nourishment vol. 4

survival season, protein-forward food, and a comeback for gelatin

Jan 20, 2025

Oh, January. You hit so hard.

It’s officially survival season. Minus thirty weather, sickness going around the community and cabin fever— this all makes for a month where all parents are pushed to their mental limits. How do I ease the feelings of going slightly insane? By cooking, baking, and eating, of course!

Welcome back to nourishment, where I recount my culinary adventures. As I am now the mother of two under two, albeit only for another week, I spend less time in the kitchen than I used to. But I’ve still had time in the past few months to try out some new things and have foodie thoughts while I sit on the couch with my newborn.

sickness potions

Although I am certainly not against using cold medication and the like, I do believe that in many cases, food can be medicine. During the last month, I’ve been religiously eating raw garlic and taking oregano oil shots to stave off the many bugs floating around. Garlic is basically undisputed as a natural antibiotic1 and oregano oil is known to help with sinus and throat infections.2 Even though both are disgusting in my opinion, I have ways of making them at least partially palatable. For the garlic, I chop it up and then swallow it with water like a pill, no chewing. This not only makes it so you don’t have to deal with its potent taste, but also prevents garlic breath which nobody wants. For the oregano oil, I simply put six drops into a shot glass with some water, and then gargle it for 30 seconds. I immediately drink some juice or milk to minimize the aftertaste.

A friend also recommended this garlic salve for sick kids, since the above options are too potent for them.

protein is the new popular kid

It’s true— protein is everywhere these days. And I’m here for it. I am a strong advocate for enjoying all the food groups, but I find it helpful to focus on protein during this postpartum season. Little additions of protein throughout the day make a big difference in my energy: collagen powder in my coffee, having a boiled egg and cheese for a snack instead of a muffin, and lots of handfuls of nuts.

I have also noticed that my toddler is less moody when he eats protein in the morning instead of just carbs. It is known that protein and fat are more satiating than carbs, which I believe, but protein alone sure doesn’t stop my little guy from constantly asking for snacks.

Here are some “protein-forward” meals and snacks that we enjoy.

I am definitely on the hunt for more easy snack/meal options, especially ones that are car-friendly! Let me know if you have any go-to ideas for you and your kids.

Cottage Cheese pancakes

Cubed salami and Cheese

Greek yogurt and fruit

Oatmeal with collagen powder and peanut butter

Mini quiches

Johanna Vann

did a great series on protein meal ideas on her Substack The Crunchy Convert if you’re interested.

gelatin is the comeback kid

I recently bought a container of grass-fed bovine gelatin after being influenced by all the reels where people make their own marshmallows and gummies. And I must say, I feel like a 1950’s housewife, experimenting with various gelatinized foods. I haven’t gotten to the point of making any savory dishes with it but you never know…

Jello Bites — I add collagen powder for protein. You can also add things like elderberry syrup, vitamin D drops and other vitamins to make them more nutrient dense. So far I’ve made them with cherry juice and chokecherry puree. I like setting them in silicone mini-muffin pans so they are the perfect snack-sized bite.

Homemade Marshmallows - I loved having these in hot chocolate, or even in my coffee.

Chocolate Pudding - I made this late one night when I was having a dark chocolate craving. It disappeared in record time. To note, I used honey instead of sugar. I also tried to make a banana chai version but it didn’t quite turn out. I’ll likely be experimenting with more pudding flavors in the coming days.

some favorites

I will close by sharing some favorite recipes from the last couple months:

Turkey Pesto Meatballs- I modified this recipe, making the meatballs mini and melting the cheese overtop instead of putting it inside. I served the dish with hunks of garlic bread for dipping instead of pasta. Delicious!

Reuben Dip - I got this recipe from

Julie

at Food Majors, and brought it to a Christmas gathering. Although it tasted great, it’s appearance was rather off-putting. My husband and father-in-law particularly enjoyed it (they aren’t so concerned with aesthetics aha).

Brie and Pepper Jelly - this isn’t so much a recipe as a pairing, but wow it is so good. I used my own homemade pepper jelly and served with sourdough crackers.

I hope you enjoyed this little food-themed newsletter. Feel free to share some recipes you’ve enjoyed lately - I’m always looking for more inspiration!

searching for shalom

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