You know when you go through those phases of physical and emotional neglect and then three years pass and you're exhausted and stressed and you've gained TWELVE pounds and your skin looks sallow? We have so much in common! Can I hug you??
For review, I’m not a compare and despair kind of gal. Thankfully, I’ve never gazed at 5’10” ladies with envy in the eye, and I’m generally fairly comfortable with my body — but this year has been a roughie. As a food professional, and primarily a dessert-y food professional, I taste a lot of fatty foods on the daily with high concentrations of sugar. I attempt to balance this consistent flow of high carb/high calorie intake with a committed exercise schedule and strategic “clean” eating breaks. However, I truly fell off the balance beam this past year. It happens to the best of us, so now I’m brushing myself off, doing a clear-eyed salute to the judges, and getting right back on that beam again. Let’s GO!
XO,
Valerie
PS - Seeing as it’s AAPI Heritage Month, I’ve also put together a list of my favorite AAPI-owned wellness brands ranging from food to household goods to clean beauty products. Check it out!
TRAINING WITH LACEY STONE
If you’ve wondered who the go-to trainer for female founders in Los Angeles is, look no further than fitness expert and celebrity trainer Lacey Stone. (Shout-outs to Ellen Bennett, Sonja Rasula, and all the other incredible ladies I’ve taken classes with!) Lacey’s been in the fitness game for 20+ years, has worked with brands like Nike, Google, and Fitbit, and was on a little TV show called Revenge Body. She is tough, and enforces accountability. You have to show up, be on time, and be ready to go. Lacey will even text you if you’re running late, so best to be prepared.
Pre-pandemic, I did two consecutive two-week bootcamps with Lacey and continued working out with her virtually as lockdown progressed. I felt absolutely fantastic after my second bootcamp. I was physically strong with a clear prioritization on my health. I was eating cleaner, minimized my alcohol intake, and was in great shape when the pandemic began. But Lacey’s bootcamp also gave me a sense of camaraderie: She creates these teams in her bootcamps. The majority of her classes are comprised of 30 to 60 year olds (many of them business owners) — all working hard while respecting physical limitations. One of Lacey’s biggest talents is that she really builds an intrinsic support system of like-minded (mostly) women.
As the pandemic wore on, and I was deep in the grind of running a business and home-schooling two kids (fun!), I had to stop her virtual workouts. Lacey even moved out of Los Angeles for a couple of years, but friends, she is back and re-launching her bootcamps and re-forming her teams. Her arrival has propelled me back onto this path of accountability around my health. It’s been a hard, and much-needed, reset.
Feeling inspired? You’re in luck. Lacey has offered to teach a free class at our Valerie Confections Compound in Glendale on June 13th at noon. The first 16 people to email info@valerieconfections.com with the subject line “Train with Lacey” will be admitted into the class. After the workout we will eat salad together!!
THIRTEEN LUNE: CHANGING THE FACE OF BEAUTY
My good friend and neighbor, the brilliant writer and beauty expert Melissa Magsaysay, is part of the founding team of the AAPI-owned brand Thirteen Lune, an inclusive beauty marketplace both online and IRL that sources 90% of its brands from BIPOC founders. Thirteen Lune recently opened a gorgeous 1,700 square-foot flagship store on Larchmont (for non-Angelenos, Larchmont is one of THE chicest shopping streets). I sat down with Melissa to ask her some questions about the company and the way they’re advancing inclusivity in the beauty industry.
How was Thirteen Lune started?
In the summer of 2020, we were in the midst of a racial reckoning. There were all these lists of Black-owned brands to support, and while that’s great, what happens after that? Our founder Nyakio Grieco came together with Patrick Herning to create a retailer and platform that could really prioritize people of color and give them a spotlight, instead of relegating them to a month or a list. We also wanted to undo a lot of traditional retail marketing, and release the myth that Black or Latinx people only create products for other Black or Latinx people.
We launched in December with 2020 with 13 brands and now have more 160 brands. As a general rule, 90% of our brands have BIPOC founders and, 10% ally-based brands that have been historically inclusive.
So exciting that you just opened a flagship store! Tell me about it.
