used breasts here, but again, thighs would work. You’ll use the remaining half of the roasted broccoli and carrots here too.

I used bone broth for extra protein, but you could use regular chicken broth or stock here instead. If you do, start with adding 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and increase to 2, if needed.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/3 of your cooked chicken, shredded (I used 2 breasts)

• 1/2 of your cooked broccoli and carrots

• 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced

• 2 bunches baby bok choy, broken into pieces

• 4 cups chicken bone broth (or chicken stock)

• 2 tsp soy sauce (start with 1 if using chicken stock)

• 2 scallion bunches, thinly sliced

1. Heat up oil in a medium pot on medium-low heat. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, baby bok choy, shredded chicken, cooked broccoli and carrots, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Bring to a low simmer, and cook for 5-10 minutes until mushrooms and bok choy have softened.

2. Add to bowls, and top with scallions, and spoon on some chili crisp, if desired.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received another 30-minute budget meal! This is the other series I run on my Substack, exclusively for my paid tier! We are about to hit recipe number 100 this week, which is SO exciting! Last week’s recipe was a bright and refreshing bean salad to kick off spring.

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

This week has been busy, but in a full and fulfilling way. I’m tired, but in a different way than when I was freshly postpartum., I've been fitting more into my days and my weeks, and when I go to bed later, I have no one to blame but myself! It’s a nice feeling, though, to go to bed with a sense of pride each night at what I’ve accomplishe…

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The other day I was listening to a podcast, and the guest, a neuroscientist, was discussing attachment theory. As he was referencing some of the classic experiments, I was immediately taken back to my days at NYU. In addition to journalism, I also majored in psychology, although I never did anything with the degree. Listening to the podcast made me nostalgic, and I had this yearning pang to go back to school.

I’ve always wanted to get a masters degree of some sort, whether it be in philosophy or creative writing or psychology again. I miss listening to lectures, diving deep into subjects, and even writing papers.

Before Grant and I had a baby, he would always talk about how he wishes he could live one life without kids and one with, just to get to experience both. I feel the same about careers. There are so many avenues I’d like to explore in life: pursuing higher education, writing novels, becoming a therapist.

I’ve always felt lucky that I’ve had so many interests. I never had to worry about what major to choose or what to do with my free time. But in the same way I wish I had more hours in the day to do all the things I enjoy, I wish I had multiple lives to live. Part of me thinks, “There’s always the future,” but I know how unpredictable the future can be. But still, I can dream.

THINGS I’M LOVING

I love these cookies from Bakr — they come frozen, and you just pop them in the oven, and they are SO delicious. I like how they’re kind of small, so sometimes I’ll make two different flavors at the same time. The other day I ate them fresh out of the oven with vanilla ice cream, and it was the perfect after-dinner treat. My favorite is the brown butter chocolate chip, but the fudge brownie is also really good.

I’ve been really into red lately, and since my uniform tends to be jeans and a white tee, I wanted to get some red shoes for a pop of color. These red ballerina flats felt perfect for spring — the leather is really nice, and I love how they actually look like ballet shoes! A nice feminine touch to any outfit.

Fishwife has a new tuna flavor, Soy Ginger, and I love how seamlessly it fits into the type of meals I already make. I like to make poke-inspired bowls using canned tuna, so this flavor is a great addition to my tinned-fish rotation. The other day I made a bowl using this tuna, sautéed cabbage and zucchini, and miso butter rice! Not sponsored, but code KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off on their site!

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RECIPE!

Welcome back to my series, Meal Prep for Food Snobs!

As a refresher, this series is for people who don’t like to end the same thing every day but still want the ease and convenience of meal prep. Each week, I’ll give you one recipe that can be prepared at the beginning of the week and enjoyed in multiple ways.

This week, we have Herby Parmesan meatballs. I made a big batch (2 pounds of meat), so it can feed two people over the course of 3-4 meals. If you’re only cooking for one or don’t want to eat meatballs multiple times during the week, this also gives you the option to freeze.

I’m giving you three recipes to make with these meatballs. The first is a pearl couscous and hot honey halloumi salad topped with meatballs. The second is meatballs with vodka sauce with buttered garlic parsley bread. The third is a pesto soup.

I love these combinations because you can use the pearl couscous in two recipes, and you could even add the pesto to the pearl couscous salad if you want to utilize it twice! I made 2 cups of pearl couscous at the beginning of the week to use in both recipes.

Meatballs (makes about 36 meatballs)

Ingredients

• 2 lb 80/20 ground beef

• 1 cup grated Parmesan

• 1 small yellow onion, grated

• 6 cloves finely chopped (or crushed) garlic

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (can sub crushed red pepper)

• 2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Parmesan, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, rosemary, oregano, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Mix ingredients together until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.

2. Using a cookie scoop, portion out your meatballs and add them to the baking sheet. I scoop a heaping portion with the cookie scoop, and then roll them out with my hands. You should have about 36 meatballs (they will be on the smaller side).

3. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs reach an internal temperature of at least 165 F.

Pearl Couscous Halloumi Bowl (serves 2)

For this recipe, you can reheat meatballs in the microwave (50% power works well). You can also reheat them in the oven at 300 F. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.

I would also consider adding some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers to the salad! I didn’t have any at home, but next time, that’s what I would do!

