Spring Additions to My Diet

I recently wrote a blog post about how my diet changes with the seasons, just with what’s available and what I feel like when it’s cold vs. hot outside. 

We’ve finally just slipped into summer officially, even though it’s felt like summer most of the spring here in Iowa anyway. 

Today I wanted to share some of the things that I added into my days these past few months. I know it will change more over the summer, but I always think it’s interesting to look at and share. 

So the first one, and the biggest change is probably fruit. I am a huge fruit fan, but it seems the only thing available in the winter is apples, which are fine. They’re good with peanut butter and on their own, but too much of anything gets old. 

Lately I’ve been really craving and enjoying mangoes and watermelon, as well as different berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries). 

Fruit makes for a great addition to meals and is a great snack on their own. 

Now that the weather is nicer we’ve been going over to one of our friend's houses, as well as Michael’s parents to grill out and sit on the porch to enjoy the nice weather. 

Our favorite go-to thing to grill is definitely the vegan beer brats from Tofurkey. I mean I like veggie patties too, but I ate so many of those over the winter that it’s been good to have something different to eat. 

And it’s nice to still “participate” in things like grilling or a BBQ even though people don’t think plant-based people can. 

One of my favorite summer dishes, even though it’s really just a side dish is this chip dip that I make. It has everything from avocados, onions, black beans, corn, hot peppers, tomatoes and any other veggies you want to add. I season it up, and then have to keep myself from eating the whole bowl I’ve just made. 

It’s also a fan favorite for any type of potluck or "bring your own dish" sort of event. 

Finally, I love trying new recipes, and I’ve been really loving all of the recipes I’ve tried from Ellen Fisher’s eBook “Epic Vegan Food”. She’s one of those healthy vegans (aka doesn’t eat vegan processed junk food), so you know anything from her is really good for you. 

Not to mention her family is the cutest. 

I’ve been loving her Pad Thai recipe. I’ve only made it twice so far, but the sauce makes it so much better than other versions I’ve tried. The Pad Thai noodles seem to soak up all the juice and moisture so if you don’t have enough in your dish then it gets too dry. 

Other recipes from her book that I’ve enjoyed are her Creamy Kraut Salad and her Lentil Curry. 

And we can’t forget about her vegan nacho cheese recipe, which I’ve made and ate way too much of. She shares the recipe for this in a video of hers. 

I know that’s not a huge change or a ton of new recipes, but my diet doesn’t change too too much. I just slowly crave more and more fresh foods as the weather gets warmer. 

What have been some of your favorite recipes this season? 

Welcoming in Spring

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I love the return of warm weather, trees budding, flowers blooming. 

When it’s mid-February and you’re bundled all the way up to your eyeballs, bracing yourself against the biting wind as you walk to and fro outside, you fantasize about spring. 

I always hopefully expect a clean transition from winter to spring, from cold to warm. But I always laugh at my naivety when spring first starts and mother nature doesn’t seem to quite have it all figured out yet. 

I know it’s different depending on where you live, but it’s kind of a local joke here in Iowa. You’ll have a 60-degree day where everyone comes outside to soak in the warmth, and then there will be a blizzard two days later. 

I suppose this just makes you that much more grateful for the warm days when they are here. 

Just this morning as I was walking to the coffee shop to work I realized it felt like a spring morning. It had that mild crispness with the promise of warmer temperatures later in the day.

We all have different ways in which we welcome in each season as it arrives, but I’ve realized I have a few different things I’ve been doing during this transition. 

An obvious one if you’ve been following along with FemmeHead is that I switch up my wardrobe with each season. So, I’ve got a capsule that a combination of all the things I’ll need for the undecided weather. It’s always so exciting to put short-sleeve shirts, dresses, and shorts in your capsule, knowing you’ll get to wear them soon. 

The next thing is something that a lot of people do, and have been doing long before I was born, deep cleaning and decluttering the house. There’s nothing better than throwing open all the windows on a Sunday, putting on some music and cleaning out your whole house. I love being able to get to things that I have put off for a few months, and the final product of a squeaky clean, decluttered house is all worth it.  

I am a hermit in the winter. It takes a lot to get me to bundle up to go outside. So, staying active is a real problem for me when it’s cold. But there’s something about those few warm days at the end of winter that gets me so jazzed up about getting outside and doing something active. This spring its training for a half-marathon with my mom, but even just going out for walks, hikes, bike rides, you name it, I love it. 

Overall, spring is just a time of change for me. It’s a fresh start in many senses. It’s a great time to reboot habits you’ve let slip like waking up early, eating fresh fruits and veggies, and doing a mental assessment of things you want to change. 

Just yesterday I made a list of books I want to pick up because I have that itch for some self-improvement. It’s so easy to be static and consistent in the winter, which isn’t a bad thing, but when spring rolls around I’m ready to spice things up, to try something new. 

What are the ways you change when spring rolls around? I always just get this burst of energy, motivation, and inspiration to get cracking on being the best me possible. 

Sorry Winter, I'm Ready For Spring

I can’t actually complain about winter. I’ve gotten a pretty big break with our trips so far this year. Those warm trips always make coming back to a cold Iowa a little more bearable. 

But what gets me itching for winter to be over more than anything is when we have a really nice day here. When it’s the end of February and nearly 70 degrees out. That’s when I find myself saying “This is what my soul needs!” 

You don’t realize how much the weather truly impacts you until you go from having to bundle up just so your skin doesn’t hurt, to being able to go for a walk in just a sweatshirt a week later. 

Blue skies, sunshine and warmth, that’s what I crave. 

Monday this week I felt pretty meh from the lack of sleep I had, and the start of my period complete with cramping. I posted on Instagram about this wave of melancholy I was feeling that day. 

The next day I woke up, fully rested, to blue skies and sunshine. Then to top it all off I found out that it was already above 50, headed towards 60 degrees that day. Sweet baby Jesus get me outside!

And it was amazing, the huge difference I felt between those two days. Granted the start of my period probably had quite a bit to do with Monday (it was nice out too). But I had such a pep in my step walking around during that 66-degree day. 

I felt energized, inspired and just really freaking happy. 

I will buy winter boots for next winter, I promise, but I just crave that sensation where you close your eyes and tilt your head towards the warmth of the sun.  And I swear I can feel it recharging my mental and physical batteries as I do it.  

I want to be able to throw open my windows, let in the fresh air and dance around my kitchen while making food. I want to go for walks, runs, bike rides and you know what, I really want to ride my longboard around again.

I want to set up my hammock in the park to read or journal. I want to walk outside in sandals and shorts and feel hot. I want to sweat.

I want to go outside during a warm summer rainstorm. I want to crack my windows open that night to fall asleep to that glorious sound of the rain outside.

I want to go down to visit my sister and go out on walks with her and my little nephew. (I’ve been getting snaps of her and him doing this since it’s been warm this week.) I want to sit out on her back porch with them. (She has a very peaceful house). I want to go down to my parent's house out in the woods and just sit in that silence of being out in nature away from the city.

Gah, there’s so much I want to do when it gets warm, and I really hope I remember this feeling, this desire for spring when spring finally comes. 

What’s your favorite season? What’s the one you find yourself looking forward to most? If you can’t tell mine is spring, but then again I’m a spring baby so maybe I’m biased.