Come Write With Me!

An event next month, a recipe, and a recommendation

The vegan burger I will be making all summer

Have you heard the news about a ChatGPT-generated, mostly made up list of summer reads appearing in some big, serious newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer?

And then there’s the concerning trend of people using ChatGPT as their therapist.

Taken together—AI taking over so many writing tasks and AI as mental health care—these two stories have made me double down on an extremely analogue practice.

It’s one I've used since childhood to sharpen my writing skills and work on my emotional health: journaling.

I write by hand in a paper notebook, away from my various screens. Freedom from blue light and autocomplete is just one of the benefits of writing this way.

Research shows that writing by hand leads to more complex brain activity, better learning, sharper critical thinking, and deeper understanding of concepts compared to typing.

And the mental health benefits of journaling are well established—it soothes anxiety and helps us process our emotions. It’s been shown to improve mood.

That’s why I’m partnering with Full Moon Blends to offer a by-donation community creative writing session on June 5th. Sign up here.

We’ll use one of my other beloved practices—tarot—to spark writing prompts so no one has to charge onto the blank page with nothing to write about. (You don’t need to know anything about tarot to join us.)

I’d love to see you there; hit reply if you have any questions.

Recipe report

I know you’re here for the food. I wanted to share a recipe I’ve been making every week lately: Air Fryer Veggie Burgers from My Quiet Kitchen.

It uses one of my favorite secret ingredients (TVP), so it’s packed with protein. It reminds me of the supermarket veggie burgers I grew up on, only better. And best of all, as the recipe promises, it really is super easy to make.

Pro tip: top your burgers with avocado and pickled red onion.

Cruciferous recommends

I’ve struggled over the years to find a plant-based yogurt that is both delicious and low in saturated fat. Many of the best tasting ones are made from coconut—perhaps the biggest plant-based source of saturated fat.

I even went through a phase at the beginning of the year when I was making lots of soy based yogurt, but the results were, at best, inconsistent.

But this unsweetened Greek yogurt from Kite Hill meets all my needs: it’s vegan; it’s thick and delightfully tart; it has no sugar and 17g of protein.

Recent byline

Want to age like a pro? 🥦🍞🍓

I covered a new study for EatingWell.

The research makes a strong case for your grain bowl habit.

Researchers followed 47,000+ women for over 30 years and found that those who ate more high-quality carbs—think whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies—were more likely to age without chronic illness, memory loss, or disability.

Translation: fiber-rich carbs now could mean feeling stronger, sharper, and healthier later.

Find out what small swaps could make a big difference for your future self.

Read the whole article.