Flexipe (2026)

04/04/2026

Get-my-shiz-together Saturday: Protein pasta and garbanzo salad

1 box protein pasta of choice - I’m a rotini gal
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and dried
Olive oil and vinegar of choice, or salad dressing of choice - I love it with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, and then to finish it off with a good Italian or vinaigrette - but you could do a creamy version if that’s your jam
Veggies that will hold up well over multiple days in the fridge - I went with onion, bell pepper, sliced olives, cucumber, radishes, and finely chopped parsley - but I’ll probably toss in some halved grape tomatoes morning-of if I remember
Optional: grated Parmesan or finely cubed cheddar, if you’re feeing cheesy
Salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste

Mix it all up
Optional: Top with protein of your choice - I used chimichurri roasted chicken breast

Pro Tip: Reserve some of the dressing to drizzle on top right before you enjoy it - the whole meal will taste fresher and more flavorful. If you have one of those little bottles of balsamic glaze I’ve been seeing lately, that would also make an excellent topper.

Makes about a week’s worth of lunches ✅

$Ecuadorian food pt. 3 - fancy Galapagos edition! This shows a fraction of the incredible meals and desserts we were fed ...$

18/02/2026

Ecuadorian food pt. 3 - fancy Galapagos edition!

This shows a fraction of the incredible meals and desserts we were fed on board the Galaxy yacht where we stayed while touring the Galápagos Islands.

I enjoyed how the presentation often mirrored the beautiful and unique landscapes we had seen that day. A lot of the meals were served buffet-style, which is part of why I didn’t take more pictures - but I was happy to have an abundance of seafood (a lot of it local to the islands!) and fresh vegetables with every meal.

1. Coconut ice cream (more like a frozen pudding or mousse) with a chocolate shell and passion fruit curd center.

2. Vegetarian ceviche with hearts of palm, served with plantain chips

3. Bananas foster

4. Profiteroles

5. Blackberry ice cream (frozen mousse?) with blackberry drizzle

6. Wahoo fish with mushroom risotto and vegetables

7. Apple custard tart

8, 9. The chef gave a presentation about how seafood ceviche is made. We each got a portion of wahoo marinated in lime juice, salt, and “leche de tigre” - then we added our own onion tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and extra lime juice. We were given a bowl of popcorn and plantain chips, which they encouraged us to add into our ceviche!

10. Flan 😍

11. Chocolate tres leches cake

12. The most adorable gift when we entered our rooms! (Along with a much more practical dry bag and metal water bottle for each of us.)

13, 14. Local beers - because “when in Rome,” why not?! Not my go-to styles of beer - I didn’t see anything weird or fruity while we were there - but I enjoyed them.

18/02/2026

Ecuadorian food, pt. 2

1, 2, 3. This was the delicious and elegant meal we enjoyed at the polylepis forest. The potato soup was served in many different variations throughout our trip, but this one was by far the prettiest! An elevated take on chicken, potatoes, and vegetables was the main course (plato fuerte), and carrot cake was dessert. The 12,000 feet of altitude sadly prevented me from eating very much here, but I won’t go into that in detail.

4. Hibiscus tea and 5. a red berry mojito were sweet and refreshing at a local Mexican restaurant where we enjoyed karaoke and dancing after our meal of (6.) birria tacos! Also pictured: our new friend Ashley, closest to my age in the group, who my mom and I sort of adopted into our family for the week! 🥰

7. Veggie lasagna at the hotel. I was surprised at how popular Italian food is in Ecuador! (Not pictured: we had many chances to enjoy Hawaiian pizza!)

8, 9, 10. When we visited the equator, our tour guide showed us homes that used to be on the park’s land, and were turned into exhibits. Image 8 is a kitchen which was in a separate building from the bedrooms. The guinea pigs living in there were safe from being eaten. We learned they are called cuy because it imitates the squeaky sound they make. 10 is an example of what a kitchen might have looked like in the Amazon. 11 is achiote, or annatto, which is used as a spice and also as makeup by people in the Amazon.

12. Lunch during our tour of Quito was a nice grilled chicken salad and sausage sandwich. I was able to order in Spanish, which I hope our waiter appreciated, though he laughed at my misgendered words a little. My mom and I shared, and still had some of the sandwich left over for dinner.

13, 14. The snack on our Latam flight to the Galápagos Islands was a little bag of chifles, or plantain chips! I love these (and really any form of plantains) anywhere I go, but they’re a lot less common in Ohio!

