58 Comments

Late to the comment game, because I didn’t upgrade to paid for far too long, but good on you for stepping away from toxic shit, and for taking a break to rest and recharge.

As for home cooking vs being a chef, the former is what truly matters. The meals you really remember are ones made by or for someone you love. The meals I crave are usually the ones with memories tied into them. The cookbooks and food blogs I turn to are the ones that allow me to make something tasty without useless wank and time expenditure, in no small part because I cook on the daily for a family, and my time is precious, but I still want to deliver on flavor and comfort.

As an aside, I also wanted to mention how much I have loved your recipe with the rice, lentils, green beans, lemon and dill from Hungry as Hell. That herby punch gets me every time, and even thinking about that tangy, zippy flavor makes my mouth water again, and I have made it many times since I got the book earlier this year (my kids may be a bit over my obsession with it at this point, but they do enjoy it too). I even pre-prepped and froze it and took it along on family camping trips to reheat for solid meals :)

So thanks!

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Thank you so much for this. Yeah, it's the grind of being a home cook that sets so many of us apart. We need craveable food, without spending a billion dollars and a billion hours in the kitchen. I'm glad you like that recipe, it's a comfort meal for me. Sometimes I switch out the green beans for broccoli and the dill for cilantro or green onions for some variety. Maybe the kids won't notice it's the same meal if you tweak it a little lol

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Welcome back, Michelle! I just got around to reading this article on my commute home today and it was exactly the kind of positive, inspiring read I needed :)

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Welcome back! I'm so glad you got the rest and relaxation you deserve! Rest is another thing seen as feminine in our culture, another thing so necessary and yet so undervalued.

And I'm so looking forward to your help with the relentlessness of dinner.

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Such a good point about rest! Glad to be back ❤️

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Welcome back! ☺️

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Great to have you back...joe....you look great after the rest....love cooking with you....

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Welcome back Chef. Always love to hear to hear you own your power.

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I am glad you had a good break. Everyone should take some extended time for themselves when they need it. And I am looking forward to more recipes and everything.

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Absolutely. Taking a break only makes us stronger, not weaker

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Thank you for everything, Michelle! I honestly was first attracted to the swearing 🙃. My sister found your original cookbook and we laughed and cried as we read it. We bought every cookbook, the recipes were so tasty!

Fast forward a few years… I was enjoying listening to the old ‘Forked Up’ podcasts, and I listened to one with Dr Michael Greger. I told my husband about it, he’s a type 2 diabetic. He got “How Not to Die” and immediately decided to go vegan. I had always wanted to eat less meat, but I suddenly had to think about meals in a whole new way 🤪

My husband lost a lot of weight (I lost some, too) and he got to cut back on his medication. I credit you with helping to change our lives for the good 😘

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I love this!! Yes, the swearing is always fun but I’m glad it’s the actual content that kept you around. Changing your relationship with food is so hard. Congrats to both of you for making that work!

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Thank you, chef! We love you and are so glad you're back!

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❤️

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Welcome back Michelle! Good to see your writing again. So good to hear that your break was restorative for you. I love being here with and for you. Here for it all. F*ck yeah! 🤘

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Awww! So great to have you back!! ❤️❤️

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Yes, yes, and more yes!! I am glad you are cutting back to a few recipes a month. I always thought you were pushing yourself way too hard, and I am glad you will be prioritizing yourself for once.

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I'm glad you said that out loud, @carolyn. In retrospect, I was also aware you were pushing really hard, @michelle. I respected it because I've worked in start ups and done the same in years 1-3 but we owe it to ourselves to slow down as soon as the thing is working... and to each other to remind each other to slow down. I love this thoughtful and caring pot head community.

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Yeah, it's so funny. I'll always find examples of how I am not working hard enough but I'll completely ignore all the examples of how hard I am working. This community is great and really helps me be more honest with myself. We all deserve to take life a little slower ❤️

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Thank you! It only took everyone in my life and several of you in the chat telling me to chill REPEATEDLY lol

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I am sure everyone in the chat will be happy to remind you if you need to take another break. We'll always be here for you.

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don’t make me cry here in the comments k? 😭❤️

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Welcome back! I’m so happy you took time for you. ❤️

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Left a tip for a well rested baddie post vacation! Cheers to restful time off ❤️

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Thank youuuuuuu

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Ahh, Saturday and look what I found in my mailbox! So great to find your uplifting story there. You've been missed. Welcome back. Now where's that cheese mix recipe ;)

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Awww, thank you! I’ve missed this too. Cheese mix will be delivered bright and early tomorrow morning. You’ll love it. I’m having it in a breakfast burrito right now

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Welcome back! As others have said, I am so glad you found a restorative time to enjoy, let go, refocus and live. We all need that. I love your plan for 2.0. "Home cooking doesn’t need to be dramatic to be important" really resonated with me. As you have said and know so well, it can become exhausting.

I love your focus of taking a recipe and finding "applications" for it. That is the type of thing that, I think, simplifies yet broadens the cooking experience. It empowers the cook to try new things. And I think the cheese mix is a wonderful way to start.

I am so excited for you and Stir the Pot!!

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