Happy weekend! We’re putting up all of the holiday decorations and lights today–I’m finally in the right mood for it. I think I might get a jump on some cookie and treat making too. My move is to just make up the dough for a few types of cookies, portion it out, freeze it, pack those into containers/bags, and then all I have to do is bake them straight from the freezer. Fresh cookies on demand basically! I also really want to perfect the vegan crispy rice treat this year.

We’re going to a Friendsgiving get together tonight too! I’m supposed to bring some type of veggie side or salad. I think I might combine the two? Like a finely shredded kale, cabbage, radicchio slaw with a mustard-y and garlicky cashew butter dressing. Then I’ll top that with roasted chunks of butternut squash and maple pecans. Something like that anyway! Who knows, maybe you’ll see the end result on here in a couple weeks ;)

I hope that you’re keeping well these days and finding moments of rest! Lots of folks in my orbit are coming down with something lately, so just a reminder to take care of yourself during these busier days. Have a good one and catch you back here soon!

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance
2. “Sometimes I walk into a situation where I’m intimidated and I want to be liked and I want to fit in, and I don’t choose authenticity. And it’s always pretty miserable.”
3. Holiday traditions aren’t set in stone. You can update them.
4. The Boundless Optimism of the Spice Girls
5. How the Minds Behind ‘The Menu’ Created an Authentic Fine Dining Hellscape

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Watching these turkeys eat a little stuffed squash feast 🥰
2. Very excited to watch Tár this weekend
3. Everything I’ve cooked from this book has been SO good.
4. I stock up on this festive cranberry white chocolate every dang year! Just got my first bar the other day.
5. Dreaming of a garden room

5 Questions:

1. Knife recommendation?
   I really love my Messermeister knife! I have the Oliva Elite chef’s knife and it just feels great in the hand. I love the wood handle too.
2. Tips for very anxious in general people? You always seem so serene and calm!
   I am definitely not serene and calm all the time. I am flattered by this! But I honestly operate from a sense of urgency 90% of the time. I am a lot better about managing my worries and anxiousness than I used to be and I chalk that up to regular therapy, a strong emphasis on routine, and making greater efforts to be physical and get outside as much as possible. It’s pretty much impossible to be in full control of one’s thoughts and feelings, but I know that I can control my behaviour and in doing that, I can give myself the best chance to feel different in any given moment. Mood can follow action sometimes! And sometimes you just have to sit with the feeling to get through it.
3. What’s your approach to holiday gift giving?
   We’re not big on gift giving in my family because we all have what we need. I really appreciate this because it takes so much pressure off and we’re free to just enjoy some extra time together, which is the true gift of the season! In my partner’s family, we’ll get gifts for the little ones, which is super fun. And we have a few gift exchanges with friends that I always try to be intentional about, sourcing from a small business or doing a donation to an organization that they connect with. We get little gifts for the doggies mostly because it’s fun for us to watch them try and unwrap the things haha.
4. What do you think are the keys to successful social media management/content creation?
   Lately I don’t feel like the best person to ask about this! I find it hard to be consistent with posting on TikTok or Instagram because I can get sucked in and suddenly 45 minutes have gone by. It’s hard for me to separate the idea of me as a person using social media and me as a business/brand, and that’s where I run into trouble with it. From some of my more winning periods of social media usage though, the most important things seem to be 1) consistency (that can mean regular posting or just posting certain things on certain days of the week), 2) understanding your typical follower/consumer and what they need from you or what they may enjoy from your perspective, and 3) being true to yourself and what your brand stands for–sometimes that means opting out on trends.
5. What’s your absolute favourite soup?
   It’s this vegan french lentil soup! This is one of the first things I attempted to make when I went vegan. I still turn to it for comfort and coziness. Something about the smokiness, the herbs, and the lentils that still have a bit of chew in every bite.