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A lot is going on these next two weeks. Halloween is on Thursday and the election is right around the corner. (Don’t forget to vote!) If you’re feeling anxious, here are 5 simple things you can do to take the edge off. I have even more tips in my post: A Little Recipe For Fighting Worry. 💜
1. Change How You Use Your Phone
Our phones are designed to be addicting. Add nerve-wracking news to the mix and it’s easy to fall into a doom scrolling loop. But here’s the thing: whatever is going to happen, it will happen whether or not you’re looking at your phone. So take your eyes off the screen, get out of your head, and step into the present moment.
Here are two easy tricks to make your phone less tempting:
Make your phone black & white. You’d be amazed by the difference this makes. Without color, your phone becomes much less interesting and it’s far more difficult to be sucked into mindlessly using your device.
To remove color from your iPhone, go to Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size, then turn on the Color Filters.
Have “screen time” limits on your phone. My phone goes into Downtime every day at 7 PM. Also, I’m only allowed to use apps like email for 15 minutes a day. With “screen time,” you can set device and per-app limits. You can even block entire websites that you know will pull you under.
Find all of these Screen Time options under Settings.
I like to gamify the way I use my phone by looking at the daily usage under “Screen Time.” If the amount of time is going down, I win!
2. Pamper Yourself
How you pamper yourself doesn’t matter so long as you do it. Make it a priority to care for your body and your mind. You’ll be less likely to feel overwhelmed and will be more resilient when challenges arise.
For instance, if I’m feeling drained I might go for a walk in the woods with my dog. Or I may get a cozy fire going and snuggle up beneath soft blankets with a steaming mug of tea before diving into a novel.
What fills your cup? Make a list. Pin it on a wall for easy reference. This way, you won’t have to come up with an idea when you’re feeling depleted.
3. Breathe
Did you know many of us unconsciously hold our breath when we’re feeling stressed or anxious? One of the simplest things you can do to feel more relaxed is to notice your breathing. Are you breathing?
If you discover that you’re holding your breath, bring your attention back to your body. Take a quick mental scan for tightness in areas like the jaw or shoulders. Relaxing these areas helps free the breath.
Or, try “sigh breathing,” which is when you release a gentle sigh when you exhale. This conscious exhalation relaxes the body and signals a release of tension.
I also highly recommend a daily meditation practice, even if for a few minutes. I wrote about that here.
4. Pair Sounds With Relaxation
Use soothing sounds such as Tibetan singing bowls or nature sounds to unwind every evening. Choose a sound you enjoy, then play it every night as you begin your bedtime routine. Your brain will start associating the sound with relaxation, making releasing the day’s tension easier. Here’s the sound I use:
5. Laugh
There’s a reason we say “laughter is the best medicine.” Levity releases endorphins in the brain, making us feel happier and more relaxed. Indulge in re-runs of your favorite comedy or jump into a new movie. Here are some of my favorites:
Modern Family (Hulu) — Perhaps the ultimate feel-good tv show?
Jumanji 1 & 2 — The new versions with The Rock. Love these movies!
Death at a Funeral — There are two movies by this title. I’m referring to the 2007 version starring Matthew Macfadyen and Peter Dinklage. One of the funniest movies I’ve seen. More movies like this need to be made.
Free Guy - I pretty much love everything Ryan Reynolds touches. I’ve seen this movie many, many times and it still makes me laugh.
With Deep Gratitude: My First Founding Member!
I can hardly believe it but towards the end of September I got my first founding member. I honestly wasn’t expecting to ever have one, so to say I’ve been on cloud nine since then is an understatement. Many thanks to Cynthia for her support and belief in this newsletter. 🙏🏻
Published in October
In case you missed anything, here’s a quick look at the recipes, stories, and essays published this month. Also, check out the full Recipe Index.
Breakfast & Dessert Recipes
Apple Cobbler ← This is the recipe that won my husband’s heart! (Partially because I set his house on fire. 🔥)
Pumpkin Waffles — October’s free recipe! (At the bottom of this post.)
Savory Sundries
By popular request, I’ve decided to share savory recipes on occasion. I published several in October because people were emailing me for these recipes after my traditional food blog shut down this month.
Albondigas — This is Nana’s Mexican meatball soup recipe. A childhood fav!
Healing Instant Pot Chicken Soup — My go-to recipe whenever someone is sick. Your Instant Pot does most of the work, too.
Rabbit Stew - When I was growing up, my uncles hunted to supplement our family’s food supply, so rabbit is a nostalgic fav of mine. This recipe tastes like something you’d get at a rustic-yet-fancy restaurant.
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili — Hands down my husband’s all-time favorite chili recipe.
Essays
Legacy Cookbook Project
In Case You Missed It: What is a Legacy Cookbook?
What I’m Loving Right Now
Books
“How Not to Age” by Dr. Michael Greger — Sadly, not a book on achieving immortality, but definitely an eye-opening look at the role nutrition plays in how our bodies age. According to Dr. Greger, our lifestyle accounts for 80-90% of risk. This means that our genes do not equal our destiny. I also loved and recommended his first book, “How Not To Die.”
