Recipes

Meal Prep That Keeps Me on Track: My Go-To Quinoa Bowls

August 24, 2026August 24, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

One thing I have learned about trying to maintain healthier habits is that good intentions only get me so far. When life gets busy—and especially when I am working long shifts—it becomes much harder to make thoughtful decisions about what I am going to eat.

That is where meal prep has become incredibly helpful for me.

Preparing some of my meals ahead of time saves me time during the workweek, helps me spend less money on food while I am out, and, most importantly, makes it easier for me to stay on track with my health goals. Instead of waiting until I am tired and hungry to figure out what to eat, I already have something nourishing waiting for me.

Lately, one of my favorite meals to take to work has been these quinoa bowls.

They aren’t complicated or particularly fancy. They’re simply a combination of foods I enjoy: seasoned quinoa, roasted sweet potato, black beans, edamame, stewed peppers and onions, and a slightly sweet and tangy tahini dressing.

The result is colorful, filling, plant-forward, and surprisingly satisfying.

Cooking Without Measuring Everything

If you have followed my cooking for a while, you probably already know that I don’t always measure my seasonings.

I cook by tasting, smelling, looking, and adjusting as I go. A little more garlic here. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast there. Maybe a little more seasoning if something needs it.

That’s how I made these bowls.

So while I have included measurements where I remember them, consider this recipe a starting point rather than a strict formula. Taste your food as you cook and make it your own.

My Meal-Prep Quinoa Bowls

For the Bowls

1 very large sweet potato, peeled if desired and cubed
Quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Edamame, cooked according to package directions
Bell peppers, sliced
Onion, sliced
Fresh ginger, grated or minced
Fresh garlic, grated
Seasoned salt, to taste
Turmeric, to taste
Nutritional yeast, to taste
Oil, as needed

Roast the Sweet Potato

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss the cubed sweet potato with a little oil, seasoned salt, grated garlic, turmeric, and nutritional yeast.

Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 25–35 minutes, turning them about halfway through cooking. The sweet potatoes are ready when they are tender inside and beginning to brown around the edges.

Prepare the Quinoa

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly before cooking.

Cook according to the package directions, adding seasoned salt, garlic, turmeric, and nutritional yeast to give the quinoa some flavor as it cooks.

Once the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, fluff it with a fork and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Season the Black Beans

Drain and rinse the black beans.

Warm them with seasoned salt, garlic, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and a small amount of oil if desired. You don’t need to do much to them—the goal is simply to make sure every part of the bowl has flavor.

Make the Pepper and Onion Mixture

Add a small amount of oil to a pan and cook the sliced bell peppers and onions with fresh ginger and garlic.

Season with seasoned salt, turmeric, and nutritional yeast.

Allow the vegetables to cook until they are tender and flavorful while still retaining some texture.

Prepare the Edamame

Cook the edamame according to the package directions and set aside for assembling the bowls.

Maple-Ginger Tahini Dressing

This might be my favorite part.

The tahini makes the dressing creamy, apple cider vinegar adds some acidity, maple syrup gives it just enough sweetness, and the ginger and red pepper flakes add warmth.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Seasoned salt, to taste
Ginger powder, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
A dash of turmeric
Water, as needed

Make the Dressing

Whisk together the tahini, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, seasoned salt, ginger powder, red pepper flakes, and turmeric.

Add water a little at a time, whisking after each addition, until the dressing reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.

Taste it.

If it needs more sweetness, add a little maple syrup. If you want more tang, add another splash of apple cider vinegar. If you like some heat, don’t be afraid of those red pepper flakes.

Putting the Bowls Together

Divide the quinoa among your meal-prep containers and add portions of roasted sweet potato, black beans, edamame, and the pepper-and-onion mixture.

I prefer to keep the tahini dressing separate and drizzle it over the bowl when I am ready to eat.

And that’s it.

Several components require a little preparation, but they can all be cooking around the same time. Once everything is finished, I have meals ready to grab before heading to work.

Make It Your Own

One of the things I love most about meals like this is that you don’t really need to follow the same recipe every week.

Think of the quinoa bowl as a framework.

Use chickpeas instead of black beans. Swap quinoa for brown or wild rice. Roast whatever vegetables you already have in the refrigerator. Add greens. Change the peppers. Toss in vegetables from the garden when they’re in season.

