Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living
Greetings from a very snowy, very cold St. Louis. Single digits all week, which made our daily stroller walks non-existent. I miss being outside. I miss my walks. And yet, winter has a way of forcing stillness—of rerouting us when the direct path is closed. Which feels fitting for Parsha Beshalach, where God intentionally leads the Israelites the long way around, not because it’s easier, but because it’s kinder.
As a mom of four little kids, the idea of “living a healthy, energetic life” can feel impossible. Between sleepless nights, endless laundry, and constant chaos, perfect breakfasts, workouts, or biohacks seem… laughable. 😅
But here’s what I’ve learned over the past few months: energy isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing a few things consistently, thoughtfully, and well. Here’s what’s working for me right now.
In this weeks parsha, we’re reaching the climax of the plagues. God is ready to display His signs among Egypt—not just as punishment, but so that His power is unmistakable. So much so, we are commanded to tell this story to our children, again and again, for all time. In fact, we’re going to turn it into a week-long festival. Get ready—plague number ten is going to be a doozy.
On a personal note, I cannot imagine the sound of Egypt the morning after. The silence. The grief. As a first-born myself, I wouldn’t be there to hear it—I would be dead. Even the animals suffer. This plague spares no hierarchy, no innocence. Death to all first-borns. Yikes.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of stumbling onto a book you cannot stop thinking about — the kind that makes you sneak in a few pages while standing at the kitchen counter or invent errands just so you can keep listening to the audiobook.
Today, I’m sharing a handful of books I’ve read recently that genuinely surprised me, kept me hooked, and reminded me why I love reading in the first place. These aren’t perfect books, and they aren’t all five-star reads — but they were compulsively readable, memorable, and absolutely worth my time.
Here are the books I couldn’t put down.
Every so often, I like to write about books that didn’t land for me. Not because they’re objectively bad. Not because you shouldn’t read them. But because there’s something clarifying—almost relieving—about admitting when a highly recommended or buzzy book just… isn’t for you.
This is part of an ongoing Overrated Reads series here on the blog, where I share thoughtful, honest reflections on books I picked up with high hopes and ultimately put down disappointed, bored, or quietly annoyed. If you loved these books, truly—I’m glad. But here’s why they didn’t work for me. Thankfully all four of these novels were library picks, so no harm, no foul.
Bread is one of those foods we eat a lot around here—toast in the morning, sandwiches at lunch, and the occasional slice with peanut butter because someone is always hungry. With four kids, it adds up quickly. And the more I started reading ingredient labels, the more uncomfortable I became with how many additives show up in something that’s supposed to be so basic—especially seed oils, which I try hard to avoid.
So I decided it was time to make our bread at home.
This recipe uses just 7 simple, recognizable ingredients, compared to the 12–13 you’ll often find in store-bought loaves. I also use honey instead of sugar, which has a lower glycemic index and feels like a better fit for how we eat as a family. The result is a soft, everyday bread that works just as well for toast and sandwiches as it does fresh with butter—without the unnecessary extras.
Bread is one staple we rely on heavily, so making it a little more nourishing, a little more intentional, feels really great. This recipe yields two full loaves, and it’s pretty easy to throw together.