Hope you’re having a lovely weekend so far! Sorry I missed you last week. I caught a stomach bug and it just would not let me out of its grip. Don’t mind me, just never taking my health for granted ever again!

There is rain in the forecast for us and we have (surprise) some lingering garden and outdoor jobs to do. Hopefully the weather will play nice so that we can lay some pea gravel under parts of our new fence, dig up tangles of periwinkle from a messy area of our back patio, and prep our shed/an outdoor cabinet for painting. I always love a before and after with the simple magic of fresh paint! ✨

I also have a ton of peaches that I need to use up, so a weekend bake is definitely in order. Thinking of doing some mini galettes, scones, or a hybrid peach and coffee cake muffin.

Work wise, I’m gearing up for early Fall and cozy season recipes. The next 6 months are go-time for me and I’ve got so much goodness coming up! We launched my email bonus pantry and equipment guide to help you get prepared. If you already are a subscriber, I sent the guide out to you on July 27th. Check your spam and junk folders if you haven’t seen it yet :)

Be well and take care ♥️

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. What Happened to Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt?
2. Nick Cave on ChatGPT
3. Why All Great Thoughts Are Conceived by Walking
4. The Real Meaning of Gatekeeping
5. 2 Reasons Why Cooking Should Be A Key Part Of Your Mindfulness Routine

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. This episode of the A24 Podcast: Power Moves with Julia Louis-Dreyfus & J. Smith-Cameron
2. Tsubaki’s stunning botanical arrangements on Instagram
3. The art of Ebru
4. Theta waves for winding down and sleeping
5. The joy of intergenerational friendship

5 Questions:

1. Have you shared any of your skincare favourites recently? It looks great!
   I am on a personal no-spend challenge for skincare right now! I noticed that I had a lot of samples and a few unopened boxes of skincare items in my bathroom drawer a couple months ago. I receive some gifts every now and then, and I also had a backlog of samples from previous purchases. I don’t really over-consume in any area of my life, but with skincare stuff I sometimes take it in that direction. So I decided I was going to use up every drop of my skincare drawer before I buy anything new, which means that what I’m using has been quite varied and all over the place. Right now I’m using Odacité’s C & E with HA serum (received this as a full size sample from a Detox Market purchase a while ago), Weleda’s sensitive care facial cream (I’ve gone off and on with this cream for years), a couple drops of Pai’s rosehip bioregenerate oil, and sunscreen during the day. At night, I switch the C + E serum for Marie Veronique’s Multi Retinol Night Emulsion or The Ordinary’s Lactic Acid + HA once a week. Also, usually on the weekends, I avoid active ingredients all together and just opt for moisturizer, face oil, and sunscreen during the day.
2. List of recipes that would be good to bring to a new mom?
   ♥️ Nutty Vegan Breakfast Cookies
   ♥️ Moist Vegan Carrot Muffins
   ♥️ Ginger Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils & Kale
   ♥️ Cold Ginger Noodle Salad with Mint, Edamame & Orange
   ♥️ Brothy Beans and a nice loaf of bread
   ♥️ Sweet Potato Cake Patties with Lemony Slaw (the patties can be eaten out of hand and the slaw will hold up for a few days–or you could pack the shredded veg and sauce separately)
3. Do you prefer canned beans or dried beans?
   It depends on the recipe or what I have going on in my life! I always prefer to cook beans from dried, but don’t always have the time. I typically use my Instant Pot to to do this because it is the most hands-off method, which I prefer. The texture from dried beans that I’ve cooked myself is always better–there’s a bit more bite and the flavour is just cleaner. I can also control whether they’ll be salted or not and can add aromatics if I like, which is nice. But canned beans are also great, convenient, and just as nutritious! In general, beans are the best and I’m happy to fit them into my day whenever and however possible.
4. Do you have any tips for getting nuts/bread crumbs evenly toasted?
   Toast them in the oven at a lower temperature! For bread crumbs, it should be 300 degrees F and they’ll take about 20 minutes, stirring them up every 5 minutes. For nuts, bake them in the center of a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring them up every 5 minutes.
5. Recipes for an abundance of garden beans?
   Use them in my new butter bean skillet recipe, this crispy peanut tofu and green beans or this smoky sautéed cauliflower and green beans with tahini & almonds.