Welcome to the weekend! I hope that you’re getting some relaxation and rest. I have been feeling a bit off and like I’m coming down with something the last few days, so will try to keep it quick today. It’s our nephew’s birthday party this weekend, and a record player stand that I ordered finally came in for pickup. If I’m still feeling icky, I’ll be staying home though. Not gonna be spreading sickness if I can help it!
We saw The Book of Mormon on tour this week and enjoyed a little Toronto day. It was a great time even though it always feels weird to do things like this during the week. the weather has been so dreary and wet around here, so a little weekday fun was just the thing. Big time January blahs! When we get into this stretch of winter, I really try to maximize the sunshine days and also just bump up the cozy vibes at home. Sending my best for a nice weekend! Be well ♥️
5 Things I’m Reading:
- How to Exercise When It Feels Impossible
- Confessions of a Recovering Forager
- It’s too easy to delete things
- How to be alone with your thoughts
- Restoring Ontario’s lost grasslands is as important as planting trees
5 Things I’m Enjoying:
- Loved reading the responses to this Reddit post about eating vegetables on vacation.
- Sipped on this non alcoholic Fin Soda Aperitivo when we dined out recently. One of the better NA drinks I’ve had! Super complex. 100% tasted like the real thing!
- We ripped through Fargo Season 5 so fast. Jennifer Jason Leigh chews up every dang scene.
- Hoping to rent Feeding Tomorrow this weekend.
- These sweet potato chips are so crispy, cruncy, and perfectly seasoned. My latest snack fave!
5 Questions:
- I am trying to cut out dairy at my doctor’s recommendation. What do you use for the cheeses on homemade pizza?
I have been eating dairy-free pizza for so long that I honestly just enjoy it with sauce and veggies, olives, basil etc–ie no vegan cheese replacements. I do not like 98% of the vegan cheeses out there that are sold as mozzarella/pizza options. The texture is always off! My standards are admittedly sky high though. The only one that has a good texture and is actually palatable in my opinion is Miyoko’s mozzarella–it has that rich/silky quality and great flavour. Here in Canada, we have this excellent “goat” style cheese called Veg Nature that I quite enjoy sliced and broken up on a pizza. I always top the finished pizza with a sprinkle of my vegan parm as well. - What air fryer do you have and do you recommend it?
I have an old Instant Pot Vortex and the Wonder Oven (with air fryer function) by Our Place. Both are good! The Instant Pot one is more powerful than the Wonder Oven’s air fryer function. But the Wonder oven does more things, is smaller, cuter, and has an all stainless steel interior, which I appreciate. If I was buying a new air fryer today, I’d be looking at the models with ceramic coatings. - What’s your hair routine?
I only wash my hair once or twice a week with either Rahua’s hydration duo or La Biosthetique’s Long Hair shampoo and conditioner. For curly styling, I use LB’s long hair leave-in, Rahua’s control cream, and scrunch in this gel by Innersense. I apply all products to soaking wet hair and let it air dry for when I’m going curly. If I style it straight, I usually opt for leave-in conditioner only and let it air dry for the most part. Then finish with a dryer and round brush plus flat iron if necessary. I’ll rub a few drops of this hair polish through and be good to go! - What do you think of the veggie chopper that everyone is using these days?
I’ve seen it on YouTube and it does look fun to use! I used to be so serious about cooking and would be dismissive of gadgets like this. Of course a sharp chef’s knife can get this job done, but this admittedly looks way faster. Also, if it helps people to cook more at home and feel less intimidated by the cooking process, I am all for it. My motto for 2024 is “let them,” and this extends to letting people enjoy their kitchen gadgets! - How did you get into food/recipe content creation?
I started this blog in 2011 as a hobby and creative outlet after finishing culinary school and working in restaurants. It was just a fun thing to work on and express myself with! This was what feels like a lifetime ago when food blogs were really starting to ramp up and be a presence online. I kept working in restaurants and maintaining this website on the side. Then social media came into the picture a bit more and eventually I published a cookbook in 2017. Instagram was photo-centric at this time and I was lucky to have a lot of success with the platform before it was sold to Meta. Around that time, I started focusing solely on my website and social media content as a job. These days, I’ve kind of re-focused on my website/email list and much less on social media. I just don’t personally find Reels/TikTok and Instagram Stories to be very interesting anymore and as a result, I’m less inclined to build content around those platforms. There’s a lot of “sameness” in the feed. It honestly feels like the era of the influencer is changing and becoming less… influential I guess? I think people are much more savvy now and can detect when an influencer’s enthusiasm is purely motivated by monetary gain and the acquisition of followers. I think my age and time in the online content world is impacting my perspective though. Would love to read folks’s thoughts in the comments about this!
