Hello my dears,
The holiday season is nearly upon us, and before I sat down to record this week’s intention episode, I began to feel the badgering buzz of overwhelm. My calendar looks like a jigsaw puzzle over the next two months, filled with upcoming travel, Thanksgiving, two family birthdays in December, Christmas, and then my new cookbook launching in January. All good things, but together… a lot.
And beyond my own life, it feels like the world itself is buzzing. I found myself getting swept up—untethered, really—until I remembered something Robyn Moreno shared in last week’s podcast conversation. Her book is called Get Rooted, and those words landed in my body like an anchor. The intention I needed—maybe you do, too—is simple:
I will feel rooted.
Even just saying those words pulls me out of my spinning thoughts and back into my body. It reminds me that the winds outside will keep swirling, but I can stay rooted in myself.
What It Means to Get Rooted
Robyn shared four practices that help her get rooted:
Embodiment: Get into your body to step out of your mind’s noise. Breathe, move, dance, cook!
Balance mind and heart: Return to the breath, to the space between the heart and mind. Quiet the mind so that the heart can come online.
Community: Connect with the people you love, allow yourself to be nourished by others, ask for help.
Contemplation: Pause to notice what’s really happening instead of getting swept away. Take time to go inward.
Rooting Through Food
The kitchen is one of my favorite places to practice rooting. There are foods that literally grow down into the earth—beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips—and when we eat them, they help us root down too. In the chakra system, the root chakra governs trust and fear. When balanced, it helps us sit in trust even amid chaos.
Lately, I’ve been loving:
Colcannon mashed potatoes (from Sunday’s post)
Roasted beets (one of my favorite “rooting” foods—there’s a new beet recipe in my upcoming cookbook that I can’t wait to share, or try this beet and halloumi salad)
Lentils and black beans (try lentil and butternut squash stew, lentil meatballs, and fudgy black bean brownies)
Warming spices (try pumpkin breakfast cookies, grain-free pumpkin bread, and pumpkin brown rice pudding)
Soups and Stews (try creamy sun-dried tomato minestrone, and get a ton of soups and stew recipes here)
And if we carry that intention—I will feel rooted—into the act of cooking itself, everything shifts. I move slower. When I’m rooted, I don’t feel rushed—I feel steady.
Your Turn
This week, I invite you to explore your own rooting.
✨ What makes you feel rooted in your body?
✨ What foods help you feel grounded?
✨ What might you let go of this month to stay more connected to yourself and those you love?
For me, rooting feels like steadiness, fortification, and trust. For you, it might feel different—and I’d love to hear. What does getting rooted feel like for you?
Resources and links:
The value of slowing down
Find more recipes in the Index and on FromScratchFast.com
One-on-One Sessions: If you’re seeking support in finding more grounding and joy in the kitchen (and beyond), I’d love to work with you. Find more information about my one-on-one sessions here.
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Join me in person at Kripalu!
If you’re looking for a winter reset rooted in self-care, join me at Kripalu for a weekend of cooking, storytelling, grounding, and exploration (Feb 27-March 1). Together, we’ll reimagine cooking as a spiritual practice—one rooted in joy, presence, and care. I would love to see you there. Learn more here.
With love,
Nicki
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