Bowl

• 1 cup uncooked pearl couscous (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)

• Big handful of arugula

• 1/3 cup pickled onions

• Olive oil

• Juice of 1-2 lemons

• 8-10 meatballs

Hot Honey Halloumi

• 8 oz halloumi, cut into 1/2 inch slices

• Olive oil

• Hot honey

1. Start by preparing your hot honey halloumi. Heat up a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the halloumi, drizzle with hot honey, and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until halloumi is golden brown. Watch the second side because it cooks faster!

2. In a medium bowl, combine pearl couscous, arugula, pickled onions, a good drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. I would start with 1 lemon, taste, and add more if needed!

3. Divide the pearl couscous into two bowls, and top with 4-5 meatballs.

Vodka Meatballs

This recipe can be made in two different ways. You can buy a jar of premade vodka sauce, or you can make a homemade one. I made the Jon and Vinny’s recipe because it’s super easy, but obviously, using a jarred sauce is much more convenience! I love Raos and Sauz, and they both have good vodka sauces.

To make, add the sauce and meatballs to a pan on medium-low heat. Cook until everything is warmed, and cover the pan if you need to speed things along. Serve topped with grated Parmesan and olive oil!

Pesto Soup (serves 2)

I kept this soup really simple — you just combine meatballs with broth and pearl couscous and then mix in pesto and top with Parmesan. You could beef the recipe up (no pun intended!!!!) with some sautéed veggies too! My favorite pesto is from Gotham Greens — I get it at Whole Foods.

Ingredients

• About 2 cups cooked pearl couscous

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 8-10 meatballs

• Pesto

• Parmesan, to top

1. Add meatballs and broth to a medium pot, and bring to a low boil. Mix in the pearl couscous.

2. Serve topped with dollops of pesto and grated Parmesan cheese.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for Lemon Alfredo Cabbage Pasta! Made in 30 minutes and budget friendly, as always! This is the recipe that really solidified my new love for cabbage.

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

Now for this series, we’ve reached an exciting milestone: I think I’m finally coming around to cabbage. I never disliked it, but I also never used to cook with it. But I’m excited because it’s not only versatile but healthy and filled with fiber!

This pasta is a play on pasta al limone — I debated whether or not to call it that instead of Alfredo, since it’s sort of neither-nor. Either way, it’s creamy, lemony, and extremely simple to make. The whole dish gets topped off with some spicy breadcrumbs for a little extra oomph, and you could even throw in some sausage or chopped up hot dogs for protein. You could also go the route of using a protein pasta to round out the meal without having to add on an ingredient.

RECIPE!

Lemon Alfredo Cabbage Pasta

Ingredients (serves 2)

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CATCH UP!

I wrote two different introductions today and deleted them both, and I know I shouldn’t be self-censoring, but one felt too self-involved and the other felt too critical. The first was about how I’m choosing to “be chill” which was really just a story on how I’m choosing to ignore my unnecessary anxieties and the other was some commentary on how the internet is shallow and obsessed with looks. Maybe I’ll share them one day, but they just didn’t feel right for today. Ironically, that probably goes against my new “be chill” mentality, but I felt it was already controversial enough calling my new series “Meal Prep for Food Snobs.” Don’t worry, I explain below.

It’s kind of the same old over here — we’re definitely in a parenting rhythm and routine that gets refined each and everyday, and I’m having more fun each and everyday, but like I mentioned last week, I don’t want this section to only be about my experience in motherhood. So then my brain goes to the other main part of my life, aka the internet, and I always want to rant about online culture, but somehow, that feels tired and maybe unimportant compared to the rest of current events.

I’ll sit on what I wrote this week, and maybe I can refine it and bring it back to you next week. It’s amazing how when you fall into your own algorithm, you wonder to yourself, what is everyone else thinking about? My feed on Instagram is food and parenting, and weirdly, trad wives, which I guess makes sense when you combine food and parenting — but shouldn’t be the case. I always scroll past them to tell the algorithm I’m not interested, but I still somehow get so many videos about being subservient to your husband (ew). That alone could be a topic for next week!

THINGS I’M LOVING

I love the cookbook renaissance that’s occurring right now, and if you love appetizers then “I’ll Bring The Apps” by Marissa Mullen aka That Cheese Plate is going to be for you. The whole book features appetizers, from bites to skewers to boards and bowls. On my list to make: Maple-Candied Bacon Deviled Eggs, Ricotta and Spinach Savory Pudding, Savory S’mores, and Baked Brie with Lemon Curd, Raspberries, and Shortbread Crumble.

It’s no secret how much I love sumo citrus, so when I saw this recipe from Food and Wine for a salad dressing that used the whole orange, I was intrigued. I got around to making it this week, and needless to say, it lived up to my expectations. You use the whole sumo, skin and all, and mix in some herbs and miso for a beautiful complex flavor. I used the dressing in this kale salad recipe, and I also tossed it with some arugula and parmesan, which was so simple but delicious. The peppery arugula pairs so well with the citrus!

Now that the weather has heated up, I combed through my closet recently to find out which of my dresses were breastfeeding-friendly. Spoiler alert: most of them weren’t! I love to wear dresses when the weather is warm, so I went ahead and got one of my favorite dresses in another pattern so I’ll have more options for spring and summer. This striped Quince dress is made from 100% cotton poplin, and I kind of hate this term, but the cut really is SO flattering. I have it in the floral print (romantic stems) and love it, so I can’t wait to wear this one as well.

DISCOUNT CODES!

Supplements

• KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 30% off your first order with Ritual!

