An Open Letter to My Children About Emotional Boundaries
A father reflects on emotional boundaries, relationship maturity, and protecting your peace in this open letter to his children about choosing the right life partner.
Embracing Enough: Welcome to Lou LaMedica’s Personal Blog
"Embracing Enough" is my exploration of a life well-lived—where gratitude meets growth. From mindset and parenting to small business insights, easy family recipes, and personal finance, this blog shares practical wisdom on appreciating what we have and finding fulfillment in the everyday.
Featured Posts
I Don’t Recognize America Anymore
A veteran reflects on state power, anonymity, and why America no longer feels like the country he believed in.
Make the Good Stuff Happen Automatically
What if the key to long-term health, savings, and peace of mind isn’t discipline, but removing decisions? A reflection on building a life that works automatically.
52 Weeks Under the Bar: How Strength Training After 50 Changed My Life
A year of small, steady habits transformed my strength at 50. From rowing to barbell training, here’s how I became stronger than I was in my 40s.
Starting Classical Guitar at 48 — Why I’m Learning Something New (and Hard)
At 48 years old, I decided to learn classical guitar — not because I needed another hobby, but because I missed the feeling of being a beginner again.
Living Well Within Our Means
We’ve learned that living well isn’t about having the biggest house or the flashiest things. It’s about shaping what you have into enough, planning with purpose, and choosing experiences that last longer than stuff ever could.
Your Gut Knows the Way
From culinary school to combat zones, parenting through COVID to rebuilding a business—this is the story of trusting my gut when nothing else made sense.
Breadcrumbs for a Life Well Spent
Journaling helps me live with intention. From food to finances to bird calls in the woods, here’s how I track what matters and leave breadcrumbs worth following.
Posts
All
Apple Spice Behind the Scenes
Asian-Inspired
Beans
Books
Breakfast
Business
Grilling
Chautauquas
Coaching
Comfort Food
Communication
Cooking
Emotional Health
Fall Recipes
Family
Gratitude
Grief
Habits
Health
Holiday Traditions
Italian Inspired
Kid Friendly
Kool Collectibles
Leadership
Leftovers Remix
Light Vibes
Meal Prep
Mindset
Music
My Story
Nature
nature
Nostalgia
Parenting
Patience
Personal Finance
Process
Purpose
Quick Meals
Reflections
Sales & Strategy
Sandwiches
Seafood
Seeing People
Slammin’ Sides
Slow Living
Soups
Sports
Sunday Funday
Sweets
Vegetarian
Winter Recipes
A Pulse in the Woods: The Day the Forest Came Alive
A walk in the woods turned into a rare pulse of life. Two days later the same trail was silent again. A reminder that beauty in nature comes and goes on its own terms, which is exactly why I keep showing up.
Santa Fe Chowder (Hominy, Ham, Hatch Chiles & Caballero Beans)
A silky, smoky chowder made with hominy, Caballero beans, honey ham, Hatch chiles, miso, and Liquid Gold. Finished with spinach, heavy cream, and fresh lime juice.
Fall Minestrone Recipe | Cozy, Hearty, Homemade Soup
A rainy Saturday, a full house, and a pot of minestrone built from what was already in the fridge — Caballero beans, mushrooms, spinach, and a good 28-ounce can of tomatoes. This fall version is hearty, deep, and comforting without being heavy. Perfect for when the weather turns and everyone’s coming over.
Fall Hominy Tortilla Soup — A Liquid Gold Leftovers Remix
A comforting tortilla soup layered with fall flavors: hominy, beans, greens, roasted garlic, and a squeeze of lime. Built from leftovers, tastes like you cooked all day.
Liquid Gold Chicken Stock for Flu Season
This is the pot of gold I turn to every winter. A whole chicken, a pile of vegetables, and a slow simmer create the most comforting stock you will ever taste.
Pesto Shrimp with Saffron Hominy Grits and Slow-Simmered Cherry Tomatoes
What happens when shrimp and grits take a trip to Italy: saffron, pesto, and slow-simmered cherry tomatoes meet buttery, comforting hominy.
The Cherry Tomatoes That Upgrade Everything
Soft, simple cherry tomatoes gently simmered in olive oil — an easy way to upgrade beans, grains, vegetables, and everyday meals.
Caballero Bean & Hatch Chile Skillet Hominy
A cozy, fall-ready skillet built from the week’s batch cooking — smoky, hearty, and layered with Hatch chiles, Caballero beans, and a spoonful of leftover tomato sauce. It’s part meal prep, part nostalgia, and 100% comfort.
Braised Red Cabbage with Apples, Bacon & Raisins | Embracing Enough
Sweet, tangy, and buttery — this braised red cabbage with apples and bacon brings color, comfort, and cozy fall flavor to any plate.
Savannah Red Rice with Kielbasa and Crab | Lowcountry Comfort Food
Smoky kielbasa, sweet crab, and heirloom Carolina Gold rice come together in this comforting Savannah red rice — a Lowcountry classic perfect for a cold, windy Fall day. Warm, soulful, and deeply satisfying straight from the Dutch oven.
New Mantra: It’ll Be All Right
While listening to music and thinking through a problem, a quiet phrase came to me: “It’ll be all right. You’re gonna be all right.” A new mantra, born from stillness.
Grace Under Fire: What My Son Taught Me About Composure
When my 12-year-old son faced heckling parents while umpiring a Little League game, he showed me that real composure isn’t about control—it’s about grace, even when others lose theirs.
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