Hey friend. It’s your fave plant-based advocate, LA from Black Girls Eat. I am getting excited about all of the ways we will explore food together in 2023. More recipes, more strategies for saving money and more knowledge to help you eat well, feel well and live well! Hoping this note reaches you and you are feeling ready for a re-start. I was just sitting here thinking about how fast time moves when we aren’t paying attention. Don’t you feel like it was just July?
As we wrap up the year, I’ve decided that there are some things that won’t be coming into the New Year with me. Here are my top 3.
Procrastination
I just have to stop putting things off until the very last minute. I’m a true creative in the sense that I have the blueprint in my mind. I know exactly where I want to go even if no one else does. That’s probably why I take my time getting “the show on the road” This newsletter is a classic example. I create the drafts on Saturday and then it takes me all week to figure out what I really want to say. That’s why you are going to read this just before midnight!
Solution: Take care of easy tasks as soon as they come up and stick to a writing schedule with the goal of getting work done 24-48 hours before it’s due.
Lateness
This one feels like the cousin to procrastination. I hate being late. I never want to give anyone the impression that I don’t respect them or their time. I should put my clothes out the night before. I most certainly should figure out my lunch and snacks for work before I go to bed. But that never happens so in the morning, I’m always dashing around trying to get myself dressed, my daughter dressed, the dog fed and the coffee made.
Solution: Be a big girl. Put your clothes out in advance, prepare your meals at night and set an alarm to leave 15 minutes before you actually have to walk out the door.
Retail Therapy
Omg….I absolutely have to stop shopping randomly. Oh! But how the stores just keep calling me. Sephora, DSW, Macy’s and the list goes on. And can I tell you that Amazon Prime is just no bueno? With one click, I’m done. If I’ve had a tough week, online shopping is my go to. I love to window shop. I can get a lot of joy out of just browsing. But, I’m addicted to sales and coupons. One day it’s only $39 and then another day it’s just $20 but at the end of the week, it could be $200 bucks.
Solution: First step for this detox? Remove my credit cards from the sites so that the purchases can’t be automatic.
Okay so those are my top 3? What will you be leaving behind in 2022?
The Recipe: Cranberries and Prosecco
I went to a holiday party and fell in love with this one. It’s so simple but looks so elegant and festive. All you need are some cranberries, some cranberry juice and sparkling wine. I chose Prosecco from Italy but you could easily choose Cava from Spain or Champagne from France of course!
The Random: Surf and Turf at Beefsteak Charlie’s
When I was in high school, my best friend and I used to do everything together. We were typical teens and NYC was a crazy, sexy, cool place to grow up. One day during the holiday season, we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner in Times Square. Our rationale was that we should take ourselves out as practice for when we have a real date. The goal was to gather some points for maturity and develop a sense of worldliness. Ha! When I think about it now, I just laugh. How we put that together still amazes me.
But back to the story. Beefsteak Charlie doesn’t exist anymore but at that time, it was the place to be for first time dates, business meetings, etc. We arrived and promptly ordered the Surf and Turf. The meal consisted of steak, a potato, broccoli and all you can eat shrimp. The waiter took our order and invited us to the shrimp bar.
It was like a massive iceberg in the middle of the room. The frozen shrimp were surrounded by lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. Clearly the seafood portion of the meal was the most expensive and people were piling it on. We followed suit and returned to our table with mini icebergs of shrimp, lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
And here’s where the comedy begins. We both took a bite of the shrimp and put it down immediately. It was hard and we didn’t get what the excitement was about. So we ignored the seafood and ate the rest of the meal. With all of our maturity, we had no idea that you had to “peel” the shrimp first. Ha! So we complained about the shrimp and left it all on the table.
It wasn’t until the next day or so that we found out that we had not known how to eat the shrimp and anyone who heard the story just shook their head. Two little girls trying to be grownups. Now we visit all kinds of fancy smancy restaurants but we still laugh about that night. What a journey!
Thanks so much for reading! Please visit the Black Girls Eat website for easy plant-based recipes and get ready for Veganuary! That’s January 1-31 and it’s all about vegan foods either for a part of the day or all day. It’s the perfect time to try to get more plants on your plate. And guess what? You can now find me on IG and Tik Tok. Get a head start on your restart by taking the easy 5 day email class.
I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for being here. Have a very Happy New Year!