• Use my link to get up to 45% off Grüns gummy vitamins!

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Armra Colostrum!

• CARINA gets you 15% off Perelel Vitamins

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 20% off your first order at Needed

Food & Drink

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products

• DRIZZLE gets you 20% off Little Zing Mustard

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Kola Goodies tea lattes

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Primal Kitchen products

• KALEMEMAYBE15 gets you 15% off Flour & Water products

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Juliet Wine!

• CARINAWOLFF gets you 40% off your first order with Hungryroot!

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off of Algae Cooking Club

• Use my link to get 30% off your first order and a free gift from Thrive Market

• KALEMEMAYBE10 gets you 10% off Culture Pop Soda

• CARINAWOLFF gets you $30 off your first box + free croissants for life from Wildgrain

• KMM25 gets you 25% off your whole order at Ground Up Nut Butters

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Ippodo Tea (my favorite matcha)!

Home & Other Products

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off Starter Kits from Branch Basics!

• CW15 gets you 15% off Bon Charge Red Light Therapy

• Use my link to get 20% off at Canopy

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off at Print Fresh (100% cotton pajamas)

• Use this link to get 10% off your order at Tubby Todd!

RECIPE!

Welcome to the first episode of my new series, “Meal Prep for Food Snobs.”

The title sounds scary, but let me clarify. “Food snob,” in this context, does not mean someone who only shops at expensive groceries stores and looks down on other people’s food. It means someone who is a maybe a wee bit particular about what they eat every day, wanting each meal to be special and interesting.

But food snobs can get busy, and they might want to meal prep without eating the same thing for each meal. I’m someone who typically dislikes food prep, for this reason. So my goal for this series is to provide you with meal prep recipes that are easy and convenient but still interesting and able to be enjoyed in new and fresh ways throughout the week.

Today, we are starting with a frittata bake. This frittata is made with sweet potato, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, and dill, and it’s topped off with some feta for a tangy, salty finish.

With this frittata, you have options on how to serve, which helps switch things up. First, you can absolutely eat it as is. That’s what I would do day one!

But if you’re looking to freshen things up, you can do one or multiple of the following:

• Drizzle on some hot honey and top with grated Parmesan cheese (I did this and it was delicious)

• Serve with salad (I also did this and served it with arugula tossed in olive oil, lemon, and Parmesan)

• Serve over garlic yogurt (I didn’t do this, but will try it next time)

One thing to cook, three or four ways to enjoy it!

In conclusion, this series is here to help you optimize both your time and your tastebuds. We refuse to do boring meal prep. Every meal deserves to be special!

This recipe was inspired by JS Health!

Feta Frittata Bake

Ingredients (makes 6 frittata squares)

• 1 sweet potato, diced

• 1 medium red onion, sliced

• Olive oil

• 10 large eggs

• 3 tbsp heavy cream

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

• 3 tbsp chopped dill

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I used the ones that come in a bag not oil, but you can use either, just don’t include much oil)

• 3 oz feta

1. Preheat oven to 425 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the sweet potatoes and onions, and a few good drizzles of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, and toss together. Bake for 20 minutes until vegetables are soft, but not falling apart.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, garlic, rosemary, dill, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. When sweet potatoes and red onion are done roasting, lower the oven temperature to 400 F. Grease a 9x13 baking with olive oil spray. Add the cooked sweet potatoes and onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and egg mixture. Crumble the feta with your hands, and sprinkle on the egg mixture. Bake for 20-255 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked through.

4. Serve as is, with a salad, or topped with hot honey and Parmesan!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for a roasted carrot and white bean salad with orange chili crisp dressing! The perfect bridge from winter to spring, and a 30-minute budget meal at that!

Subscribe now

Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

This week felt long, and I still don’t feel fully caught up. All I want to do is veg on the couch and to go get brunch, but I’ve got a big pile of laundry, a house to clean, recipes to film, and a baby to feed! An extra large matcha today it is!

I love a recipe that straddles the season, and this salad feels like one of them. Roasted carrots are perfect for when the weather is still chilly, but they’re also very spring-y. And the nice thing about this salad is that it can be served either warm or cold.

The salad is very carrot heavy, and I normally wouldn’t dare putting roasted carrots in a 30-minute meal series, but because you chop these up smaller, they cook faster. I also like to skip peeling — it saves you a lot of time, and I don’t find it necessary.

The dressing here is slightly spicy and mostly citrus forward, and if you don’t have chili crisp, you can use any chili oil or even just some olive oil with a good pinch of crushed red pepper.

I also love when a recipe is accidentally vegan, and that was the case here. I almost added feta, but they were out of the brand I like, so it was a blessing in disguise. You don’t need the cheese, but you could always add it for some extra saltiness.

RECIPE!

Roasted Carrot White Bean Salad with Orange Chili Crisp Dressing

Ingredients (serves 2)

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CATCH UP!

So, what’s new over here? I’ve been eating hot honey eggs with cheddar and lots of sumo citrus, seeing family, and testing so many recipes for my cookbook! One of the hardest things about working on a cookbook is not being able to share everything in real time. I make something I’m SO excited about, but then I have to hold it close.

I was really nervous to write a cookbook because I know how much of a time commitment it is, and when you pour your heart and soul into a creative project, it’s just a lot mentally. To add an even deeper layer, I decided to do this project the same year as having a baby, but everyone told me it was going to be fine. I wasn’t so convinced, if I’m being honest.

