Why I Keep a Food Journal on Substack
Food is sacred to me. It's pleasure, connection, and communion all rolled into buttery, sticky, finger-licking moments of pure presence. And for the past six months, I've been chronicling my culinary adventures in a series I call "Tasty things I ate in the last month," exclusively over on my Substack.
Why Substack?
Frankly, posting all those drool-worthy food photos directly on my main website here would eat up my storage space faster than I can devour a batch of SNINAMON ROLLS (yes, I yell that like a goblin every single time I eat my cinnamon buns).
But beyond the practical, there's something intimate about Substack that feels right for this series. It's my journal first, a chronicle of my life in flavors and textures, and if others want to come along for the ride, even better.
The Joy of Food Journaling
When I scroll back through my photos each month, I revisit memories. That sticky citrus tofu with quad-citrus sauce? That was the night Justin and I had a date night at home, savoring every tart-sweet bite. Those blueberry cheesecake doughnuts that made me yell "MMM!" out loud when I saw them again in my photo roll? They remind me that even in the midst of jury duty chaos and moving stress, there was sweetness.
And through the chaos of house-flipping this fall—the packing, painting, patching, and endless trips between Park House and Meadow House—food remained my constant. When I realized our homemade meals beat takeout 9.9 times out of 10, it wasn't just about how our food tasted, but how our home cooking sustained us through one of the most adult things we've ever done: selling a house.
Here are some of the various photos I’ve shared throughout the series!
Six Months of Delicious Memories
Some standout moments from this journey:
The Anniversary Waffles — Starting our 4-year anniversary with blueberry compote and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. We celebrate with food, always have, and these waffles were love made edible.
Positively Pondwater™ — My spirulina lemonade that looked exactly like pond scum but tasted like earthy ocean tartness. Sometimes the best things in life aren't pretty.
The Lughnasadh Feast — Our first-ever homegrown watermelon, harvested on the harvest holiday itself, juice dripping down our arms. Four hours in the kitchen with Justin and Ike, creating magic with stuffed squash and herbs from our garden.
Those Nectarine Lemon Bars — The ones that went immediately on the "make again" list. Sweet, tart, creamy, rich, thick, with a divine shortbread base. I literally opened the CSA app and added more nectarines before I'd even finished eating the first batch. These became such an obsession that I made them two or three times in a single season.
Birthday Ravioli — Nothing says celebrating life like spending 4+ hours making ravioli from scratch, pressing garden herbs between layers of dough, creating edible art.
Vegan Sausage Gravy — Field Roast sausage crumbled with fennel and maple syrup, turned into a coconut milk gravy so good I wanted to eat ALL OF IT. Forever. Even knowing my tummy might protest.
Okara Biscotti — Discovering you can make incredible biscotti from the leftover pulp of tofu-making. Brown sugar ones for spiced tea, double chocolate for coffee. Zero waste, maximum deliciousness.
Pumpkin Season — Using our own Amish long neck pumpkins after struggling hardcore with vine borers all summer. Every pumpkin that reached maturity was precious, turned into Thai curry, chocolate chip bread, and pies that didn't quite set but were perfect scooped into bowls with ice cream.
House-Flipping Fuel — Learning that when life gets overwhelming, homemade food isn't just tastier than takeout—it's actually rejuvenating. Those beet pesto pasta meals eaten on paper plates between painting sessions? They saved us.
Why This Series Lives on Substack
Beyond saving my website's precious storage space, there's something special about how Substack delivers these posts. My subscribers get these food love letters dropped right into their inbox, hot and fresh like just-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls. There's an immediacy to it, a "gather 'round the table" feeling when that email notification pops up.
I routinely hear from readers that they look forward to this every month because who doesn’t love good food?
Plus, Substack feels like the right home for this more personal, journal-style writing. These posts aren't recipes or detailed food reviews—they're snapshots of my life. They're me processing big changes (like Ike moving in with Justin and me, like selling Park House, like learning to give ourselves grace when there are no spoons left for daily cooking), celebrating small victories (like finally nailing that tofu "sausage" crumble, like those hand pies that became someone's love language), and finding constant pleasure even when life gets overwhelming.
We all need food to survive, but once upon a time, I barely had enough.
Growing up in poverty, skipping meals most days of the week, a real, hot meal and those rare chocolate treats were glittering jewels in a sea of absolute darkness and neglect.
Now, being able to eat—really eat, with abundance and joy and creativity—is a daily act of reclamation.
Every meal is a small revolution, a chance and choice to nourish myself fully. In a world where for some reason that isn’t a basic right, but a privilege, I feel blessed to have made it to here.
I am glad I get to eat when I need. Sometimes that means ordering Domino's on moving day. Sometimes it means planning for frozen custard sundaes as rewards for hauling ass while flipping our house. Sometimes it means simple buttery smashed potatoes with garden herbs when I'm food averse. I am grateful to have choices.
Every bite carries me forward.
The Complete Series (So Far)
If you want to join me on this delicious journey, here's every edition of "Tasty things I ate in the last month" in chronological order:
Tasty things I ate in the last month... (April to May Edition)
The first post featuring kelp ramen, chocolate-dipped Oreos, and the invention of Positively Pondwater™
Tasty things I ate in the last month... (May to June Edition)
My birthday season brings hand-rolled ravioli, Lion's Mane "crab" cakes, and those messy-but-divine blueberry lemon rolls
Tasty things I ate in the last month... (June to July Edition)
Summer abundance with garden harvests and creative experiments
Tasty things I ate in the last month... (July to August Edition)
Featuring our Lughnasadh feast, first watermelon harvest, and those legendary blueberry cheesecake doughnuts
Tasty things I ate in the last month... (August to September Edition)
Major life changes but food remains constant, with nectarine lemon bars and cosmic pan brownies
Tasty things I ate in the last month... (September to October Edition) Cooking through chaos: house-flipping, moving, and discovering that homemade food beats takeout 9.9 times out of 10. Featuring addictive lemon bars, okara biscotti, pumpkin everything, and that unforgettable vegan sausage gravy
An Invitation to Feast Your Eyes (and Soul!)
This series is a photo journal, sure. But beyond being about what I eat, its an invitation to remember that food is pleasure, nourishment is sacred, and every meal can be an act of love.
Whether it's Justin's masterful Peruvian tofu that makes my whole being say YES (pictured here) or crispy spicy "chicken" sandwiches with remoulade dripping everywhere during stressful weeks—every picture tells a story of my persistence.
These six months have taught me that food journaling for me is a documentation of my resilience. It's proof that I survive. No matter the circumstances, food can still be sacred.
The act of feeding ourselves, nourishment, and finding pleasure in the midst of chaos? It is revolutionary to me.
So if you're a fellow foodie who needs more unadulterated food goodness in your life, come join me over on Substack. Subscribe and get these monthly chronicles delivered straight to your inbox. Let's celebrate the pleasure of eating together, even if we're apart.
Enjoy your food, friends. It is a pleasure to be able to eat!
Love,
Safrianna
