Hi there,
I hope your Easter/Passover/April Fool’s weekends were lovely, and filled with lots of tasty treats. We don’t celebrate any of the above but we did have friends over for a spring (?) feast. Rob roasted an incredible leg of lamb and I made a chocolate-hazelnut crostata, basically a grown-up Nutella tart.
Did you miss me last week? I felt guilty about skipping for a hot second but then reminded myself that side hobbies should be fun, not stressful. I’ll make it up to you with a few recipes to bridge the gap between winter and spring, plus some fun odds and ends. And if you have any extra Cadbury Creme eggs, send them my way! A total toothache but I heart them.
Cheating on my usual granola: My first consulting client was Sakara, an amazing company that delivers the most gorgeous, plant-based meals to your home. It’s extremely high-end (i.e. too expensive to be a habit) but their meals are both delicious and creative and I always get ideas to bring into my own life. Recently I tried their crazy good pink silk mylk, which is made with pitaya, and their tahini-and-sesame seed “glow granola.” Since I don’t have a lead on a good pitaya source, I set about recreating the granola using this recipe from The First Mess. It’s barely sweet and has a nice nuttiness from the tahini, and is a happy alternative to my usual olive-oil granola.
Speeding through: I read Ready Player One a few years ago and am revisiting it because a) I need something silly and escapist and b) the Steven Spielberg’s version looks like total popcorn movie in the best possible way. It’s pretty overwritten but extremely fun, and packed with obscure 80’s trivia.
Getting those greens: Last week, we rediscovered Andy Baraghani/Bon Appetit’s Persian herb and leek frittata, which has the triple benefits of being bright, tasty, and healthy. It was part of a gorgeous feature on Persian New Year and while I haven’t gotten up the courage to make the rice, I can vouch for this incredible yogurt sauce.
I also made Milk Street’s Roman broccoli sauce, which is made from cooked broccoli stems and leaves, spinach, garlic, capers, lemon zest, and butter (I used olive oil). It looks like a green smoothie and tastes punchy and fresh; toss with the rest of the broccoli and rice/pasta/cheese, whatever you like.
Sending snail mail: My friend Julia recently reminded me how much I love old-fashioned letters. And coincidentally, I reconnected with Perry Nelson, the founder of Nicely Noted, a stationery subscription service. I used to love receiving her deliveries every month—three charming cards, plus stamps!—and only paused because I felt guilty about my backlog of cards. Now that I’ve worked my way through them I’m resubscribing. Take a peek, and if you’re interested use code NICE20 for 20% off your first month.
Bringing color back: I’m out of the habit of wearing lipstick but this maybe-spring weather has me dusting off my favorite shades. For red, I love Milk Makeup in True Red, a warm, tomato-y shade in a creamy, not-quite-matte formula. On the pink spectrum, I go for hot, bubble-gum pink shades like NARS’ classic Schiap. If you’re looking for a true matte, I’m a fan of Mellow Cosmetics Liquid Lip Paint because it’s the rare non-drying formula. I have Milan, which is a nice dusky rose.
Lilly says: Our kiddo is full-on crawling now and eager to walk as well. That makes for much more activity in our household and has the happy side effect of helping her nap longer. I did a very scientific experiment this weekend and made her do “laps” by moving toys around our living room. She conked out for two hours! We also brought my childhood Duplo blocks from my parents’ place and they’ve been a huge hit—she loves the ones with wheels especially.
And finally, a few of you have asked about my favorite Equinox classes!
First, let’s talk about how much I love Equinox. I’ve been a regular since I moved to Brooklyn eight years ago and joined the Brooklyn Heights location. The instructors and classes are amazing, and I used to have a “fitfam” that I saw every morning for 7amclasses. Nowadays I only get to one or two group classes a week, so I always go for ones that are efficient and fun. I love Tabata (short, tough intervals and tons of jumping around); Best Butt Ever (I mean, with a name like that…); The Cut (part boxing, part intervals); and Athletic Conditioning (changes instructor to instructor but usually includes a mix of strength and cardio).
I also work with a pre/postnatal trainer once a week and it’s been hugely helpful. I’m an Equinox Ambassador and get complimentary sessions, and I feel lucky to have personalized attention to help me reintegrate my core, rebuild strength, and force me to do stuff I wouldn’t otherwise, like stability and breathing exercises. I’m also learning proper form for moves like deadlifts and lifting much heavier than I ever have before—65 pounds today. And my new goal is to be able to do a pull-up…even the pull-up prep is insanely hard!
That’s all from me. Have a wonderful week and fingers crossed for a break in this weird weather!