Totally addicted to Wingspan. The expansions are fun and really add to the game. The best part is seeing a random bird, calling it by a name I can remember just to make my husband laugh. Love your recipes, consistency and helpful thoughts.
Hi Laura
I, too, look forward to your weekly email. My husband and I are trying out vegetarian/vegan and your recipes make it so much easier and tastier to do so. So, thank you for that!
I can’t find Miyoko’s cheeses anywhere. Where are you finding it? I am in southwestern Ontario.
As we’re talking about social media – I eschewed it all several years ago and my nervous system thanks me. I have 2 blogs on Substack; this is also where I read others’ writing. It’s so much more meaningful than social posts.
Hi Dana! I’ve been able to buy Miyoko’s at a local health food store for the last couple of years. Might be worth calling around to see if an independent health food store near you carries it! I believe that they sell Miyoko’s at Loblaws owned stores as well. I’ve seen their products at my local Zehrs a number of times.
-L
I really miss the days before social media became such a big thing. I loved reading blogs (still do!), and feel like many people left blogging for Instagram. I liked Instagram a lot before it became so overloaded with ads and influencers and the algorithm. I like connecting with people online who have similar interests and experiences as I do. There are some boundaries I have that have helped me continue to enjoy Instagram. I’m pretty ruthless about keeping my following list small (under 30) and I NEVER scroll through the posts Instagram thinks I’ll like. I also refuse to add any other social media apps. Most of the people I follow don’t do any affiliate links or sponsored posts. I’m part of the sewing community and the cancer (patient/survivor) community online, and I find both of those to be spaces where people seem really authentic and present with the goal of support/connection rather than making money or gaining followers. I hope it stays that way. I am super grateful for the connections I’ve found in these communities through Instagram that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
I love Saturday Sun ☀️
are you playing Wingspan?!? The details and beauty of this game are something else!! Board games like this are such a lovely thing to sink into.
Happy weekend. Feel better.
Agree with you 100% about the changes in social media. I’ve been following you since the very beginning, and the last year or two of social media really has me longing for the good old days of blogs and google reader. I just don’t find it useful, relevant, or of benefit in my life. That’s why I love your newsletter. I still want to read what people are writing. It feels like a good time to step back and lean into the forms of communication that feel meaningful and sustainable. For everyone else with their TikTok’s and their reels… “let them” :)
I’ve deleted all my social media accounts in the past few years – just didn’t feel as though they were serving me and allowing me to live in the present. And Instagram, especially, just feels like an e-commerce platform. Anyway, in their place, I’ve really been leaning into reading blogs and newsletters! I always enjoy your Saturday Sun and read it every week.
“Let them.” Wow — I love this. How did you come to this phrase as your motto for 2024?
hope that you’re feeling better and are able to enjoy the weekend! just popping in to say that after reading your notes about buying a rice cooker, i bit the bullet and bought one. i admittedly love to collect a small kitchen appliance and my husband groans a bit about it due to space…but we eat grains so often that i had been thinking on it for a while. we also got a zojirushi and o. m. g. this thing is life changing and so convenient! you certainly ~influenced~ me with this purchase and i’m so grateful for your review giving me the little nudge i needed.
also glad to see that you and your partner are enjoying wingspan. we got it around this time last year and recently added one of the expansions to our collection. such a fun game! happy weekend-ing!
This Saturday email is one of the things I look forward to every week. I appreciate your perspective and your thoughts. Your recipes are wonderful. Hope you feel better soon.
Agree.. this email is the one I read week in and week out. Recipes are fantastic and I also agree about social media. I used to love twitter and instagram. Now check them rarely and only people I follow. It’s sad as I used to love the beauty of instagram photos. It was a profusion of art to enjoy and be inspired by. Now…$$$
Have you tried the Atypique non alcoholic spritz? Also from Quebec. It’s the one that scratches the itch for me. The bitterness is perfect. The rest of the flavours are marginal but the spritz is stellar and half the calories of the one you trued. I haven’t found the one you listed in Nova Scotia yet but I’ll keep my eyes out for it. Love the weekly round up I always click on every link!