I’ve had my fair share of panic, for sure, but so far, this process has actually been way more enjoyable than stressful. I look forward to evenings when I recipe test — it’s the one opportunity I have to put something on the TV and just get in the zone. I don’t have to worry about lighting or angles or filming — I just have to make sure I write everything down, meticulously. I’ve made many of these recipes 4 or 5 times, and that’s before I send them to a recipe tester who will help give me feedback. Talk to me in 5 months and maybe I’ll be stressed and spiraling, but it feels really nice to have this project outside of social media.

That being said, I have started making an effort to get up earlier so I can have a few more hours in the day and continue to make content in the meantime. Even though I’m a little more tired, I end up feeling more relaxed. I love getting things done in the morning! I feel like I’m entering a new era. But again, talk to me in a month. I’m sure I’ll be eating my words!

THINGS I’M LOVING

My mother-in-law turned me onto this Mississippi Roast recipe from New York Times Cooking, and I’ve made it a couple of times now using the chuck roast I received in my Butcher Box. I’ve been trying to make more slow cooker recipes, and this one is really easy — I like it served over roasted potatoes. Anything with pepperoncini, and I’m in!

I’m really loving Old Navy in general right now — I’ve been getting myself and Sagan some very affordable, natural fiber options. I bought their wide-leg baggy jeans a couple months ago, which I wear all the time, so I got the shorts version that I love just as much. I’ve also fed my striped shirt obsession with this insanely cheap heavyweight crewneck. I love this little romper I got for Sagan and these jogger pants that are actually for toddler girls but bought for him to wear later.

I almost don’t want to share this product because it’s so expensive, but it’s just too good. And I’m never someone who cared about eye cream until a baby threw my sleep out of whack, and now my eyes are my most tended to feature on my face (especially if you know all the issues I’ve been having, ha.) I started using this Clarins Total Eye Lift Cream alongside my Three Ships Eye Masks, and I am loving how well it works. It just helps to perk up the skin around the eyes for those mornings you're feeling tired and filled with dark circles. Is it a necessity? Absolutely not. Do I enjoy it during this postpartum period of my life? Yes. I am minimal with my skincare, and this is one of the few products I’ve actually committed to.

DISCOUNT CODES!

~NEW CODE ALERT: NEEDED (in the supplements section)~

Supplements

• KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 30% off your first order with Ritual!

• Use my link to get up to 45% off Grüns gummy vitamins!

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Armra Colostrum!

• CARINA gets you 15% off Perelel Vitamins

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 20% off your first order at Needed

Food & Drink

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products

• DRIZZLE gets you 20% off Little Zing Mustard

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Kola Goodies tea lattes

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Primal Kitchen products

• KALEMEMAYBE15 gets you 15% off Flour & Water products

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Juliet Wine!

• CARINAWOLFF gets you 40% off your first order with Hungryroot!

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off of Algae Cooking Club

• Use my link to get 30% off your first order and a free gift from Thrive Market

• KALEMEMAYBE10 gets you 10% off Culture Pop Soda

• CARINAWOLFF gets you $30 off your first box + free croissants for life from Wildgrain

• KMM25 gets you 25% off your whole order at Ground Up Nut Butters

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Ippodo Tea (my favorite matcha)!

Home & Other Products

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off Starter Kits from Branch Basics!

• CW15 gets you 15% off Bon Charge Red Light Therapy

• Use my link to get 20% off at Canopy

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off at Print Fresh (100% cotton pajamas)

• Use this link to get 10% off your order at Tubby Todd!

RECIPE!

I love bringing back recipes from my early days of cooking. Back in the ancient days of the early 2010s, I was obsessed with honey sriracha salmon. It was a staple in the apartment I shared with my post-college roommate and bestie Greer, and I know we just felt so gourmet making it. And you know what — WE WERE.

I stand by you, honey sriracha salmon recipe. And now I’ve paired this oldie with something new: miso butter ranch rice, a riff on an idea I saw from Glow with Ella. I added a little cucumber avocado salad to make sure I got in my vegetables, and it was such a flavorful, nourishing bowl that only takes 30 minutes or so!

Honey Sriracha Salmon with Miso Butter Ranch Rice

Ingredients (serves 2)

Honey Sriracha Salmon

• 1 pound salmon, cut into smaller fillets

• Sriracha

• Honey

• Black pepper

• Sesame seeds

Miso Butter Ranch Rice

• 1 cup uncooked medium-grain rice

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste

• 1 teaspoon ranch seasoning (I used Barnacle Foods Kelp Ranch)

Cucumber Avocado Salad

• 1 medium Persian cucumber, diced

• 1 medium avocado, diced

• 1 bunch green onion, sliced

• Soy sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse your rise, and then add it to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked and liquid is absorbed, and then let sit with the lid on for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add the salmon. Pat dry, and then top each fillet with a drizzle of sriracha and honey. I almost never exactly measure, I just drizzle on enough of each to be able to spread across the fillet using a spoon. Add a little black pepper, and then bake for 15 minutes.

3. When rice is done cooking, add the butter, miso, and ranch seasoning. Cover the pot, and let everything sit for 5 minutes to let the butter melt and the miso soften. Mix together until well combined.

4. In a small bowl, combine cucumber, avocado, scallion, and a splash of soy sauce.

5. Divide the rice into 2 bowls, and top with cucumber avocado salad and salmon. Top with more sesame seeds, if desired, and serve warm!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for cabbage soup! Sooo healing and ready in 30 minutes!

