We’re in for a rainy and drizzly weekend here. My partner and I are visiting a brewery for a little dinner tonight and I’m meeting a friend for coffee tomorrow morning. Aside from that, I’m hoping to squeeze in some yard cleanup (it never ends haha), will definitely be watching the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and maybe we’ll get out for a hike with the dogs if there’s a dry stretch. Very chill times ahead.

Lately with work stuff I’m just generally feeling behind on everything. A busy time of year! I still run the site on my own for the most part with some help on the technical side and with the cinematography, but that’s about it. I’ve been burnt out creatively before, so I try to set a sustainable pace and stick to it. I am working on getting a pantry guide out to email subscribers and a few “basics” recipes to help tie the more typical content together.

The whole nature of blogging and posting recipes/food content has changed so much in even the last 3 years. The list of things you have to do to on here and social media to “keep up” and retain consistent traffic has grown significantly. But I do still love it. I always appreciate your reviews of the recipes and comments so much–it helps a lot. Thanks for being here :)

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. How to Deal with ‘AI Grief’
2. What would happen if everyone went vegan?
3. How a Formula 1 Engineer Created One of the World’s Most Coveted Pastries
4. 31 Secrets to Unlocking Your Creativity
5. Grist’s Imagine 2200 series: “stories that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress, imagining intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope”

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Very excited to start the fitness edition of the 5 Minute Journal
2. Really into piling stuff on Wasa Crackers for snacks lately. Fiber yay!
3. Cooked out of Love & Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food a couple times this week. I love this cookbook.
4. Dreaming about breakfast nooks
5. This is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a while

5 Questions:

1. Would you ever want to write another cookbook?
   I do want to! I have an idea for one and I’ve been working on the recipe list for a proposal. I’m kind of moving in slow motion though because if I decide to go ahead, I know that the creation process will take up most of my time for a couple years. I also think that I want to enlist a bit more help if I go down this road again. Maybe hire food stylists and prop stylists or just a general kitchen assistant? I don’t know, it’s very early stages haha.
2. Do you use the Almond Cow? Honest Review?
   I do not use this appliance! I bought one a couple years ago and was so excited for it. I love making my own nut milk at home, but fine straining through a nut milk bag is always such a messy process. My impression of the Almond Cow was that it would eliminate the need for the bag straining process because it features a fine mesh stainless steel strainer that surrounds the grinding mechanism. I found that the resulting milks were not as silky smooth as I would like. When I would froth the milks for lattes, there would be nut sediment on the bottom of my cup. I also found that the nut milks I was making in my 10+ year old Vitamix (and straining through a nut milk bag) were creamier and seemed to use more of the actual nuts. I make nut milk in my Vitamix with a nut milk bag now. Please let me know if you’d like a more detailed review or possible side-by-side comparison of the Almond Cow and my old Vitamix!
3. Looking for a creamy homemade nut milk that won’t separate in my coffee?
   This is hard to achieve honestly! I find that almond based milks are the most sensitive to hot temperatures and always separate. One thing I’ve learned is that blending liquid sunflower lecithin (a natural fat emulsifier) into homemade nut milks that you intend to stir into hot coffee/tea really helps with the separation issue. I’ve purchased it at a local health food store in the past, but it’s also available online.
4. What’s your cold plunge setup?
   I’m using a 106 gallon stock tank that I purchased at a local farm/ranch supply shop. It has a hose drain built into the bottom. I have a basic bungee cord waterproof fabric cover for it and a little mesh skimmer to keep leaves and dirt out. We filled the tank with hose water and I swish 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide in it once a week. Once the summer heat starts, I’m going to go to a pool supply store and get something stronger, but for now it’s still cold enough at night to keep harmful bacteria/algae at bay. In the summer/early Fall I’ll change the water/scrub the tank with soap every 3 weeks or so and add ice when I need to bring the temperature down, ideally around 50 degrees. Old water will be used on my plants :) I recommend poking around on Reddit to find folks that live in a similar climate to yours that have DIY ice bath/cold plunge setups! That’s where I’ve learned the most.
5. What are your favourite kitchen towels?
   My favourite high end ones are these Caravan Vintage linen tea towels. They absorb a lot of water and get softer with every wash. Plus they look nice for photographs! But I also equally love these 99 cent Ikea ones and use them constantly. They absorb a decent amount and are soft enough to polish glass.