I booked another trip to Hawaii. It feels indulgent and grandiose, but I don’t care. I’m allowed. As my luminescent (yes, that is the right word) yoga teacher (and friend) reminded me… I’m allowed to say yes. To life. To love. To adventure. To the things that feed my soul. So here I am… saying yes to the impractical. The lavish. The extravagant.
Sometimes I feel guilt around going for the things I want. Sometimes my anxiety chimes in and says, “Who do you think you are? You don’t get to do this. You’re not special.” But then I remember that it isn’t about being special. It’s about being alive. I exist, therefore I matter. And I don’t have to make decisions based on anyone else’s ideas of what I should or shouldn’t be doing with my life.
As my therapist so adequately put it… I want “all the good stuff.” There’s nothing wrong with that. So many people think they don’t deserve it, or that they’re not enough. I thought that for years. Fuck that. We all deserve the good stuff. Go get yours and hold on tight.
Plans for my Hawaiian vacation coming up in 3 short months: Spending lots of time with both Cortney and the guy (Cortney keeps referring to “joint custody” and “co-parenting,” which fucking kills me), swimming in the mermaid caves, hiking to the tide pools, eating the most delectable pork sandwich in the world (don’t judge me), mochi every damn day, rocking chair sitting, epic conversations, sunrises and sunsets at the beach, and just all around fucking enjoying myself.
I made this salad several weeks ago when I just wanted something quick, healthy, and cheap. The only ingredients I had to buy were the zucchini and corn – everything else was already in my kitchen. After making this, I definitely thought to myself, “Fuck. This is going to taste like crunchy water,” and immediately planned to order a pizza afterwards. It was shockingly delicious and satisfying, though! Who knew? Add this to your weekly recipe repertoire, especially in the summer. It’s hot as hell outside, and we could all use a break from the stove and oven. It’s also nice to take a break from ordering delivery or take out, mostly because I hate putting on pants. Fuck pants. Why can’t I answer the door in my underwear?
Zucchini Corn Salad
1 zucchini, peeled thin with a vegetable peeler
1 ear of corn (cut the corn off the cob)
1 small tomato, chopped
Goat cheese
A handful of pine nuts, toasted (Not sure how to do that? Check it out here.)
A handful of basil, chopped or torn
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 tablespoon basil, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
For the vinaigrette:
Mix all that shit together in a mason jar and shake well. Done. Nailed it. Good job.
For the salad:
Place a handful of the zucchini strips into a large, shallow bowl. Add as much corn as you’d like (I used about half), along with the tomato. Toss with a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette and top with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, pine nuts, torn basil, and goat cheese. As with anything else I recommend eating, do so without pants. Pants are prisons.
Side note: The photos are about to get SO MUCH BETTER. I got a new phone (Google Pixel), and the camera on it is fucking magic.
Tiny Ass Kitchen 