I hope you’re having a great week. Personally, I think it feels more like a Thursday than a Tuesday but what can you do?
Serious stuff first: Like many of you, I’ve been horrified/confused/angry about what is happening with family separation along the US border. Two useful stories: first, a NYT piece about how we got to this point; and second, Joanna Goddard’s thoughtful take on what’s going on and how we can help. On that last note, we just donated to The Florence Project, which provides free legal services to people in immigration custody in Arizona, and are going to bake some goodies to a fundraiser bake sale at Playground Coffeeshop on Sunday, July 1st (not on their website yet but check back soon if you want to check it out!).
On a lighter note, here’s a quick list of things I’m excited about, including the best advice I got before Lilly’s first birthday.
First birthday feels: Lilly turned one a couple weeks ago, and we threw her a small celebration with friends and family. We bought 16-feet worth of pizza bianca from Sullivan Street Bakery, tons of cheese and charcuterie from our local butcher, and enough spritz ingredients for an army. It was happy and love-filled, and I’m so glad I took the advice of a friend and hired a photographer to document the party. I felt a little guilty spending the money but once the party started, I realized it was well worth it. Rob and I got to enjoy the party and our guests, and we have amazing snaps of all the shenanigans—including this gem.
Cake two ways: An important milestone calls for double the dessert. My sister made a ridiculously rich and amazing devil’s food cake from the Bravetart cookbook, and I baked my very first layer cake. I used Alison Roman’s classic birthday cake recipe and swapped chocolate frosting (not my jam) for a simple white frosting and a hefty amount of Supernatural’s plant-based sprinkles.
Optimized beach setup: This past weekend, we had a beach day at Robert Moses State Park, a gorgeous stretch of white sand at the beginning of Fire Island. Lilly loved playing in the surf (despite the cold temps) and sampling some sand, and I got my ocean fix.
We also realized that the key to beaching with babies is shade and plenty of scampering square footage. We set up our beach tent, which pops up easily and is roomy, and a couple quilts around the perimeter of the tent. My friend Allidah brought this great waterproof outdoor blanket (folds up and has a carrying strap!) that I liked so much that I just bought my own in a slightly bigger size.
Baby sunproofing: It’s hot, hot, hot so we slather Lilly with SPF whenever we’re out and about. I’ve been liking Badger’s SPF30 because it really stays on and doesn’t seem to irritate her skin. She also just acquired a very cute sun hat from her grandparents. Next up: a baby rash guard.
And by request: Hungryroot 101! I’m less than two months into my new role and incredibly excited about what we’re doing. As you can probably tell from my Instagram, I’ve also been having fun playing around with all the food, both making the dishes and also using the individual products as building blocks. I can honestly say it’s become a weeknight staple in our house, now that dinner needs to come together in 15 minutes, not 50. I’ve also been getting a lot of DMs with great questions; here are some answers:
- Who is it good for? Excellent question. It’s perfect for busy people who want to eat healthy but don’t have the time to make it happen on a daily basis. While Rob and I love to cook, we don’t always have the groceries, time, or energy to make homemade meals (including take-to-work lunches!).
- What’s the perfect first-time order? Fun one! Our Sweet Potato Pad Thai is a huge crowd-pleaser (or really anything with Thai peanut sauce), and I’m obsessed with kohlrabi noodles—try our Kohlrabi Tofu Eggplant Pasta. We just made the Green Chile Mexican Rice for dinner, which swaps broccoli for regular rice and has an addictive spicy sauce, and is extra good with a little cilantro and cheese on top.
- Beans in cookies? YES. I never, ever have been a raw dough person but I eat the brownie batter with a spoon. I prefer to bake the Chickpea Almond Cookie Dough but hey, that’s me.
- Can you grill it? Absolutely, and I’m going to do some testing with my grill basket this weekend. Stay tuned.
If you want to give it a shot, use code MOLLIE to get half off your first box—and then send me feedback, pictures, and dish ideas!
That’s a wrap! Time to eat some brownie batter and pass out.
xx
Mollie
P.S. This isn’t up to date but old editions generally hang out here!