Today's Watched & Rooted Wednesday feels extra special because today marks 7 years alcohol-free. 💚 For 25 years I was a horrible alcoholic. When I first got sober, I thought I was just quitting alcohol. Ditching the hangovers. I had no idea I was about to create a entirely different life. Annnnnd the greatest gift wasn't better sleep, more energy, or even better health. It was my family. I was given the opportunity to rebuild relationships with my kids and the people I love most. There were bridges I nearly destroyed forever, and over the years, one conversation, one apology, and one day at a time, those bridges were rebuilt. It has not been easy. Some days I wanted to throw in the towel and grab a bottle of Jack! BUT – my kids got their mom back. And now my grandkids get the Oma they deserve. And I was saved. Sobriety introduced to me Big Daddy J 🌱 That will always be my greatest victory 💫 Sobriety also gave me the clarity to rediscover my love of cooking, heal my relationship with food, BELIEVE IN MYSELF, and eventually create this incredible Rooted & Wild community. None of it would exist without that decision I made seven years ago. None of it. One of the biggest things I've learned is that healing isn't just about removing something. It's about creating the life that comes next. I think this is the part sober people struggle with the most! For today's Watched & Rooted Wednesday, I found a podcast that feels especially fitting. If you're curious about the connection between nutrition, cravings, brain health, and alcohol-free living, I think you'll really enjoy it. 🎧 No More Booze with Dr. Brooke Scheller: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ck5UGrj5j4Qv5M3p2m6bJ Whether you're alcohol-free, sober curious, supporting someone you love, or simply interested in how food affects the brain, I hope it gives you something to think about. Here's to healing, second chances, and showing up for the people who matter most. THANK YOU for letting me share this milestone with you. 💚

I gotta KNOW —> have you ever heard of OR tried durian? Drop a yes, no, or absolutely not 😂 below because today we are going ALL in on tropical fruit. This week we are talking about three fruits that deserve way more attention than they get. One of them smells like gym socks or propane (depending on your sniffer) and I cannot wait to tell you why you should eat it anyway. 😂🌿 👑 Durian — The King of Fruits Durian is nicknamed "the king of fruits" across Southeast Asia. And before you scroll past because of the smell — hear me out. 😂 The smell is often described as a mix of rotten onions, turpentine, sewage or gym socks. For me, it reminds me of propane. The smell is so strong and lingering that it's banned in many hotels and public places across Southeast Asia. So yes. It smells absolutely unhinged. 😂 I'm also ONLY allowed to crack this open when my hubby is gone 😆😆😆😆😆 BUT. Here's what's inside that spiky chaos: Durian is a superb source of B-complex vitamins — a rarity among fruits — including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and thiamin. It also contains significant levels of manganese, copper, iron, and magnesium, plus potassium which is vital for controlling heart rate and blood pressure. The flavor is described as tasting like cheese, almonds, garlic, and caramel all at once. Chaotic? Absolutely. Delicious? Surprisingly yes. It's dreamy creamy 💚💚 One important heads up though — consuming durian at the same time as alcohol can cause problems. Scientists believe that sulfur-like compounds in durian may prevent certain enzymes from breaking down alcohol, causing increased alcohol levels in your blood leading to nausea, vomiting, and heart palpitations. So just don't do that. 😂 In smoothies durian is absolutely incredible. Thick, creamy, custardy, naturally sweet. Blend it with frozen mango and banana and you will feel like you are sitting on a beach in Thailand. 🌴 🍌 Banana — The Classic That Never Gets Enough Credit! We talk about bananas like they're boring. They are NOT boring. 🙅‍♀️

Y'all know what we celebrate on Fridays! It's ALL about our wins. Maybe it's big, maybe it's little. Maybe a new habit. More plants on your plate. Maybe it's simply YOU SURVIVED! Okay. I'm ready to share my mystery win from last week. 🫣 12 days ago I gave up marijuana. I know. For those of you in the US or Washington state you probably know it's completely legal here and I have used it comfortably for ocer 30 years. It has been my wind down. My creative space. My quiet. My comfort. And walking away from something that has genuinely been such a huge part of your life for that long is not small. It just isn't. I've tried before. Many times. But honestly, I just wasn't ready! Has it been easy? Absolutely not. 😂 Luckily guys, I'm still married 😆😆😆 Has it been worth it? Without a single doubt. 🌿 The clarity is real. The sleep is different. My mornings feel like MINE in a way they haven't in a long time. And honestly? The food tastes even better. Which I did not think was possible. 😂 I'm sharing this because this community is built on real life and real wins and this is both. We talk about nourishing our bodies with whole plants and this is just another layer of that for ME. Cleaner. Clearer. More rooted. 🌿 12 days. And I'm not looking back. Now tell me YOUR win this week. Big, small, messy, whatever it is — drop it below. We're cheering for you. 🏁👇

🫙🌿 Thanks @Adam Thomas and @MarKesha Smith for hopping on today's pickling workshop! We kept it simple, turned a few humble vegetables into something delicious, and hopefully showed just how easy it is to preserve food at home. If you made a batch, drop a photo in the comments. I'd love to see your jars! 🥕🧅🌶️ And if you missed it live, no worries. The replay is now available for you to watch anytime. Happy pickling AND fermenting, friends! 🌿

LIVE in 30 minutes! Grab your jars, veggies, vinegar, and salt because we're making quick pickles together! Today we're tackling carrots, onions, peppers, and cauliflower, plus chatting about the difference between pickling and fermentation. See you soon in the classroom! Drop a 🥕 in the comments if you'll be joining us live.