Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more on Fridays — right now I’m doing a 30-minute budget meal series! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!

This week feels much calmer than last, and although my head still feels like it’s spinning all over the place, I’ve had much more time to lounge on the couch and make warm home-cooked dinners.

Last week, I met someone who was telling us about a documentary they started 10 years ago that they had just now sold. We were all so impressed at their patience, and in turn, we had a great discussion about how projects can still come to fruition even after long periods of time. It was a reassuring conversation, as I feel like I’m the type of person to sit on ideas and creative projects and wait until things feel “just right.” This often feels at odds with the urgency and volume that online content demands of us.

In a world of girl bosses and social media stars, where everything is fast-paced and instantaneous, I sometimes question this attribute about myself, mislabeling it as laziness or being unmotivated. I don’t actually think of myself as either of those things, and I know I still accomplish quite a bit creatively, but sometimes I worry that I lack that sense of urgency. But I also like to make sure my life is in balance. Work is important, but I need rest, friends, families, trips — all the other components to make myself feel complete.

When people ask me about the novel I’m working on, it sometimes shocks me to think that I have been working on it for four years, but it also doesn’t exactly bother me that it’s still a work in progress. I know when the time is right (here I go again), I’ll finish that second draft and get the ball moving. I have to do things on my own time, and sometimes, I feel like that’s a lost art these days.

I am embarrassed to admit that despite the career I’m in, I didn’t know much about Martha Stewart’s legacy beyond her jail time and her friendship with Snoop Dogg. But Grant and I just watched the documentary Martha on Netflix, and I loved it! I’m now intrigued with her personality and her career, and she is certainly a trailblazer for women in this field.

I listened to Sharon Says So on Armchair Expert, and initially, I was worried it would be triggering to listen to talk about the government coming off the heels of the election. Quite the contrary, this episode was actually soothing and informative, thanks to Sharon McMahon’s calming and articulate way of teaching. It was good for me to dive into a little crash course on how our government works and how we can best participate in our democracy.

I went back to Quince’s site last week to order my favorite Oversized Boyfriend Sweater in another color (I went with white), and I added this 100% Merino Wool Cardigan into my cart as well. It’s super soft, and I love the collar, and it comes in a few different colors!

I don’t know what it is about this year, but I just haven’t been in the mood to develop holiday recipes. There are so many already, and I just want to lean into cozy meals and the vibe of nesting at home.

I’ve been thinking about tomato soup and grilled cheese ever since the weather started dropping (lol dropping to the 60s), so it was time to put my spin on a classic.

This tomato soup is made with roasted tomatoes, red onions, and a whole head of garlic, and then it’s blended with vegetable broth, miso, and labneh for creaminess. This was my first time adding the labneh into my soup, and I will definitely be doing that again with future soups.

The grilled cheese is made with cheddar and scallions, and it pairs perfectly with the soup!

One note: I added a pinch of crushed red pepper into my tomatoes when I roasted the tomatoes, and it definitely gave it a bit of a spicy kick (obviously, duh). If you want to skip it, you can do so, especially if you want the soup to be more creamy and miso-forward.

• 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1 red onion, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 1 head of garlic, excess paper removed and top 1/2 inch cut off to reveal cloves

• Olive oil

• Dried oregano

• Small pinch of crushed red pepper

• 3 1/2 tbsp white miso paste

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1/3 cup labneh

• Salt & pepper

• 4 slices sourdough bread

• 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

• 3 scallion stalks, thinly sliced

• Mayonnaise

• Butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Add tomatoes, red onion, and garlic to a baking dish. Drizzle with a few good glugs of olive oil, and then sprinkle on some oregano, crushed red pepper, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven, and bake for 45 minutes.

2. When everything is done roasting, add to a pot or Dutch oven, making sure to squeeze the garlic cloves out of the paper (if you don’t have an immersion blender, add everything to a high-speed blender). Add the miso paste, vegetable broth, and labneh, and blend with an immersion blender (or in your blender cup) until smooth. In the pot, eat the soup on medium heat until warm and bubbling. Reduce to low while you make your grilled cheese.

3. In a small bowl, mix the shredded cheddar and sliced scallions. Spread the outside of each sourdough slice with mayonnaise. Add the grilled cheese mixture to the inside of one slice of bread, and cover it with the other, making sure the mayo is on the outside.

4. Heat up a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add about 1/2 tbsp butter, and then add the sandwich. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

5. Serve the sandwich immediately with your soup. You can top the soup with fresh basil and a little cheddar cheese, or enjoy as is!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for Cheddar Sage Breakfast Potatoes with Fried Eggs — the latest recipe in my 30-minute budget meal series! Cannot believe this is already recipe #40 in the series!

Just a reminder that anytime you become a paid subscriber, you get access to ALL of the past recipes in the archive. You can always do a free 7-day trial as well!