Tell us a little bit about yourself.
By trade, I'm a freelance writer and recipe developer. I cook a lot, eat a lot, and type a lot. It's not a bad life. May 2012 brought the release of my second cookbook, Pike Place Market Recipes, from Sasquatch Books. My first book, Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker, was released from Chronicle books in September 2011. I'm mom to 3-year-old Graham, a blonde, car-obsessed little ball of energy and creativity who also has cerebral palsy. My husband is an oceanographer, and together we live in a little blue house in Seattle.
What inspired you to start your blog, “Hogwash,” and how did you come up with the name? Is there any special meaning to it?
In the spring of 2006, my husband and I were debating a move to Seattle. I was at the Pike Place Market, perusing and shopping and dreaming of one day calling it home, when my husband called, fresh from his interview at the University of Washington, to report he'd landed a job there. I was standing right next to Rachel—the iconic bronze piggy bank that stands guard at the Market—when he called, and realizing that I'd have the Market's myriad vendors at my proverbial fingertips once we moved here, I decided to name the blog Hogwash. It was in part a tribute to Rachel, and to Seattle, and in part to remind readers (and perhaps myself) not to get too serious. My blog is about food and life, and about how they intersect for me.
In the summer, I like to keep grain salads in the fridge, for lunching or snacking—I find it's a good way to eat on the run, like I often need to, but still get some good nutrition (and eat something interesting, to boot). Right now I have a quinoa salad in the fridge with feta, olives, baby tomatoes, broccoli, and pine nuts, but it always changes a little.
Here's a favorite quinoa salad, perfect for summer:
http://jessthomson.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/idontprogram/
And here's a lovely little salad I'd make every day if I could this time of year, with corn and bulgur:
http://jessthomson.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/corn-and-bulgur/
What kind of exercise do you practice in order to stay fit?
I'm not the kind of person that can do the same sort of exercise day after day, week after week. This week, I walked, ran, biked, and did yoga. In the winter, I spend more time in a gym, doing the elliptical machine and participating in a zumba class I love. (Don't knock it til you've tried it!)
As a mom, do you have any advice for other moms who want to cook healthy food their kids will enjoy?
I think it's important to remember that the foods we want are kids to eat simply aren't going to be the foods they want to eat at a young age. I have three goals:
First, I make sure healthy choices are always available for Graham. Even if he doesn't eat carrots and tomatoes and cucumbers and broccoli at every meal, I make sure healthy things are always part of his plate at every meal. I don't force him to eat them, but I make sure he knows they're “grow” food.
Second, I try to model healthy eating, and tell Graham about how my salad tastes, for example, if he chooses not to eat it. My hope is for long-term influence.
Third, when I can, I simplify my own cooking (for example, cooking salmon, polenta, and broccoli, all pretty plain) so my husband and I can eat the same dinner as Graham, which I think encourages him to eat well. I do try to avoid processed foods, but I'll admit it doesn't always work. There are days when we're racing to an activity and he's in the back seat of the car with a handful of Goldfish for his snack. I'm not above mac and cheese for dinner when it's necessary, but I aim for variation.
What advice do you have for people with Lupus, like yourself, or with other diseases who want to stay fit?
I think it's crucial to realize that you only get out of your body what you put into it—so if you want your body to feel energetic, you need to put energy into taking care of it. For me, this means exercising (gently, when my joints hurt), resting (regularly), and remembering how to say “no” to activities and responsibilities that make my life too busy. (The last one's the toughie, of course.) I try to remember to ask friends for help when I need it—asking them to slow down on a bike ride, for example, when I want to ride but don't have the energy to go as fast as usual. They're almost always accommodating. More than anything, I think it's important to stay positive—not only because negativity is (in my opinion) a complete waste of energy, but also because I believe if I think fit, I am fit.
For more from Jess Thomson, visit her food blog, http://jessthomson.wordpress.com/, follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter @onfoodandlife
