Gotta love Brene Brown

Thursday:

- Made it through Week 1 of being back in classes. Already missing work. Drowning in assignments. Send help. 😥

- After I got out of my only albeit 3 hour long class that afternoon, I picked up a late lunch for my sister who unexpectedly was in town and needed a pick-me-up. And threw together this delish quesadilla for myself--spinach, avocado and all sorts of leftover cheese still. We watched the latest Survivor. Anyone else watch because that episode was crazy!!!!



Friday:

- After three weeks, though it feels like longer, had an appointment with my dietician, which went as good as a meeting with one's dietician can get, I think. I am, however, looking forward to getting back to our more regular, weekly meetings.




- It may not look like it but I also got a haircut. Terrible timing though as it was raining the entire morning so my blow out disappeared pretty much immediately after. Just my luck of course. 😶
- I met up with my former supervisor at a cute coffee shop nearby. I hadn't seen her in months so it was lovely to catch up. Since I'm staying away from coffee, I opted for the hot chocolate instead. The drink was meh But it was a good reminder that the food you eat shouldn't take precedence over the conversations. We don't go for the food; we go for the people, for the instances that make you feel human.

Saturday:

- With spring finally upon us, my somewhat regular yoga place has brought back it's free weekly outdoor yoga series on Saturday mornings. It started out a lil chilly but it felt so so good to be in the sun when it did come out. Nothing like feeling the grass beneath you and breathing in fresh air even with these awful allergies.







- I then went to this special boho market that was taking place at the downtown Dallas farmer's market. Ate a spinach ricotta filled pastry (Yay for Groupons!) + cherry tomatoes on the side; apparently the pastry is called a rustico...? You learn something new every day. I picked up brussels sprouts, those tomatoes and a bag full of local pecans still in shell. Plus, snacked on all the taste testing goodies they had! I really need to make more time for farmer's markets on the weekend.   

Fun colored yoga pants + those sun rays = 👌

Sunday:




Questions:

If you have yet to read Alexis' post on sugar, do so now!! My sugar intake is definitely an aspect of "healthy eating" that I have struggled with; it's always on the back of my mind. So I loved reading her outlook on the topic! A good reminder that craving and eating sugar isn't the end of the world.

Shoutout to Cora for introducing me to my new favorite word! Have you ever heard of the word edesia, or edes for that matter? Apparently, the latter means "to spend money on food." Again, something I often struggle with doing or spending in general. But I am slowly realizing the joy in taking care of yourself in spending on yourself, for yourself, by yourself. 

Got some bad news this past week that the study abroad trip to Germany I applied to for this summer is no longer pushing thru because of lack of interest 😢  So frustrating! I guess this Paris food recs guide will have to be for postponed for weekend excursions & adventures around Europe even further out into the future. 💔  Here's to hoping. siiiigh

On a lighter note, these Disney memes were almost too good to handle. 😂

In honor of Beauty & The Beast Source

A love-ly essay on the kind of love I am ultimately searching for. One that doesn't just look beyond a number on scale but rather is so great, so true that it did not recognize it to begin with.

"..real love makes room for you to love yourself the way you are, and the way you want to be." 

Questions:
What's your take on sugar?
Have you seen the new Beauty and The Beast? I plan to watch it at some point this week but want to hear others' reviews! 
What instances made you appreciate your body from a new perspective?

I bet you completely forgot that at one point there were recipe posts on You've Got Kayl. Trust me, I almost did myself. I mean, the last one was almost a year ago.

Crazy.

I've come to realize what might be the case is that I'm not a recipe person. As much of a planner/Type A/perfectionist personality I have, I  enjoy experimenting when I'm making meals. I barely ever make a recipe twice so there's not "perfecting" a recipe for me really. I like to mix things up. Even when I'm out at restaurants, I am constantly ordering something different.



However, something that I could have on constant repeat are eggs especially at breakfast. If I had to pick my fave ways to enjoy them, it would be a tie between scrambled and poached. I would put omelettes up there on the list but most of my omelettes end up as scrambles in the end anyway. If you are still aren't convinced of the magic of eggs,  maybe this Bon Appetit article will do the trick.

And that’s the thing about eggs—if you ask enough questions, man, will you get a lot of answers.

The allure of eggs for me comes down to their versatility. I could easily go the Asian route with kimchi, Southwestern with beans, salsa and cheddar, Greek with feta, olives, artichokes and spinach. When thinking up a name for this dish, the only word I could come up with it was "bed," which actually describes the texture pretty well. Partially inspired by the deliciousness that is shakshuka, this "bed" of yogurt-y and egg-y goodness was born. Baking the yogurt in the oven for a bit gives it a different texture, almost melding together with the drippy eggs. It also looks resembles the mess of my own bed and sheet situation I've going on at the moment tbh.

But seriously, this was as simple as 1-2-3.



Ingredients:
Eggs, how many you're craving at the moment
Yogurt, eyeball it
Any greens, about a handful, chopped (I used beet greens)
Toppings, again of your choosing
What I used:

• Feta cheese
• Roasted beets
• Pickled onions

Questions:
Do you like following recipes or do you freestyle it?

