I had a full, out-of-body experience this weekend, culminating in a little mini cold, and I’m chalking it up to the ascension flu finally knocking on my door. Honestly, it was about time!!

Before I go too much further, I want you to know that YES, I AM that woo-woo girl, and yes I DO believe in something greater (universe, God, whatever you’d like to call it), and I firmly believe that when you’re off course, universe/God/whatever will whip you back where you belong.

I say this from experience…and experience & experience.

When I was 24, I was working a killer job with killer hours, in an industry I had no future in. I was sharing heartspace with people who didn’t deserve it, socializing every night of the week (very anti-projector of me) and brutalizing my body with weird diet after weird diet.

That’s when my first ascension flu hit. Though maybe “flu” is a little too light of a term for this one…

I was slammed with a 4+ MRSA next to my spine that interrupted every part of my form and tailspun me into a period of intense sickness — three surgeries, a quarter-sized hole in my back that needed natural healing, and two months of medical bedrest. At its worst, it was a scary time, and at its best it was a brutal time.

All that to say — whenever I talk about this experience, I fondly refer to it as “the best thing that’s ever happened to me”.

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It woke me up and showed me a new path. One of experimental healing, discernment, care, learning, movement, nutrition, and eventually, as I mentioned in my last post, cooking. In this phase of life, I was free — and open to discovering things that people deemed odd, and alt-mainstream.

Every new moon, you could find me piled into a cozy Venice living room full of strangers, women, who sat in circle for each other. I drove hours to listen to a sound bath in a vortex, and started traveling around collecting crystals. I met healers, shamans, and studied studied studied everything that clicked for me: from human design to psychological astrology. One of my mentors at the time told me that I was on an early Saturn Return, and boy did I take that to heart…

Today, I might be referred to as “that girl”, but over a decade ago, these things were new, strange, and to some — off-putting. But that was okay, because I was so sure that this was the life that I needed to be living. This period of unapologetic exploration molded my inner voice, honed my intuition, and gifted me with an unwavering belief and confidence in myself that I rely on every day.

There is so much more I have to write about this time of my life — and I’m excited for it to pour out of me in this little corner of the internet. In the meantime, I felt a pull to share the things that I turned to this weekend — things that I keep handy when I’m feeling a little (or a lot) blehhh.

And a little disclaimer before we dig in — I’m not a doctor; this is simply what works for me & my family. I encourage you to do your research; chat with your doctor or practitioner about what’s right for you — and remember that herbs, while natural, are incredibly powerful <3

SOS RX Pantry Heroes

• Umcka!!! File this one under products I wish I had equity in. We discovered this a while back when Juan had a nasty cold, and it felt like a miracle solve. Now, whenever we have a hint of sore throat, earache, stuffy nose — we run straight for their hot drink.

• Colostrum! If you know me, you’ve probably heard me raving about this colostrum before — I started taking it when I was ~7 months postpartum, when my body felt beyond immunity-drained after pregnancy and breastfeeding. I couldn’t turn to anything stronger (still BFing), so my doctor suggested I start taking colostrum. I tried a few of the popular brands, but they all made my tummy a little funky. These did the trick — Juan and I now take them daily. I take 1/2 dose on a normal day, and full dose when I need help kicking something. We both just started taking their Beef Organs, too — stay tuned ✨

• Nasal Spray — I keep this step super simple and use the same kiddo brand as my daughter does (obviously we use different bottles!!!). I also travel with this guy to clear out my sinuses after a flight.

• Kick-Ass Immune — Wishgarden has such a solid line of herbal tinctures. We always have immune and allergy stocked in our pantry, and I kept their Happy Ducts nearby when I was breastfeeding.

  

• Buckwheat Honey! Forever ago, my sis told me that Buckwheat Honey was a powerhouse for colds & coughs and, as a good little sister does, I blindly took her word for it! First thing Juan did yesterday was make me a warm water with lemon and buckwheat honey — is there anything more soothing when you’re feeling it?! If you’re in LA & go to the SMFM, Lily’s makes the most amazing honey 🍯

• And for the rest of the house — I make sure that Juan & Sofía both take their beekeeper’s throat spray (adult & kiddo versions)!

Okay, that’s it for today. Happy ascending, fam <3 xx

It’s been 6 weeks since I left my job, and in that time I’ve been rediscovering bits and pieces of myself — around the house (lightening), in my relationships, and most recently, in the kitchen.

Admittedly, between becoming a mother and focusing on my career, I’d lost the spark to cook. My amazing husband took on all food-related aspects of our household, and I happily dropped the reins. Of course, my husband is a chef, so this was a natural division of labor. But, as I like to remind him constantly, we did go to the same cooking school, and I did graduate with honors…

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It’s wild to realize that it’s been ten years since we started our course at Ballymaloe Cookery School. And I’ll admit — it wasn’t the most obvious choice for me to go. As a daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter to three of the most naturally talented cookers, I historically had a hard time motivating in the kitchen. I now know that it was a lack of confidence, combined with perfectionist paralysis, that kept me in other rooms.

But, after coming down with a nasty case of MRSA next to my spine when I was 24, my life headed in a new direction — one focused on healing through food and being kind to my body through new eyes. As the family fable goes — I read the Huckleberry cookbook from start to finish during my two months of medical bed rest, woke up one morning and proclaimed that I was going to cooking school.

