Cooking Is My Through Line

Fall | Week 40 Snackagories

Oct 04, 2026

October has started with pink sunsets, overflowing farmers markets and two pumps of pumpkin spice syrup.

Yet somehow, the weight of the world feels so heavy that it’s almost impossible to enjoy it.

That’s the duality I keep coming back to lately.

I want to embrace this season. I want to be outside. I want to cook. I want to be off my phone. I want to pay attention to my actual life.

I’ve been writing this newsletter for 40 weeks, and yes I’ve leveraged AI to help me get unstuck, to help me write faster. It has been a shortcut.

But I’ve been thinking a lot about how much technology is taking from us while simultaneously making everything easier.

I used to think, if I don’t use it, am I falling behind?

That’s the part that gets me.

Because then I think about what that means on a bigger scale. Climate change. Consumption. The way we are constantly being asked to optimize ourselves and our lives.

It’s bleak out here.

There is no “winning”. Which brings me back to this whole job versus career thing.

In my 20s, I wanted to climb the corporate ladder. I wanted the big titles and the paychecks. I wanted to be successful.

Now, in my 30s, I want almost the exact opposite.

I don’t want to know what I’m doing for the next 75 Tuesdays at 11am. Or 3pm. But as of today, I do know, I’ll be at work. Probably on a Zoom meeting.

And this is what I’ve been trying to escape.

I keep thinking about freedom. Is anyone really free if they can’t wake up on a random Tuesday and take the day as it comes? If they can’t follow their mood or intuition or whatever it is they feel like they’re supposed to be doing that day?

A friend of mine, Sophia, talks a lot about aligning with the universe and following your gut toward your higher purpose.

And I love that idea.

But how are we supposed to do that while chained to a desk? Stuck in a system?

I think this is why I keep coming back to cooking.

Cooking is my through line.

It is something I can control.

Yesterday, I went to the farmers market with my mom.

I made an eggplant sauce to put over pasta and chicken cutlets.

I made stuffed mushrooms with whipped cream cheese and breadcrumbs.

I made balsamic cucumbers.

Just because I like cooking.

And maybe that’s the point.

So I’ll be here reminding myself I don’t need to figure out the next 75 Tuesdays.

I just need to figure out what I’m making for dinner.

This Week’s Snackagories

In an attempt to embrace the season and stay grounded in the things I can actually do, here’s what I’m making this week.

🥣 Savory Dip / Spread

Apple Pecan Butter

I saw Sweet Potato Pecan Butter at the farmers market and immediately thought: it’s time to make my own apple butter.

I’m planning to use this on protein waffles, swirl it into yogurt, and put it alongside pork chops this week. Basically, anywhere I can sneak a little fall onto a plate.

Ingredients

Apples
Pecans
Maple syrup
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Pinch of salt
Splash of water

Cook the apples down with a little water until soft, then blend with the pecans, maple, spices, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add a little more water if needed to get the consistency you want.

Niknack Tip: Make one thing that can show up in a few different places. It makes the cooking feel more fun when you’re not starting from scratch every time.

🍞 Grab + Go Pantry Snack

Pumpkin Energy Balls

It’s time to lean all the way into pumpkin.

These are one of those recipes where you basically throw everything into the food processor, let it do the work, and roll the mixture into little balls. Keep them in the fridge for a quick breakfast, pre-workout snack, or something sweet when you’re standing in the kitchen looking for “just a little something.”

Ingredients

Rolled oats
Peanut butter
Pumpkin puree
Maple syrup
Pumpkin spice
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Splash of milk

Pulse everything together until a dough forms. If it feels too dry, add another splash of milk. Roll into balls and chill.

Niknack Tip: Don’t make a grab-and-go snack that you’re going to forget exists in the back of your fridge. Make the thing you actually want to grab.

🥕 Fresh Produce

Eggplant Pasta Sauce

I went to the farmers market with my mom yesterday and came home with eggplant, which immediately became pasta sauce.

Dice the eggplant, sauté it with onion, garlic and olive oil, then add a jar of marinara and let everything simmer together for about 15 minutes. Sometimes I add mushrooms, too. It’s one of those preps that feels like you actually cooked something without requiring you to make an entire production out of it.

Ingredients

Eggplant
Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Marinara sauce
Mushrooms, optional
Salt + pepper

Niknack Tip: Let the produce do the work. You don’t need a complicated recipe to make something really good.

🍫 Sweet Tooth Snack

Protein Puppy Chow

This is my protein-ish take on puppy chow: crunchy cereal coated in peanut butter and chocolate, tossed with a little powdered sugar and protein powder.

Ingredients

Crispy rice cereal or Chex mix, or a combo of both
Peanut butter
Dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Vanilla protein powder
Powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together, then pour over the cereal and gently toss until coated. Add the protein powder and powdered sugar and toss again.

Seasonal Tip: Add a little cinnamon to the powdered sugar mixture. It makes the whole thing taste like fall without trying too hard.

🍗 Bulk Protein Source

Sheet Pan XL Chicken Nuggets

Take ground chicken and press it into one thin, even layer on a sheet pan. Bake it, let it cool slightly, and then use a pizza cutter to cut it into little rectangles.

Basically: one giant chicken nugget.

And I already have three meals planned around it: Caesar salad; Pizza; Quesadilla.

Ingredients