I broke my streak

Here's what I ate while I was away

I took last week off because I was down the shore with Maddie and her friends from college. It was a lovely weekend featuring lots of cheese, lounging, and a ‘90s night at a bar in Wildwood. Her friends welcomed me into their group with open arms, which eased my nerves about entering the weekend knowing only the host. I had so much fun. We debriefed the weekend on Sunday morning over pancakes and the OJ left over from Saturday’s mimosas. Stopped for gas on the way home (which is always a luxurious experience in New Jersey) and blasted old Justin Bieber music all the way up the expressway — this past week was his birthweek, after all. 

But let’s backtrack to the Sunday before: I cooked from Carla Lalli Music’s That Sounds So Good as part of my cookbook project. Chicken cutlets make a perfect Sunday dinner, so that’s what we had — paired with charred broccoli and Carla’s crispy lettuce and sugar snap peas salad. 

This past Wednesday I hosted my book club for a fondue night — and to discuss our book of the month, of course. We read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, but I’m sure you’re most interested in the fondue. I used Swiss and cheddar cheeses, and we had a plethora of dip-ins: gherkins, mushrooms, apples, bread, and grape tomatoes. And what was for dessert, you ask? Sugar Cookies from Claire Saffitz’s new-ish cookbook, What’s for Dessert. They’re the grownup version of the slice-and-bakes you can get at the store with three different types of sugar that lend to an incredibly soft yet crunchy texture. I didn’t have sanding sugar to roll the log in before baking so opted for turbinado sugar and they tasted extra toasty. 

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Since we last spoke I also met up with a former coworker which was so so nice! She picked Rosy’s Taco Bar on a random Wednesday that just so happened to be National Margarita Day — right place, right time. We caught up on the last three months of our lives — I’m working the position that she used to work in, so it’s nice to get career advice from someone who gets it to a tee. That same night I planned something pretty insane with Bridget and Maddie that I’m so excited for, but you’ll have to stay tuned for that…

Another thing to stay tuned for: The Guestbook! I’m thrilled that you were thrilled about some guest posts, so I’m working on fitting that into my loose publishing schedule — that is if I can convince some interesting people to get on board with this idea too.

If you’re new here, I have a horrible time remembering the events of my life if I don’t write them down immediately after they happen, so that’s it for this week. I’m taking next week off too because I’ll be on vacation with Matt, but can’t wait to tell you all about it later!

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