The flagship opened on May 5th. It’s a hub for community and to show how beauty can be a vehicle for change. We have over 100 brands in total represented in-store, with five brands-in-residence that have their own dedicated spaces throughout the shop. Eyebrow king Damone Roberts also has his flagship salon and studio within the store, and there’s a floral bar by Abigail Spencer’s County Line Florals.
And you host a podcast for the brand called The Beauty Vanguard, as well. What’s the podcast about?
Nyakio and I met almost 10 years ago when I did a feature on a beauty line she used to have. We’ve always have this conversation about diversity in beauty, which is continued on the podcast. We’ve had on founders, influencers, and celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross, Hannah Bronfman, and LaLa Anthony — people who are really changing the industry and making it more inclusive. It’s a great mix of founder backstory and first-person stories about entrepreneurship.
What are your favorite Thirteen Lune brands right this very minute?
I love Ami Colé. The founder, Diarrha, prioritizes melatonin-rich skin, and her mascara is the best I’ve ever used. Another one is Relevant: Your Skin Seen. Their product One and Done is a great moisturizer, SPF 40, and primer all in one. And I love RMS Beauty, which is one of the OG clean makeup brands and such a beautiful line.
IN PRAISE OF SALAD
Kale and quinoa elicit a rollercoaster of emotions for anyone who has been through a #physicalreductionplan. The combination of the two ingredients reeks of “health food” but they’re also…kind of great. The term “kale fatigue” is real and I get that lots of folks have judgement for the duo. HOWEVER, I’m still on board.
And it gets crazier, because so are my kids. They are both totally into K&Q, so when I am being vigilant around my nutrition, these old friends make frequent appearances at the dinner table. I love how durable a bundle of kale is, prepped and even dressed in the refrigerator. Kale can hang out for days, and what other type of lettuce can handle that level of distress??
I’m no nutritionist, but it’s well-publicized that these are low-calorie superfoods. The trick is flavoring them correctly so they don’t taste overly vegetal , or just like…earth? You’ll notice a lot of citrus zest and herbs in my salad recipes; I very much rely on these elements as full-on ingredients as opposed to garnishes for maximum flavor. Here are a couple of my favorite extremely simple recipes.
AN EXTREMELY VIRTUOUS KALE SALAD THAT WILL MAKE YOU EXCLAIM “GOOD FOR ME!”
Makes 2-4 servings
(Seriously, you can leave this dressed in your refrigerator for a couple days and just plate a serving when you’re ready to eat.)
4-5 cups cleaned, torn kale and maybe some chard if you’re inspired
1/2 prepared Quinoa
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/4 cup Seed Mixture (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons Brightland Ardor Chili Olive Oil
Zest of 2 blood oranges
Juice of 1 blood orange
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Loads of dill
Handfuls of Cilantro
A good flaky salt like Maldon or Fleur de SelToss and eat!
A SPRINGY NICOISE SALAD
Makes 1-2 servings
Note: Fava beans are super labor intensive. They’re delicious, yes, but a chore. Substitute your green bean of choice to save time and sanity.
1/2 cup oil-packed tuna, drained well
1/2 cup cute little roasted potatoes, or larger ones cut into cubes
1/2 cup blanched fava beans or peas or other beans
4 stalks blanched asparagus
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1/4 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon sliced preserved lemon
A lot of dill
Italian parsley leaves to taste
Chive blossoms or edible flowers for flavor and beauty
1 tablespoon olive oilPlace tuna, potatoes, and vegetables artfully on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter the preserved lemon around the plate. Finish with flaky salt and black pepper.
RADICCHIO & CITRUS SALAD, SHE’S SO PRETTY!
2 or so servings
4 cups mixed chicories (radicchio, endive, etc.)
2 oranges, peeled and sliced horizontally.
1 mandarinquat or small mandarin, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Seed Mix (see recipe below)Toss the chicories with the sliced oranges, which will cover the bitter vegetables in citrus juice. Add olive oil, top with seed mix, and finish with flaky salt and pepper.
SEED MIX
A magical crouton replacement that I mix into salads, sprinkle on avocado toast, and stock in my personal and professional larders.
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw Sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw Black sesame seeds
1/2 cup Chia seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher saltHeat oven to 325 F.
