I have purse, I have kimchi, and you have Sushi Bake
Things that make the world go round, plus everything we ate while it was turning.
Today is a science-backed letter and by science I mean girl intuition. Same, same. We’ll be discussing two very important topics - walks and bevies. We also have THREE bomb recipes for you today which is why it took us an extra day to get this out.
Wanna go on a lil walk?
There are many reasons ‘hot girl walks’ became a phenomenon. We know that taking a walk helps to clear your head and boost your mood, but did you ever wonder why that is? We didn’t until 2 days ago when our Dad sent us this reel. I guess his algorithm is good for something.
If these facts about walks don’t have you popping in your pods (not to be confused with pooping in your pants) and flying around the block, maybe your situationship will (just get a boyfriend already!!)
I put on a lab coat to write this next part. Essentially, when you are walking, your eyes shift rapidly from side to side to track the objects around you. Watch out for this curb. Is that a hot guy or an old man? Can I see the moon right now? Oh someone’s coming, look away.
“This eye movement inhibits the amygdala - which is the part of your brain involved in stress, fear, and anxiety. When the amygdala is suppressed, negative emotions feel less intense, so we’re better able to separate our feelings from the situations that cause them.”
While that dramatic part of your brain is distracted, you can:
process your emotions
problem solve and process difficult events
help future you be less reactive to stressful things that happen
In conclusion, MUSIC + WALKING = HAPPY. That’s not even girl math.
The Importance of Little Bevies
Julie, shockingly, (ok I’m also writing this) had a great realization the other day that is worth sharing: little bevies make the world go round. Am I writing about this to justify my coffee addiction? Yes, but I’m also justifying my newfound carbonated beverage addiction so BE QUIET.
Now, there are only so many coffees we can have in a day (we push the limit) and sometimes we need other options. Enter our most recent obsession - Olipop, particularly Strawberry Vanilla. As healthy soda brands like Olipop take off, the world continues going around the sun. It’s simply not a coincidence anymore. We brought in our in-house scientist to discuss the benefits of these specific little bevies (the lab coat is back on).
The benefits are…
When you hear the can open, for a split second you think it’s a beer, which makes you think it’s Friday at 5pm.
Everyone knows the hours between 2:30pm and 4:30pm are really weird. Oftentimes, an overwhelming feeling of “wtf am I doing with my life” sweeps in. A little bevy stops those emotions in their tracks.
For all the non-soda families out there (we were always “a round of waters” at a restaurant) THIS IS OUR TIME.
Burping.
Knowing that you have a fun bevy in your future makes your day infinitely better. Boy, do I love science (almost failed out of Chemistry 101 in college).
Alix Earle partnered with Poppi during Coachella, further pushing our little bevy point. They must have known I prefer Olipop because I was not invited. Or maybe they took one look at Julie…who’s to say (again, I’m right here). There’s always next year.
What We Ate In a Day
In all honesty, we overate at lunch and felt sick. I’d recommend eating until you are 80% full (blue zones!) We ate to about 150% and unfortunately it wasn’t the Gen Z type of ATE.
Breakfast: Appola
Every morning, we wake up and have a hot cup of coffee and a piece of toast with peanut butter. Because it’s so early in the morning (is 8am early?), this simply doesn’t count. We have our real breakfast a few hours later. It’s almost always a creation called Appola. I don’t know about you, but I love knowing the weird, ugly, and non-aesthetic things people actually eat everyday and this is ours.
Appola (pronounced ap-pole-la):
1 apple, chopped
1 tablespoon ground flax meal
1 tablespoon of ground pumpkin seed OR 1 tablespoon ground sesame + 1 tablespoon ground sunflower seed (these are for seed cycling)
1 serving of Ora vanilla protein powder (simply the best)
Grape-nuts
Almond milk
Mix it all together until it’s like cereal but a little thicker. I’m not weird, you are!
Lunch: Greek Pita Pockets
This was so good that we powered through to 150% fullness. Don’t make our mistake - or do. We both claim Mediterranean as our favorite cuisine, so can you really blame us?
For the pockets:
2 pita pockets
1 1/2 - 2 cups vegan soy curl shawarma *see steps 1 and 2
1/4 of a small red onion, chopped
1/2 English cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1 cup arugula, chopped
1/4 cup vegan feta (we used Violife)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
8 ounces vegan tzatziki (we used Trader Joe’s)
Method:
Make the soy curl shawarma: Rehydrate 1 heaping cup of dried soy curls by soaking them in vegetable broth or water. While they soak for 10 minutes, make a spice blend of 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, and a pinch of cinnamon.
Cook the curls: Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan on medium heat. Add the dried spices and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.Add the soy curls and stir to coat them in the spices. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until they begin to brown and get crispy.
Make the greek salad mixture: Add the soy curl shawarma, red onion, cucumber, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, arugula, vegan feta, parsley, and vegan tzatziki to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
Stuff it: Warm your pita pockets (if desired) and then stuff the greek salad mixture into each half. Enjoy and get carried away, what the heck!
P.S. You might have extra filling (we didn’t because we stuffed ours to the brim and then immediately ate any that fell out). But if you have an ounce of self control - store your leftovers in the fridge and be happy that you did.
Dinner: Sweet and Spicy Tofu Sushi Bake
On the floor. I was on the floor after eating this. We got the idea from Grilled Cheese Social, then veganized and kimchified it. Safe to say it will be added into the weekly dinner rotation. Sorry about my hair in the next pic, I had just been electrocuted.
Sweet and Spicy Kimchi Sushi Bake
4 cups cooked sushi rice
1.5 packages of tofu (14-ounce packages), pressed and cubed
1/4 cup spicy kimchi hot sauce or gochujang
1/4 cup honey
Drizzle olive oil
Roasted seaweed (about 1/2 small package) or large roasted nori sheets
Toppings:
1 avocado
1/2 english cucumber
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons furikake
1/3 cup kimchi, chopped
Spicy mayo (equal parts vegan mayo and sriracha)
Scallions
Method:
Make sushi rice: Cook sushi rice according to the package instructions.
Marinate tofu: In a small bowl, combine the tofu, spicy kimchi hot sauce, and honey. Gently mix and set aside.
Layer the rice, nori, and tofu: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In an 8x11 inch pan, add the cooked sushi rice and spread into an even layer. Cover it with roasted seaweed. Then add the tofu and spread it so there’s no overlap. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake: Bake for 15 minutes. Then broil for 5-7 minutes or until the tofu just starts to brown on the edges.
Add the toppings: Sprinkle on the avocado, cucumber, salt, rice vinegar, furikake, kimchi, spicy mayo, and scallions. Serve immediately.
If you have leftovers, you can store them altogether. When reheating, remove the avocado and cucumber - tricky but you can do it! Or eat it cold like we did.
This weekend we will be listening to The Tortured Poets Department and heading into the city to celebrate someone’s bday (cryptic). Follow our insta stories if you feel like being entertained and seeing the good food we eat. Maybe Julie will get drunk and make a fool of herself! Fingers crossed. I’ll document it for us all, dw.