You can build the bowl around what you have.

That also makes meals like this a good way to use food before it goes to waste.

Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice

I am learning that taking care of myself doesn’t always have to involve making some enormous change.

Sometimes it looks like spending a little time preparing food before the workweek begins.

Meal prepping doesn’t guarantee that I will eat perfectly—and I’m not trying to eat perfectly. It simply removes one decision from an already busy day.

When I’m tired, hungry, or rushing to get ready for work, I don’t have to rely on willpower. I can open the refrigerator, grab something I already prepared, and know that I am giving my body a meal that will actually nourish me.

For me, that is what sustainable healthy eating is beginning to look like.

Not perfection.

Preparation.

And a really good quinoa bowl doesn’t hurt either.

Uncategorized

Maybe I’m Not Blocked. Maybe I’m Writing Something Else.

August 19, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

For a while now, I’ve been telling myself that I have writer’s block.

I have stories waiting for me. Characters whose lives I haven’t finished exploring. Fictional worlds I once stepped into so easily that sometimes it felt less like I was creating them and more like I was simply writing down what I saw.

But lately, when I sit down to return to those worlds, very little happens.

The ideas are still there. The desire to finish them is still there. But the words don’t come the way they used to.

And for someone who considers herself a writer, that can be incredibly frustrating.

There is a particular kind of pressure that comes with knowing you should be writing. You open the document. You reread the last few pages. You stare at the blinking cursor and wait for something—anything—to happen.

Sometimes it does.

Sometimes it doesn’t.

For months, I’ve been calling that writer’s block.

But recently, I started wondering if that description is entirely accurate.

Because the truth is, I have been writing.

Just not fiction.

The Words Went Somewhere Else

Lately, most of my writing has become much more personal.

I’ve been reflecting. Remembering. Examining experiences from different points in my life and trying to understand them from the perspective of the woman I am today.

I’m working on a personal writing project that I’m not quite ready to share much about yet. Some things need room to exist privately before they are introduced to the world.

But the process has made me realize something.

My words didn’t disappear.

They went somewhere else.

The creative part of me that normally wants to build characters, histories, families and entire worlds seems to be asking for something different right now. Instead of imagining someone else’s life, I’ve been looking more closely at my own.

And that requires a completely different kind of writing.

Fiction allows me to ask, What if?

Personal writing asks me, What happened? What did it mean? And what do I understand now that I couldn’t understand then?

Those questions have been taking up a lot of space lately.

Maybe there simply isn’t much room left for imaginary worlds right now.

I’m Learning Not to Force It

My first instinct was to fight the block.

I thought I needed more discipline. Maybe I needed a writing schedule. Maybe I needed to outline more. Maybe I needed to sit in front of the computer until the characters finally started talking to me again.

But creativity doesn’t always respond well to force.

Sometimes the harder I try to make myself write something, the further away the words seem to move.

So I’ve been trying something different.

I’ve been writing what wants to be written.

Right now, that happens to be personal.

That doesn’t mean I’m abandoning fiction. I still love the stories I’ve created, and I still intend to return to them.

But maybe I don’t need to drag myself back before I’m ready.

Maybe there are seasons in a writer’s life just like there are seasons everywhere else.

There are seasons for creating.

Seasons for imagining.

Seasons for observing.

Seasons for remembering.

And perhaps there are seasons when we need to understand our own stories before we can return to telling someone else’s.

Maybe Writer’s Block Isn’t Always a Block

I’ve started thinking differently about the phrase writer’s block.

We usually talk about it as though something has gone wrong—as though the creative machinery has stopped working and needs to be repaired.

But what if sometimes the problem isn’t that we’ve stopped creating?

What if our creativity has simply changed direction?

I thought I wasn’t writing because I wasn’t producing fiction.

Meanwhile, I’ve filled pages with thoughts, memories, questions and reflections.

That counts.

Blog posts count.

Journal entries count.

Half-finished paragraphs count.

The notes typed into a phone at an inconvenient hour because a thought suddenly appeared count.

Writing something that no one else may ever read counts.

Not every word has to become a book.

Not every creative season has to produce something we can point to and say, Look what I made.

