New here? Welcome! On the MBSF podcast, we explore how food connects us to our minds, bodies, spirits, the earth, and our communities. In the bi-weekly “Intention Series,” I share ways we can bring gentle focus and deeper connection into our days—both in the kitchen and out.
Hello, my friends.
December has its own momentum, doesn’t it? Today’s intention is a curious one—it came to me one night after tending to all the things (kids’ appointments, scheduling, work, life). I finally forced myself upstairs. And I could feel how much convincing it took just to sit still. Do you know that feeling—when pushing through feels easier than pausing?
But eventually, something in me softened. My breath deepened. My shoulders dropped. And in that quiet, a single, clear image came to mind:
a bare tree.
A tree with no leaves. Just branches, reaching freely into the sky.
And with it came the intention I’m carrying into this week: I will be simple.
At first, I thought the message was I will simplify, but this wasn’t about taking action, or organizing, or paring down a list. It was about embodying simplicity. About becoming like that winter tree: unburdened, uncluttered, open to light.
There is a freedom in that image I keep returning to. Without the leaves, the sun hits the branches directly. There’s no distraction, no noise, no weight. Just pure being.
What would it feel like to bring that energy into our days?
Into our kitchens?
Into this season that so often asks the opposite of us?
You can listen to today’s episode right here, or, better yet, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, or You Tube.
What It Means to Be Simple
Being simple is different for each of us, but here’s what I’m noticing:
When I bring a simple mind into the kitchen, the pleasure of cooking expands.
When I focus on one task at a time—just chopping the onion, just stirring the pot—I feel more grounded in my body.
When I shed the metaphorical “leaves” I’ve been gripping all day (the to-dos, the plans, the expectations), I return to myself.
There are foods and rituals that support this feeling. For me, it was a bowl of very basic chicken noodle soup—dead simple, deeply comforting, nothing extra. It reminded me that simplicity itself is a form of nourishment.
And even baking—though sometimes elaborate—can feel profoundly simple when I bring a lightness of spirit to it. One cookie at a time. One task. One sensation. No shoulds, no proving, no perfect holiday story to uphold.
Just… simple.
Get a ton of holiday baking inspiration in this post.
A Seasonal Invitation
As we move toward the winter solstice—the darkest day of the year—nature is calling us to match her rhythm: to shed, to quiet, to become our truest, simplest selves.
So this week, I invite you to carve out just a few minutes each day to imagine yourself as that bare tree. Let your leaves fall. Let yourself be unadorned. Let yourself rest in the simplicity of your own presence.
How nourishing might that be?
And can we trust that when we do this—when we allow the sun to reach our uncluttered branches—we actually radiate more light into the world around us?
Let’s commit to being simple together.
If You Want to Go Deeper
✨ Mind, Body, Spirit, Food—my new book—is available for preorder.
The book is full of practices just like this one: ways to bring intention, simplicity, and presence into your kitchen. Pre-orders make such a difference, and you can absolutely gift one this season with a little “it’s on its way” note. I’ll link to my local bookstore, where signed copies are available.
✨ Winter Retreat at Kripalu (Feb 27–Mar 1, 2026).
I’m beyond excited for this weekend immersion in cooking as a spiritual practice. We’ll gather in community to soften, reconnect, and cook with intention—not as a religious practice, but as a way of coming home to ourselves. I’d love for you to join.
✨ Share the episode.
If someone in your life is feeling the December whirlwind, send this episode their way. It might be the permission slip they need.
If you enjoy today’s intention, please support the show! This ad-free space exists because of community like you. You can help by sharing the episode, leaving a rating in your podcast app, or becoming a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month. Subscribers get access to the full recipe archive, free cooking classes, discounts on one-on-one sessions, bonus content, and more. Most importantly, your support makes this work possible. Thank you! ❤️
2 Giveaways!
I’m so excited to offer two free giveaways this week (both perfect for holiday gifting).
You can win a copy of Dan Pelosi’s new book, Let’s Party by commenting on THIS POST—share your favorite holiday cookie (by December 6th).
You can win an advance copy of my new book, Mind, Body, Spirit, Food, plus the New West Teton Edge Santuko Knife ($400+ value!) by entering the sweepstakes HERE (by December 15th).
Until next time, may your week—and your kitchen—be filled with intention and ease.
With love,
Nicki
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