the whole plate.

So, I go out a lot.

Probably more than I should.

In terms of being a “healthy person,” I am certainly not without imperfections, and one of the ways in which I definitely don’t honor that title is through sleep.  I don’t get enough.  On average, I’d guess 5 to 7 hours a night.

As I’ve often said, I crave a busy life.  I need social stimulation.  I need time to move.  I need to work and to feel fulfilled in doing so.  I need to see and experience art and well, the world.

antidote to a busy life: simple food.  eggplant and asparagus roasted in coconut oil; cherry tomatoes and avocado; arugula wilted with lemon and garlic; millet mixed with flax oil and dulse.  pure and delicious.

It’s summer, so I obviously also need to make time for day trips to the beach.  This past weekend, the beach responded to me by saying, “Alright, Leslie.  You want to spread yourself so thin?  Just you wait.”

After a perfect July 4th of sand, sun, and sushi, I rode the train home with a worsening red tint spreading over my skin.  It was downhill from there.  Five days later, I finally don’t feel pain when I lay down on my bed.  [Yes, I wore sunscreen.  SPF 70, and I reapplied.  However, I am also the palest person I know.]

My sunburn and the resulting ill effects forced me to step back this week.  I canceled my plans and attempted to recover and…relax.

this plate has no green.  i know, it’s strange.

Sometimes our bodies let us know that we need a break.  I’ve learned two lessons along the way: 1) to listen to my body, even when my mind tries to demand I go, go, go; 2) to appreciate the restful time.  I could complain that I missed out on rooftop wine or outdoor yoga or other various outings I had planned, but instead, I chose to find the beauty in the time at home.  When sun-induced nausea had passed, I uncorked a bottle of shiraz with my sister, I did some decorating in my bedroom, and I got cozy with my kitchen.  [I also got cozy with an entire bottle of aloe-infused lotion.]

It was good to eat dinner off some dishes of my own, as opposed to those of a restaurant – or tupperware hastily pulled from the fridge.  I even managed to whip up a recipe.

simple tahini salad dressing

• 1/4 c tahini
• 1/4 c flax oil [olive would probably work - I just liked the nuttiness of the flax]
• juice of half a lemon
• 3 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste [I used about 1/4 t each]
• water [start with 2 T]

Whisk or blend together all ingredients.  Add additional water to reach desired consistency.

Pictured above, I mixed it with shredded summer squash and plated it around cherry tomatoes, quinoa, and 2 sunny side up eggs.  Random, but I have to say the runny yolks paired wonderfully with the savory dressing.

Meals on my own plates will have to move aside now, because my week of rest has come to an end.  This weekend, I am throwing a bachelorette party and bridal shower for a dear friend.  Back to the fast lane it is.

How do you slow down and relax?

Related posts:

1. don’t forget about the plate.
2. watermelon gazpacho.
3. the fourth.