Sometimes writing is simply how we make sense of ourselves.

I’m Still a Writer

I don’t know when my fictional characters will start talking to me again.

Maybe next week.

Maybe next month.

Maybe one morning I’ll wake up with a scene so clear in my mind that I’ll have to run to my computer before I lose it.

I hope so.

I miss them.

But I’m trying not to treat their silence as evidence that something is wrong with me as a writer.

For now, there are other words asking for my attention.

More personal ones.

And I think I’m finally willing to follow them wherever they need to go.

Maybe I’m experiencing writer’s block.

Or maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong.

Maybe I’m not blocked at all.

Maybe I’m just writing something else.

Health & Fitness

Training for the Richmond Half Marathon: Learning when to rest

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

Training for a half marathon has a way of teaching you things that have very little to do with running.

This week, my lesson has been about rest—and I haven’t particularly enjoyed it.

As I continue training for the Richmond Half Marathon, an old injury started acting up again. I tried to pay attention to what my body was telling me, and eventually I went to see my family doctor. After evaluating what was going on, she recommended that I take some time away from training to allow my body to rest. She also recommended medication to help manage the pain and muscle discomfort I’ve been experiencing.

So, for now, the running shoes are taking a break.

And apparently, I am supposed to be okay with that.

When Rest Doesn’t Feel Productive

I am not very good at taking breaks from a training schedule.

There’s something satisfying about looking at a plan and completing each workout as scheduled. Run. Check. Strength training. Check. Long run. Check.

Resting because my body needs it feels different.

There’s no mileage to record. No pace to analyze. No little accomplishment waiting for me at the end of the workout.

And I’ve been restless.

Part of me wants to get back out there because I have a race I’m preparing for and goals I want to accomplish. But I’m also trying to change the way I think about productivity.

Sometimes doing more isn’t the productive choice.

Sometimes the productive choice is stopping.

Listening to My Body—and My Doctor

One of the things I’m learning through this training cycle is that there is a difference between discomfort that comes with challenging myself and pain that deserves my attention.

This time, my body was asking me to listen.

And my doctor was asking me to do the same thing.

So I am.

The time away from running has actually been helping. The pain and discomfort have had an opportunity to settle, which is a pretty good reminder that perhaps my body knew what it was talking about.

That doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly become good at sitting still.

I haven’t.

Finding Other Ways to Move

Since running isn’t currently on the schedule, I’ve been finding gentler ways to occupy myself while I wait for my doctor’s recommended rest period to end.

I’ve been stretching.

I’ve been working on small projects in the garden.

I’ve been moving when it feels appropriate without turning every bit of movement into a workout.

And maybe that’s part of the lesson too.

My garden doesn’t grow faster because I stand over it demanding that it hurry up.

Some things need time.

Apparently, runners do too.

Rest Is Still Part of the Training

I’m trying to remind myself that taking some time off doesn’t erase the work I’ve already done.

A few missed runs don’t suddenly mean that I’m no longer training for the Richmond Half Marathon.

Right now, rest is the training.

The goal isn’t simply to make it through every workout on my training calendar. The goal is to arrive at the starting line healthy enough to run—and hopefully enjoy—the race I’ve been preparing for.

If slowing down for a little while gives me a better chance of doing that, then slowing down isn’t failure.

It’s strategy.

And perhaps it’s growth.

There was a time when I probably would have been much more tempted to push through the pain because stopping felt like weakness. I’m learning to see things differently now.

Caring for my body isn’t something I do instead of pursuing my goals.

It’s part of how I pursue them.

Waiting for the Next Run

I’m still restless.

I’m still thinking about running.

And yes, I’m already looking forward to putting my shoes back on.

But for now, I’m stretching, tending to my garden, following my doctor’s recommendations, and giving my body the time it’s asking for.

The Richmond Half Marathon is still ahead of me.

My training hasn’t ended.

It has simply entered a quieter phase.

And maybe this week isn’t about learning how far I can run.

Maybe it’s about learning when not to.

— Lulu

Come Grow With Me 🌱

Haven Harvest Living is about building a life rooted in purpose—through food, gardening, movement, books, and reflection.

Follow along as I continue my journey toward the Richmond Half Marathon and learn what it means to move, rest, and grow with intention.