“Stillness is Key” by Ryan Holiday — I’m re-reading this book, which is a contemporary take on Stoic philosophy and finding stillness amidst the chaos of modern life. The first time I read it was in 2020, right as the pandemic started. This book is full of potent reminders to ground both mind and spirit, no matter how fiercely the storm around us is raging.
“The Traveler’s Gate” Trilogy by Will Wight — I enjoyed this series about a regular guy, Simon, who finds himself thrust into a high-stakes end-of-world scenario where his arrogant neighbor is the prophesied “savior.” The prophecy has nothing to say about Simon, who has no special powers and is not even sure he will survive. But he can’t stand by, so he gets involved anyway. Beginning with “House of Blades,” the world-building in these stories is unique with fully fleshed-out, relatable characters.
TV & Movies
The Legend of Vox Machina (Netflix) — If you’re a Dungeons & Dragons fan, you’re going to love this animated series. It’s based on the “Critical Role” podcast and is a real hoot for fellow adventurers especially. Note that, although animated, this show has a few NSFW scenes thanks to Scanlan the Bard. Let his name being so close to the word “scandalous” serve as your warning.
The Martian (Amazon) — I’ve watched this movie many, many times over the years and it remains one of my most-loved films. The themes of perseverance and resilience are uplifting and inspiring. When my son was little we would build a fort out of sheets and call it our “hab unit” while we watched this movie and munched on popcorn. Now that he’s a teen, I’m not sure if I can talk him into doing that again…. but I’m going to try! (My husband suggested I just start building a hab unit “the wrong way” and that will get my son to join in.)
Little Luxuries
Twenty-Minute Candles — These mini candles each burn for 20 minutes. Use them to journal, meditate, write, or do anything else you want without needing to use your phone as a timer. It feels very old-fashioned and for some reason, I find that super satisfying.
Ember Mug — I only like to drink my coffee hot. And yet, I also nurse my morning cup for at least an hour. This meant repeated trips to the microwave until my husband gave me an Ember mug. Now my coffee stays hot from the first sip to the last.
Earl Grey Creme — I usually buy all our teas from The Republic of Tea but they discontinued our favorite blend, The Prime Minister’s Earl Grey. Turns out it was for the best because we discovered one we enjoy even more, Earl Grey Creme by Art of Tea. It smells divine and has a light vanilla accent that doesn’t overpower the bold flavors of bergamot and citrus. It’s fantastic with a splash of creamer and we’ve even used it in baking.
Everyday Moments
Autumn is in full swing! Here’s a little video I captured on a walk this month:
Pumpkin Waffles
These pumpkin waffles come together in a snap and are full of cozy fall vibes. Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, they’re spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Tips for Success
Use Pumpkin Puree. Also known as canned pumpkin, it is not the same as canned pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin puree is made with 100% pumpkin and nothing else. By contrast, canned pumpkin pie filling has spices traditionally used for pumpkin pie in the mix. Since we are adding spices to our waffle batter you want to use the pure pumpkin puree.
Grease the waffle maker. Even if you have a non-stick waffle maker I recommend lightly greasing it with PAM or your preferred cooking spray to prevent the waffles from sticking.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Pumpkin Waffles?
The kind of waffle maker you use will determine how much batter is used and how long your waffles take to cook. Therefore I recommend taking note of how much batter you use when you make your first waffle, as well as how long it takes to cook. Then when you make the rest of your waffles you can adjust the amount of batter and cooking time as needed.
In my Belgian waffle maker, I use about 3/4 cup of batter, and each waffle cooks for 3-4 minutes. I check them at the 3-minute mark and then cook another minute if they are not as golden or crisp as I want.
If I am using a standard waffle maker I start with 1/2 cup of batter and 3 minutes of cooking time, adjusting accordingly after I have checked my waffle.
Topping Ideas
I like to mix the fall pumpkin flavors with the summer vibes of fresh blueberries. Add some whipped cream with maple syrup and I’m a happy camper.
Here are some more waffle topping ideas if you want to experiment:
Chocolate syrup or caramel sauce.
Yogurt. Instead of whipped cream, you could use vanilla yogurt.
Ice cream. This is turning your waffles into more of a dessert than a breakfast, but hey, why not? Top your waffles with vanilla ice cream, berries, whipped cream, and maybe chocolate sauce to boot. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Nuts. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top of your other fixings.
Fresh fruit. I’m partial to fresh blueberries for this recipe but you could use any kind of fresh fruit and it would be completely delicious.
Cinnamon spiced apples. You can also cook apples like in my baked oatmeal recipe, then spoon those on top.
How to Store and Reheat Waffles
Fridge: You can store leftover waffles in the fridge for 3-4 days. Let them cool completely, then transfer them to an air-tight container or Ziploc bag.
To reheat from the fridge: You can reheat waffles in the microwave, but I find that this makes them too soft for my liking. Instead, I prefer to reheat them in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes.
Freezing: Let the waffles cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe airtight container with pieces of parchment paper between each waffle. They will keep for up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen: I recommend reheating frozen waffles in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes or until heated through.
I hope you enjoyed this end-of-the-month postcard! If you did, please share my newsletter with family and friends. :)
Those waffles look amazing! And I love the idea of making use of the tools on our phones to limit our time spent on them. Ironic, yes, but so clever!