18/02/2026

Ecuadorian food! Pt.1
🌽
1. Tostada & aji! Tostada in Ecuador is fried corn kernels (though their corn is more like what we would think of as hominy) - it has a texture similar to corn nuts. Aji is a condiment made of aji peppers, and it’s delicious on everything! Sometimes it’s creamy like what you see here, other times it’s more like a pepper relish. Sometimes spicy, sometimes not. I enjoyed it in many forms!
🍅
2. Ceviche! I didn’t have any seafood-based ceviche in the highlands, because sometimes the seafood isn’t safe to eat there, and people have been encouraged to use lupini (chocho) beans, hearts of palm, and/or avocado instead. I think this version had all 3. They often serve it with plantain chips, and it’s delicious.
📷
These first 2 photos were taken at Mi Otavalito, a lovely little restaurant in Otavalo.
🍤
3. Quinoa-crusted shrimp was the only seafood I had in Otavalo. It was served over rice with vegetable sides. This was in our hotel, La Posada del Quinde, and the power went out for the first few minutes of our dinner!
🥩
4. This was a huge (but otherwise typical, I think) Ecuadorian feast. Steak, rice with fried eggs, salad, fries, a little sausage shaped like a flower… the steak was well-done but the chimichurri sauce added tons of flavor. These guys are big on carbs for sure! Oh and behind my plate you can see a different version of aji - this was mostly peppers and was rather spicy, but very good. Ecuadorian food itself was almost never spicy, so the aji was a nice way to add a kick when you wanted.
💃🏻
5, 6, 7, 8. We had a cooking class in a family’s home, and it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. We toured the garden, where the father showed us herbs with all sorts of health benefits. Then we all helped make the meal. I mixed the dough for the quimbolitos (steamed cakes, pic # 8) with my hands! I also made the tomato, onion, and bean salad. And yes, 10 or so of us tried guinea pig (cuy) - it tasted like a more gamey chicken thigh, but had lots of small bones. After dinner, we moved the tables to the side and danced around the room to live music!

9. Pork chop with a delicious red wine cream sauce (cont’d in comments)

27/01/2026

I made a deal today with the not-so-mini. If he would shovel the driveway and dig out my car, I would get him a snack at CVS. (I wanted to go pick up allergy medicine regardless.)

He did a great job cleaning off my car and clearing a path for me to get out! So I had to deliver too.

He asked for “sweet - no, savory” snacks. So I got a little of everything. The best mom is a kid at heart, right?

I made us both “snack-cuterie” plates. Sour gummy worms. Smokehouse BBQ flavored almonds. New honey-roasted peanut M&Ms (try these asap - as A said, “they’re peak”). Gluten-free pizza-flavored filled pretzel bites (I didn’t realize they were gluten-free, but I doubt that would have stopped me. They were pretty good!)

And yes, we’ve been eating my healthy meal-prepped food all day until now.

That’s what I call a win/win/win/win!

26/01/2026

Snow day meal prep, pt.2

Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken with Cumin-Spiced Veggies

Ingredients
• 4 chicken thighs
• ¼ cup mild harissa sauce
• ½–1 tsp harissa powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp honey
• ¾ tsp salt
• Black pepper

Veggies
• Cauliflower, carrots, red onion (I used a yellow onion - just as good!)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Mix harissa sauce, harissa powder, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss chicken thoroughly.
4. Spread chicken (and veg if using) on a sheet pan.
5. Roast 35–40 minutes, flipping once if boneless.
6. Finish with a squeeze of lemon after roasting.

For 4 portions: I cooked the veggies and chicken on separate baking sheets.

Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, a drizzle of avocado oil or olive oil, and optionally some cumin (my pick) or smoked paprika. You could also do lemon zest or fresh parsley after cooking. A squeeze of lemon after cooking will complement any variation.

25/01/2026

When it snows…. We hunker down and meal prep!!

Lentil Sausage Kale Stew

Ingredients
• 1 lb pork or chicken sausage
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ cups brown lentils, rinsed (I used a whole bag. Adjust liquid accordingly.)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups kale or chard (I used 2 whole bags of chopped kale - one of lacinato kale and one curly kale.)
• Lemon juice (to finish)
• Salt & pepper
Optional: Parmesan cheese rind

Instructions
1. Brown sausage well. Remove and set aside.
2. In same pot, sauté onion, carrot, celery until soft.
3. Add garlic + tomato paste. Cook 1–2 minutes.
4. Add spices, lentils, broth, bay leaf, and parm rind if using.
5. Simmer 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Return sausage + add greens. Simmer 10 minutes.
7. Finish with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

07/12/2025

Comfort & Joy…part 2

This may be my best chicken soup yet.

If you haven’t tried putting a dash of ginger in yours for warmth, wellness, and depth of flavor… this is your sign to try it.

Go look at my last post to see some of the love that went into this.

Broth:
Bones of a rotisserie chicken
Celery
Carrots
Onion
Fresh garlic
Rosemary, thyme, ground ginger, bay leaves, turmeric, black pepper, pink salt
Boil like mad for as long as you can stand it.

Chicken Thighs:
Pink salt, black pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, 8-mushroom blend powder
Bake at 400, 8 mins each side
(Great as a standalone chicken recipe!)