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Gardening · Gardening

What My Garden Is Teaching Me About Patience

August 3, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

Every morning, before the day asks anything of me, I like to step outside with a cup of coffee and walk through my garden.

Some mornings there are exciting surprises—a new blossom, a tomato beginning to blush, or a pepper that seemed to appear overnight. Other mornings, everything looks exactly as it did the day before.

This week, my attention has been on my berry bushes. Instead of looking for fruit, I’ve been focusing on something much less exciting but far more important: the soil beneath them. I added compost, mulch, and nutrients to give them the best chance to thrive in the seasons ahead.

It reminded me that the healthiest gardens aren’t built by chasing quick harvests. They’re built by investing in strong roots.

Life works much the same way.

We often want immediate results. We want the promotion, the stronger body, the thriving friendships, the peaceful home, or the dream we’ve been working toward. But so much of life’s meaningful growth happens where no one can see it.

Roots are growing long before flowers bloom.

This season has reminded me that patience isn’t passive. It’s choosing to water what matters, even when the evidence of progress is still hidden beneath the surface.

One day those berry bushes will reward the care they’re receiving today. Until then, I’ll keep tending the soil.

Maybe that’s a lesson we can all carry with us.

Not every season is meant for harvesting.

Some seasons are meant for growing roots.

What are you nurturing today that may not bear fruit until tomorrow?

Recipes

Three Kids, Three Appetites, One Kitchen

July 27, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

One of the questions I get asked the most is, “How do you come up with so many different recipes?”

The truth is, I rarely have to look very far for inspiration. It lives right here in my home.

Cooking for my family is a little like running a restaurant with four very different customers—including the chef.

One child has an undeniable sweet tooth and would happily eat seafood whenever I put it on the menu. Another loves the comforting, familiar flavors of Sierra Leone—the foods that connect us to family, tradition, and home. Then there’s my youngest, who keeps me on my toes. What she’ll love one week might be completely off the table the next, so every meal feels like a new adventure.

And then there’s me.

I’m about 90% vegan. I rarely eat meat or dairy, though I do enjoy seafood from time to time. My own meals are centered around vegetables, beans, grains, herbs, and whatever is thriving in my little garden.

At first glance, it might sound exhausting to cook for so many different tastes. Some days, it certainly can be. But over the years, I’ve learned that meal planning isn’t about making four separate dinners. It’s about finding common ground.

A pot of rice can become the foundation for several meals. Roasted vegetables can be served alongside grilled seafood, tucked into a Sierra Leonean-inspired stew, or added to my own plant-based bowl. A homemade sauce can completely transform the same ingredients into something that feels entirely new.

Instead of asking, “What do I have to cook tonight?” I’ve started asking, “How can one meal make everyone feel cared for?”

That simple shift has changed the way I think about cooking.

It has also challenged me to become more creative in the kitchen. Some of my favorite recipes have been born from trying to satisfy four different appetites without spending the entire evening cooking.

Over the next few weeks, I’d love to share some of those family-inspired meals with you. I’ll show you how I adapt one recipe into several variations, how I keep meal prep manageable, and how my children continue to inspire nearly everything I create in the kitchen.

Because in this house, every recipe has a story.

Coming to the Blog

Here are a few recipes I’ll be sharing soon:

Garden Vegetable & Chickpea Rice Bowls (with optional grilled shrimp)
Sierra Leone–Inspired Groundnut Stew with plant-based and traditional variations
Homemade BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with my garden tomato barbecue sauce
Sweet Potato Leaf Stew (Plasas) made the way my family loves it
Healthy Banana Bread for the sweet tooth in our house
Easy “Build Your Own Bowl” meal prep that keeps everyone happy without cooking four separate dinners

What inspires your favorite family recipes? I’d love to hear the stories behind the meals that bring your family together.

Book Club

When a Book Stays With You: My Review of The Book Club for Troublesome Women

July 20, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

Every now and then, you finish a book and realize you’re not quite ready to leave its characters behind. Their stories linger in your thoughts, and you find yourself reflecting on them days after you’ve turned the final page.

That’s exactly how I felt after reading The Book Club for Troublesome Women.