I have to give my mom an insane amount of credit here. Instead of saying, “but honey, you’ve literally never even boiled water” — she looked at me and said, “I think that’s a great idea, let’s find the place.”

And so began the search. For nearly two years, I looked for the perfect cooking school. I spoke to our favorite chefs in LA and in Paris, who often pointed me to the Culinary Institute up North, or Ferrandi in the 6th arr.

But nothing felt right, until it did.

At the time, there was barely an online footprint for Ballymaloe, and the website was still something super obscure (cookingisfun.ie, I think…). Other than the short foreword that Sophie Dahl wrote in her cookbook Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights, I truly had no idea what I was signing up for, but it didn’t matter. I had an indescribable, magnetic pull towards this place, and I knew I needed to go.

Hindsight is 20/20, and, of course, it all makes sense to me now.

Ballymaloe is what I fondly describe as Culinary Hogwarts. It’s a magical, 100-acre plot of organic farmland, within walking distance of the Celtic Sea, and blessed with the most gorgeous Irish climate you can imagine. There are dairy cows, chickens, and rows and rows of mineral-forward fruit, veg and herbs.

On a good night, I still dream back at Ballymaloe. In my attic room, with my 5 a.m. rooster, and French doors that gave me a view of the entire courtyard.

It was there that I studied my sauce bases, salad greens, and herbs, hand-whipped endless amounts of cream and mayonnaise, took butchery as an elective, and learned that there is very little that a fresh soup can’t heal.

In the simplest words, Ballymaloe taught me patience and discipline, and gifted me the foundation I needed to thrive in the kitchen.

And, while I’ve spent the last few years detached from this part of me, I’m so excited for this reclamation and to share this next chapter of food adventures with you all.

I would say that my style is simple, fresh, farmer-focused, with an edge of “unhinged” and “you put what in there?!”. At the end of the day — I’m playful in the kitchen, I’m free in the kitchen, and I’m me in the kitchen.

Let’s cook, shall we?! xx Liza

Kitchen Tips // Volume I

For anyone who was around during my bean days, you’ll appreciate that we’re back on the protocol, and I’m rediscovering all my tricks. I’ll dive deeper into the bean protocol soon, but in the meantime, if you’re aching for a healthy bean recipe that legitimately tastes refried, then you’ve come to the right place! We keep this stored in the fridge and add it to quesadillas, rice bowls, burritos — you name it.

A Recipe: Healthy Pinto Beans That Taste Refried

Ingredients:

1.5-2 cups of Pinto Beans (I really like the Doudlah Farms Pinto!)

1-1.5 tablespoons Sea Salt

Fresh Water!

Method:

Rinse your beans and then soak overnight (8-12 hours). Don’t skimp on soak time!

In the morning, rinse your beans and add them to your pressure cooker, aka the absolute easiest way to bean. We use this mini Instant Pot; it’s easy to store and makes plenty of volume.

Dissolve your sea salt (we’re currently stocking this one in our kitchen) in fresh warm water, and then pour it in your Instant Pot. Add more fresh water until the beans are covered by about 1 inch.

I like to lazy bean, so I put the pressure cooker on high for 20 mins and let the pot de-steam by itself. After about an hour (although sometimes it’s more like…after three hours…), open the lid, taste your beans, and pat yourself on the back.

Then ready your immersion blender.

Before blending, reserve about 1 cup of the bean water. Blend the pintos, including that glorious bean water, until you get a creamy, gorgeous bean spread. You can leave them a little textured or take them all the way to smooth — dealer’s choice.

Serve warm, serve cold — they’re truly delicious however you eat them, and the perfect little fiber punch to add to any meal. Enjoy <3

Love Notes // Volume I

Love Notes is a place for me to share a few things that made my life better or more beautiful this week. I hope you enjoy :)

• Jenni Kayne/Oak Essentials Dew Body Oil — I think I discovered an accidental mosquito life hack last weekend!! I found a travel-size of this oil in my drawer and brought it with me to Oregon. Purely coincidentally, I lathered it on every night post-shower, pre-outdoor dinner, and, while everyone else was getting bitten left and right, I had nary a bite. Turns out it has Citronellol in it — and now I won’t be traveling without! *Pro tip: I always mix my body oils with an unscented lotion (this Necessaire one is my go-to) so I’m not too slippery afterwards…

• Girl’s Girl — I picked this book up at Smith Family Bookstore, and it was a great, super-chill, summer nostalgia read. On a scale of would or would not read again, I would definitely read again. Also, how badass to get this review (“a lustrous debut”) from the NY Times as a first-time author!!!

• Immersion blenders are the superior blender. I remember when I used to PINE (and I mean piiiiine) for a Vitamix. But now that I’m older and wiser — who the heck has the time or the space for big, bulky, annoying-to-clean machinery!? Thanks for coming to my TED Talk, ciaoooooooo!!!

I come to this point almost every season — a need to clear my space, physically and emotionally. My focal point is usually the closet, but this summer’s clearing transformed way beyond. In the last few weeks, I’ve cleared my:

• Inbox. Unsubscribed. Sent to spam. Responded after quite possibly way too long.

• Messages. I promise I’m not intentionally leaving you on read…

• Desktop. I certainly don’t need my marriage certificate handy, and why do I have this weird screenshot of a payment I don’t even remember making back in 2025 on here?

• Credit Cards. I found that I accidentally had two monthly Uber One subscriptions, and why am I paying for that club that I never go to anymore?

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