Soup:
Sauté until softened: carrots, celery, onions, and fresh garlic with
Avocado oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar,
Bay leaves, ginger, turmeric, thyme, rosemary, sage, pink salt, black pepper, 8-mushroom blend powder

Dice baked chicken and add to soup

Strain broth into soup pot and bring to a boil

Add frozen egg noodles and cook according to to package directions (mine said bring back up to boil, then down to simmer for 20 minutes)

Enjoy your bowl of heavenly goodness. 😇

07/12/2025

Comfort & joy…. 🥣

When the not-so-little isn’t feeling well… you make healing chicken soup.

Extra veggies. Roasted chicken thighs. Homemade chicken bone broth. So many herbs and spices it qualifies as medicinal. Frozen egg noodles for comfort.

Who needs a bowl? 🙋🏻‍♀️

20/01/2025

Can we talk about buckwheat cereal? 🥣 I’ve been craving it 24/7 lately. Why is it so good?!

It leaves me full and satisfied for hours, but not comatose the way most grains would. I’ve been learning about buckwheat’s health benefits, and honestly, the West has been missing out on this gem. Apparently it’s a staple in Russia and many Slavic countries.

This is Bob’s Red Mill brand, but after devouring most of that, I ordered a big bag of whole-grain buckwheat (not chopped up like this porridge version) which I guess you can also use in place of rice, and add all sorts of savory herbs and veggies. (Then I really will be at risk of eating it 24/7!)

I was introduced to buckwheat growing up when my dad would make his legendary family recipe buckwheat pancakes. It was a blend of regular wheat, buckwheat, and a little cornmeal. (I guess you need the wheat flour or some kind of lighter flour to get anything even remotely resembling a pancake.)

These pancakes are hearty, dense-yet-fluffy, delicious, and keep you full for hours. I didn’t try a regular, white-flour pancake until I was much older, and I’ll be honest, to this day no pancake anywhere can stack up 🥞 (pun intended) to my dad’s recipe.

Anyway, buckwheat cereal is my new favorite. Despite the name, it’s gluten-free. Last I checked, a GMO version doesn’t exist. (The crop naturally repels weeds!?)

I like it with a little coconut milk, a drizzle of honey, a scoop of peanut butter, cinnamon, and frozen fruit, which cools down the hot cereal as it thaws.

For work, I put the fruit at the bottom of a takeout container and pour the cereal on top, which stops the cereal from heating up the plastic as much, and ensured thawed fruit by breakfast time.

Have you tried buckwheat cereal or steamed buckwheat? What did you think? What are your favorite toppings? 💬

19/01/2025

I’ve been craving lots of iron and protein, so I decided to treat myself on this snowy Sunday.

The steak 🥩 is from a nice, lean top round steak from - after cutting off this generous portion, I still have 2-3 servings of the $7 cut left.

I rubbed it liberally with a “royal steak” seasoning blend I impulse-bought at awhile back, then seared it in avocado oil spray in a hot, nonstick pan alongside my mushrooms. I would have preferred it a teensy bit more rare, but it turned out pretty close to perfect.

The salad 🥗 is organic red butter lettuce from (one of the few items not from Aldi in this meal, and so worth it). Whatever veggies I had on hand, which today was tomato, onion, banana peppers, and another mushroom (if you love mushrooms, can you ever have too many?). I’m normally an Italian dressing or vinaigrette lover, but today, yogurt-based chunky blue cheese dressing from fit the better-for-you steakhouse theme perfectly.

The sweet potato… 🍠 what can I say? I love a savory sweet potato, especially this time of year, and today that meant giving it the classic baked potato treatment. Butter, sour cream, Himalayan salt, and fresh cracked pepper. That’s it.

The sweet potato is missing from the first picture because it took longer than expected in the air fryer. Air frying them is the way to go, and not only do they cook faster when you crank up the heat a bit, but the outside develops a delicious crispness, almost caramelization, if you coat it with a dab of oil (avocado spray works) and a sprinkle of salt before cooking.

Avoiding carbs? Skip the sweet potato. (Though FWIW, it is a slower-carb alternative to a regular potato.)

This was a ton of food, and I feel energized with little to no sluggishness after eating it all.
If you’re treating yourself today, tell me about it in the comments!

28/11/2024

I did most of this today.

Everything but the Mac n cheese is friendly.
If u think potatoes, it’s Yuca.
The rest is what it looks like,

except I will never make it another way again 🤤😩

I love you.

Happy thanksgiving.

Hug your babies extra tight today.
They disagree with you on something? So what?

There’s nowhere I’d rather be.

Flexipe

04/04/2026

18/02/2026

18/02/2026

18/02/2026

27/01/2026

26/01/2026

25/01/2026

07/12/2025

07/12/2025

20/01/2025

19/01/2025

28/11/2024

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