Chosen as this month’s read for my ladies’ book club, this novel captured my attention from the very first chapter. More than a story about women gathering to read, it’s a heartfelt novel about friendship, courage, self-discovery, and the transformative power of finding your voice. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause, reflect, and appreciate the relationships that shape our lives.

Today, I’m sharing why this book earned a well-deserved five stars from me.

A Story That Resonated with Me

One of the things I loved most about this book was the way the author brought each woman to life. Their struggles, dreams, and relationships felt genuine, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. I found myself cheering them on as they challenged expectations, supported one another, and discovered strengths they didn’t always know they possessed.

While the novel is set in another time, the themes are timeless. We all long for meaningful friendships, the courage to be ourselves, and the freedom to pursue the life we envision. Those are the kinds of stories that stay with me long after I’ve finished reading.

More Than a Book Club

As someone who enjoys getting lost in a great book, I especially appreciated the way books served as a catalyst for connection throughout the story. It’s a wonderful reminder that reading is about so much more than turning pages. Books have a unique way of bringing people together, sparking conversations, and helping us see the world—and ourselves—from a different perspective.

That may be one of my favorite takeaways from this novel.

Why I Loved It

This book made me laugh, reflect, and appreciate the importance of having women in our lives who encourage us, challenge us, and remind us that we’re capable of more than we sometimes believe.

The writing was engaging, the pacing kept me interested, and I genuinely cared about what happened to the characters. By the final chapter, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

For me, that’s always the sign of a memorable book.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was an easy five-star read for me. If you enjoy stories centered on friendship, personal growth, historical fiction, and the enduring power of books, I highly recommend adding The Book Club for Troublesome Women to your reading list.

Let’s Talk Books

Have you read The Book Club for Troublesome Women?

If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Did you have a favorite character? Was there a moment that especially resonated with you? Leave a comment below and let’s continue the conversation.

And if you haven’t read it yet, I hope you’ll consider adding it to your next book club—or simply your own “to be read” stack.

Happy Reading,

Lulu

Gardening · Gardening

A Change of Plans Turned Into a Productive Morning

July 13, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

Some mornings don’t unfold the way we expect.

Earlier in the week, I woke up later than planned and missed a group run. For a moment, I was disappointed. I had been looking forward to spending the morning with fellow runners, but once I realized I had missed the opportunity, I decided to shift my focus instead of dwelling on what I couldn’t change.

I picked up my gardening supplies rather than my running shoes and headed outside.

What started as an unexpected change of plans turned into one of my most productive mornings in the garden. I spent several hours pulling weeds, pruning my vegetable plants, and harvesting fresh produce. By the time I finished, I had cleared weeds from two and a half raised beds and prepared half of another bed for cabbage, which I plan to sow after today’s run with my running buddies.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take any “before” pictures. I was so eager to get started that I forgot to document where everything began. Instead, I have the “after” photos—a clean garden, healthy plants, and a reminder that progress is still worth celebrating, even if you don’t capture every step of the journey.

Gardening has a way of teaching the same lessons over and over again. We can’t control every circumstance, but we can choose how we respond. Yesterday reminded me that a missed opportunity doesn’t have to become a wasted day. Sometimes life redirects us exactly where we need to be.

The weeds are gone, the vegetables have a little more room to thrive, and another bed is ready for the next season’s crop. I’d call that a successful morning.

🌿 Harvest of the Day

Not every productive day begins with the plan we had in mind. Sometimes the most meaningful progress happens when we’re willing to embrace change, adjust our expectations, and bloom wherever the day takes us.

Gardening · Gardening

From My Garden to My Grandmother’s Kitchen

July 6, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

A Plant-Based Sweet Potato Leaf Stew Inspired by Sierra Leone

One of my favorite things about gardening is watching memories grow alongside the vegetables.

This week, I harvested tomatoes and sweet potato leaves from my garden, and as I carried them into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother.

Sweet potato leaf stew was one of those meals that brought our family together. Growing up, it was often prepared with meat or fish, just as it is in many Sierra Leonean households. The aroma alone could fill the house and let everyone know dinner was almost ready.

Today, I still make that same stew—but with a few twists of my own.

Over the years, my diet has become mostly plant-based, so instead of meat, I use extra-firm tofu. It adds a satisfying texture while allowing me to honor the flavors I grew up with in a way that fits my lifestyle today.

