WHAT’S HAPPENING AT REINVENT?
CHICKEN LADY (AND OTHER MIDLIFE TRANSFORMATIONS)
EGG RECIPES
SPRING CLEAN YOUR SLEEP HABITS
OUT MY WINDOW - ESSAY FROM MEAGAN
SPRING “NOTICING” JOURNAL
THE LETTING-GO LESSONS OF SPRING
SEEKING SIMPLER SOLUTIONS
MAKE OVERNIGHT OATS - IN THE RICE COOKER!
BACKYARD FORAGING
UNTIL NEXT TIME - NOTE FROM MEAGAN
REINVENT Magazine is a quarterly publication by Reinvention Media, LLC.
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Meagan Francis
Editorial Assistant: SheriTiernan
Illustrator & Art Director: Danika Corrall
Advertising Inquiries: sales@reinvention.media
Is anyone else feeling the need for a good spring cleaning? After hunkering down over the winter, those earlyspring rays of sun always put me in the mood to shed a few layers of excess in preparation for summer. Whether it’s giving my home a much-needed, topto-bottom cleaning, finally getting rid of that pile of sweaters I’ve now ridden out three winter seasons without touching, or re-examining some thought patterns that aren’t serving me, spring is a great time to simplify, streamline, and create space for what matters.
As you may have noticed, this is the first issue of REINVENT that’s quarterly instead of bimonthly. In the spirit of streamlining and simplifying, it’s my hope that producing a longer publication a little less often will give each issue (and its writer - me!) the “breathing space” needed to produce and promote each one, and you, the reader, more time to absorb the content. And we’ve got some great content for you this month, too: from overhauling your sleep (pg 12) to learning to forage (pg 23), this issue is full of inspiration for your spring season.
REINVENT is more than a magazine - it’s also a gathering of midlife moms focused on facing this season of life with a sense of purpose, wellness, and fulfillment. This spring, we’re talking about simplifying, streamlining, and taking advantage of the “fresh start” of spring in all aspects of our lives. From simplifying routines to shifting mindsets, we’re talking about personal goal-setting, and “spring cleaning”, literally and figuratively.
Check out a sampling of our offerings for members!
Goal-Setting Workshop. Our quarterly community check-in happens April 21, with a hands-on workshop that will help you evaluate your progress and plan for a rejuvenating spring.
Learn & Grow Sessions. In March, we talked about creating time and space in your life for what matters, and in April our live chat will include a Financial Tune-Up with Elizabeth Pennington, CPA, from Fearless Finance.
All expert workshops are available for members to download later - so any time you join, you’ll have access to our entire back catalog of content!
Interested in joining us in the REINVENT community? Head to reinventmidlife.net for a full list of benefits. Join today to jump into the rich and intimate conversations in this supportive, private community for midlife moms.
Just hover your phone’s camera over this QR code for a list of additional resources, like shopping links, book recommendations, and more.
reinventmagazine.com
I’ve been enamored with the idea of backyard chickens since I was a little girl, but my interest reached a full-on fever pitch in the last four or five years - even before the rise of “chickenstagram” content and our current fixation with inflated supermarket egg prices.
When the kids and I moved onto a five-acre lot last year, all obstacles (besides ignorance) were removed. One day I walked into Tractor Supply Company with the intention of buying six chicks, and walked out in a daze thirty minutes later with 24. (They call that “chicken math.”)
Considering I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I got them, the chickens have done well. We’ve lost a few Bantams who insisted on flying over the fence every day and free-ranging themselves, sometimes never to be seen again; but for the most part our hens have been healthy, happy, and productive layers, while our roosters have done their job of protecting and serving.
And raising chickens has also been a good reminder that I have the capacity to try new things, year after year: a little over a year ago I knew almost nothing about how to actually raise backyard chickens, and today I know just enough about things like frostbite on wattles and interflock dynamics to make me feel like I’m not completely out of my depth. Sitting at the table in my sunroom, watching them ruffling up their feathers and strutting around their yard, brings me a deep sense of peace and joy. I guess that’s why chickens are such a hit on Instagram. (That, and those priceless eggs.)
I’ve heard that chickens can be a sort of “gateway drug” to other livestock, and I can see why. What’s next for me: Ducks? Goats? Alpaca? Anything is possible, if I make room in my imagination for the right-now-seemsimpossible.
