Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more on Fridays! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!
CATCH UP!
I started making a list on my phone of talking points I want to discuss in the newsletter because I feel like I ruminate over so many different subjects throughout the day, but by the time I sit down to write, I feel clueless.
Here are a couple I wrote down this week:
People love to hold onto their health beliefs even if those beliefs have been repeatedly proven wrong by experts, doctors, research, statistics, etc.
When I try to think about what would motivate someone to hold on to an incorrect fact — one that may actually be making their life more difficult — I suspect a part of them feels their adherence to this health practice makes them feel more accomplished in some ways. I think, naturally, we all take pride in taking care of our bodies, and when we find out we have been spending extra money and time for nothing, the cognitive dissonance kicks in, and we instinctually adhere tighter rather than adjust. I just find it so fascinating how people could be presented with compelling evidence that they don’t need to stress about a product or ingredient, yet they continue to go to great lengths to avoid it anyway, often at the cost of their wallet or mental wellbeing.
Manifesting feels exclusive When people say they manifested something amazing in their life, I, of course, am happy for them, but I also always question the concept of manifesting. I can’t help but to think about someone who was born into an awful situation: a war-torn country, abusive parents, poverty, etc. What happens when those people try to manifest something through the power of thinking, and they don’t end up getting what they want? Is someone who manifests a relationship or a dream job or a perfect house more deserving than someone who can’t escape their horrible circumstances? When it comes to manifesting, I do believe in the power of thinking in the sense that when something is top of mind, you subconsciously (and consciously) work harder towards that goal. I don’t believe that just thinking about it makes that thing happen. I think YOU make that thing happen with your actions.
Okay, wow, got a little spicy in here, but if you’ve got any thoughts regarding the topics above, I would love to hear them in the comments!
THINGS I’M LOVING!
I’ve long been a fan of Bitchin’ Sauce, but they just came out with squeeze bottles, and I absolutely love their Dill Pickle Flavor! I’ve been eating these with potatoes, and it makes the best sauce.
I finished reading Ghosts a couple weeks ago, and I thought it was cute! This was my first Dolly Alderton, and I will definitely read some more of her books. It was a light, quick read with some thoughtful modern insights.
I bought this Black Crochet Cover Up Dress back in January when we were in Punta Mita. It wasn’t exactly beach or pool season back when I bought it, but now that the weather is heating up, I figured it was the perfect time to share! I brought it with me on our recent trip to Palm Springs, and that solidified its place as a summer staple. At only $30, it’s a steal!
ACTIVE CODES!
KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 25% off your first order with Ritual!
KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products!
RECIPE!
I love the pairing of kimchi and eggs — you’ve probably seen me make my kimchi egg salad toast for breakfast on Instagram. Kimchi is a Korean side dish made with fermented vegetables, often cabbage, that is spiced and seasoned. I love how flavorful it is but also how nutritious, as it’s a great source of probiotics.
While I’ve made many kimchi, egg, and toast combinations, I decided this week to make kimchi and eggs with tortillas, almost huevos rancheros-inspired!
I used Siete almond flour tortillas here and Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar, which really took it all to the next level, but regular flour tortillas and cheddar will definitely be just as good!
Kimchi Cheddar Tortilla Eggs
Ingredients (serves 1)
1 tsp olive oil
2 taco-sized tortillas
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup kimchi
2 eggs
1 tbsp water
1 scallion stalk, thinly sliced
1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the tortillas, and coat each side with the oil. Sprinkle on half of the cheddar cheese, and then add the kimchi.
2. Crack an egg onto each of the tortillas. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese, add 1 tbsp water to the pan, cover, and cook for 4-6 minutes until egg whites have set.
3. Transfer to a plate, and then top with sliced scallions and black pepper. Serve warm! You can eat in your hands like a taco, or if it’s too juicy, you can use a fork and knife.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!
Another week, another 30-minute budget meal recipe for my paid subscribers <3 Friendly reminder that you can always join with a free 7-day trial, and you get access to all existing recipes in the archives!
1000% agree re: Manifestation.
I get this like, prickly, sensation whenever it comes up in convos. I had the same feelings when "lucky girl syndrome" was super popular on TikTok (maybe still is?). I guess for me, because I have never heard someone talk about manifestation that in any way addresses how much misery and suffering is inflicted upon people who can't "manifest" that away, or that addresses structural isms, it largely just comes across as deeply selfish, dismissive and willfully ignorant of others' realities. "Everything happens for a reason" sends me spiralling about this too. Associating whether people's circumstances change or they get what they want with thinking about it enough or in the right/positive ways just seems to me like another way of saying when something bad happens to someone it's their fault (I found this article discussing manifestation and OCD insightful *CW - mention of SA* https://psychcentral.com/ocd/fear-law-of-attraction-manifesting).
Sorry for the rant considering this is my first ever comment on your newsletter but your thoughts really resonated. Thanks for sharing them!
Made these after being intrigued by them a few weeks ago and loved them! Thank you from saving me from the protein-less 3 PM slump before happy hour drinking.