I Cried When I Wrote This + Garlicky Lemon Greens (Instant Pot + Stove Top)

Dear body of mine,

Yes you. The body that’s been with me since I was just a wee one. The body that’ll be with me until I take my last breath.

I want to have a chat with you. Because it hit me the other day that I often take you for granted and I’ve been terribly unkind to you in the past. And despite this, you’ve continued to do your job without missing a beat.

So here’s what I need to tell you dear body. Here’s what my heart wants you to know.

I’m sorry for not defending you when I was a little girl and people made fun of you. They called you Froggy because your eyes were so big. They said you were from Ethiopia because you were so skinny. They called you a ghost and ran away from you because you were so pale. They called you Mickey because your ears were so big.

And for a long time, I believed them.

As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t like you very much because I thought you were the reason why I wasn’t popular. I thought that you were the reason why the cool kids didn’t like me. I know now that kids are just mean and it had nothing to do with you.

You were perfect in all of your imperfections.

I’m sorry I was abusive to you. I used to hit you when I was angry. I used to claw you when I felt out of control. I even cut you one time with a serrated kitchen knife when I was in an argument. You remember. You remind me every time I look at my left arm, just below the wrist. I’m so sorry that I took out my anger on you.

I didn’t know where else to channel those feelings back then, so you got the brunt of it.

I’m sorry that I wished parts of you were different for so many years. I want you to know that I’m done wishing you were different. I accept and appreciate you for exactly how you are.

Every wrinkle. Every vein. Every bit of extra skin. Every line. Every curve. Every scar. Every feature. Every pore.

You are perfect just as you are and I’m filled with gratitude for every inch of you. Thank you.

I’m so very sorry that I didn’t care what I put in you for so many years. I knew that alcohol and cigarettes and processed food weren’t good for you, but at the time, I took you for granted and I didn’t care enough about you to stop.

And that breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes because you, my beautiful, miraculous, kind, strong body, deserved so much better. I remember talking to you a lot when I was drunk and asking for your patience while I rode out my alcohol addiction.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for waiting patiently while I abused you for so many years.

Thank you for embracing me and being there for me when I was finally ready to let go of my demons.

Here’s what I want you to know going forward, dear body of mine.

I’ve finally woken up.

I’m here.

I’ve got you.

The walls have crumbled and I feel the love, the respect, the gratitude and the admiration for you that’s been deep within all along. And that love, respect and gratitude has not only helped me find to peace and compassion with you, my dear body, it’s also helped me to find forgiveness for how I used to treat you.

I forgive myself and I want you to know that I’m no longer angry or disappointed with myself. I’ve accepted it and I’ve let it go. It’s been released. We can be together as one.

You and I are in this together until the end. You’re it for me for this life. You will contain my spirit until it’s ready to fly. And you are the most important relationship that I will ever have.

So going forward, here are my vows to you. You deserve them more than anyone else in the whole world.

I promise to love you exactly the way you are.

I promise to treat you kindly and with the utmost respect and compassion.

I promise to give you rest when you need it.

I promise to keep you active and strong.

I promise to never take you for granted.

I promise to feed you the best fuel so that you can keep doing your job brilliantly and with ease.

I promise to give you good sleep every night.

I promise to be loving and accepting of you as we go through the aging process together, just like you’ve been loving and accepting of me during the first 36 years of my life.

I promise to love you unconditionally.

I promise to keep you safe.

And finally, I promise to continue helping other people love and care for their body as much as I love and care for you.

Today’s recipe is perfect as a snack or as a side with any meal.

It’ll make your body very happy.

Do you have a habit of talking harshly to yourself? Talk to me about it in the comments below!

Steamed Greens with Garlicky Lemon Sauce (Instant Pot & Stove Top)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Author: Molly Patrick of Clean Food Dirty Girl

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 bunch leafy greens

Sauce

• ▢ ½ cup cashews 70g, soaked in water for at least 10 minutes
• ▢ ¼ cup water 60ml
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coconut Aminos
• ▢ 1 garlic clove peeled and left whole
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon sal

Instructions

• First make the sauce by draining and discarding the soaking water from the cashews and placing the cashews into your blender, along with the (fresh) water, lemon juice, Coconut Aminos, garlic and salt. Blend until super creamy and smooth and transfer the sauce into a small bowl and set aside for now.
• If you’re using a Vitamix to make the sauce, or any other wide-bottomed blender, you will have to add a bit more water for the blades to pick up the mixture and really blend it until it’s creamy and smooth. Just add a little water at a time until the blades catch the mixture.
• Steam the greens in either your Instant Pot or in a regular pot.
• If you use your Instant Pot, add about 1/2 cup of water (120ml) to your IP and place a steamer basket or the IP trivet on the bottom of the pot. Place the greens in the basket or on the trivet and lock the lid into place, making sure the nozzle is on the sealing position.
• Use the steam function and set the timer for 1 minute. As soon as the timer goes off (like really, AS SOON as the timer goes off), use the quick release method and take out your greens immediately.
• If using a regular pot on the stove to steam your greens, add about a cup of water (235ml) to the pot and place your steamer basket in the pot. Place your greens in your steamer basket and cover the pot with a lid. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 4 minutes, until the greens are nice and soft (this is 4 minutes TOTAL cooking time).
• Whichever method you used, transfer your steamed greens to a strainer and extract any excess water and then place your greens in a mixing bowl. Add however much Lemon Garlic Sauce you like and gently toss the greens so they get coated in the sauce. Save the rest of the sauce for another batch of greens.

Wishing you a happy week. May it be filled with love and gratitude for your beautiful, perfect body.

Xo
Molly