" Collecting, cooking, and occasionally gifting their eggs has brought me a lot of satisfaction, as has the simple, honest work of caring for them. ”
Our girls, bless their hen hearts, have turned out to be consistently good layers. Even throughout the winter months, when many other “chicken tenders” experience a dwindling yield, we collected 10 or more eggs each day. And considering the egg shortage (and resulting skyrocketing prices at the supermarket), that constant supply feels like a luxury - and a responsibility. I am constantly looking for egg-heavy recipes to put our stash to good use.
Even at the currently-inflated grocery store prices, eggs are a pretty fantastic source of protein, fat, and nutrients for the dollar. Try one of these recipes to make good use of yours:
LEMON CURD:
Bright, sunshiny lemon curd tastes amazing on pancakes or crepes, in baked goods, or just licked off the spoon - and it’s a lot easier to make than you might think.
You ’ ll need:
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
The zest and juice of 4 lemons
1 stick cold butter, cut into pats
Instructions:
1. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a metal bowl that will fit in/over your saucepan without touching the water (you will use it as a double boiler) and whisk until smooth.
2. Stir in the lemon zest.
3. Add 1/3 cup of lemon juice.
4. Put about an inch of water in a
medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Once the water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place the metal bowl containing your ingredients on top.
5. Whisk mixture until it thickens. When it’s ready to come off the heat, it will be light yellow and coat the back of a spoon when you dip it in - about 10 minutes for me.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the butter one pat at a time, stirring continuously. When one pat of butter melts, drop in a new one.
7. Pour into a jar or other container, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Use within two weeks. A white film may form on top of the curd - this is normal! Skim it off with a spoon, or mix it back in.
SUPER - RICH 9 - YOLK QUICHE:
What’s the secret to fluffy, custard-y quiche? MORE EGGS. Specifically, more yolks!
You ’ ll need:
- 9 Eggs
- Pie crust. Make your own or use a refrigerated, prepared crust like I do!
- Whole milk or heavy cream.
- Cheese, veggies, herbs, and anything else you want for filler. Mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, onions (caramelized!), bacon, and cauliflower are some of our favorite ingredients.
In this recipe I used mushrooms, spinach, and a blend of Jarlsberg and Gouda cheeses.
- A little butter or oil for sautéing the veggies.
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Separate the whites and yolks of three eggs.
3. Brush the bottom of your pie crust with a little egg and place in a preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. The bakedon egg layer will keep wetter ingredients from making the crust soggy.
4. Prepare the ingredients. Saute veggies to bring out their flavor and reduce moisture content.
5. Grate cheese. The amount is up to you! I like cheese, so I use about two cups.
6. Add six more eggs to a bowl along with the extra yolks and whisk in about 1 cup of milk or cream and a little salt and pepper. Whisk very thoroughly, then stir in half the cheese.
7. Sprinkle about half the cheese, or one cup, on the bottom of the pie crust before adding other ingredients. It helps to add an additional layer at the bottom to protect the crust against sogginess.
8. Layer the veggies on top of the cheese.
9. Pour the custard (egg mix) on top of the veggies.
10. Cover with foil and place in a preheated 375 degree F oven.
11. Let bake for about 45 minutes, then remove the foil and give it another 8-10 minutes. You want to remove the quiche when the edges are done but the center is still a bit jiggly.
I often make 2-3 quiches at once. They’re even better reheated!
HOW TO SEPARATE AN EGG WHITE FROM A YOLK:
Recipes often call for just an egg yolk or white, and there’s a super easy way to do this without any fancy tools.
First, make sure the egg’s shell is clean. Then crack the egg carefully over a bowl, and “juggle” the yolk back and forth between the two half-shells.
The white will gradually release itself from the yolk and fall into the bowl, and you can dump the yolk into a second container or put it directly into your recipe.
Egg whites or yolks can easily be stored in the fridge in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and added to your next scramble.
Anything is possible, if I make room in my imagination for the right - nowseems - impossible.
Meagan Francis
I admit it: I love sleep . But that doesn’t mean it always comes easily. Whether you’re fighting hormone-related 4 AM wakeup calls or just having a hard time falling (and staying) asleep, here are some ideas for sprucing up your sleep habits (with specific routine ideas on the next page!)
