The Heart Behind My Weekly Essentials
Why focus on creating these Weekly Essentials? I ask myself this sometimes. I’m just a mom, just a yoga teacher. Who am I to prepare food for other people?
But here’s what I believe: everyone is a chef, everyone is a creator, and everyone can pursue what brings them joy. For me, food has always been more than just fuel. It’s where my family came together, where connection was nourished as deeply as our bodies were. I come from a family that always gathered around the dinner table, even with both parents working full time. Dinnertime was our moment to reconnect, a little ritual that grounded us.
Food has always been sacred in my family. My mom and grandma taught me to cook from scratch—to pour care into each dish and find joy in the process. The kitchen was never just a place to cook; it was a place to gather, to laugh, to share stories. Preparing food has been my way of caring for people throughout my life—cooking for my roommates in college, my partners, and even myself through the hardest times.
But food hasn’t always been simple for me. I’ve had a complex relationship with it, and at times, it’s been something I tried to control. I’ve spent years working on this, learning to see food as a way to care for myself rather than something to manage or control. For me now, food is nourishment. It’s a way to feed not only my body but my soul.
And food should be delicious! Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland or feel like a chore. Real, wholesome ingredients can be vibrant and flavorful, a celebration of everything the earth gives us. When we cook with organic, unprocessed ingredients, food doesn’t need to be altered to be satisfying. Food can be simple and pure—taken from the land, prepared without stripping it of its natural goodness, and enjoyed fully. I want to show that healthy food can be joyful, rich in flavor, and deeply nourishing.
As a yogi, I’ve learned that yoga is a way to meet ourselves deeply, to learn what our bodies and minds need, and to treat this vessel with respect. Food, something we all need, sits at the heart of that philosophy. It’s a way to honor ourselves, to find balance and peace within. By focusing on creating Weekly Essentials, I hope to make this connection easier for others too—to show that nourishing ourselves doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor or joy.
This is why I do what I do. Because food is a part of who we are, a part of how we show up for ourselves and the people we love. And I’m grateful to share this journey with others who are looking for that same connection.
