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Current location: Arizona
Over the past 3.5 years, I've invested in myself intellectually to earn my law degree. it's been a long road which required many sacrifices. In addition to missing out on fun nights out, I neglected myself and my self-care routines. Personal maintenance Wednesdays became a monthly affair instead of weekly (leading to unpainted nails, less masks, and unoiled hair). I also neglected my physical self internally - I worked out less and ate worse. Now that I'm done with my law school chapter, I'm re-committing to myself and my self-care rituals.
Today I connected with food.
Food has always been a symbol of love in my life. It's the main form of affection I received from women in my family - "kha kha" (eat, eat) is basically "I love you". When I lived on my own, cooking became a form of self-love - especially when I became vegan. Though I no longer define myself as vegan, I still appreciate healthy home cooked food. I feel better from the inside out!
I embarked on a visit to the farmers market today which brought me back to my days in Philly. I made weekly trips to Iovine Bros. in the Reading Terminal Market - which essentially served as my supermarket. Spending $10, I came home with bags of fruits and veggies that nourished my soul. Today I wandered superstition market and came away with delicious spoils for ~$12!
Purchased: bag of apples, beets, purple potatoes, yam, spinach, shallots, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, tomatillos, persimmons
Created: boiled beets, roasted yam, roasted brussel sprouts, spaghetti squash algio with mushrooms, mashed purple potatoes, roasted tomatillo sauce
I'm not completely done with meal prep. Tomorrow I'll embark on pickling the shallots. In the mornings, I'll prepare breakfast smoothies with apples, spinach and cucumbers.
This form of expression of love reminds me of "Like Water for Chocolate" - the emotions we feel as we cook are absorbed into the food we create - in cooking for ourselves, we have a chance to express self-love, encouragement, power, and much more.