Walk like an old man and make Buffalo Ranch Crunch Bowls

if i were writing a book on the keys to happiness...

It’s been a weird week of craving nothing and everything at once. Hi and TGIF. In today’s letter we have:

• old man walks - explained

• let’s get back to leisure

• our favorite meal of all time

buffalo ranch crunch bowls

There’s a concept I’ve been pondering since reading a piece about it in the New York Times (obviously it was a TikTok but that felt good just to type). It was something called an ‘old man walk’ and the rules were as follows:

• 2 mile walk

• No phone, no music, no podcasts, just your open ears and eyes

• No workout clothes allowed! Old men don’t wear athleisure (thank god)

• Keep a slow pace - hands in pockets, gliding around with zero pep in your step

• Act like an old man with nothing to do, nowhere to be, but here just taking it all in

The point of this walk is not exercise, it’s not to habit stack your self-help podcast with your daily steps, it’s not to listen to your audiobook or Lorde’s new song (although I would make an exception). It really serves no purpose… except to feed your soul. So maybe the highest purpose.

I think we have an aversion to doing anything that isn’t productive. It’s rare that we do things that truly qualify as leisure - working out, reading, taking a walk - all have a sneaky ulterior motive. I don’t think we realize how good it feels when we do something just for fun.

As a kid, I never questioned what counted as fun (I also didn’t have a smartphone…).I’d sprint after the ice cream man (why wasn’t he stopping??), ride bikes with my neighbors until the dinner bell rang, jump on the trampoline with my sister yelling things like “What’re you gonna remember?!” as we boycotted homework, hide a stereo under the car and play fake instruments to fool people walking past (hilarious), swim until I morphed into a prune, stain every piece of clothing with grass, chase Julie around with red lipstick until she cried, climb the massive tree in our front yard, and play manhunt with my cousins until it was so dark it actually got scary.

We spent our childhood just being.
Our teens and twenties trying to figure out who to be.
And now? We’re slowly trying to find our way back to who we were before we ever started asking.

There’s a concept in human design that we don’t need to ‘find ourselves,’ figure out who we are, or become anything. What we actually need to do is unlearn and unbecome. Take away all the societal pressures, conditionings, and thought patterns you picked up along the way that actually aren’t yours. Strip it all back and what are you left with? A grown adult chasing after the ice cream truck.

At least that’s exciting!! I can’t tell you the last time I sprinted for fun and not on the treadmill at the gym.

real time text from Amy on the treadmill

Actually I can — I raced my boyfriend and lost so abysmally it didn’t even count as fun. Anyway, the activities you do just for fun might look a little different now and that’s fine—more ice cream for me. Other things I enjoy purely because they are fun in the moment:

• going on a run with a playlist I’ve been curating for years

• making home-cooked meals

• reading a fantasy book in a hammock

• walking with my best friends

• painting or sketching

• laying on the floor in my room (seriously)

• getting a croissant from a bakery

• driving to the beach to watch the sunset (sometimes I don’t even leave the car)

• dancing in the kitchen

• watching a movie from my list

And maybe that’s the key. Not trying to go back to childhood, but paying attention to what made us feel alive then and finding new versions of that now. If you’re stumped just get outside in some way because you’ll practically always feel better.

Our All Time Favorite Meal to Make and Eat

We are in the midst of our 28-day Cycle Syncing Series but today’s a recipe that you can only get if you read our newsletter. VIP💅🏻. It’s part of the follicular phase recipes, which in the menstrual cycle is the time right after your period, aka inner spring. It is also outer spring (aka April) so boys, this one is equally great for you.

julieandamy_

A post shared by @julieandamy_

It’s also our favorite meal. Spicy, saucy buffalo soy curls; crisp, crunchy cabbage slaw; homemade ranch, and protein-packed quinoa is the ULTIMATE combo. I actually just need you to try it so you can see for yourself. You can order soy curls on Amazon but you know we get the bulk amount directly from Butler Foods. They’re an easy, high-protein, vegan option and when they are coated in buffalo sauce I actually cannot stop eating them.

Yes, there are a few components—but like I said, it’s the best meal of all time. Plus, you can make most of it ahead: the pickled onions, cabbage slaw, and vegan ranch all hold up great in the fridge. Then just cook the quinoa and the saucy soy curls the night of. Easy peasy.

Don’t forget that our cycle syncing guide is LIVE and AVAILABLE (this is like a really embarrassing dating profile). You can grab it on our website — because obsessing over your cycle >>> obsessing over a man. (With love to the good ones.) We said a lot about it in the last newsletter, in case you missed it.

Buffalo Ranch Crunch Bowls

(serves 2-3)

For the quick pickled red onion:

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 – 3/4 cup white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• Water, to fill the jar

For the simple cabbage slaw:

• 1/2 small green cabbage, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if possible)

• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if possible)

• 1 lemon, juiced (about 1/4 cup)

• 1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the easy vegan ranch:

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh dill (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon grated garlic or garlic powder

• Sprinkle of paprika

• Sprinkle of salt and pepper

For the buffalo soy curls:

• 4 ounces Butler Soy Curls

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking)

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup Frank’s hot sauce

• 1/4 cup salted vegan butter

• 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

• Dash of smoked paprika

• Dash of garlic powder

For the bowls:

• Cooked quinoa

Method:

1. Make the pickled red onions: Add thinly sliced onions to a 10 oz mason jar or container. Pour in 1/2 cup vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add more vinegar if needed until the jar is about 2/3 full. Fill the rest with filtered water until onions are covered. Shake well and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.

2. Make the cabbage slaw: In a large bowl, combine sliced cabbage and celery. Add lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper (or combine in mason jar first). Toss until well coated. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Make the easy ranch: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add water if you prefer it thinner. Keep chilled until ready to drizzle.

4. Make the soy curls: Rehydrate soy curls by soaking in vegetable broth for 5–10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and cook soy curls for about 10 minutes, stirring until crispy.

5. Add the buffalo sauce: Make the buffalo sauce by combining the Frank’s hot sauce, melted butter, vinegar, paprika, garlic powder. Add 1/2 of the buffalo sauce mixture to the soy curls (more if you’d like). Stir to coat and cook for 1–2 more minutes.

6. Assemble the bowls: Starting with a base of quinoa, add the slaw, pickled onions, buffalo soy curls, and easy ranch. Enjoy with extra buffalo sauce.

   

   Buffalo Ranch Crunch Bowls Recipe

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