Spicy Mayo Shrimp Bowl

and why getting your thoughts out of your head is essential

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, thoughts, and faves in your inbox every Tuesday!

CATCH UP!

I think one of the worst things you can do is keep your thoughts bottled up in your head. This doesn’t mean that you have to tell everyone what you’re thinking at all times — in fact, I would definitely advise against doing just that. But it does mean you have to get your thoughts out somewhere, whether that be on paper, through art, doing a meditation, or even going on a long run.

I can’t presume to tell you how you can best work through what you feel, but I can tell you, once you see those thoughts in front of you, clear as day, once you’re face to face with them, you’ll probably feel better. We can’t work through our thoughts and feelings if we don’t know what they truly are or if we aren’t being honest with ourselves. We don’t want our thoughts taking the reigns — we want to work in tandem with them, sometimes to even overcome them.

I know I said last week i was starting up journaling again, but truth be told, I haven’t been writing in my notebook as much as I’ve planned to, mostly because I ended up pivoting to writing my novel which of course, isn’t a bad thing. I’ve had an interesting couple weeks with some personal relationships, and I’ve realized how essential it has been for me to work through those feelings with words. And I think the beauty of writing fiction is that I can take those emotions, straighten them out, and embellish them to write an even better story.

I truly don't know who I would be without my thoughts and words, and the second part of the importance of sharing your thoughts is that you’re letting others know who you are. When I think about what defines me, it’s really not at all my job or my hobbies, it’s what I think about on a daily basis, and it’s what drives my most intimate relationships. It’s the part of myself I’m most proud of. And it’s what irks me when people say you can’t discuss politics, or even sex or money. These are complexed and nuanced topics, and if you don’t want to hear about them, then you don’t really care about knowing me and how I see the world.

I set a goal for myself of 90,000 words for this novel, and this week, I hit 80,000. I usually write 1,000 words in one setting, so I likely will finish the first draft soon, although I have a feeling the first draft will surpass 90,000. While doing this, I’ve realized with writing, momentum is the most important thing. When I started in 2020, I was on a roll, writing away during lockdown, not much else to do. Then when life picked up again, I just dabbled, which wasn’t good for my process. Now that I’m back in the swing of things, it’s all I can think about. I’m sucked into these characters’ worlds, and I have a lot of feelings lately, so that’s helpful in motivating myself to write.

I’ve also been thinking about words in relationships: how crucial they are to communicating your needs and your feelings, and how so many of them often fail because people cannot express how they feel. It’s a skill that needs to be honed, and unfortunately, most of us don’t have someone teaching us how to do it. Channeling our thoughts into words is one of the most important things we have, and yet so many of us struggle. I think that’s why I’m so attracted to reading and writing, because it’s beautiful when someone can capture emotion and articulate it in a universal way, especially when they can make it sound good.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

For all my blondies looking for a good purple shampoo, I have one for you! I’m the type of person who will SCOUR the web for the best of any product (like deep dive on Reddit status), and so many people recommended this Milk_Shake Purple Shampoo. This stuff WORKS (aka it is strong haha). I use it once a week or every two weeks, and it CRUSHES that brassiness. Like, wow. She is small but mighty.

I’m back at it again with another Aerie fave (they just KILL it with the loungewear). Grant would say I didn’t need another sweatshirt, and he is probably right, but that’s essentially all I wear during the winter months as I work from home, and tbh most of my sweatshirts have stains on them from cooking (oops). I got this Aerie Down-To-Earth Crew Sweatshirt in Nomad Olive because I loved the color and the vintage wash, and I’ve been wearing it almost every day.

Don’t get mad at me, but I’ve never really liked Oreos. There is one exception though: the Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s. They are the best seasonal item, and they have CHOCOLATE COVERED ONES TOO! The produce at Trader Joe’s may majorly suck, but it’s worth visiting a store to get your hands on these cookies.

**Also, as a reminder, if you’re still looking for gifts for this year, I have a really elaborate gift guide (that focuses on hard-to-shop-for friends and family)!! Check it out!!**

RECIPE!

I’ve been into spicy mayo shrimp ever since I saw Food Heaven make Spicy Shrimp Tacos a couple of years ago. I always keep a frozen bag of shrimp in my freezer for last-minute dinners, and I find my go-to move is always spicy mayo. I think I love it so much because it feels a bit like going to sushi, and I cannot emphasize enough how easy it is to prepare.

Spicy Mayo Shrimp Bowl

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 cup uncooked brown or white rice (or 2 cups cooked)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lb raw peeled shrimp (I used Argentinian Red Shrimp)

• 1 1/2 tbsp mayo

• 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha

• 1/2 cup kale micro greens

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• 2 scallion stalks, thinly sliced

• Furikake

• Sesame seeds

1. Prepare rice according to package or with your preferred method. I like to do mine in the Instant Pot.

2. While rice is cooking, prepare your shrimp. Heat up olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the shrimp, and sauté for about 4-5 minutes or until shrimp turns opaque. Transfer to a bowl to let cool slightly.

3. Make spicy mayo by whisking together mayo and sriracha in a small bowl. Add the spicy mayo to the bowl with the shrimp, and toss.

4. When rice is ready, add to a bowl and top with micro greens, spicy mayo shrimp, avocado, and scallions. Finish off with some furikake and/or sesame seeds.