Every time I make this dish, it feels like I’m bringing a little piece of my grandmother’s kitchen into my own.

Garden-to-Table Sweet Potato Leaf Stew

Ingredients

For the stew

About 6 cups chopped sweet potato leaves
1 block extra-firm tofu, thawed, pressed, seasoned, and fried
5 medium garden tomatoes
2 yellow onions
2 medium bell peppers
Oil for frying

Seasonings

Hot pepper flakes (to taste)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3–4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Seasoned salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

To Serve

Cooked jasmine rice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Score the tomatoes with a shallow “X” on the bottom of each one and bake for about 10 minutes, until the skins begin to loosen. Remove them from the oven, peel away the skins, and blend or mash the tomatoes into a smooth sauce.
While the tomatoes are roasting, season the tofu to your liking and fry until golden on all sides. Set aside.
Blend the onions and bell peppers together in a food processor until smooth.
Pour the vegetable mixture into the hot oil and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the hot pepper flakes, grated ginger, garlic, seasoned salt, turmeric, and nutritional yeast. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, allowing the spices to bloom and become fragrant.
Stir in the fresh tomato sauce.
Add the chopped sweet potato leaves, reduce the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the stew and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Gently fold in the fried tofu and simmer for another 10–15 minutes, allowing all of the flavors to come together.
Serve over warm jasmine rice.

A Meal That Gets Better With Time

Like many stews, this one tasted even better the next day.

The flavors had more time to develop, making every bite richer than the last.

It’s one of those meals that’s perfect for meal prep because tomorrow’s lunch might be even better than tonight’s dinner.

More Than a Recipe

As I stood in my kitchen cooking this meal, I realized that gardening has become about so much more than growing food.

It’s about preserving traditions.

It’s about remembering the people who taught us to cook long before recipes were written down.

It’s about taking something familiar and making it your own without losing the heart of where it came from.

My grandmother may not have made sweet potato leaf stew with tofu, but I like to think she’d appreciate that the spirit of her cooking still lives on.

Every harvest reminds me that traditions don’t have to stay frozen in time.

They can continue to grow—just like the gardens we tend.

❤️ Happy cooking,
Lulu

Health & Fitness · Health & Fitness

Running for Someone You Will Never Meet

July 5, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

The Fallen Heroes 5 Miler | July 4, 2026

Some races are about chasing a personal record.

Some are about checking another finish line off a training plan.

This race has never been either of those for me.

Every Fourth of July, I lace up my shoes knowing that someone else’s story will be running beside me.

This year, I ran in memory of Corporal Orville Gerena, a Marine from Virginia Beach who made the ultimate sacrifice on February 6, 2006, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

When I pinned his name to my race bib, he stopped being just another name in a history book.

For five miles, he became the reason I kept moving.

This year’s race was brutally hot.

There were moments when every runner around me was feeling the weight of the Virginia summer. Sweat soaked our shirts before the first mile was over, and the sun showed no mercy.

But somehow, complaining about the heat felt small.

The men and women we were honoring endured hardships most of us will never fully understand.

Running five miles in uncomfortable weather suddenly didn’t seem like much at all.

More Than a Race

One of my favorite moments each year is walking beneath the enormous American flag suspended between two fire trucks.

It is impossible to stand underneath it without feeling something.

Not politics.

Not division.

Just gratitude.

Gratitude for people willing to serve something larger than themselves.

As I crossed beneath that flag, I couldn’t help but think about all of the families whose Fourth of July celebrations forever changed because someone they loved never came home.

Freedom has always had a cost.

This race reminds me not to forget who paid it.

The Finish Line

Crossing the finish line felt different this year.

I wasn’t celebrating a fast time.

I wasn’t celebrating a personal best.

I was simply thankful.

Thankful that I had the health to run.

Thankful that communities continue to gather to remember those who served.

Thankful that one more name—Corporal Orville Gerena—was spoken, remembered, and honored.

Because remembrance matters.

People are only truly forgotten when no one remembers their stories.

Why I’ll Keep Coming Back

There are many races on my calendar each year.

Some challenge my endurance.

Some help me train for bigger goals.

But this one reminds me why I started running in the first place.

Running isn’t always about competing.

