Subject: Kaleifornian weekly rundown

View message online.

kaleifornian

Kaleifornian.com

All Recipes

Healthy Living

My Favorites

Hi Friend,

I hope this message finds you well.

Like many of you, I’ve had a heavy heart this week. Of course the loss of life and economic struggles from coronavirus are never far out of mind. On a personal level, Friday was an emotional day in our family. It was my youngest cousin’s birthday, who lost his battle with cancer this past fall. He should have turned 22. And the news of racism, murder and violence have broken my heart.

Earlier this week, I posted a video from a friend of a friend that seemed to resonate as it was re-shared by several people. Though I've had an African American roommate, friends, and colleagues — parts of Brandon's message were still eye-opening, and of course, heart breaking. Please take a moment to watch.

In terms of Health & Wellness, here’s what's been on my mind this week:

Getting back into yoga

I really miss my yoga classes and I'm trying to work it into my quarantine routine. After practicing on and off for nearly 20 years, I finally bought my own mat! Most are made of PVC, which has a lot of problems. I landed on one from Rumi made of natural rubber and cotton, which won't off-gas, and will biodegrade someday. I've added a link to my Favorites* page under the Household section if you'd like to check it out.

And if you want to do some free yoga classes, check out my friend Anne's YouTube channel or her Instagram page. She also does virtual sessions. She's amazing! I also like this full-body 20 min flow from Yoga With Adriene.

Natural pillows

If you're thinking about healthier bedding, pillows are the first place I'd start. You can check out my video and notes here.

Tip: many natural pillows are adjustable and come very full, which makes them easier to buy online. Hack: get an extra organic cotton allergy case and use excess fill to make an extra pillow for a child, travel, etc. I have links to our natural pillows and these allergy cases under the Household section of my Favorites* page.

Pork & pumpkin stew

Feeling a little homesick, I've been working on recreating one of our favorite dishes from Burmasuperstar (a spot that's had a line-out-the-door cult following in San Francisco for nearly 20 years). This dish is packed with flavor and antioxidants (I've never used so much ginger or garlic in a recipe!) and we've enjoyed it with butternut squash when kabocha isn't available. Here's the recipe! We like it served with cauliflower rice and always have enough to stretch it over a few meals. Enjoy!

Green popsicles

We have a typical 4 year-old who doesn't eat a ton of vegetables, but she will happily drink green smoothies or juices. I use the left-overs to make green popsicles and they're a hit with both of my kids. Check out this post for some ingredient ideas. The stainless molds are in the Household and Feeding sections of my Favorites* page.

This week also marks one year since I left my corporate job, which was a very bittersweet pivot in my life. I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement over the past 6 months since I launched Kaleifornian.com. I look forward to getting back to long-form posts, regular updates to my site, and other exciting projects when things normalize (i.e. childcare). But until then, thank you for reading and staying connected!

Wishing you a safe and healthy week ahead.

Be well,

Jess XO

P.S. Please pass this along if you know someone who'd enjoy the content! Here's how to stay connected: weekly newsletter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can also reply directly to this message. I'd love to hear from you!

*Note: I partner with a select handful of companies (that I shop from regularly!) and I'm also an Amazon Associate. I receive a small commission on qualifying purchases made through the provided links at no additional cost to you. In fact, I'm usually able to get you something extra, like a $.01 bottle of wine or a shopping credit when you make a purchase -- so just ask if you need a link! These partnerships help cover some costs of running this site. Thank you for your support!

Please feel free to ask if you have questions about any of these products. I will always give you my honest opinion and do my best to point you in the right direction!