• Home
  • Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides and Snacks
    • Appetizers
    • Soups
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
  • Leftover Creations
  • About
  • Ulcerative Colitis
    • Health Updates
    • Ulcerative Colitis Confessions
Meg is Well

About

Hi, I’m Megan Wells. Food, photography, and writing is how I deal with life’s struggles (aka ulcerative colitis). But chocolate always helps too! I like to create food that I crave, that inspires me, that makes me feel better, and that gathers people around the table. Sometimes I do slow and elaborate recipes and other times I do quick and easy. I’m also a big fan of leftovers.

Ulcerative colitis can be an extremely isolating disease. This blog started as a way for me to navigate the struggles of having ulcerative colitis and to feel less isolated with the world around me.

I’m always having to adjust what I eat and sometimes food can be a little scary. I’ve gone through many ups and downs with my health since being diagnosed but my love for good food has kept me positive and ready to tackle whatever comes next.

While I mostly focus on food, occasionally I give health updates that focus on my struggles with ulcerative colitis and food.

Foodie With a J-Pouch

In May of 2016, I finally made the decision to have my entire colon removed. For three months I lived with a stoma. In August, I had my ileostomy take down surgery and am now adjusting to living with a j-pouch. This marks a new beginning for me and the blog so we’ll see where I’ll end up!

Thanks for reading!

Read more about my ulcerative colitis journey here:

My UC Story

My UC Story: Part I – The Beginning

My UC Story: Part II – Diagnoses and Adjustment

My UC Story: Part III – Good News – Bad News…

My UC Story: Part IV – The Verdict and Remission

My UC Story: Part V – The Second Flare

My UC Story: Part VI – A Stay in the Hospital, Moving On, and Hello ER Again

Health Update: Flare #4

Read more about the surgeries I’ve gone through here:

How Loosing My Colon is a Transformation and Not a Loss

Endurance 

Recovering from Pain and Standing in the Sun

Hello!

I’m Megan Wells. Food, photography, and writing is how I deal with life’s struggles (aka ulcerative colitis). But chocolate always helps too! Read more…

Get weekly email updates

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Follow Me On Pinterest!

Instagram with me

  • I’ve been inactive for a long time. My Granddad was in the hospital for a while and there was nothing doctors could do. He passed away on March 25th. ⠀
⠀
Throughout the whole experience, I baked like crazy to distract and comfort myself. ⠀
⠀
But there was a void where my words usually flow, an emotional blockage. And I began to experience a social media existential crisis. ⠀
⠀
I couldn’t write or share or blog or be on social media. It felt stupid, like I was betraying my Granddad and the pain he and my family was in.⠀
⠀
I knew that blockage would stay until I wrote about my Granddad and what he meant to me, how I’m experiencing his loss, and the power and comfort of creativity.⠀
⠀
So my March 2018 reflections are just that and I’ve put the link in my profile if you’d like to read the whole post. ⠀
⠀
It took me a while to write because it felt like my final goodbye. I kept stalling because I didn’t want to say goodbye. But I need to remember that he lives on and that with each goodbye, there is a hello. ⠀
⠀
My Granddad would have rocked Instagram by the way. He was a creative guy, something I am extremely grateful for right now. As a hobbyist woodworker and photographer, his work feels like an extension of him.⠀
⠀
Just as creativity helped me through the knowledge that he was going to die, his creativity comforts me now that he’s gone. ⠀
⠀
He’s all around me. He’s in the shelves that hold my photography props, the wooden rack where our ceramic mugs hang, cleverly crafted Christmas reindeer and ornaments, and precious toddler sized rocking chairs.⠀
⠀
When I see his work, it feels like a big warm hello and hug.⠀
⠀
#loss #grief #reflections #quotestoliveby #monthlyreflections
  • I promised I'd share the recipe for this in my stories, so here you go. This Mint Mojito Irish Coffee combines two San Francisco classics, a Philz Coffee Mint Mojito and a Buena Vista Irish Coffee—into one fabulous drink.

I'm treating myself to one tonight and maybe a couple tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day 🍀

What are you drinking tonight and tomorrow?

