THE WINTER LIST + THE BEST KALE SALAD
The list of ways I'm slowly learning to love winter, and maybe you can too❤️
6 Ways I’m beating the winter blues + the best kale salad recipe ever
1. More sleep (+ upgrades to my sleep stack)
Allowing myself more sleep than in other seasons. I’m just more tired this time of year.
Sleep supp upgrades
L-theanine has been a game-changer
Magnesium Glycinate
Switching to red lights past sunset
The Nightcap reishi mushroom chocolates from Alice (use code EROSIE15 for 15% off)
2. Sumo mandarins (& other citrus)
Some girls keep a vase of flowers. I love having a bowl of fresh fruit on my kitchen table at all times. Winter is citrus season and believe me when I tell you, I am currently going broke with the amount of sumo mandarins I am buying. Are they $5/lb+ here in SF? Yes. I am buying them anyway because I am obsessed and also because they are only in season for like one month (January). I took inspiration from fellow SF resident, Olivia Noceda, by dipping sumo slices in melted dark chocolate and sprinkling them with flaky salt…DIVINE.
On a less expensive note, my building manager has been picking the citrus fruits that grow on the apartment property and leaving them in the lobby for residents to take. Currently, I have a bull full of lemons, Meyer lemons, and another orange-like citrus fruit I don’t recognize
3. The Danish concept of Hygge
There is not really a direct translation of “hygge” in English but it has to do with being cozy and content. Read more about the term here
Some ways I’m practicing hygge in my life right now include:
Reading at night, preferably while wearing cozy socks and wrapped in a blanket. Something just feels more peaceful to me about reading a paper book than using a Kindle/audiobook.
Dimming the lights in my apartment and using warm-toned lights
Wearing fun scarves and cozy sweaters for the times I do have to leave my apartment
Listening to instrumental music & jazz in the mornings as I get ready for the day and evenings as I wind down
Lighting candles more often
4. Warming ginger tea
When I’m not simmering fresh ginger, I’ll make a cup of tea using Pique Tea’s ginger digestion tea packets.
5. Slow flows + restorative yoga
I’ve been signing up for more yin and “slow flow” classes via my classpass recently. I did a candle-lit class one weeknight at Haum next Haight in SF and it was so relaxing.
I also did my first restorative yoga class! It was at Folk yoga with the sweetest instructor, Nathaniel, and I was shocked by the level of relaxation I was able to reach in the 60-minute class. If you know me personally, you know my mind is always running a million miles a minute, so this was a big deal for me 🥲
6. Comforting, broth-based foods
pastina
chicken noodle soup
vegetable soup
bone broth lattes(???!!!) I know, I too was skeptical about this one but Trad Bone Broth in Noe Valley converted me
Speaking of food…
Janell’s Super Kale, a winter salad recipe
I am not typically one for consuming foods like raw salads, smoothies, and ice cream in winter. When the weather gets cold, I am a soup and warm bevy/hot tea girlie all the way.
I make an exception for this salad. While kale is in-season Fall-Spring, it is an incredibly cold-hardy plant making it one of my winter go-tos. Anecdotally, I find that curly kale tastes better in the winter season. Additionally, this salad contains ginger which is a warming, energizing spice. The garlic is great for immunity (and is also warming).
Ingredients list
A large head of organic kale
Optional: feta or goat cheese
Dressing
1/4 cup of first-pressed extra virgin olive oil
2-4 tbs of Ume plum vinegar (must use this type of vinegar!! no others compare. Can be found at most U.S. grocery stores, typically in the “international foods” section) I like to go heavier on the vinegar for extra tang, my mom makes it with less
1/2 – 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp of soy sauce or gluten-free tamari sauce (for soy-free, use coconut aminos)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
Instructions
Wash and destem the kale leaves. Chop or tear the kale leaves into smaller pieces. Don’t worry about chopping into uniform pieces and this salad is inherently rustic.
Mix olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic all together. Stir well, then pour over kale.
Next, *and this part is important* massage the dressing into the kale with your (clean) hands.
You can either serve this dish immediately or you can save it for a day in the refrigerator. The kale will absorb the dressing. As such, many people even prefer this salad a day old. Top with feta or crumbled goat cheese (optional) just before serving & enjoy!