Things I'm Loving (v.10)
Peanut butter, Post Capitalism, Tracy Chapman, and bread rolls.
Well, I certainly got sucked into the January/February Northern Hemisphere vortex. How about y’all?
It was a busy few months— I hosted a giant baby shower for a beloved in the end of January, and that baby is now here! We welcomed Teddy into the world on March 9th early in the morning (and nope, he’s not mine. I’m just very invested 🙃😆). It’s been at least 8 years since I’ve held a newborn, but boy are they teeny tiny.
I’d gathered all of these for you ahead of time, in an attempt to get ahead of the baby arrival, but alas, I missed that boat because I didn’t actually write up info for each section.
So here we are— it’s March, almost April, and the sun is back (thank g*d) and the flowers are doing their is-it-isn’t-it time to show up dance that’s the regular now with climate change).
Without futher ado, here are some of the Things I’m Loving these days 😊
Something to learn
Anuradha’s Sowing Capitalist Seeds is a great class if you’re looking for an introduction to anti-capitalist thinking and community to think and talk about those things with.
I’ve taken the course in the past and I especially love how it focuses on creating/crafting practices you can incorporate into your everyday living.
Something to bake
Buckeye Brownie Bites
So in January I hosted a baby shower that had nearly 50 yes RSVPs (eek, right!?). I knew the moment I saw this recipe in November though, that it had to go onto the list for the cookie table. Chrissy, the mom, looovvveeessss peanut butter and chocolate, and this was perfect for that.
The recipe came from a FB group I’m part of, called the Wedding Cookie Table Community, where people share cookie recipes and decor ideas for cookie tables. Even though the group is called the Wedding Cookie Table Community, cookie tables are something that show up at all stages of life celebrations— from weddings to showers to funerals, and everything in between!
I had zero leftovers to take home of these, and in fact, made a second batch for Chrissy, after Teddy was born. See below the photo for my additional notes.
I did this in steps, over several days, but I bet you could do it on the same day with breaks between.
First I made the PB mix. Then I made the PB balls ahead of time.
I used a 1 1/2 tsp scoop for both the PB balls and the brownie parts, and as the recipe says, the moment I took the brownie bits out of the oven I smooshed the peanut butter balls onto them (and pushed them out some).
You want to wait til the pb/brownie step cools completely before doing the chocolate.
For the chocolate, I used a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips. (more dark than not) and coconut oil that I just eyeballed in. I used a double boiler and did it stovetop.
Finally, I did use gold edible sparkles— I think this made them look even more professional than they were, ha!
Something to watch
Tracy Chapman at the Grammys
I adore Tracy Chapman. What’s not to love about her, really? She’s talented, she’s managed to keep her private life private, and her music is so life-giving. And, she’s been out of the public eye for a long time— her last appearance was a pre-recorded segment that she sent out right before the 2020 elections.
You’ll understand then, why the internet (and bigger picture media landscape) went bonkers when she showed up at the Grammys to perform her song Fast Car with Luke Combs.
Originally the video wasn’t accessible anywhere but Twitter— thank goodness it now lives on YouTube—and I played it over and over for days. I love everything about it. How classy she looks, how the music does the work, watching Luke Combs mouth along with her when she’s leading. The joy of the black man in the green suit watching and singing along. How excited people are to see her and her
I hope it fills your heart the same way it fills mine.
And, while we’re on the Tracy Chapman vein, here’s this bonus from the David Letterman show. Another one of my favorites.
It’d be everything to see her live, but I’m also so glad she’s living her best life outside of the ALL EYES ON ME mania that celebrity life has become.
Something to help you slow down
This bread roll recipe could probably go under something to bake, but I really love how it helps me slow down, both for eating and for meal prep.
These rolls are DELICIOUS and so so easy. You make the dough ahead of time and then it lives in your fridge until you finish it (for up to 7 days). When you turn the oven on to preheat, you pull out what you need and let it settle/rise during that time.
I love using Everything Bagel seasoning on these, but they’re also delicious plain.
Something that’s super interesting
Finally, does it feel to you also like the world is collapsing? If so, this is a really fascinating game that’s playable in a browser. It’s both depressing and thought-provoking.
I first learned about this from Breanne Dyck when I was doing some copy and content writing for her through an agency that no longer takes clients.
I won’t tell you more about it, but I will say that it’s worth checking out.
Well, that’s all for me for this week!
We’ll be winging our way back into your inbox in two weeks; I’m back to my original ‘let’s get ahead so that life can happen’ plan with Alice (the amazing VA I’ve mentioned before).
As always, if you have anything you think I’d love, please send it my way!