Hilary Duff cured me.
More specifically, Hilary Duff singing Come Clean and This is What Dreams Are Made Of to a sold-out crowd cured something deep in my soul.
When I was 13, Lizzie McGuire was my best friend. My entire wardrobe was ‘Stuff by Duff.’
Twenty years later, as I stood in an Amphitheater watching Hilary Duff embrace every piece of herself, I realized just how much I’ve grown up.
My childhood best friend joined me for the weekend, and the rest of our time was spent showing her around Buffalo. Halle and I grew up down the street from each other. She's seen every version of me and all the reinventions in between. She'll inevitably be the person who edits the book I write someday, because who else could possibly understand all the drafts?
There was something about seeing my childhood icon and having my childhood best friend in the city I’ve made home that made me feel incredibly aware of time.
Of how much has changed and how much has stayed exactly the same.
And of how, somehow, we’re the adults now.
This weekend has kind of felt like a little last hoorah.
The late nights. The going out just because we can. The bopping around. The feeling that every weekend should be maximized because Monday is coming.
But sometimes you don’t notice that you’ve changed until you’re standing in the middle of something you used to love and realize you don’t want it in quite the same way anymore.
It doesn’t mean the old version of you was wrong.
It means she did her job.
And maybe that’s why seeing Hilary Duff felt so strangely meaningful.
At 13, I looked at her and saw the person I wanted to be.
At 31, I looked at her and saw a woman who had grown up without disappearing.
She became a mom. She continued working. She continued making things. She continued being herself.
And I think that’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately:
Growing up doesn't have to mean becoming someone else.
It's figuring out what actually matters to you and letting some of the things that used to matter so much fall away.
You don’t have to say yes to everything.
You don’t have to live every weekend like it might be your last.
You can just... grow.
Which brings me to food. I caught myself feeling a little guilty that I didn't cook for Halle.
We ate out almost every meal. There was no meal prep. No Sunday reset. No carefully planned menu waiting in the fridge.
And for approximately five minutes, my brain tried to tell me I was a fraud.
But I’m starting to understand that this is exactly where the philosophy has to hold up.
Snackagories was never supposed to be about cooking every meal or executing some perfect version of a healthy lifestyle.
It’s about making food feel easier.
And sometimes the easiest thing is cooking a big batch of meatballs on Sunday.
And sometimes it’s letting someone else make dinner while you sit across the table from your childhood best friend and order another round.
That’s not failing.
That’s having a life.
So this week, I’m coming home to my kitchen and making a few things that will make the week ahead feel easier.
This Week’s Snackagories
After a weekend of eating out and living outside my normal routine, this week’s prep is less about getting “back on track” and more about giving future-me a little help.
🥣 Savory Dip / Spread
Rosemary White Bean Dip
A simple, creamy dip that comes together quickly and gives me something easy to reach for throughout the week.
Ingredients
White beans
Fresh rosemary
Lemon
Garlic
Olive oil
Salt + pepper
Niknack Tip: Serve with crackers, vegetables, toast, or use as a spread for sandwiches and wraps.
🍞 Grab + Go Pantry Snack
Coconut, Zucchini, Almond Muffins
A grab-and-go breakfast/snack for the mornings when I want something homemade without actually having to make breakfast.
Ingredients
Coconut flour
Almond flour
Apple cider vinegar
Banana mashed
Shredded zucchini
Ground cinnamon + nutmeg
Baking soda
Salt
Large eggs
Honey
Vanilla extract
Coconut oil
🥕 Fresh Produce
Gazpacho
Husband’s favorite August meal = gazpacho + grilled cheese.
It’s still hot, summer produce is everywhere, and after a weekend of restaurant meals, a cold bowl of gazpacho feels like the perfect way to ease back into my kitchen.
Ingredients
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Bell pepper
Red onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Vinegar
Salt + pepper
Niknack Tip: Make a big batch and let it hang out in the fridge. It only gets better.
🍫 Sweet Tooth Snack
No-Bake S’mores Brownie Bars
Because growing up doesn’t mean becoming boring.
A summer dessert that requires no oven, lives happily in the fridge, and gives me something sweet to grab when I want it.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter
Creamy natural peanut butter
Large eggs
Vanilla Extract
Graham cracker crumbs
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Miniature marshmallows or fluff
🍗 Bulk Protein Source
Spinach Meatballs
After a weekend where someone else did most of the cooking, I'm very ready to have a container of easy protein waiting in the fridge. These can become dinner with pasta, a bowl with vegetables and rice, a sandwich, or just a quick bite when I need something substantial.
Ingredients
Ground meat
Spinach
Egg
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan
Garlic
Italian seasoning
Salt + pepper
Niknack Tip: Make extra and freeze half. Future-you will be thrilled.
I guess this is Growing Up
I don’t think growing up is the moment when you suddenly feel like an adult.
It's looking around and realizing you've accumulated a life.
This weekend was a last hoorah in some ways.
But it was also a reminder to savor the life I’m actually living.
The old version of me isn’t disappearing.
She’s just coming with me.
And I think that’s enough growing up for one week.
Thanks for reading this weeks SubSnack <3
Until next time,
Niknack