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

I’m about to spend the week in the desert where it’s going to be 90 degrees, but my brother and sister-in-law weren’t able to fly back to New York this weekend because of a snowstorm. So when I was thinking about what to cook this week, I tried to put myself in the shoes of most everywhere else where people are cold and looking to be comforted. So, naturally, soup it was.

This soup is truly SO quick and SO easy. Cabbage is, of course, the star here, and chickpeas come in a close second. I didn’t realize until afterwards that if you leave off the Parmesan garnish at the end, this soup is actually vegan! It’s light and brothy but also filling, thanks to the fiber in the cabbage and the chickpeas. There’s some lemon and garlic, and of course, your classic soup aromatics of onion and carrots. And then it all gets topped off with some chives and parsley, and my personal favorite, grated Parmesan.

I can’t make any scientific claims, but this is the type of soup that will heal you — if not physically, then certainly emotionally.

RECIPE!

Nourishing Cabbage Chickpea Soup with Herbs and Parmesan

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

Read more

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CATCH UP!

My birthday was on Tuesday, and each year, I care even less about it than the year before. I think that’s a common sentiment for most people as you get older, but I’m not someone who generally feels stressed about aging (at least not yet). Birthdays are just not the milestones I feel like celebrating anymore — unless it’s my child’s. Then I’m paying attention to each week and each month, and I can only imagine how I feel when he makes it to a year.

The actual morning of my birthday was extremely hectic. We were trying to head out the door to take Sagan to his passport appointment — which should have been scheduled month’s ago — and Willow was giving us trouble, I was trying to finish up filming a video, a plant fell off the shelf, and Sagan was hungry right when we needed to leave. We made it to the appointment, but both Grant and I were feeling cranky.

Eventually, the day turned around, and I got to do the few things I cared about doing: playing with my baby, eating sushi for dinner, and watching the Tell Me Lies finale in bed with Grant.

This weekend is my sister’s baby shower, and I’ve been cleaning out Sagan’s closet to give her all the items I don’t need anymore. I get emotional pulling out his small clothes that he no longer fits into, even though with each new month, I find that it really does get better and better. Being a mother has made me so sentimental.

The loquats on my tree are starting to come in, and I can’t wait for them to ripen so I can make some jam and upside down cakes. It’s yet another marker of the passage of time — the loquats only sprout once a year, and it feels like just last year I was harvesting them from the tree, in between nesting and preparing for my life to change. My wistfulness for the passage of time only exists because this past year has felt so good, and I only mourn it because it’s so fleeting. But I also have so much to look forward to. And for that, I am grateful to continue to get older.

THINGS I’M LOVING

I’ve been rotating between coffee, matcha, and tea in the morning, and I started recently dabbling in making hojicha lattes. If you’re not familiar, hojicha is a type of Japanese tea — it’s actually green tea that has been roasted, and it has a really unique nutty, flavor. It has a lower caffeine content, and it’s prepared similarly to matcha with a whisk and water. I like to mix it with one shot of espresso to get that extra caffeine boost, and it tastes great with some oat milk or whole milk and a little sweetener.

Some options for buying hojicha:

• Ippodo (I think code KALEMEMAYBE still works for 15% off!)

• Rocky’s Matcha

• Cap Beauty

My favorite girl dinner lately: Patagonia Provisions Lemon & Herb Mussels and Sourdough Crackers with Sharp Cheddar! Eating this makes me feel like I'm on a seaside vacation. When it comes to tinned fish, mussels are so underrated! They're high in protein, iron, and B12, and I love that these are packed with thyme and lemon. Their sourdough crackers got me through pregnancy, and they're still one of my favorite accompaniments to this day.

This is the year of the loungewear for me. I’ve been really into matching PJ sets and comfy clothes to wear around the house that also help me feel a little more put together. I love this sweater set from Gap Factory — it’s 100% cotton and so cozy. I bought it in navy, but it looks like they only have both pieces of the set in brown. However, they are sold separately, so if you just like the sweater top or the sweater pants, you can just purchase one component (and the blue pants are still available).

DISCOUNT CODES!

Supplements

• KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 30% off your first order with Ritual!

• Use my link to get up to 45% off Grüns gummy vitamins!

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Armra Colostrum!

• CARINA gets you 15% off Perelel Vitamins

Food & Drink

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products

• DRIZZLE gets you 20% off Little Zing Mustard

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Kola Goodies tea lattes

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Primal Kitchen products

• KALEMEMAYBE15 gets you 15% off Flour & Water products

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Juliet Wine!

• CARINAWOLFF gets you 40% off your first order with Hungryroot!

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off of Algae Cooking Club

• Use my link to get 30% off your first order and a free gift from Thrive Market

• KALEMEMAYBE10 gets you 10% off Culture Pop Soda

• CARINAWOLFF gets you $30 off your first box + free croissants for life from Wildgrain

• KMM25 gets you 25% off your whole order at Ground Up Nut Butters

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Ippodo Tea (my favorite matcha)!

Home & Other Products

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off Starter Kits from Branch Basics!

• CW15 gets you 15% off Bon Charge Red Light Therapy

• Use my link to get 20% off at Canopy

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off at Print Fresh (100% cotton pajamas)

• Use this link to get 10% off your order at Tubby Todd!

RECIPE!

