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

Rolling the Curse: The Secret Hand Gesture That Still Haunts Mets Opponents

Jun 11, 2025

Behind home plate at Shea in 1986, a simple fan gesture became something more: a good luck charm, a curse, and a piece of Mets magic. Here’s the story of the rolling hands that still haunt opposing pitchers — and why the tradition lives on today.


Posts

King City Pink Bean Stew with Bacon & Cornbread

Jun 2, 2025

A cozy, one-pot stew featuring Rancho Gordo King City Pink Beans, smoky bacon, roasted garlic, and a surprise slaw topping. Cornbread required.

Tomato Butter Pasta – Soul-Satisfying Comfort Food

May 29, 2025

This tomato butter pasta is the ultimate post-hike comfort food—simple, rich, and satisfying. Make it with homemade sauce or Rao’s in a pinch. Kid-approved and pantry-friendly.

Post-Hike Italian Salad – Fast, Fresh, and Family-Friendly

May 28, 2025

This Post-Hike Italian Salad is crisp, cool, and loaded with fresh flavor—perfect after a long day of travel. Quick to make, kid-approved, and ideal for balancing out a hearty pasta dinner.

Butter-Glazed French Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

May 23, 2025

These butter-glazed French green beans with toasted pine nuts come together in 10 minutes using Better Than Bouillon for rich flavor. An easy, elegant side dish for any meal.

Broccoli Spaghetti with Roasted Garlic Oil & Crispy Breadcrumbs

May 22, 2025

This weeknight broccoli spaghetti is tossed with roasted garlic oil, lemon, Pecorino Romano, and crispy golden breadcrumbs. A pantry-friendly pasta full of flavor and texture.

Roasted Garlic Black Bean Soup with Lime – Cozy, Hearty, and Vegetarian

May 21, 2025

This roasted garlic black bean soup is rich, smoky, and finished with a bright squeeze of lime. A cozy vegetarian recipe that’s perfect for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and even better with toppings like crema, avocado, and crispy tortilla strips.

Crispy Quesadillas with Purple Rain Slaw & Pickled Jalapeños

May 20, 2025

These crispy quesadillas are filled with melty cheese, tangy purple cabbage slaw, and diced pickled jalapeños for the perfect balance of crunch, heat, and creaminess. A bold vegetarian side or main that pairs perfectly with black bean soup.

Leah Stayed: Poisonwood Bible Reflections

May 19, 2025

A reflection on Leah’s journey in The Poisonwood Bible and how open-mindedness, cross-cultural connection, and being willing to be changed can reshape our lives. Featuring wisdom from Anatole, a personal story from Korea, and a Beatles lyric that ties it all together.

Your Gut Knows the Way

May 17, 2025

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.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Roma Tomato Pico & Homemade Oven-Fried Shells

May 17, 2025

These crispy black bean tacos are stuffed with creamy mashed beans, zippy Roma tomato pico, and a drizzle of hot sauce—all tucked into oven-baked taco shells made right on the rack. Simple, bold, and unbelievably good.

Steel-Cut Oats with Applesauce, Maple Syrup & Pine Nuts

May 16, 2025

A cozy, grown-up take on apple cinnamon oatmeal—steel-cut oats with applesauce, maple syrup, and toasted pine nuts. Comfort in a bowl, ready in 10 minutes with an overnight soak.

Hatch Green Chile Egg Salad on Toasted Milk Bread

May 15, 2025

A creamy, smoky twist on classic egg salad—made with Hatch green chile sauce, lemon-marinated red onions, and fresh tarragon. Served on toasted Japanese milk bread for the ultimate sandwich upgrade.