Spring Clean Your Sleep Habit
Organize your space
- Clean bed and sheets, comfy pillow
- Soothing aromatherapy scents like lavender
Tidy up your wind-down routine
- No alcohol within 2 hours of bedtime
- Try eating earlier
- Use a soothing routine to fall asleep
- Keep lighting and screens to a minimum
Declutter the morning wake-up ritual
- Wake-up alarm
- Lay off the snooze button
- Reset your circadian rhythm
Routines can help cement good habits, and a bedtime routine is a great way to start winding down in the evening and prepare your body, mind, and spirit for a restful night’s sleep. Here are five ideas to make your routine even more restful:
1. Sip a cup of soothing herbal tea.
Opt for a blend that contains herbs known for calming the nervous system, like lavender, chamomile or tulsi. Check out the next page for some of my favorite blends.
2. Practice some gentle movement.
An evening movement practice for me typically looks like a freeflowing yoga practice with forward folds, breathing, and at least one restorative yoga pose.
3. Give your face a nice massage.
Read more about gua sha (facial massage) in the Jan/Feb issue of REINVENT at reinventmagazine.com.
4 . Wind down to nature sounds and gradually - dimming light.
Before bed, I run an “unwind” routine on my Hatch Restore, which is typically set to some kind of water or forest sound (right now I’m hooked on Icelandic Waterfall.) Click this link or use the QR code, plus REINVENT at checkout for $10 off a
reinventmagazine.com Restore Classic.
5. Keep screens and light minimal close to bedtime.
Try to avoid the blue light of a phone or computer screen close to bed, and if possible, read with your lights dimmed. I use a backlit Kindle set to the dimmest setting I can handle for years, and typically zonk out after just a few minutes of reading.
What are essential parts of your bedtime routine?
Join us in the REINVENT community, and let ’ s talk about it
Here are three of my go-to bedtime blends, containing soothing, sleep-supporting herbs like chamomile, ashwagandha, and skullcap. Pick up one of these and let’s enjoy a bedtime cup together!
Warm Hugs from Good Medicine Tea
Sweet-and-spicy cinnamon and refreshing mint give this “sleepytime” tea a whole new flavor profile and it’s become one of my favorite evening sips. If you don’t think you like chamomile, definitely give it a try – it just may change your mind!
Dandy Detox from Smith Tea
I bought this blend for its liver-supporting starring ingredient, dandelion root, and its complex, sweet, and spicy flavor owing to ginger and Krishna tulsi quickly made it a favorite. What I wasn’t expecting is the relaxing punch Dandy Detox from Smith Teamakers delivers, likely owing to an ingredient I almost missed on the list –nerve-soothing skullcap!
Let Go from Modestine Tea
Ashwagandha is known as a powerful sleep aid, and the blend of warming herbs and spices like clove, cinnamon chips, green cardamom and red and black pepper supports your digestion so you can rest. Let Go from Modestine Tea is a great option if you have trouble sleeping (or staying asleep) due to queasiness, indigestion, or bloating.
For links and shopping information, visit this link
a wet, muddy mess of melted snow and early-season rain.
After a typically fickle March and early April, it may seem that the season is here for good, but we Midwesterners know better than to get too cocky about a few days of warmth. Right now, tulips and daffodils are just starting to sprout, but whether they’ll be covered again in a fine dusting of snow is really anybody’s guess. The only certainty in an early Michigan spring seems to be mud, and lots of it.
Very soon, though, spring will be here in earnest. The hardening of mud to dirt, the return of lush grass and colorful blooms, seems like an imperceptibly slow change if you’re watching too closely. But when we look back later, it’ll all have seemed to go by in an instant. And soon we’ll be immersed in the thick
stillness of summer, wondering what happened to all the tulips. Did we even notice them?
This spring I’m making a point of trying to notice, which for me, is always a lot easier if I make a practice of noticing. On the next page, look for a “noticing journal” page to help you create associations between the things you see outside and the memories you have about this season.
Enjoy!
Maybe partly because it seems to pass so quickly. No sooner do the tulips pop up and wave at us or the daffodils grace a vase on the dinner table than they’re wilted and gone, replaced by the hardier heat-loving blooms of summer. The lilacs barely even say “hello” and breathe their scent in your direction before they’ve disappeared for the next 11-and-a-half months.