I’ve been experimenting with a lot of egg bites this month, and I couldn’t shake the idea of making a sweet version. Egg bites are just cottage cheese and eggs blended with various toppings, so I figured I could turn it into a breakfast “soufflé” by adding some sweetener, lemons, and berries.

The key to getting these the right consistency — fluffy and airy instead of crispy and frittata-like — is using a hot water bath, which steams the eggs. For this recipe, I baked with the water bath for the first 25 minutes, and then for the last 10 minutes or so, I got rid of the bath to finish cooking the soufflés. This helps them puff up a bit and lightly browns the top while keeping the middle soft.

I used these silicone molds to bake the eggs, and I definitely recommend them, since the egg bites pop right out without any issue. They do make slightly smaller bites, so you’ll end up with 16 egg bites. I’ll usually eat 3-5 at a time for breakfast! Or you could snack on them throughout the day.

I love that these have both protein from the eggs and cottage cheese and fiber from all the berries! A great way to start your morning!

Lemon Berry Breakfast Soufflé Bites

Ingredients (makes 16 small egg bites)

• 8 large eggs

• 1 cup cottage cheese

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 2 cups blueberries

• 1 cup raspberries

• Oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a blender, add eggs, cottage cheese, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Blend on medium for about 30 seconds or until everything is just combined and frothy. Don’t blend more than you have to — this prevents your soufflé bites from collapsing later.

2. Spray your silicone molds with oil spray (I used olive oil), and place on top of a baking sheet with rimmed edges. Pour the egg mixture into the molds about 3/4 the way to the top, and then add the berries.

3. Pour enough hot water onto the sheet pan to cover the bottom of the muffin cups. Carefully transfer to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet with the water, and return only the silicone muffin molds back into the oven. Bake for 8-10 more minutes until the tops of the soufflé bites are puffed up and just starting to turn golden.

4. Remove from oven, and let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing the soufflé bites from the molds. They should pop out easily, but you can also use a knife gently lift them out.

You can store these in the fridge or the freezer and pop them in the microwave to enjoy them!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received another 30-minute meal! This week, we are putting tinned fish to work with this salmon bowl topped with the most delicious honey soy mayo sauce that really ties everything together!

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Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

Read more

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I heard a quote this week that really resonated with me: “You can do it all, but not at the same time.” It’s attributed to many people — Betty Friedan, Madeleine Albright, Michelle Obama — but no matter the speaker, it hits home. Keeping this in the back of my mind gives me an existential sense of calm. One thing that helps is making my to-do list smaller. For the first time in my life, it feels better not to be overly ambitious. It’s not a slower life, but a more mindful one.

My stye from hell was still not fully recovered this week, but I felt well enough to get back into exercise. It’s easy to deprioritize working out when I’m trying to meet work deadlines and be a present parent, but I’ve noticed if I’m not active, I’m more anxious, less energetic, and can’t fall asleep at night, which just starts a vicious cycle of feeling poor. So I’m moving it to the top of my list, and I managed to get to pilates a few times this week. And I’m trying to take more walks. It’s actually crazy how much this impacts my sleep.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we watched one episode of Tell Me Lies, and I’m officially caught up now, but it also STRESSES me out. I made the mistake of watching one episode before bed, and I had so much anxiety that I couldn’t fall asleep. As soon as I actually started drifting off, it was so late that Sagan woke up to eat. Somehow, I still want to watch more, though.

I’ve also been trying to cook other people’s recipes on days when I’m not developing my own or working on my cookbook. There’s always a looming pressure to turn every meal into some form of content, but I found I’ve been more inspired lately when I also just follow other people’s recipes. This week, I made this 5-minute, high protein cheesecake and this loaded dessert sweet potato — as you can see, my sweet tooth is still in full force. Trying to work on that too, though.

THINGS I’M LOVING

I can’t believe I haven’t talked about my obsession with hypochlorous acid, yet. We originally purchased it as a bleach alternative — it’s equally as effective at disinfecting, but it’s also GOOD for your skin and body. Studies show it can help with eczema and acne, and, most importantly (for me), eye hygiene! When I started having chalazia and styes postpartum, I learned that hypocholorous acid is used to help prevent and treat them, so now I clean my eyes with it daily. We use Force of Nature, and I love it!

When I was making my baby registry, everyone told me to put the Kyte Baby Sleep Sack on there. Although I do like that one, my favorite is the Burt’s Bees sleep sack. I love that it’s organic cotton instead of bamboo, and it’s also less expensive. We have both the lightweight and heavier one, and Sagan loves them both. They’re on sale right now also!

My most worn outfit is t-shirts and jeans, so I’m always looking to buy 500 of the same t-shirts when I find a fit and style I like a lot. Ok, not actually 500, but I always buy multiples of a t-shirt one I find a good one. I like when they’re cropped enough to fall right above the waistband of my jeans, but not too high that they’re a belly top. American Eagle had the best tee like this that they discontinued (sad), but the closest I’ve found is this Léon t-shirt! It comes in navy, white, black, and a gorgeous cherry red that will probably be my next purchase.

RECIPE!

Is it a soup? Is it pasta? Is it meatballs in sauce? Frankly, it’s none of the above. So, we will call it brothy meatballs.

Not to be rude, but the weather has been gorgeous over here in LA, but I know everywhere else is freezing, so I wanted to make this week’s recipe warm, smoothing, and cozy.

