A world where there are Octobers
It's a special month, always
For the first Monday in a long time, I’m writing this from my kitchen island with a mug of coffee next to me. My next flight is more than a month away and I’m really happy to be home for a bit (aside from a few quick, local trips coming up). The weather is beautiful, the leaves are changing, and candles are making the apartment feel oh so cozy. This time last year, I was frantically searching for an apartment and traveling to attend three weddings. I know life never really calms down, but we just resigned our lease and it feels good.
Last week was a whirlwind of celebration for Meal Prep Made Simple, with both in person and virtual gatherings. It meant a lot for people to show up for us and I’m so thankful (and also really tired, so let’s dive in).
On Thursday, I’m sharing a recipe for jam margaritas and an entertaining tip you might not expect (it involves watching tv).
Something to cook:
I was really looking forward to cooking as soon as I got back from LA and I got right to it. I made a quesadilla with refried beans for lunch and pasta with vodka sauce (I love Grossy Pelosi’s recipe and I use one can of coconut milk instead of the cream) and roasted broccoli with nutritional yeast for dinner.
Erica and I hosted a celebration of Meal Prep Made Simple at her apartment and we cooked up a storm, adapting some recipes from the book to be party snacks. We made the trail mix cookies slightly smaller, scaled up the yogurt flatbreads and cut them into wedges for dipping, and batched up the grapefruit mint cooler and served it with tequila. Erica arranged everything on a beautiful board, Gotham Greens sent their fabulous pesto and dips (the spinach artichoke dip is so good baked with cheese), and Spring & Mulberry provided sweet party favors.
Yesterday, we had a Zoom celebration in the form of a meal prep class that left me stocked up for the week. Some highlights: my favorite kale salad with roasted grapes, pumpkin muffins, baked potatoes with scallion sour cream, and chili! Our next public meal prep class will be in early 2023, I’ll share details here of course!
Something to order:
I rarely go out for brunch but I do love a special breakfast. Dale has been known to go on early runs and come back with breakfast burritos or bagels for us and it is just lovely. This week, we had chipotle black bean burritos from the West and bagels from Bagelsmith, the tastes of home.
Rubirosa is famous for its tie dye pizza with vodka sauce and pesto and now you can get the vodka sauce at home. I attended the launch event for their sauce line, which includes vodka sauce, marinara, and olive oil and the snacks were top notch, including mini mozzarella sticks with both vodka and marinara sauces.
Frida and I had an errands hang, one of my favorite kind of hangs. We got pre errand snacks at Patty Haus (the callaloo patty was so good) and post errand drinks at Super Power.
Something to read:
The Rubirosa sauce launch is part of a trend among Italian restaurants
How adorable are these chocolate “mushroom” buns?
Love to see romance authors mobilizing for reproductive rights
What it’s like to travel as fat queer Black woman
One of my favorite podcasts, Food Heaven, is doing a series on burnout and it is great so far. Start here.
How to make restaurant quality brussels sprouts at home
The number of people in NYC shelters hits the highest number in decades. Housing is a human right!!
The Nap Bishop Is Spreading the Good Word: Rest
Meet seven women working to make space for themselves in California’s male-dominated wine industry. I met Megan Bell from Margins a few years ago at an event and she’s great.
What “take care of yourself” means during a crisis
Secret menu hacks can be such a pain for Starbucks workers
If you live somewhere with a lawn, leave the leaves!
What Was the Point of Mexican Week on 'The Great British Baking Show?'
Meet the person who writes those wild 'Selling Sunset' songs
This week, I’m curious about what your favorite month of the year is. Today’s subject line comes from the Ann of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, the full line is, “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Reply to this email with your top choice and I’ll share the responses next week.
xo, Abigail