When I think about how brief this season really is, it seems strange to me how disproportionately large a place it holds in my memory and desire. And how, even after experiencing 45 of these bewitching seasons, every one somehow feels like a surprise.
Now that I’m in the middle of my life I’m starting to become more aware of the fact that my springs (like all my seasons) are numbered. Fifty more, or fifteen? There are no guarantees, which makes this particular spring seem incalculably precious.
I can’t let that thought fill me with
panic, though, because if there’s anything spring has taught me it’s that the harder I try to hold on to something, the faster it fades and changes: the blooms, the baby bird, the breath in my lungs.
Now is the only thing there is, and how lucky for us that for a few brief months each year, that “now” happens to be spring.
Spring gives me a disproportionate amount of delight.
Now that I ’ m in the middle of my life I ’ m starting to become more aware of the fact that my springs ( like all my seasons ) are numbered. Fifty more, or fifteen? There are no guarantees, which makes this particular spring seem incalculably precious.
Earlier today I was unloading my dishwasher, as I do at least once a day, when I had a little internal tantrum.
My kitchen is laid out 1970s style, with a low peninsula and dark wooden overhead cabinets bisecting the room. The cabinets open on both sides, which is theoretically convenient, but adds a touch of danger if one shoves the dishes in too aggressively on the dishwasher side.
Moreover, when the dishwasher is open, it blocks the lower cabinets and makes it impossible to reach to the far side of the upper cabinets. As a result, the cabinets further from the dishwasher are full to bursting, while the cabinets closer to the wall are underutilized.
“This is ridiculous,” I grumbled to myself, while trying to carefully move a stack of plates with one hand to make room for the bowl I was holding in the other. “These cabinets are going to have to come down.”
I have no time or budget to devote to a kitchen remodel right now, and in fact, there are things I find very charming and useful about the dated layout of my kitchen. But when faced with an awkward pile of dishes, my first inclination was to deep-six the whole thing and start over. After a moment, it dawned on me: I
wasn’t doomed to keep experiencing this problem. I could just pile the dishes on the peninsula, close the dishwasher, and then freely navigate both upper and lower cabinets to put things away neatly and securely.
It’s not as dramatic a solution as, say, a complete gut and rebuild. But it’s a lot better than the mess which is the current state of my cabinets, and a lot more realistic right now than a whole new layout.
It got me thinking about the very American belief that we can purchase simplicity, when typically the purchase just piles on more complication. Yes, a remodeled kitchen would eliminate some hassles, but it would add others: a
disruption of our daily lives, another line-item in the “expense” column on my household budget, and all the inconveniences and decisions that go along with making a change.
As I’ve been settling into my quaint midcentury home over the past year, I’ve found that there’s a lot to be said for choosing the smallest, simplest solution first and living with it for a while before opting for something more drastic. Sometimes that small solution is as simple as a good, thorough cleaning; other times, some gentle reorganization will do the trick.
And sometimes, a larger remodel really is warranted.
Granted, sometimes the hassle is worth it, but there’s nothing “simple” about a remodel.
Either way, I’m trying to remind myself that often the simplest solution is making the best of what you have, and seeing what kind of space it opens up: whether it’s the physical space needed to reach a deep cupboard, or the mental space needed to see creative solutions where there were once only obstacles.
My go-to breakfast these days is a nutritious, protein-rich oatmeal that I start the night before…in the rice cooker! Here’s how I do it:
Place the following ingredients in the cooker pot:
1/3 cup steel-cut oats
1 1/2 cups of water
The general ratio of steel-cut oats to water is 1 part oats to 4 parts water. But because I add a lot of other ingredients, I bump the water up just a bit.
1 tbs chia seeds
2 tbs hemp hearts
1 tsp ground flax seed
1 scoop collagen powder
Dash of cinnamon
Sweeten to taste
Sprinkle of salt
A drizzle of of maple syrup or a splash of vanilla extract are optional but yummy additions
Whisk it all together, breaking up any clumps. Then close the lid on the rice cooker, set the timer for whenever you want the oatmeal to be ready, and choose the “steel cut oats” setting. Hit “start” and in the morning you’ll have a delicious and very filling bowl of oatmeal.
I dish mine up with a drizzle of milk or cream and often add diced fruit or raisins as well.
