I’ve Been Bamboozled + Simple Veggie Bean Soup (Instant Pot + Stove Top)

Did you know that it gets cold in Hawaii?

Well, I’ve been bamboozled because I’m sitting here wearing a sweater, a scarf, long pants and socks when I thought I’d be sporting a sarong year round. Now, understand that I use the word “cold” loosely here. Right now it’s 70°F / 22°C, which you might laugh at, but to me, this is take a hot bath and then cozy up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and a Turmeric Latté weather.

And I don’t know about you, but when cooler weather makes its way through the windows, nostalgia slips right in with it and I’m brought back to my childhood when school would be cancelled due to layers upon layers of powdery white magic, covering the high desert of New Mexico.

My mom would build a huge crackling fire in our fireplace and lay a wool blanket down on the floor in front of it. Then she would place a soft red checkered flannel sheet on top of the wool blanket to lock in the warmth and protect against the scratchy wool. My nest was nearly complete and I patiently waited, while mom prepared homemade hot cocoa and toast with butter, cinnamon and sugar.

When everything was ready, I would cozy up on the floor next to the fire, sip my hot cocoa and eat my warm, sweet toast with melted butter while I watched the snow fall outside and listen to stories on vinyl. Annie was my favorite, but 101 Dalmatians was a close second, followed by The Velveteen Rabbit. My entire childhood was happy and magical, but this is one of my most happy and cherished memories.

When I got older and moved away for college, my friends and I would watch the snow fall from the warmth of the school cafeteria. My school was a 12 story building, nestled in downtown Denver with massive windows facing the Rocky Mountains. We drank coffee and ate huge blueberry muffins as we talked about art and life and witnessed the silent peaceful white powder envelope the city until it was a twinkling wonderland.

Years went by and my venue for watching winter’s performance changed. I now watched snow pile up on Washington D.C. from the comfort of my warm living room. The blanket of winter transformed the bustling and hurried city into an eerily quiet, calm and peaceful metropolis, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath. My girlfriend and I would watch the snowfall from our big, overstuffed couch, while we ate French cheese and drank Bordeaux in the middle of the day.

While I hold all of these memories close to my heart, one of my favorite comedians, Iliza Shlesinger sums it up best: “Girls love cold weather, but they hate being cold.”

For as many happy memories as I have of snow and watching its beauty, I hate being cold (#FirstWorldProblem). This is one of the reasons that I moved to Hawaii.

Even though it’s not technically cold here and there’s for sure no chance of snow, I have all of my memories and happy associations with cold weather. And more often than not, they include comforting food and drinks. rich hot cocoa, strong coffee with thick cream and intoxicating wine. Toasted bread with melted butter and sweet sugar, soft blueberry muffins and sharp, rich cheese.

So for me, as soon as cooler weather hits (AKA 70°F / 22°C), my mind subconsciously drifts to happy, comfy memories and it triggers a desire for the food and drinks that went hand in hand with those memories.

But here’s the thing. I don’t eat or drink most of those things anymore, so it’s important that when those triggers and desires come up, that I stop, check in with myself and make a mental note that it’s not a blueberry muffin that I want, or buttery toast or a glass of Bordeaux, those items are just happy associations that I have with cooler weather. That’s it.

Once that’s locked in, I can easily move past the desire and make something comforting for my pie hole that fits my lifestyle circa 2016.

Often times, before we can eat really healthy on a consistent basis, we must first recognize and understand our connection with food, especially foods that aren’t doing us any favors to our overall health and well-being. If you need help with healthy eating and would like to explore a whole-food plant-based lifestyle, check out Clean Food Dirty Girl.

Because the business of eating healthy isn’t just about what we eat, it’s also about why we eat.

Do you have any cold weather associations when it comes to food? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Today’s recipe is super simple and delicious. It’s the perfect thing to cozy up with and enjoy the cooler weather (whatever “cooler” means to you).