Here's Exactly What I Cook And Eat While Working From Home

The 30-year-old Nigerian-American grew up in Texas as the oldest of five. At 13, Jazzmine made her first Martha Stewart recipe — and has been cooking ever since. She learned a lot from her maternal grandmother, a classic Southern cook who always hosted Thanksgiving and summer cookouts.

"A few years ago, she passed down to me a huge binder with all the different recipes she used to make or had clipped from different cookbooks and magazines over the years," says Jazzmine. "That's one of my most prized possessions."

I always do a full glass of water with lemon or lime squeezed in. It wakes me up and gives me something to take my vitamins with. I try to drink water as often as I can, and it's been a habit I've had since college. I also don't really drink coffee. Coffee actually makes me a little sleepy!

Pre-pandemic, when I was going into the office, I'd prep frozen smoothie packs at the beginning of the week so I could just toss everything in the blender and put it into a to-go cup. This recipe is one of my favorites. It's really good with cherries, blueberries, and peaches — and it's easy and fast to put together.

I drink the gingerade when I want something flavorful and bubbly. It's actually based on an old family recipe that my dad and uncle still drink as a tea. I wanted to do something fun with the original recipe, so I made a syrup with turmeric and other ayurvedic ingredients. I'll keep it in my fridge and add it to club soda.

I made the spaghetti for dinner the night before. It's baked using the same method my mom used to make lasagna when I was growing up. The base was unboiled lasagna noodles which she would toss into a pan along with sauce and veggies. The steam from the latter cooked everything through.

That's how my spaghetti works, too. It comes out perfectly al dente because it's just sucking in whatever water is in the sauce and veggies, so it doesn't get too mushy.

I want to have something sweet every day, and I'll try to turn to fresh fruit for that. Summer is my favorite season because there's such good produce! I love cherries, but I think plums are my favorite. I'm always on a mission each summer to find really good plums.

In normal times, I don't usually order in as often. But for the past several months, I've tried to make it a point to order from a local restaurant at least once a week because the hospitality industry has been hit really hard.

My evening routine is I turn off all screens, do my skincare routine, and stop eating a few hours before bed. I'll have a drink though — and I'll make this golden milk and honey one when I want to have a really good, deep sleep. The golden color comes from turmeric, and the warm milk base helps relax me. I usually make it in the microwave, but you can also do it on the stovetop really quickly.