Hover over the QR code or click this link to shop my Toshiba rice cooker
I started foraging when I was a tiny little girl, plucking wild blueberries from low, leafy bushes with my mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She promised me that gnomes lived near wild blueberries; even today, when I see the dappled green patches of forest that look promising for a haul, I half-expect to see a tiny person in a funny red hat collecting the berries as well.
Of course, I didn’t call it “foraging” back then. Picking blueberries was simply a sort of mobile snack, a perk of hiking the north woods. As a child, the idea that food was just there - in the wild, ready to be enjoyed by anyone willing to find and collect it - felt exhilarating but also, perfectly obvious. I hadn’t yet been conditioned to see food as a thing only delivered to by restaurants, supermarkets, or even backyard gardens. It was everywhere, all around me.
As an adult, however, I grew further away from that knowledge of the symbiotic relationship between humans and wild plants. I never lost my interest in fresh, local food, and I made a point of
supporting local farmers and growing my own greens and herbs. But for the most part, I focused on cultivated foods; things planted, tended, and harvested by humans. Somehow, I forgot about the accessible magic of collecting wild things that had grown up wherever they liked, without human intervention.
A few years ago, I tried hunting for morel mushrooms for the first time and was instantly (re-) hooked on the simple, intoxicating pleasure of foraging. I began making a point to hunt wild blueberries in northern Michigan again each summer, and other wild berries in season in the southern part of the state.
But for some reason, until recently it didn’t really occur to me to forage in my own backyard! Engrossed in a section about the medicinal qualities of willow bark in a book about herbal medicine, I actually found myself wondering where one could get their hands on willow bark.
Then I remembered: my yard is full of willow trees! As well as nettles, wild onion, dock, dandelion, and scores of other nutritious and
healing plants - many of which I barely pay attention to…and sometimes, if I’m being honest, I even direct my kids to run over with the mower.
I had to laugh at myself. I’d somehow forgotten that I don’t have to drive to a park or hike deep into the woods to forage - there are opportunities literally right outside my window! It’s easy to become so disconnected from nature that we forget how close it actually is to us, all the time. Whether it’s the patch of grass in a tiny urban backyard or the five acres I’m still getting used to living on, there’s probably something edible and medicinal closer than you think.
This spring, I’m pledging to get to know a few plants in my backyard a little better. Instead of trying to seek out more exotic or hard-to-find prizes, I want to get to know the common, unglamorous plants that we so often overlook.
There are so many plants humbly going about their business of living, reproducing, and dying right under my nose, that it feels like the least I can do to walk out into my backyard and take the time to notice them. What I’ll do with them - dandelion tea? A willow-bark infusion? - remains to be seen, but like many other endeavors, I expect the joy to be in the learning.
It ’ s easy to become so disconnected from nature that we forget how close it actually is to us, all the time.
Hi friends,
While my team and I were in the final, hectic stages of putting together this publication, the most wonderful thing happened: I got engaged to Eric, my “special man friend” of two-and-a-half years. (This unexpected news just may have delayed publication by a few days!)
Eric and I met just before Covid shut the world down, and our friendship became my anchor during those scary and stressful early months. As that friendship slowly blossomed into a courtship, it brought with it many other exciting new endeavors, including a budding bookstore and market in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
I’m impatient by nature, so it’s really hard for me not to rush things - whether it’s the renovations on a building or solidifying a romantic connection. But in these past few years I’ve been learning that patience and trust are some of the most important qualities to nurture in business, in life, and in love.
I can’t wait to share more with you as all of our adventures unfurl, and in the Summer/ Fall issue, I hope to have lots more updates
on the business and, of course, our wedding plans.
For now, I’m savoring the delight in letting these events unfold in their own time and recognizing the strength in simply trusting that needed changes will come… just like Spring.
Thanks for reading this issue of REINVENT! I’d love to hear what you think. Drop me a line at meagan@reinventmagazine.com and say hello.
Our Summer/Fall issue will be out in July. Want to stay up-to-date on everything I’ve got going on until then?
Follow me on Instagram @meaganfrancis, and of course, be sure to check out the next season of the Mother of Reinvention podcast, launching April 27, available anywhere you listen to podcasts. And remember, you can use the QR code below or visit reinventmagazine.com to find shopping guides and links to previous episodes.
