Latte Letters 003
Hi friends, here we are again with another Latte Letter. If you missed what Latte Letters are, they’re just a little corner of YGD where I share my heart, some things I’m loving, and the things that just aren’t recipes!
How are we already halfway through September? It is still nearly 100 degrees outside during the daytime but you bet I’ve got pumpkin spice things and soup going in the kitchen. Temperature outside does not necessarily dictate what happens inside my kitchen.
I’ve been creating pumpkin recipes and the first one was an easy Instant Pot pumpkin soup. Soon you’ll get access to some other pumpkin recipes but I’m still working to get those ready! I was rationing my pumpkin spice until Trader Joes stocked it once again. I checked last Sunday and walked away empty-handed. By Friday the world was fresh and bright as Trader Joes stock of Pumpkin all the things had made its grand arrival. Huzzah. Hooray. I am stocked up and will not ration that magic powder any longer.
My little family took a quick trip to a nearby city for my husbands work and we visited friends who aren’t coffee fans. We took our Aeropress along and fell more in love with that little wonderful coffee invention. I had hoped to hit up the Asian grocery store but was unsuccessful at getting there. After looking online, I found there is one not far from my house! I love to get the weird sauces and ingredients that aren’t generally available at most stores (like you mai cai 油麦菜).
If you want to see my earlier editions of Latte letters, 001 is right here, 002 is right here.
Produce At My Door
I used to live right next door to an epic produce market. Like, the kind of market that people travel far to get to and spend a good chunk at because they fill their cars up. Yep. But then we moved and I rarely get there because it is a time commitment, and well some weeks and months just don’t allow for a run out there.
Months ago my coworker brought some gnarly looking peach to work and told me about Imperfect Produce. It is a company that delivers produce to your door that comes to them either due to a cosmetic imperfection or surplus. I was excited about the idea of saving on produce and it being delivered and being cheaper than a CSA box. Unfortunately, they delivered to all of the neighboring areas except for mine.
However, they just started delivering to my town! Hooray. I tried it out and found that the quality is fantastic and the delivery process is a breeze. I even added some dairy to my order and it came with an ice pack and a reusable bag for insulation.
After signing up I was notified on Thursday that I could modify my box for a Monday delivery. I was able to go in and choose low-carb produce that fits our family lifestyle. They also have a plethora of grocery items that you can add to your order. If your order is over $50 you get free delivery too! If it is under $50, delivery is $4.95 I chose a bi-weekly delivery for starters since we’re a pretty small family. The price per pound is about $1.50-$2.00 which is very affordable for the area that I live in.
By using Imperfect Produce, I’m able to save time and money while receiving quality produce (and groceries) right at my door!
If you’d like to get $10 off your first order, check if they’re available in your area, go to Imperfect Produce to sign up using this link!
IF: Intermittent Fasting
Shifting gears here! I’ve been trying intermittent fasting once again. I found myself reaching for late-night snacks while working on the blog. Discipline in the late hours was difficult for me.
What is intermittent fasting? The very short answer is, you choose a window of your day in which you eat, then a window in which you don’t eat. Some people fast for 16 hours and eat for 8 hours, this is called 16:8. Others do 12:12.
Between 7 pm and 7 am I fast. This isn’t an extremely long fast but it is working for me. I found that this was the way to kick the late-night munchies in an intentional way. I have found that I have lost a few pounds in the process and am thrilled by that result.
Rules of the fast: during my fast, I only drink water. Some people will add other things to their fast but I generally try to just drink water.
In Conclusion
September marks 6 months of blogging! This is my first month to hit 10,000+ sessions! I have to give a huge shoutout to the other low-carb bloggers that I’ve met over these months. Blogging is a big team effort and food bloggers are amazing people!
Most businesses these days prefer to keep things competitive. In food blogging, the more you work together, the more everyone wins. I’m honored to be part of this community and look forward to coming alongside other new bloggers who are in the learning process.
The best place to connect with me is on Instagram, be sure to join me over at Yellow Glass Dish.
I hope you have a lovely day!
-Josi
P.S. I launched a Patreon account for those who love YGD and want to support this blog! Currently, we’re not profitable and my Patreons help to keep this blog going!