Food For Thought: Winter, Week 5
For our fifth writing prompt, we pack our bags for a new year!
In week five of our seasonal food writing prompts, we pack a bag for the New Year, deciding what to bring along with us, and what to leave behind. (Plus soup for what ails!)
I spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s sick in bed with some sort of party plague. It seemed half the town was under the weather, with flu, or influenza A, Covid or head cold, or some other over-indulgence. I haven’t been sick in years and was meant to be driving to California for an artist residency, so I was feeling rather grumpy about the forced rest. I tried to surrender and focus on my gratitude for the soup that was bringing me back to life (despite the aches and pains, I never lost my appetite). The lamb stew was divine, the green chile chicken posole was miraculous, but my favorite was a tortellini en brodo. My friend had mentioned it to me in passing a few weeks ago, so it was on my mind, and in my unwell state, I decided to improvise. It was phenomenal and almost made the ill health worth it.
I’m writing this post from Kingman, Arizona, a place with very weird vibes, while listening to a man yell at his cat in the hotel room next door. I’m three days delayed in my drive out to California, and glad to be on the road, even if I’m still a little congested. I ordered duck soup from the Thai place down the street, hoping it would be one of those perfect meals I’ve sometimes stumbled upon in odd places. The soup was just ok. Mostly it was extremely salty, and I woke up parched in the middle of the night, when cat man decided to bang on the wall between us, screaming more expletives at his cat, who still wouldn’t come inside.
I packed for this trip in a bit of a fever dream, so it will be a surprise when I unpack on the other end. It made me think about the New Year, not as a time for resolutions, but something more like packing a bag for a long trip. You decide what you will bring along and what you can leave behind. This week‘s writing prompt will be just this—simply deciding what belongs in our bags for 2025! See below for a longer explantation.
Here is this week’s writing prompt.
Try to find a quiet place where you can focus for 20 minutes. The point of this exercise is to write freely, without judgement, and see what comes out of your brain. Follow your mind, be present with the emotions coming up, and have fun.
This prompt has two parts. You can do them in either order. Or move back and forth between them as you think of things. You can also divide a sheet of paper in half and make two lists.
Write for 10 minutes about all the things you’re leaving behind in 2024 as it relates to your food story. Is there a particular food craving or habit that no longer feels good? Is there a meal or way of grocery shopping that no longer works for you? What are you ready to move on from?
Write for 10 minutes about all the things that worked well this year in terms of your food story what would you like to bring along into 2025. Was it a favorite recipe? Sunday meal planning? Eating more protein in the morning? A monthly supper club with friends? What worked well for you in 2024 that you want do more of in 2025?
If you had some good insights or surprises from this exercise, share them in the comments below!
Want to dive deeper with your food writing? Need some structure to start out the new year?
Sign up for my 21 Day Food Writing Journey, which launches in January 2025.
This course includes twenty-one days of simple prompts and exercises, delivered to your Inbox every morning. This self-directed course will help you process your emotions, dream into your food future, and check in with yourself—all in less than 20 minutes a day. You may even find that by the end of the course, you will have completely transformed your relationship with food and found new sources of nourishment.
As a special thank you for early sign-ups, use code Foodie15 at check-out for 15% off the list price.
Lots of love,
Gina Rae
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