All right, so... in April of 2021 I left this esoteric post on Instagram about a bunch of things in my life changing and messing up my kitchen time. The unexpected move that I mentioned was, originally, just me moving to a new apartment in the same building that kinda came out of the blue - more space, a better view, and overall just what I needed after two years of being stuck in a New York studio apartment. It wasn't that bad to be in such a small space until BAM pandemic. Being home all the time offered a lot of great things - more time to cook, more time for me, more time to get my health and life on track. However, spending all day, every day in a tiny little closet began to get to me. I found out that there was a much larger unit available in my building and, for a number of reasons, I chose to take it.

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Shortly after, I found out that my partner, whom I'd been in a long-distance relationship with, was available to move in. He'd fallen on some stupid times (insert general anti-employer sentiment here) and was finally able to move to New York City from south-central Texas. This was a very welcomed but very big change for me - that came after my last Insta-post. At this time, I honestly thought that I'd be able to start posting again in the very near future, however, as my work life began to fall apart it also became eminently clear that greener pastures were also needed.

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I was fortunate to be able to land a great job with an outstanding boss shortly after my partner arrived, however, my free time took a very hard hit thereafter. Who'da thunk that working a full-time and part-time job would take so much time?! It has taken almost until now to regain my footing in the kitchen. Going from cooking for one with literally hours of free time a day, to cooking for two while trying to cram nutrition in between daily commutes, a much more than 40 hour week, and the general fatigue or slipping back into "normal" life after two years of pandemic living, was much harder than I expected.

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Throughout the year, however, I found myself frequently referencing my own recipes here on Mixed. I always felt a sense of longing and eventually remembered that I originally started this blog for myself more than anyone. This is where I catalog my creations that I love. This is where I put the meals that bring me the most joy and comfort. And this is where I record the food that best helps to support my personal mission and health.

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As such, you can expect to see a change in Mixed. Whereas before I had endless time to craft outstanding dishes and a much bigger budget to make amazing food, now things have become a bit leaner, a bit more of a crunch. You can still expect to see great, high-protein, high flavor, high nutrient vegan meals. But you can also expect to see things that are a bit more wallet-friendly. Less time, less of a commitment, but still outstanding. I do hope to continue to contribute more in-depth recipes for those days when you have some extra time, however, these will be far less frequent. Additionally, since this is a labor of love, I intend to post less frequently. This is for my own mental health and to lessen the general stress of hitting deadlines. While I've always had a subtle desire to become the next "it blog," I know, too, that I lack not only the talent, but also the motivation, time, and energy to sink into Mixed that that would take.

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I'm not going anywhere - but the new goal is to post at least once a month. Things will absolutely slow down when times are busy, but I think, too, that I have the wherewithal to know that snapping a photo here and there of things that don't suck will allow me to continue to contribute to the growing and amazing food blog community. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around, and thank you to anyone who tries to give these recipes a try. As always, I'd be stoked to know if you give one a go, but more than anything, I just want to offer the option to better your diet without taking a hit elsewhere.

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Mixed is back - and I'm so happy you've stuck along for the ride.

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