I’m sitting on the couch—or rather, reclining somewhere in between lying and sitting up at some mysteriously perfect angle that puts a newborn baby right to sleep—and the skies are gray and blustery outside. The aforementioned newborn is curled up resting against my chest; there’s a specific and particular comfort to the sweet, heavy weight of a baby pressing against your skin. I lean down every so often to brush my lips against the top of his head, where his skin is soft and scented with the clean cotton smell of the Johnson’s baby lotion I rub over him after a tub.
Read moreSOURDOUGH FOCACCIA
A few things I’ve learned lately—some small and some big—might be useful to pass along to the world at large (that’s you). We’re always learning, aren’t we? At least, I hope we are. I hope I’m able to remain open to adapting, to changing, to letting in new ideas and habits and ways of being. I hope I become more and more flexible as I move through the world. If nothing else, the present crisis has forced me—and most of us—into this by necessity. We can’t hold onto, or replicate, the same patterns of our lives, and so we adapt to new ones.
Read moreSIMPLE STRAWBERRY CAKE
Guys! The sun is shining—in earnest—and as I write this, I’m looking out over the water at the white strip of sand that forms the edge of Shelter Island. The bay is placid today, the surface of the water blue and sparkling and ruffled only by an occasional breeze. This morning I took a walk wearing shorts, and though the sight of my extremely pale skin is always mildly alarming come May, the freeing sensation of not wearing another G-D pair of sweatpants is really quite splendid.
Read moreNUT BUTTER BROWNIES
Where to begin, really? Since the beginning of March when I last wrote something here, the world has changed rather dramatically. Plot twist, as they say! Like many of you, I’m not quite able to articulate much about the present circumstances. (Thank goodness for emojis, I suppose.) There’s a lot I could say but none of it would come as much of a surprise to you—for once, we’re all experiencing a very similar mix of emotions, which creates an oddly powerful sense of solidarity.
Read moreBASIC FLAKY BISCUITS
Should we talk about empowerment? Why not. It is Saturday after all, and the sun is shining. You could go out and do whatever you want in the world right now. You could be cheerful and hopeful in the face of widespread global anxiety. You could make other people feel a little bit more at ease (because, let’s be honest, no one can fully predict what comes next so a little hope and positivity can’t hurt). You could check something off your to-do list, or send someone a handwritten postcard, or make a funny bracelet that reads “#1 goddess” for your best friend using sparkly plastic beads from a nearby toy store. [I did not do this for anyone, but feel free to make me one and mail it to me. I also accept woven friendship bracelets and my favorite colors are blue and pale green!]
Read more