In this blog, I want to alternate sharing health stories with recipes for your to enjoy. Before I start posting recipes, I want to give you an overview of the recipes that I will be sharing. I know in the current fast-paced world, it can be hard to find time to grocery shop, prep and cook. I get it. What I hope through sharing these recipes, is to inspire you to find time, maybe just once a week, maybe just once a month to start, to cook. I’ve chosen easy dishes, written in simple language, with clear steps, and often with convenience tips. I never learned how to cook- I have taught myself and am by no means a chef- I completely understand it can be intimidating.
I also know how nourishing, healing, and comforting cooking can be. When I was little, my family ate together every night, at the dinner table, when there were no cell phones. My parents prepared simple meals, but it was definitely home cooking that nourished us. Looking back, these were my favorite childhood memories. In the present, it is my favorite time when I can cook with my sister, dad or mom and we all eat together. Looking forward, I want to continue creating this comforting feeling for my family, teach my niece/nephew (my sis is pregnant!), cook for my friends, AND share as many recipes as I can with you. The feeling when someone cooks me food is like getting a huge hug- I feel taken care of, I feel at home, I feel loved, I feel at peace. Even if it’s a baked sweet potato. It’s a process of slowing the world down and enjoying the present moment. Or- quickly preparing so you have something to eat- whichever type of day it is:)
In the fall of 2020 (no need to recap what was going on in the world then…), I went to Costa Rica to let my body rest after doing over 400 skydives in 3 months. I had been getting all joy through constant adrenaline jumping out of planes and getting to a very advanced level. It was definitely quite a shock to end up on the beaches of Costa Rica without my skydiving gear, without an easy joy fix. It’s a very long story, but my plans didn’t go as planned and I ended up staying at a hostel on the beach for a week. I immediately made two friends, Sharon and Renzo, who worked there. One evening, I cooked them rice and vegetables- they were FILLED with immense gratitude, thanking me at least 10 times. Their energy of gratitude for the home cooking was immense. To me, it was rice and vegetables. To them it was an act of loving generosity, creating a home for all of us while we were far from our families. To experience their joy of the food I cooked was greater than any joy I had experienced in skydiving. This is just one example of what home cooked food can do.
In addition, when you cook your own food, you know exactly what ingredients go into it. Many restaurants advertise their food as healthy but use non-organic ingredients, add fillers, use unhealthy oils, add sugar, etc. Most of the recipes I am going to be sharing fall under the category of Auto Immune Protocol (AIP), meaning anti-inflammatory, avoiding all allergens, while still being totally delicious for everyone. Unfortunately these days, a lot of people have underlying gut issues, thyroid issues, auto-immune conditions, specific food sensitivities, avoidance of full food categories. As a person who has gone through elimination diets, I know how challenging it can be to know what to eat. I also understand how hard it can be for family members to understand what to cook. No matter your intolerances, or multiple intolerances of you guests, these recipes will be edible and enjoyable by all. AND they will be delicious, easy, and FUN.
Much love,
Woodbury