The meatballs are made with feta and za’atar and then simmered in broth with some pasta. The pasta soaks up some of the broth so it’s not as soupy, but it still has some liquid that you can scoop up with your spoon.

I took a page out of the avgolemono book and used some eggs and lemon to make the broth thick and bright, and then more za’atar gets mixed in along with some dill and parsley.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend commonly used in places like Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. There is some variation in what goes into the blend depending on the region, but it typically consists of thyme or oregano, with toasted sesame, salt, and sumac. Za’atar (an Arabic word) is also an actual herb in the thyme family, but many blends don’t actually contain the za’atar plant.

I like to buy my za’atar from Z and Z. They’re a family-owned business that makes the most delicious za’atar!

RECIPE!

Brothy Za’atar Feta Meatballs

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

Meatballs

• 1 lb 85/15 ground beef

• 1/4 cup feta

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp minced parsley

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

• 1 large egg

• 1 tbsp za’atar

• 1 tsp salt

Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 8 oz small pasta (I used macaroni)

• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

• 1/4 finely chopped dill

• 4 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef broth

• 1 tsp za’atar

• 2 eggs

• Juice of 1-2 lemons

• Salt & pepper

1. In a medium bowl, add ground beef, feta, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, za’atar, and salt. Mix together with your hands until everything is combined, taking care not to over mix. Roll into small meatballs — I like to use a cookie dough scoop size, about 1 tablespoon. This should make about 28 meatballs.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for a minute or two until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the meatballs, and cook for 5 minutes to brown.

3. Pour in the broth and the pasta, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil (about medium-high), and give everything a gentle stir so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom. Cook for about 10 minutes until pasta is fully cooked.

4. While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together eggs and juice of 1 lemon.

5. When pasta and meatballs are done, remove from heat. Ladle a spoonful of broth into the lemon egg mixture, and whisk together. Slowly add the mixture to the pot, whisking vigorously as you go to incorporate the egg without scrambling it. Going slowly and constantly whisking will help prevent this.

6. Mix in the remaining za’atar, parsley, and dill. Taste, and add the juice of 1 more lemon, if desired. Season with a little salt and pepper.

7. Serve warm topped with more feta, za’atar, and dill.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Yesterday, paid subscribers received a recipe for hot chicken smash burger bowls! A play on the burger bowl using ground chicken. We’re almost at 100 30-minute meals in the archives, which is crazy!

Subscribe now

Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!

I’ve done a couple burger bowls in the past, but never with ground chicken! It was fun to switch it up and play with the flavors, as I’m used to using beef. I seasoned these patties to taste a little like hot chicken — they’re a little spicy with a touch of sweet. I also made a simple yogurt ranch that gets drizzled over the bowl.

I always love “grilling” some onions for my bowl by cooking them alongside the burgers and letting them get nice and soft. I used red onion here and loved how they came out. All in all, I will definitely be making these bowls again!

RECIPE!

Hot Chicken Smash Burger Bowls

Ingredients (serves 2)

Read more

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CATCH UP!

You know what I’m feeling today? I’m feeling really annoyed at AI, and how many fake videos and images get circulated around that people just assume are real. It scares me in so many ways — how this can be used so nefariously and how people don’t do their due diligence.

The Epstein files have also deeply disturbed me, and I’m really pissed off that so many men in power are perverted and disgusting. I mean, we kinda knew, but seeing it in writing is just gut-wrenching. I swear, sometimes I just want to close my eyes and ears and tune out the news, but I also could never turn a blind eye to the reality of our world if I’m committed to trying to make it better. It can be a hard balance sometimes, though.

In other news, I have made it through six months of breastfeeding, and I am very proud of myself. I am not anti-formula in anyway, shape or form (I was a formula-fed baby, and I’m doing great), and this is not to make anyone feel bad for not being able to breastfeed or choosing not to breastfeed. I am team fed is best! But you just never know how the journey is going to go, so I am proud of myself for sticking it through, and I hope to continue on as long as I can.

Before I had a baby, people would say “breastfeeding is hard,” and I didn’t really know what that meant. Yes, it can mean the actual act of breastfeeding is hard, such as getting baby to latch, but I think more than anything, it’s the physical and emotional commitment when you are the person responsible for feeding your baby from your body.

No one told me about cluster feeding before I gave birth. I remember the first few weeks sitting on the couch for HOURS on end breastfeeding, crying wondering if I would ever be able to get up and make myself a meal ever again. For a while, it felt like I couldn't really leave the house by myself or do anything that would take more than hour. My baby was feeding at least every two hours, but the two hour clock starts when the baby STARTS feeding, not ends, and he would feed for 45 minutes sometimes. I remember texting my friend one day and telling her that I had been breastfeeding for an hour and a half, and she was shocked.

Thankfully, I would go on Reddit, message my lactation consultant, and text my friends, and everyone would encourage me that this was temporary. “It gets easier,” everyone says, but you wonder, “WHEN?!”

Slowly but surely, it did get easier. I gained confidence. I learned my baby’s cues and signals. Everything got faster and more efficient. I am here to report that six months in, it really has gotten easier. It takes me 10-15 minutes to feed instead of 45, and I no longer worry if my baby is getting enough, I am doing this right, etc. It will never be “easy” in the sense that I still wake up at night to feed, I have to think about pumping if I want to be gone for long stretches of time, and every time I get dressed, I have to keep accessibility in mind.