Toss all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
Spread the seasoned seeds onto a sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pumpkin seeds start to pop and the sunflower seeds become tanned.
Lastly, what’s better than salad? A brothy bowl filled with kale from my favorite cookbook of all time, a.k.a. The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by the legendary Judy Rodgers. The recipe is called “Broiled Kale, Four Ways,” but here’s the gist of it.
Makes about 4 cups
Generous 8 ounces kale
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onions
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, slivered (optional)
3 to 4 cups water
Trim the kale of any discolored or damaged leaves, wash in several baths of cold water, and drain. Stack and roll up a few leaves at a time, then slice 1/8 inch thick.Place the onions and oil in a 4-quart saucepan and set over low to medium heat. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are still translucent but firm, about 3 minutes. Add the optional chile flakes and garlic and kale, and stir as it wilts into a heavy mass, about 5 minutes. Add water and cover by 1/2 inch and bring to a simmer. Salt to taste. Cover and simmer until the kale is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Add water if necessary to keep the kale submerged. Taste for salt.
Serve on a thick slice of good toasted bread with a fried egg, if you’d like.
REFLECTING ON THE REFLECTION CIRCLE
Is your mental Dropbox full? Mine is overflowing, and it seems I’m locked out. Bummer.
My friend Paige Appel, who co-founded both the party planning company Bash Please and the boutique Midland, is one of those people who always appears at peace. The lady has a vibe that exudes warmth and positivity with a distinct level of presence. Her demeanor is almost enviable, particularly for a mother of two with a thriving retail business. Recently she started posting on Instagram about her newest venture, Riverbank, which she launched with DryBar co-founder Alli Webb.
Riverbank is positively awash in neutral tones, which instantly instills a sense of calm. It calls itself a “space for spiritual nourishment,” which is to say that they do acupuncture, sound baths, meditation sessions, breathwork, you get the idea. Paige recently invited me to be part of a reflection circle, which she’s been trained to lead. (If you’re not familiar, reflection circles are a place to be still and freely express your joys or stress or whatever you’re presently going at that very moment without judgment or shame.)
Before I had kids, I meditated every day, and I taught yoga for years. But all of that dropped off, and these days, I crave moments when I’m not on information overload, with my mental inbox at zero, so to speak. That’s what this reflection circle has given me: two hours with no devices, and nowhere else to be. It’s inherently restorative.
It’s a rewarding experience that I’ll be doing more frequently, especially seeing as I’m part of what Paige calls a “container,” or a group that participates together regularly to build a deeper level of trust and comfort. These sessions have almost forced me to practice active listening, which I’m really applying to my everyday life and conversations.
SHEDDING THE LAYERS
If we’re going to talk about wellness, we need to talk about one of the layers that often needs a good scrubbing: our skin. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a big fan of a body brushing sesh: Take that dead skin OFF.
I’ve recently become obsessed with several products from OSEA Malibu, especially their Golden Glow Body Trio. It contains a plant-based body brush, their Undaria Algae Body Oil (which I LOVE — it absorbs beautifully and doesn’t have much of a scent) and their Anti-Aging Body Balm that soaks right into my skin to makes it feel soft and supple. I like to give myself a good body brushing at least once a week, and this holy trinity of products always leaves me feeling completely anew.
And guess what, gang? Our friends over at OSEA have offered us a discount: Use the code HIGANG10 for a 10% off your order. Sloughing skills are in your future!
UPCOMING CLASSES & EVENTS
CLASSES
Baking Basics: Simple Summer Cakes
(Ages 10 & up)
Saturday, June 24th
2 to 4 p.m.
@ Valerie Confections Glendale
DETAILS & TICKETS
Stunning Stone Fruit Pies
Saturday, July 29th
2 to 4 p.m.
@ Valerie Confections Glendale
DETAILS & TICKETS
The Big Chill: Mastering Cold Desserts
Saturday, August 26th
2 to 4 p.m.
@ Valerie Confections Glendale
DETAILS & TICKETS
EVENTS
BBQ Bootcamp
October 15th to 18th
@ the Alisal Ranch
1054 Alisal Rd, Solvang, CA 93463
DETAILS AVAILABLE SOON