Hello, friends! I’m trying a new format for the newsletter to capture all the things happening on my Substack. Usually the newsletter emails focus on one recipe but there’s so much more that gets added to the site on a weekly basis, plus I’ve a growing list of things I’ve been wanting to share.
Starting this week, I’m going to send a recap newsletter on the weekends, highlighting what’s new, favorite recipes from the archives, and some random favorite things I’ve made a mental note to share during the week. I think this is going to be a great way to balance everyone’s needs & wants here as this space has grown so much in the last almost four years.
Many of you have expressed an interest in my experience tracking macros. I’m launching a new section titled Macro Tracking. The space is empty right now but the first post will go live tomorrow, and a new post will be there on Mondays, either weekly or every other week. I’ve only so many hours in a day, and need to be realistic about how often I can write something meaningful there. Bookmark this link if you’re interested in macro tracking, and check back on March 25th for the first post. New posts will only go live on the website. No email will be sent to avoid email overload but I’ll always mention it in the weekly recaps.
Another space I’d like to remind everyone about is my Grief & Loss section. It’s a very personal section of my Substack, and mainly older posts from my early years of widowhood. The posts in this section are for paid subscribers only due to the highly personal nature of my writings. This week I revisited something I wrote 13 years ago, just five months before Michael died. You can read it here.
Finally, and not the least of it all here—my recipes! It’s how many of you found me, and I continue to be humbled that you trust me with helping make mealtime easier, and make cooking more approachable and fun. I just shared my recipe for doctoring up a can of beans. It’s a staple in my weekly meal planning, and something I can always count on my teenager liking.
Homemade crema is a great accompaniment to tacos, burritos and fajitas. I’ve got two recipes for making a quick one and an overnight crema.
Not to bury the lede here, but Easter is right around the corner. This is the first year in about five or six that Easter and Passover aren’t falling during the same time, and we are VERY excited to enjoy Easter goodies this year. We have a lot of making up to do. I’m even making a special trip to Brooklyn next weekend to buy pastries at my favorite shop. A few years back, I shared a Spring Holidays e-Book with my favorite Easter and Passover recipes. I’ve already made a small batch of my Italian Easter Bread, and can’t wait to bake some more this week.
If you made it to the end of this newsletter, thanks for sticking with it. There was a lot of ground to cover. Hope the week ahead is filled with gentle moments. Be well, and remember to be kind. —xo, j.