I needed a refresh. After writing my previous “List” two weeks ago—normally one of my very favorite things to write— I went on a walk with Jonah and remember comparing myself to a sponge. I was trying to soak up every bit of inspiration I could, to wring quality recommendations out, but I didn’t feel full at all. Turns out a short break from “The List,” a vacation, and seeing the team in person last week (!) was exactly what I needed to come back brimming with inspiration. During my time off the column, I dove into new recipes, made my way through a small pile of books, and have so much to share. I am, I guess you could say, a very full sponge. Below’s a sliver of my media and cooking “diet” from the past week, plus a few recs I particularly loved, of course!
- The first few chapters of Persuasian by Jane Austen, read by Cynthia Erivo on Spotify
- I completed this thoughtfully put-together “Me-est Me” journal
- Half of Liane Moriarty’s novels, and counting (what can I say, I’m hooked!)
- This Green Goddess Dressing and cashew-basil pesto (which I’d completely forgotten I love until we got an herb-packed CSA) and this dill dressing, but with basil!
- Two episodes of “Ginny and Georgia”
- Killing It by Camas Davis (interesting meditation on what it means to eat meat responsibly, from a Portland-based butcher and food writer)
- ‘Happily’ with Kerry Bishé and Joel McHale (strange concept with an excellent cast)
In Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years, Dannie has planned her life to a tee. In five years, she and her (by then) husband will live in an apartment off of Gramercy Park, and she’ll be partner at her law firm. Everything’s going as planned, except for the fact that she can’t shake a hyper-realistic dream she had the night of her engagement. In it, she was in an apartment in Dumbo, wildly in love with someone not her fiancé, and happy, exactly five years later. Flash-forward four and a half years, and Dannie’s exactly on track for her plan—so how does she end up with this mystery man? What I anticipated being a wildly predictable book (which is literally the point), instead proved itself to be an inventive take on a smart premise, and the perfect thing to read on vacation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2091t8zCvE
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Shrill” is brilliant and Aidy Bryant is a national treasure, and should be revered as such. Every season touches on larger topics—body shaming, white feminism—and this season (the final season!) deftly navigates journalistic integrity and racism when Aidy’s character, Annie, writes an article that inadvertently gives a racist separatist movement a platform. You can watch it on Hulu now!
P.S., I’ve become a super-fan of Patti Harrison, who plays a hilariously snarky office assistant on Shrill, and was in the recent movie ‘Together Together.’ Excited she landed this NYT profile!
You know those New York Times “Food” comments where the person comes in to say, “I skipped the flour, swapped the apples with artichoke, and halved the sugar. Why didn’t my Apple Pie turn out like the photos??” I felt like that person, defiling Tieghan Gerard’s Cinnamon Swirl Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins, but I had to. The day before Jonah and I left for a week-long trip, we had a rotting banana, soft apple, and crate of blackberries that no way were going to make it ’til we got back. After a quick online search, I settled on throwing the motley crew into Tieghan’s muffins, halving the sugar, and skipping the jam. See how things could have gone south? But here’s the thing: They came out beautifully: Moist from the Greek yogurt, just sweet enough from the streusel top, and simple enough that the fruit shined. We froze most of them, and took the rest for an airport breakfast. We’ve since dubbed them “Kitchen Sink Muffins,” for their versatility and ability to take on seemingly any fruit! I’ll be making them anytime something is on the edge…
1. Cookie dough that’s kind of healthy? Yes please! (Found this through my friend Priyanka, whose simple, brilliant newsletter you should subscribe to.)
2. I love the warm, approachable charm of this Michigan home.
3. This apron is gorgeous and is inspired by the founder’s Korean heritage.
4. Summer short outfit ideas (yes, please!).
5. “Cup of Jo” (one of my very favorite blogs) is also a fan of one of my favorite conversation starters!
6. Did anyone else listen to Dax Shepard interview Prince Harry on “Armchair Expert”? There were some one-liners by zero-censor-Dax that I’m still laughing about.
7. My mom would like you all to know that she came up with this idea thirty years ago.
8. I’m not a bath person, nor do I have $130 to spend on bath oil, but if I was… how beautiful is this?
9. Jonah and I just adopted our block—consider adopting yours!
10. Cadence is an interesting idea for packing beauty for travel.
11. Might have to make a trip to the Bay Area for this new AAPI, woman-owned wine.
12. I had no idea that chiropractors don’t hold MDs until a friend told me… (Just me?)
13. Recently came across the most gorgeous online design store. One of everything, please.
14. I took this pilates class from Well+Good recently and loved it!
15. How cool is this phone case, where you can add bespoke shells? (Spotted on Katy Bellotte‘s Instagram.)
16. Someone recently asked in the feedback form what app I use to find concerts (now that shows are booking for fall), and figured I’d share here: We use Songkick!
