Just a girl in late luteal making High Protein Chocolate Mousse
plus an injury report and wedding recap
Old Man With a Crick
Sorry for not getting the newsletter out last week. I got a crick in my neck from doing assisted pull ups at the gym and Amy tripped while playing tennis, sprained a ligament in her ankle, and got a gnarly scrape on her knee. Both are extremely embarrassing but I’ll let you decide which is worse.
We could both still type and make food, but mentally we were down (you can understand why). One positive from the injuries was that Amy said falling and getting a scrape made her feel like a little kid again. A positive for me was that I watched her fall and it was hilarious - I almost peed my pants laughing. Perhaps it was karma that a few days later I got the crick and felt like an old man.
We made an extra delicious recipe for you this week and it’s one of those where you kick yourself (or Amy) afterwards because WHY DON’T YOU MAKE THIS EVERY WEEK??? It is pure deliciousness and is SO FRICKEN EASY AN OLD MAN WITH A CRICK IN HIS NECK (Julie) COULD DO IT.
European Wedding in Centerport
We went to the most stunning wedding over Labor Day weekend - shoutout Tessa & Alex!! It felt like we were in a European city, but surprise, it was the Vanderbilt Museum. The wedding was amazing - gorgeous views, delicious food, great dancing, and even better people. I kept getting asked two questions in a very specific order - how old are you immediately followed by why are you not married yet. Which I replied by singing “Tie Me Down.” Just kidding, I awkwardly laughed and thought to myself they make a good point…
Unfortunately, I am extremely not photogenic and Julie’s boob tape was incorrectly applied so you won’t be getting any pictures of us but here are some of the scenery.
Social Vegan
At the afterparty there were 25 boxes of Little Vincent’s pizza (genius move). Now if you are from Long Island, you know Little V’s is THE spot. Lucky for us, we’ve been a bit more relaxed with our veganism as of recent. As my Dad likes to call it, we’re “social vegans” aka when we’re out and about we might just eat whatever we want.
As an extremest, I took it too far when I housed 3 slices of Little V’s pizza. This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to most of you but I haven’t had a regular slice of za in 7 years. The limit of slices did not exist for me and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Gosh it is so freeing to eat a slice of pizza at a party…JUST ONE OF THE GUYS.
Look out penne alla vodka, I’m coming for you next (ew I feel like a huge creep).
Literally Just a Girl in Late Luteal
If you are a girl, you may know about the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. Or you may not because society failed us and no one taught us VITAL information about our own bodies. I figured this out for myself when I was nearly 30 years old. If you are a boy, keep reading because knowing this could save your life.
There are 4 phases of the menstrual cycle that make up a total of about 28 days. They are menstruation, follicular, ovulation, and luteal. Luteal is a particularly fun one (usually days 14-28) where a couple things may happen to you:
ugliest girl in the world attacks
bottomless pit syndrome (eating everything in sight and never being satisfied)
crying on command
getting irrationally mad at any minor inconvenience
Now look, I don’t want to get all negative about the luteal phase because for some reason it is the longest phase in our cycles - how fun is that!!!! The luteal phase has become more enjoyable for me simply from knowing basic information about the menstrual cycle - like the fact that most PMS symptoms occur during late luteal.
Putting a name to the symptoms helps me avoid getting stuck in these mental states. Now, I can tell myself “this is just temporary,” “you’ll be so much prettier next week,” “you’re insane but you’re also in late luteal so anything goes,” or, “he should be making me chocolate mousse and buying me flowers.”
There are some positives about luteal, like the fact that you have an excuse to say no to any plans and you can prioritize eating dark chocolate - it’s high in magnesium which can help alleviate cramps and headaches.
Enter the creamiest, richest chocolate mousse that is good for you but not in a boring way. Your late luteal self will be LOVING it.
Ps. If you’re not already using an app to track your cycle, there are plenty of free ones. Our favorite is Stardust because it’s unserious while still being informative, obviously something we appreciate. It’s also women-founded (many of the popular period apps are not which is INSANE).
Alright, now make this chocolate mousse and listen to the talk talk remix and it may just solve all of your problems. Late luteal is soooooo brat.
High Protein Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
1 16-ounce package silken or soft tofu, drained
3/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of sea salt
Method:
Blend: Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Chill: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla yogurt if you’d like!