Ingredients

heavy cream, to top	
7 to 10 drops of peppermint extract (optional)	
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
10 mint leaves	
2.5 ounces very hot brewed coffee	
1.5-ounces whiskey 
Instructions

Put the heavy cream into a glass or stainless steel bowl, add the peppermint extract, and whip it using a handheld mixer with the whisk attachment until it has thickened but is still pourable. If you happen to whip it too much (me!), just stir in some fresh cream until it’s pourable again. Set aside. 
Zap your glass in the microwave until it’s hot to the touch. This helps keep your drink warm because both the whiskey and cream are cold. 
Place the sugar in the glass. Toss the mint leaves in and muddle the mint into the sugar until the aromas have released and the leaves look bruised and wet. 
Pour the hot coffee in and stir until the sugar is dissolved. 
Add the whiskey and stir. 
Slowly pour the whipped heavy cream over the back of a spoon, holding it so it's right above the coffee. The goal is to float the cream on top of the coffee. Serve.
  • How many of you could use one good day, where you catch up on everything and get a little ahead in life🙋‍♀️?⠀
⠀
6 days have gone by again since the last post 😩. I meant to follow up on my Instagram stories where I told everyone about my Monthy Health Reflections I've been doing on my blog. ⠀
⠀
Thank you so much to everyone who responded to them so warmly. It really gave me all the feels ❤️⠀
⠀
I had debated whether or not to share them at all on Instagram but here I am, sharing February's 2018 Reflections mid-March.⠀
⠀
February was a hard month for me. It’s so short and all those shiny new 2018 goals suddenly seem unreachable. 
And those feelings are trying their best to sneak into March. Work, a stomach bug this weekend, a loud barking dog keeping me up at night, daylight savings time....it's all made it even harder to play catch-up. ⠀
⠀
So it seems appropriate to reflect once again on what I wrote in February. I spent a lot of time last month thinking about physical and emotional barriers, feeling depression and anger over the Florida shootings, and realizing that scars and wrinkles are everything that you should want in a life well lived. ⠀
⠀
At a 30th birthday party, someone asked what I felt when I turned the big 3-0. And I was a little surprised at my answer. ⠀
⠀
I responded without thinking: “I felt grateful”. ⠀
⠀
I was grateful to be alive, to be out of the hospital, to be able to spend the day in San Francisco walking my feet off and getting completely roasted at a piano bar. Because honestly, there were a couple of precarious moments in 2016 where I questioned whether I was going to be able to make it to my 30th birthday.⠀
⠀
I'm glad I remembered that feeling of gratitude. Because getting old is a privilege. ⠀
⠀
Flip through the images to read my thoughts on the privilege of scars and wrinkles or search "2018 February reflections meg is well" to read the full post on my blog. I've also left the link in my profile @megiswell. ⠀
  • And FINALLY (sorry for the delay), the spring rolls. Have you ever tried brown rice spring roll wrappers? I actually really like them. Especially when they're stuffed with Stir-Fried Mushrooms, cucumber sticks, dandelion greens, and cilantro.⠀
⠀
The dipping sauce is a typical Vietnamese mix of fish sauce, coconut sugar, vinegar, crushed garlic, and Thai red chilies. The recipe link is in my profile @megiswell if you want to put some spring in your step 😉⠀
⠀
In other news, I also finally got my February Health Update published on my blog. Check out my stories to see what that's all about and help me decide how to best share that content here ❤️⠀
⠀
#thatspringfeeling #springrolls #easymeals #vietnamesespringrolls #mushroomlove #feedfeed @thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #thekitchn #cookCL #f52grams #eattheworld #huffposttaste #foodwinewomen #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #foodphotography #bhgfood #saveurmag #marthafood #mycommontable #onmytable #bareaders #theartofslowliving #realsimple #mywilliamssonoma #megiswell ⠀
  • The spring rolls have been on the blog since last Tuesday 🙄🙈 (the recipe link is in my profile @megiswell). But I had to do a prep photo today because I'm still loving moody mushrooms and baking sheets. ⠀
⠀
These Stir-Fried Mushrooms with Garlic and Ginger are in the spring rolls AND on top of the congee a couple of posts ago. Because I love them and they're fast.⠀
⠀
I know I've been really sporadic lately on Instagram. I'm trying to get the hang of posting at different times than I'm used to. ⠀
⠀
But are any of you social butterflies at certain times of the day and solitary hermits at others? Can you guess which one I am?⠀
⠀
#mushroomlove #springrolls #stirfry #quickmeal ⠀
#feedfeed @thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #thekitchn #f52grams #eattheworld #mywilliamssonoma #cookit #foodwinewomen #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodphotography #saveurmag #marthafood #mycommontable #onmytable #tastemade #instafeast #bareaders #vscofood #vscocook #theartofslowliving #realsimple #megiswell
  • Give me all the green. Cilantro, dandelion greens, and cucumbers all laid out for stuffing into spring rolls.⠀
⠀
It's amazing how a little rain can make everything seem more green and fresh.⠀
⠀
I'm just going to listen to the rain and hopefully get some work done.⠀
⠀
#green #eatyourgreens #springfeeling #feedfeed @thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #cookCL #f52grams #eattheworld #huffposttaste #yahoofood #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #foodstyling #foodphotography #foodblogeats #bhgfood #saveurmag #marthafood #mycommontable #instafeast #bareaders #vscofood #vscocook #theartofslowliving #rslove #realsimple #megiswell
  • I got this Brown Rice Mushroom Congee with Sardines published on the blog Friday. I've included both slow cooker and stovetop instructions. So if you want to wake up to this in the morning for breakfast or start it before you go to work, you can.⠀
⠀
Instead of using water, I made a quick and easy 5-minute dashi broth with dried kombu and bonito flakes. It really ups the smokey fish flavor. ⠀
⠀
Toppings included are some 10 minute Stir-Fried Mushrooms with Garlic and Ginger, a ramen egg, fried shallots, and some sliced green onions. Recipe link is in my profile @megiswell 😊
⠀
#brownrice #congee #sardines #porridge #breakfasttime #breakfastlover #foodprepping #putaneggonit #ramenegg #mushroomlove #pescetarian #seafoodlover #feedfeed @thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #cookCL #f52grams #eattheworld #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #saveurmag #mycommontable #bareaders #vscocook #theartofslowliving #megiswell #proteinbowl
  • Just a slice...yeah right 😂 ⠀
⠀
Sometimes Thursdays need cake.⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
#bourbon #oldfashioned #upsidedowncake #orange #wintercitrus #kentuckybuttercake #pokecake #desserttime #thebakefeed #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed #cakesofinstagram #letthemeatcake #imsomartha #marthabakes #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #saveurmag #mycommontable #bareaders #vscocook #theartofslowliving #realsimple #megiswell⠀
  • I'm not sure how I let 6 days go before posting again. I always feel like I just posted...until I actually look 🤦‍♀️
⠀
This Brown Rice Mushroom Congee with Sardines is all ready to go but today I'm going to see if it can be done in the slow cooker. Because I need more recipes that I can just leave alone. ⠀

