Summer Crustless Quiche
Self Care:
When I hear people talk about “detoxes,” “cleanses” and “self-care” my eyes roll back so far in my head I need an optometrist. These words scream self-indulgent first world problems! I have no right to judge, but come on people, Gwyneth Paltrow can stick her $68 Rose Quartz Crystal drinking straw (that “is said to radiate a heart-opening calming vibe”) up her own perky ass! I mention the concept of self-care because I am struggling to come off of Effexor. Effexor is used to treat anxiety, depression and helps women with hot flashes (which is why I am taking it). The withdrawal side-effects are terrible and I have been trying to step down my dose for weeks.
When your mind and body are acting out against you, it is easy to start searching the internet for quick fixes (supplements, diets, smoothies, CBD, herbs, etc.). I am not sure why the concept of self-care is so cringe inducing, I guess I have never been good at putting myself first. Here’s the thing though, sometimes (no matter what you call it) you do need to make a bit of time for self-care. I am not talking about pedicures or a $895 18K Rose Gold Fragrance Flask from Goop (seriously…this website sells a lot of bullshit and I find it hilarious). Self-care can be simple, actionable and cheap (or even free). Last Saturday I made a bold and possibly stupid choice to take a week off (from everything) and quit Effexor completely. I know, I know, you can’t quit Effexor cold-turkey and I am not encouraging anyone to do so. I have already spent several weeks stepping down from 150 mg a day to 18 mg. I could have continued to cut my pills into smaller and smaller pieces, but I felt that the quickest way to end this nightmare was to stop stepping down and finally quit Effexor.
Also, instead of thumbing my nose at the thought of putting myself first, I decided to give self-care a try. How might self-care help me through this aggressively exasperating time in my life? What concepts can I embrace without feeling like a spoiled princess? Here are some of the concepts of self-care that I have read; stretch for 5 minutes every morning, fuel body with nourishing foods, unplug by 10pm, make time for self-reflection, write in a journal, read a book, say no to extra responsibilities, love yourself, spend time with nature and meditate. I left out many of the suggestions that I read that are just not in my mental wheelhouse. No, I will not spend time listing to “upbeat music” or ask my husband for a foot rub (he hates feet and would run screaming from the room).
Have you attempted a self-care routine? Has it helped you feel more relaxed and connected to your life? Does self-care work? Have you stuck with it?
I know it may not seem like much, but taking a week off work because my brain is sick is a big deal for me. Giving myself the permission to take as much time as I need to get better is even more of a big deal. I tend to have deadlines in my head for everything. After my hysterectomy, I was told to take 6 weeks off work, I gave myself less than three.
It has now been one week since I have taken Effexor and I am getting a little better everyday. I went from having constant brain zaps, nausea, vertigo, mental fog, joint pain and sadness to mostly just brain zaps after 5:00pm. I am still strangely emotional. I cry about dumb stuff that shouldn’t make me feel anything. Greg and I watched General Magic, which is a movie about a company that tried to make a smart phone in the 90’s (before most people were even using the internet). This movie made me teary-eyed. What the F?
Here is a list of the Self-Care I tried last week:
Stretch - 5 minutes a day
Read - Conviction by: Denise Mina
Got a new hairstyle - I went blonde!
Painted my own nails - Sparkly Pink
Cleaned out two of my closets and donated 3 bags of clothes and shoes
Made a new recipe for a crustless quiche - See Below
Bought fabric to make cloth towels to replace the use of paper in our house
Had a phone interview to work with an advertising agency on food social media photography (I am terrible at taking time off!)
Bought paint, boards and brushes to make two new backgrounds for the blog
As part of my self-care plan for last week, I made this Summer Crustless Quiche. It incorporates seasonal and fresh ingredients and would be a perfect breakfast or dinner. Serve with fat free greek yogurt, chives and sliced peaches.
Summer Crustless Quiche
Author: Jodi Boatman Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes Yields: 8 Servings
Ingredients:
non-stick oil spray
3 1/2 C red fingerling potatoes, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
1 C light 3 cheese blend, shredded
5 eggs
1 C 2% milk
1 medium zucchini, sliced thin
1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained and sliced thin
2 TBPS chives, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375˚
Slice potatoes and onions into 1/4” thickness. I used my mandolin with the thicker setting. Spray potatoes and onions with non-stick oil. Toss with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning. Place potato and onion mixture in a pie pan that has been sprayed with non-stick oil. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, slice zucchini and artichokes and set aside.
Once the potatoes and onions are done roasting, stir the mixture to loosen it from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle cheese over the potatoes. Add sliced zucchini and artichokes.
Whisk together eggs, milk and pepper. Pour the eggs over the potatoes and zucchini.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until the eggs have set and do not jiggle.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.
*I originally tried to use a spring form pan and the egg mixture poured out of the sides like an egg waterfall. I don’t know if this was because the pan is broken or if the egg mixture is too runny. Be warned, it took me an hour to clean up.
