Still Here

I found myself this morning Google-searching my own recipe. I typed: ‘vegan lasagna melanie daponte’ which brought me here, of course. The recipe linked to related posts and before I knew it I slipped down a rabbit hole of my own making.

Reading not just the recipes, but the narrative–reminds me of how engaged and inspired I was during this highly productive period. Makes me smile. Bittersweet and mixed are my emotions.

In June 2020 I found a full-time job during the pandemic, which I see as a bonafide miracle. The job is remote, from home (for now) and I am on the computer all day. Security of regular work, a paycheck, health insurance, benefits–it’s all back on the menu.

Am I still cooking? Absolutely, yes. A bit more simply, a bit more humbly–but always nutritious and varied and tasty. Since I survived the training phase of my complicated new job I am starting to breathe a bit easier. Finding a bit of mental spaciousness.

I am a firm believer that whatever we are experiencing, learning, creating in the moment is preparing us for the next thing. And so… on Sundays I cook our meals for the week and pre-package them ready to eat.

Here are my menus from the past few weeks:

Jan 17

Lemon Artichoke Penne

Red Bean Jambalaya

Chipotle Bowls with Taco Beef, Pintos Corn

Tomato Soup

Cauliflower-Kale Soup

Fresh Salads

Breakfast Cookies w/Banana, Peanut Butter and Oats

Jan 10

Black bean soup

Edamame Noodle Bowls/crunchy veg

Mac n cheese bowls w/broccoli

Jerk Tempeh with coconut rice and red beans and sauteed greens (kale) 

Feb 14

Jambalaya  

Asian Noodle Bowls w/Tofu

Mac n Cheeze with Peas

Salads

Soup from freezer

Feb 21

Artichoke Lemon Pasta w/spinach

Chickpea Patties with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes roasted with rosemary

Asian Noodle Bowls with Broccoli

Smoky White Bean Soup

Salads

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I’m not making any promises, but I would like to be more present in this creative space in the future. We’ll see how it goes.

So, yeah–I’m still here. That which is authentic about ourselves–our true passions, we always return to, no matter how far we seem to drift at times.

And where are you??