Salmon with Charred Pineapple & Avocado Salsa

& my thoughts on "almond moms;" social media relatability

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!

Hi, and welcome to June! It feels surreal that the year is halfway over.

Even though I’ve been feeling quite bla recently, especially with this gloomy weather, I am trying to move through the day with more appreciation. For example, I’ve been sleeping really, really well lately, and most mornings, I get up and go workout before starting my day, which always makes me feel good. I’ve been reading before bed instead of watching TV, and most importantly, I’ve been connecting so deeply with my friends. Going through something difficult really demonstrates who shows up for you, and I feel so immensely privileged that I have such an amazing circle of support. It makes me feel like there is truly something right about how I’m living my life.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I’ve been jotting down thoughts in the notes app on my phone, and surprise, surprise, so many of them are related to the internet and online behavior. I’ve been feeling so demoralized with online discourse lately, and I hate it. But instead of getting beat down by it, I’m going to write about it, and hopefully that can create a fun discussion — well, maybe not fun, but hopefully at least enlightening.

• Despite people’s insistence that they enjoy relatability and authenticity online, creators like Nara Smith are still seeing the most success. This is absolutely no shade to Nara Smith, but I am just using her as an example. I understand her appeal: she is gorgeous, talented, and a clever marketer, but her content is really the opposite of relatable or authentic. It demonstrates the disconnect between the type of content people say they want and what they actually respond to. I know Nara’s videos are slightly tongue-in-cheek, but she is still selling an aspirational life that is highly unattainable and highly curated. She is dressed in full glam and preparing the most intricate meals that are clearly planned out and meant strictly for social media. Again, I believe there is a place for content like her’s, and I myself watch and enjoy her content, but I think we need to be honest with ourselves about what appeals to us and maybe figure out why.

• People are using the term “almond mom” as a euphemism for eating disorder. When the term “almond mom” first came on the scene, people were using it to critique harmful food philosophies coming from their parents and to demonstrate how it may have negatively affected them. Now, people are using it in an almost cutesy way, sometimes glorifying it, and I don’t like that. Just say what it is. It’s disordered eating.

As always, I looooove a friendly discussion, so let’s get chatting in the comments if you have anything to say about the above points (or anything in general)!

THINGS I’M LOVING!

Every single day I have to write my to-do list down with pen and paper. I’ve gone through many customizable notebooks and notepads in my life, but since I go through them so quickly, I wanted one that was a little more budget-friendly. I’m currently using this To-Do List Notepad that is straightforward, cute, and only $7!

Because I’m taking so many supplements to optimize my fertility, my collection is teeming at the brim, so I finally got a pill organizer to keep everything straight! I thought this one was really cute, and I liked that there are sections for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plus, you can take out the little daily pods and travel with them, if need be!

I’m back with another smocked dress! This one is from Everlane and is a pretty navy blue. It’s so light and airy, but it does run a little large, so I would potentially size down if you’re in between sizes.

ACTIVE CODES!

KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Ground Up Nut Butters! There’s a veryyyy limited restock of my Fudgy Mint Cookie nut butter, so get it before it’s gone!

KALEMEMAYBE25 gets you 25% off your first order with Ritual!

KALEMEMAYBE gets you 10% off Fishwife products!

RECIPE!

I love salmon oh so much. I find it really easy to prepare and so versatile when it comes to what you can pair it with. One of my favorite things to do is make a loaded salsa or sauce and serve it with salmon over rice.

This salsa is an ode to summer. The star ingredient is pineapple, which charred in a pan. This softens the pineapple and brings out a lot of its sweetness. It’s paired with avocado, red onion, lime, garlic, and basil, which makes a perfect combination for the warm weather!

Salmon with Charred Pineapple & Avocado Salsa

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 cup uncooked rice

• 1 lb salmon, cut into 2 filets

• 1 1/4 cup cubed pineapple

• 1 avocado, diced

• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• Juice of 2 limes

• Pinch of salt

• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare your rice according to package.

2. Add salmon filets to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until salmon is flaky and cooked through.

2. While salmon is baking, prepare the pineapple salsa. Heat a tiny bit of olive oil in a a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add the pineapple & cook for 5 minutes on each side until just charred. Remove from pan and let cool, and then chop into smaller pieces.

3. In a small bowl, mix together chopped pineapple, avocado, red onion, basil, garlic, lime, and a pinch of salt.

4. Divide the rice into two bowls, and top with the cooked salmon and the salsa. Serve warm!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

I think last week’s paid subscriber recipe may have been the fastest and easiest of all of my 30-minute budget meal series recipes. This BBQ chopped is so fresh and flavorful, and it seriously takes only 10-15 minutes to make! Bonus: it’s vegetarian and can easily be made vegan!