Sometimes it’s about carrying someone else’s memory forward, one mile at a time.

As I continue working toward my goal of running 65 half marathons by the age of 65, I hope I never lose sight of races like this—races that remind me that every step can have a purpose beyond myself.

Thank you, Corporal Gerena.

And thank you to every service member who made the ultimate sacrifice.

You are remembered.

Recipes

Juneteenth, Legacy, and the Stories We Choose to Carry

June 29, 2026 Lulu LeeLeave a comment

Every year, Juneteenth offers us an opportunity to pause—not only to remember a pivotal moment in American history, but also to reflect on the stories, traditions, and resilience that continue to shape our lives today.

For me, Juneteenth is about more than looking back. It is about honoring the past while intentionally building a legacy for the future.

As someone who has spent the last few years learning more about my family’s Sierra Leonean heritage, I have come to appreciate just how precious our stories are. Some histories have been carefully preserved through generations. Others were interrupted by migration, time, or the devastating realities of slavery. Whether our ancestors remained on the African continent or were forced across the Atlantic, every family’s story deserves to be remembered.

This year, my family celebrated Juneteenth in one of my favorite ways—around the dinner table.

Rather than trying to recreate the past, we chose to honor it while creating new traditions of our own. We prepared a meal inspired by Southern Black traditions and the African diaspora: fresh callaloo, creamy macaroni and cheese, homemade watermelon lemonade, and a rich chocolate cake topped with fresh strawberries.

Every dish carried its own story.

The callaloo held special meaning for me. Although collard greens are often associated with Juneteenth celebrations and Southern Black cooking, I already had fresh callaloo on hand. Across the African diaspora, leafy greens have nourished families for generations, connecting people through shared histories while reflecting the unique ingredients and traditions of each culture. Serving callaloo felt both practical and deeply personal—a reminder that traditions continue to grow and adapt while still honoring where we’ve come from.

The macaroni and cheese reminded me that recipes are often more than instructions. They are memories shared around family tables, expressions of love, and traditions passed from one generation to the next.

Our watermelon lemonade added a vibrant splash of red to the table. Red foods and drinks have become an important part of many Juneteenth celebrations, symbolizing resilience, sacrifice, joy, and the enduring strength of those who came before us.

We ended our meal with chocolate cake topped with fresh strawberries—a simple reminder that celebrations are not only about remembering hardship but also about embracing the sweetness of freedom, family, hope, and the opportunity to create joyful memories together.

As we shared our meal, I found myself thinking about legacy.

Many of us inherit more than recipes. We inherit stories, values, traditions, faith, strength, and sometimes unanswered questions. Some names have been lost to history. Some stories were never written down. Others were intentionally erased.

That reality has deeply influenced my writing.

When I wrote Dark, Still Rising, I wasn’t simply writing about suffering. I was exploring endurance, identity, healing, and the quiet strength that is passed from one generation to the next. Poetry became one way for me to honor both the ancestors whose names I know and those whose names may never be known.

The more I write, the more I realize that preserving our stories is one of the greatest gifts we can leave behind.

Perhaps that’s why I find so much joy in gardening, cooking, and writing. At first glance they may seem unrelated, but each one is an act of cultivation.

In the garden, I plant seeds that will one day nourish my family.

In the kitchen, I prepare recipes that connect us to culture and tradition.

Through writing, I preserve stories and reflections that I hope my children—and perhaps one day my grandchildren—will return to long after I’m gone.

Each is its own way of saying, This is who we were. This is what we valued. This is how we loved.

Juneteenth reminds me that remembrance is an act of love.

It encourages us to ask our elders questions while we still can. To preserve family recipes. To write down our stories. To speak our ancestors’ names. To celebrate not only survival, but also the freedom to dream, create, and build something better for the generations that follow.

Whether that legacy is found in a handwritten recipe, a family photograph, a poem, a flourishing garden, or simply gathering around the dinner table, every story we preserve becomes a gift to those who come after us.

This Juneteenth, our family celebrated with food, laughter, gratitude, and reflection.

As I watched my children enjoying the meal we prepared together, I realized that legacy isn’t only about what we inherit.

It’s also about what we choose to leave behind.

May we leave behind stories worth telling, traditions worth continuing, and hope that grows stronger with every generation.