Welcome to
Raíces & Returnings
Returning to your raíces – one recipe, ritual,
and reflection at a time
A space for the stories we carry, the ones we're still learning how to tell, and the ones we're finally ready to live.
Here, you'll find reflections on identity, queerness, healing, spirituality, and home. You'll find recipes passed down and reimagined. You'll find reminders—written and wearable—that speak to the parts of you still becoming.
This isn't a brand.
It's our life—offered with intention.
With love,Oly & Ashley
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Raíces & Returnings
New reflections. New recipes. Same corazón. Catch the latest stories, kitchen moments, and real talk—straight from us to you. Scroll through, click around, stay a while.
What Does Belonging Really Mean?
What Does Belonging Really Mean?Book club the other night.We were talking about Brené Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection.Shame.Perfectionism.The loops we get stuck in.And then—belonging.A prompt was given regarding belonging.And before I knew it, the words came out of my mouth:What is belonging?Who actually feels like they belong anywhere?I wasn’t saying it from pity.Not from victimhood.Just truth.The truth that most days—I don’t know if I belong anywhere.Not fully.I’ve had moments.Glimpses.Places, people, flashes of time—but not a steady, whole-bodied belonging.And here’s the wild part:it’s not even about rejection.No one’s pushing me out.Still, in the middle of the circle,I find myself feeling like I don’t belong.One of the women suddenly said:“Not feeling like you belong anywhere is a shame response.”And damn…I think she’s right.Because how many times have I felt awkward in a room,out of place in a conversation—and my immediate conclusion is:I don’t belong here.Who told me that belonging had to mean perfect ease?Who told me that the second discomfort shows up, belonging leaves the room?The more I think about it—maybe “I don’t belong” has been one of my protectors.A way to run before rejection has the chance to catch me.A shield I throw up when I’m uncomfortable,so I don’t have to risk the possibility of being unwanted.And yet—there’s another part of me.The part that believes belonging can be bliss.The part that whispers there is a placewhere connection doesn’t break,authenticity isn’t rationed,and relationship is the air you breathe.Call it heaven.Call it eternity.Call it whatever you want.But my spirit believes in a belonging that doesn’t fracture.A belonging that nothing can take away.So maybe both are true.Maybe shame convinces me I don’t belong here. Maybe Spirit reminds me I belong to something bigger.And maybe the work is learning how to hold both. To keep showing up in imperfect spaces, while still longing for the daywhen belonging will feel like bliss.So I’ll leave you with this:When you feel like you don’t belong, why is that?Who gave you your definition of belonging?Is it actually yours?And do you still want to carry it?Or is it time to rewrite what belonging means for you?With love,ADL
Quick Grass-Fed Beef Tacos
(Simple, delicious, and made unforgettable by the magic sauce)Some nights we don’t feel like cooking much… but we still want to eat really well.These tacos are my perfect go-to: made with grass-fed ground beef, gluten-free tortillas (because we’re taking care of ourselves), and a homemade sauce with attitude that takes everything to the next level.✨ Ready in 15 minutes. Full of flavor. No fuss.Ingredients:½ pound grass-fed ground beefGluten-free tortillas (corn or cassava)Salt, black pepper, garlic powder to tasteOnion (if you have some—it adds great flavor)Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)For the magic sauce:1 tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream1 tsp sriracha1 garlic clove, grated or finely choppedBlack pepper to tasteHow to make it:Cook the beef:In a skillet with a bit of oil, start by sautéing the onion (if using) until soft and fragrant.Add the ground beef, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and cook over medium-high heat until browned and juicy.Make the magic sauce:In a small bowl, mix the mayo (or sour cream), sriracha, grated garlic, and black pepper.Stir until creamy and flavorful.✨ This sauce is the game changer.Assemble your tacos:Warm up the tortillas, spoon in a generous amount of beef, sprinkle some Parmesan (if you want), and finish with your magic sauce on top.✨ And just like that… dinner is served.In under 15 minutes, you’ve got tacos that don’t apologize for being simple.Because when the ingredients are good… simple is more than enough.