And honestly, if I had to work out of the house, I don’t know what I would do. The convenience of being at home allows me to feed my baby, but for so many working mothers, there’s the added load of having to pump and plan and prepare. People talk about wanting to get breastfeeding numbers up in this country, but they don’t do anything to help support women! Maternity leave policy in this country is abysmal. I knew this objectively before having a child of my own, but it feels so much more extreme once you have an infant of your own and see it firsthand. This is why I understand why people can’t continue to breastfeed, because they’re not getting the support. We need support! It’s not always intuitive! And pumping and planning, for me personally, is exhausting.

I’ve had these thoughts swirling around for awhile, and although I didn’t really plan to go on such a rant today, I’m just trying to be more forthcoming about what’s on my mind lately. And this is it.

THINGS I’M LOVING

Ippodo has been my favorite matcha brand for years. It’s been selling out more recently with the explosion in matcha popularity, but whenever I try to drink another brand, it’s never the same. Thankfully, my favorite matcha for lattes (their Ikuyo matcha) is in stock right now, and they so generously offered a discount code for my followers, which is good until February 14th! I know I will be using my own code to buy some 100g bags for myself, ha! Not sponsored, just something I want to share with fellow matcha lovers! KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off anything on the Ipoddo website!

My sister and I went to a silver ring making class over the weekend, and it was such a cute experience! I’d never heard of this technique before — you use silver clay to mold your own 99.9% silver ring! My sister and I each made our own rings, and the host made one for us as well. It was a great bonding activity, and you walk away with new jewelry! If you’re in Los Angeles, it’s a must-do!

I made a fresh batch of the English Muffins this week, and when I saw this Baklava-Inspired English Muffin recipe from Pinch of Yum, I immediately added it to my must-make list. And my GOD, was it delicious. You just pulse together pistachios and walnuts and mix them with melted butter and brown sugar, broil, and then top with mascarpone. It’s like a decadent pastry, and I’m already eager to make it again.

DISCOUNT CODES!

**NEW CODE ALERT: Ippodo Tea (good until February 14th)**

Supplements

• KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 30% off your first order with Ritual!

• Use my link to get up to 45% off Grüns gummy vitamins!

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Armra Colostrum!

• CARINA gets you 15% off Perelel Vitamins

Food & Drink

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products

• DRIZZLE gets you 20% off Little Zing Mustard

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Kola Goodies tea lattes

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Primal Kitchen products

• KALEMEMAYBE15 gets you 15% off Flour & Water products

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off Juliet Wine!

• CARINAWOLFF gets you 40% off your first order with Hungryroot!

• CARINA20 gets you 20% off of Algae Cooking Club

• Use my link to get 30% off your first order and a free gift from Thrive Market

• KALEMEMAYBE10 gets you 10% off Culture Pop Soda

• CARINAWOLFF gets you $30 off your first box + free croissants for life from Wildgrain

• KMM25 gets you 25% off your whole order at Ground Up Nut Butters

• KALEMEMAYBE gets you 15% off Ippodo Tea (my favorite matcha)!

Home & Other Products

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off Starter Kits from Branch Basics!

• CW15 gets you 15% off Bon Charge Red Light Therapy

• Use my link to get 20% off at Canopy

• CARINA10 gets you 10% off at Print Fresh (100% cotton pajamas)

• Use this link to get 10% off your order at Tubby Todd!

RECIPE!

I would prepare beets more if they didn’t feel like such a pain in the butt to roast and peel, but every time I make them, I’m reminded that I actually do love beets, a lot. I love that they’re simultaneously earthy and sweet, and they make everything look so pretty and fancy!

As I’m sure you know, once you toss up a beet dish, everything gets stained red. I thought this salad was so gorgeous before I mixed it up, but then once it was tossed, I also loved the pink hue. And since Valentine’s Day is in a couple weeks, the timing couldn’t be better!

In addition to the beets, this pasta salad has cara cara oranges, crispy chickpeas for protein, red onion, feta, dill, and finely pulsed pistachios that get dusted over the top. The dressing is also citrus-y and a teensy-weensy spicy (barely), made with oranges and some Calabrian chili peppers.

Beet & Citrus Pasta Salad

Ingredients (serves 2)

Salad

• 2 beet bunches (one gold, one red, about 4-6 medium beets)

• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry

• 8 oz pasta of choice (I used quattrotini)

• Olive oil

• Smoked paprika

• Cumin

• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios

• 1 medium cara cara orange, diced

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

• 3 oz feta, crumbled, plus another 1 oz or so to top

• 3 tbsp roughly chopped dill

Orange Calabrian Chili Dressing

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp Calabrian chili peppers

• Juice of 1 navel orange

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp honey

• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes to an 1 hour until fork tender. When beets are ready, let cool before peeling and chopping. I chopped my beets into slightly different sizes for more texture.

2. Meanwhile, line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, add the chickpeas, and toss in a little olive oil and a few dashes of smoked paprika and cumin. Season with salt and pepper, toss, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

3. While everything is roasting, prepare your pasta according to package. Drain, and toss in olive oil to prevent sticking if it’s ready before everything else.

4. Add your pistachios to a blender or food processor, and just pulse a couple times (or blend for like 5-10 seconds) to get the pistachios very finely chopped.

5. Prepare your dressing by combining garlic, Calabrian chili peppers, orange juice vinegar, olive oil, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth.

6. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chickpeas, beets, oranges, red onion, feta, and dill. Add the dressing, and toss together. Top with a little more crumbled feta and the pistachios.

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