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.
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
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.
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.
How I’m Going to Teach My Kids to Drive (Assume Everyone Else Is an Idiot)
Driving is the most dangerous daily task. These seven driving commandments will help new drivers stay safe, avoid accidents, and keep their insurance rates low.
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
NJ Health Salad; Tangy Foil for Every Meal
A crisp, sweet, and tangy chopped salad that tastes like the American cousin of the pickles you find on Asian tables. Bright, refreshing, and the perfect foil for rich or heavy meals. Keeps well for days and upgrades almost anything you serve it with.
Pepperoncini–Balsamic Pot Roast (Italian Beef–Inspired)
A Chicago-inspired pot roast with pepperoncini, balsamic, and deep beef flavor — slow cooked until the meat is tender and the sauce sings.
Tortellini en Brodo (Using Liquid Gold)
A warm, cozy bowl of tortellini simmered in Liquid Gold—simple, soothing, and exactly what you want on a chilly night.
Pork Adovado (For the Best Breakfast Burritos of Your Life)
Deep, rich pork adovado made with ancho and guajillo chiles, chipotle–mango purée, and homemade chicken stock. Slow-braised until tender and perfect for freezing. The ultimate base for the best breakfast burritos.
Shrimp with Mango Chipotle Sauce
A fast, sweet heat shrimp dish tossed in a silky mango chipotle sauce. Bright, bold, and ready in minutes. Perfect for rice bowls, weeknights, and anyone who loves big flavor with no fuss.
Pesto Butter Pasta with Slow-Simmered Cherry Tomatoes
A warm bowl of angel hair tossed with pesto butter and topped with sweet slow-simmered cherry tomatoes — simple, glossy, and deeply comforting.
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.
Sweet Pepper, Chicken and Farro Soup
A silky, comforting chicken soup made with sweet pepper purée, Liquid Gold, farro, parmesan rind, spinach, and a splash of balsamic. Finished with cherry tomato oil, this bowl delivers chicken-noodle comfort with deeper, richer flavor.
Pastina with Liquid Gold | Comforting Acini di Pepe Recipe
A warm, silky bowl of pastina cooked in Liquid Gold — the simple comfort our grandmother made when we were kids, still carrying that same quiet healing today.
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.
Made with Bullet