#congee #porridge #jook #brownrice #sardines #stirfry #mushrooms #eatmoremagic #abmfoodie #eatprettythings #shareyourtable #mywilliamssonoma #kitchenbowl #eattheworld #food52 #hautecuisines #saveurmag #nytcooking #epicurious #feedfeed @thefeedfeed #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #cookCL #lifeandthyme #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #foodphotography #mycommontable #bareaders #theartofslowliving #megiswell
  • Yay!!! I finally got this Bourbon Old Fashioned Upside Down Cake on the blog!⠀
⠀
It's a delicious⠀
⠀
...Kentucky Butter Cake that's baked in a sheet pan instead of a bundt pan⠀
⠀
...Baked as an upside down cake to showcase the delicious winter oranges from my tree in the backyard⠀
⠀
...It's also a poke cake. I grew up serving Kentucky Butter Cake with a hot butter sauce. I added some orange juice, bourbon, orange bitters, and Angostura Bitters to it though to make this cake taste like an Old Fashioned 🥃⠀
⠀
Go check out the recipe (the link's in my profile 👉 @megiswell ) oh and have an old fashioned too 🥃 they’re 👌 together ❤️⠀
⠀
#thebakefeed #thefeedfeedbaking @thefeedfeed.baking  #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed #oranges #bourbon #oldfashioned #kentuckybuttercake #cakesofinstagram #letthemeatcake #imsomartha #marthabakes #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed #heresmyfood @food #eattheworld #cookit #lifeandthyme #beautifulcuisines #hautecuisines #wprecipemaker #foodstyling #foodphotography #bhgfood #saveurmag #mycommontable #bareaders #vscocook #theartofslowliving #rslove #realsimple #megiswell⠀

Get Social

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Ulcerative Colitis

Affiliate Disclosure

I use affiliate links throughout this site—usually at the bottom of each post but sometimes within the content as well—and may make a commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full Disclosure Policy.

Copyright 2018 Meg is Well | Site design handcrafted by Station Seven