Hi there,
Is it only Wednesday? We had a jam-packed weekend with our friends Becca and Devin, who were in town from Vermont with their 3-year-old son, Henry. We even got a babysitter (highly recommend Sittercity—so easy) for a grown-up dinner at Roman’s—amazing family-style meal with plenty of wine. It’s one of my favorite Brooklyn restaurants; recipes from their cookbook, Dinner at the Long Table, make very frequent appearances in our household. They also own She Wolf Bakery, go figure.
This week I’m taking it easy because I’m—!!!—starting a new job next week. More on that soon. For now, a handful of things to optimize your life 🙂
Healthy baking accessories: I’ll always say yes to sprinkles (an ice cream cone is basically naked without them) but I haven’t given much thought to what’s in them, much less what’s in food dye. That’s why I’m so into Supernatural, which I discovered via food and kid expert Gail Simmons. It’s a ridiculously fun brand that makes plant-based food colorings and sprinkles that are free of preservatives and artificial ingredients but still deliver saturated pigments and jazzy shapes and colors. Check out their Instagram and tell me that doesn’t make you want to start baking!
And winning baking recipes: People always talk about how galettes are foolproof but that’s never been the case for me—mine are soggy, or dry, or the dough won’t roll out evenly. Not so with this Bon App strawberry-rhubarb galette with buckwheat crust. It’s easy enough for a weeknight and can be adapted for any type of fruit.
Baby-wearing, the adventurer edition: Until Lilly was about seven months, I wore her everywhere in our Ergo carrier. But as she’s gotten bigger she has zero tolerance for facing inward so we’ve been in the market for a slim, outward-facing carrier that we can use at home and also take on our trip to Italy. The winner: the Beco Gemini, which gets the Nightlight stamp of approval, and folds up easily for travel.
Friendly reminder about preserved lemons: I’ve definitely mentioned Genius Recipes chicken thighs before, and you should make them if you haven’t already. In addition to being inexpensive and delicious, they also use preserved lemons, a great pantry staple for jazzing up salad dressings, grain salads, or the aforementioned chicken. I buy mine at Sahadi’s but assume you can find them at specialty stores, Middle Eastern markets, or of course, Amazon.
Bookmark for future kid birthdays: My friend Gina admittedly takes birthdays very seriously and when her son Henry asked for a “Moana on Broadway”-themed party for his fifth birthday, she delivered. They took over Jalopy, a small venue on the far reaches of Carroll Gardens, for the party and booked Treasure Trunk Theater, an *amazing* group that led the kids through imagination and drama games. Not only was it fun to watch but the volume level was kept at a sane level, my main concern when I think about Lilly’s future birthdays…
Future story hour favorite: I love following Eva Chen on Instagram because she’s funny and honest, and shares everything from her ongoing battle to get her daughter to eat her lunch to her Instagram team workouts. She just announced her latest project, a children’s book about a girl named Juno Valentine, which will come out in September. In the meantime I’ll be following along on Instagram and dreaming of writing my own kids’ book!
Annie says! My sister just started a new job (community manager at Industrious—check it out if you are in need of a chic co-working space), which calls for celebration. She loves champagne more than anyone so I’ll let her give you her top three picks under $100:
- Celebrating with a crowd: Ferrari Brut is affordable but delicious.
- Medium splurge: Pol Roger is classic champagne that is less expensive than its better known cousins (looking at you, Veuve Cliquot).
- Going all out: Billecart Salmon Rose is a little different and truly stunning.
Last thing! Try putting crumbled halva and tahini on ice cream—it’s life changing.
Have a great rest of your week!
xx
Mollie