Hello there, what's cooking?

I want to write to you about the ultimate luxury in life: slack.

Today I had the bittersweet pleasure of attending the celebration of life of two dear neighbors, an older couple, both of whom passed away in the past two years. They were both amazing people, who I miss very much. I was closer to the wife, Monica, who was a peerless community organizer. She loved bringing people together. Gathering with so many of their relatives, friends, and colleagues, and listening to the many stories and memories of two lives well-lived, I could feel her spirit, and it was uplifting.

As I walked out of the pavilion on this beautiful, sunny Pacific Northwest day, I thought about hopping into a cab to get myself back to work sooner... and decided against it. It took me 45 minutes to walk home, taking in the plum blossoms and views of our local mountains. A delight! A celebration not just of my friends' lives, but of life itself.

That is slack: my time isn't stretched so thin and taut that my schedule will snap. There is room for a walk back from an event. There is time to take a call from my brother. I can meet up for tea with a friend from out of town who's here for a conference. There are periods of free time between calls and writing sessions.

There is time to cook.

Not always. Not every day. Especially not with two kids. Often, it requires splitting the cooking tasks so that some building blocks get prepared on a day when there is more slack - for me, that's Sunday, with cooking club. But if I look carefully, I can see those moments, and decide to make the most of them with intention.

It wasn't always like that. It could have turned out otherwise, had my husband and I made some different choices. I don't take it for granted. Sh*t happens and things could change. So I enjoy that slack while it's there.

Is your time is so tight that you can't make time to take care of yourself in a way that feels good, including by cooking delicious plant-based meals? If so, is there one thing you can let go of that would create some slack?

Reminder: nutrition webinar

On Wednesday March 24th, I'm hosting a free webinar to talk about

​Meal Planning with Nutrition in Mind:
Protein, Iron, and Calcium​

Join me! Bring your questions. It's free.

3 coaching spots: Plant-Based by Summer

Are you ready to transition to a healthy vegan diet, but needing a bit of support? I decided to open three 1-on-1 coaching spots for my 2-month program. Learn more and register here, using coupon code JUMPIN for $15 off: 2-Month Plant-Based Transition with Nutrition and Habit Coaching.

I'll take you where you are. This is a great opportunity for those who:

• currently eat an omnivorous diet, leaning flexitarian, who want to get closer to 100% plant-based
• are already vegan but eat more processed, prepared, and restaurant food than they'd like, who need to get a fire lit under their feet to get closer to a 100% WFPB diet.

Not sure if it's for you? Hit reply and we'll chat.

Krista, who worked with me earlier this year, said, "You helped break down the process, starting with a plan...all things I knew and have done in the past but needed to be reminded of and needed some hand holding to get going again."

If that sounds like you, it would be great to work together this spring. I am dedicated to your success because it makes a really big difference in the world.

Keep on cooking, beautiful friends,

Brigitte

p.s. Hey, it's Friday, so plan your meals for next week. Steal some ideas from the Vegan Family Meal Plan for weeks 17-18, or consider subscribing for the full recipes, shopping list, prep steps, direct access to me, etc. Learn more: Vegan Meal Plans.