What's your favorite way to to eat eggs?
Do you make your bed every day? 

• Tied out most of the loose ends work-wise in time for my last day and passed the open tasks off to my latest team. 
• Socialized at the final, "farewell" happy hour thrown for us interns. And finished over 1/2 of the pear cider I ordered. Definitely an accomplishment for this lightweight, occasional drinker! 

• Started off the week battling some severe allergies. I learned the hard way after waking up in the middle of the night for several days in a row to take my medicine before sleeping.
• Answered some random questions in a fun survey format on the blog
• Celebrated two "holidays":

1. First off, Pi Day! With pie three ways--in almost every way except pie in the traditional sense. Had a slice of spinach and feta spanikopita pie saved in the freezer stash (Thanks to my mama!), which made for a delicious breakfast. Then at work we went out to a local pizza place for lunch. I cutomized my own with Italian sausage and fresh tomatoes. After I got home in the evening, I threw made myself a mini homemade pop-tart filled with strawberries.Yay for all the π !!!
   
2. Then St. Paddy's Day on Friday. Incorporated all things green into my meals. Brekkie was a random bowl of leftover quinoa, hummus, veggies with za'atar yogurt topped with a bunch of cilantro. Lunch was Molly Yeh's chickpea spatzle with collards. Afternoon snack of Irish soda bread with Kerrygold Irish butter and strawberries. Plus, I was wearing green!  

• Continued the UK theme by starting The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.

• What seems like a bajillion loads later, I finally saw the bottom of my hamper! Changed my sheets & towels too!

• As I said last week, my mom made popovers for a delayed brunch when we Sprang forward on Sunday. I took one of the leftover ones home and transformed it into a taco popover hybrid thing, filling it with scrambled eggs and pesto. I'm calling it a tac-over? A pop-co? 

• I also managed to use up all the remnants of this delicious Wild Friends maple sunbutter by eating breakfast out of the container. I threw almond milk, chopped nectarine, protein and protein powder inside, gave it a good shake and topped it with homemade granola. My senior at work gave me a weird look he saw me eating out of the container. Has anyone else felt this hardcore judgment before? 

• Since I'm trying to stay away from caffeine, my Starbucks options have become very limited--even decaf messes with my brain. I tried the Evolution fresh super greens juice, my first veggie juice ever. May be an unpopular opinion but it honestly tasted disgusting. I would much rather eat my veggies than drink 'em. But feeling accomplished nonetheless for trying something new! 

• Took out my aunt's dog that we are dog-sitting to the dog park. Though she didn't really enjoy playing with the other dogs, my sister and I enjoyed sure did! Also, got in some more doggy time by volunteering on Sunday afternoon. Definitely worth the puppy battle scars. 
• My car had a weekend full of pampering: oil change, car wash and vacuum. Squeaky clean inside and out! 

• Headed out on a sister study date to Toasted Coffee & Kitchen. I got their All-Day B.A.E--toast topped with black bean spread, bacon, eggs, avocado and queso fresco. A little overpriced for something so simple but the delicious homemade bread and naturally-lit ambiance made up for it. 
• Actually got some work done at said study session and over the rest of the weekend. Wrote out my notes for my classes and read all the assigned chapters! 

Questions:

Would you rather work or study? 
What's your favorite pie type/form? 
Did you celebrate anything this week?

source

Currently sitting in my jammies, repping my recovery shirt on a Thursday night. After being inspired by this Katie Dalebout podcast episode, which by the way you should listen to, I've decided to watch Liberal Arts on Netflix to wind down.



It's been weeks since I last shared my favorite links with y'all. Four to be exact. At the pace I have been blogging lately, maybe I just need to call this must-reads of the month instead... Without any further procrastination:

If you ever forget about the magic that goes on behind the screen -- How Some of La La Land's Scenes Were Filmed 

Hummusapien's "You are More Than a Meal Plan" post -- Food for thought. (Pun definitely intended)

How to Like Yourself -- Some tips of self-acceptance

It may be because I recently finished reading The Joy Luck Club buuuuut these Chinese tidbits of wisdom spoke to me ☺️

“The goal of life is to die young, but as late as possible.”

A Rant on Always Eating More Than Others -- Cora is a mind-reader. I swear. She just gets me.

For all you introverts out there like me 🙋 -- On Loving an Introvert via ThoughtCatalog

In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week: A Day of Eating Disorder Recovery in College -- basically what goes on in my brain 24/7. I also want to say here, please know that if you are struggling, you are not alone in this. The first step is to reach out and seek help. Eating disorders are a real mental illness, one that often goes overlooked.

And lastly, for perspective, remember you are not the majority. 

--- 

Have a wonderful weekend! ☀️




Questions:
What is on your must-reads list as of late?
If you've seen La La Land, what did you think? Or what other movies would you recommend?
Share your own tips on learning to like yourself!