Current obsessions

a glimpse into my favorites folder and other things I can’t stop thinking about (like this apple fritter focaccia and cacio e pepe focaccia!)

Since I was a kid, I have felt absolutely crazy when spring starts to slip onto the scene. I’m a pretty optimistic person by nature, but this time of year, I’m filled with a sense of excitement that almost teeters on unpleasant. Like I can hardly contain myself. It feels like my personality has returned and suddenly I’m certain that my problems are solved, my friends are funnier, food tastes better, and certain songs simply must be played at their full volume. It’s the feeling of life returning. In this time, I’m particularly prone to feeling obsessed. With an outfit, a scent, a song, a dish. The possibilities are endless. And while it can be distracting, in general, I like that feeling. Being obsessed is fun! So, here are some miscellaneous things I haven’t stopped thinking about lately:

This picture of hands I saw on Substack the other day

I often feel self conscious about my hands. They’re dry in a sort of permanent way from cooking and washing many dishes. And no matter the length of my nails or how often I clean them, they often look just a little bit dirty from processing piles of produce. I feel like they make me look less elegant. Less feminine. Older. But, seeing these hands, worn and weathered but still distinctly dignified makes me feel like mine are beautiful too.

Amanda Seyfried’s rendition of Joni Mitchell’s California on The Jimmy Fallon Show

This clip has taken the internet by storm and I completely understand why (sorry if this is old news for you, but mentally, I’m still there). To be perfectly honest, I feel about Joni Mitchell similarly to how Hansel felt about Sting in Zoolander: “The music he’s created over the years, I don’t really listen to it, but the fact that he’s making it, I respect that”. I feel like I should like her music more than I do, but this rendition really does it for me! There’s something magical about it and multiple times a day I’ve found myself humming it to myself. I think it’s partly because this time of year always makes me fantasize about living in Southern California. It’s a romantic notion that Collin and I toss around every spring when it’s just not quite warm enough on the east coast yet. Hearing this song makes me feel nostalgic for an idealized era of California that I wasn’t even yet alive for. I feel the same thing reading a Joan Didion novel or listening to Neil Young. I can’t quite put it into words, but I think it’s a general feeling of possibility. Whatever it is, I love it.

dreamy dinner parties loading

Planning my own garden this year (or at least an herb garden)

Speaking of California, I have a yard for the first time since living there and I can’t wait to learn the ropes of growing some of our own food and flowers! For this year, I might start small with an herb garden but a girl can dream!

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, The God of The Woods by Liz Moore, The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

These recent reads

I’m a big read-before-bed kind of person. No matter what, regardless of how late it is or if I’ve had a cocktail, I read at least a few pages every night until my eyelids become so heavy that I’m reading through a single squinted eye. That’s a large part of why I do it—reading makes me really tired, so it’s usually a sure fire way to send me into a deep sleep. For that reason, it doesn’t always matter what exactly I’m reading. Often times, whatever book I’m reading is merely the equivalent of putting on a comfort tv show to fall asleep to. Which is to say, sometimes I find myself reading some real stinkers and not caring too much because those almost work better as a sleep aid. However, recently I’ve been reading banger after banger and I’m loving it! Reading a really good book makes me feel SO creative. These are the best ones I’ve read recently. They’re all very different but the writing in all three is incredible with interesting characters that have sort of lingered in my mind like old acquaintances I find myself wanting to bring up often in conversation. I highly recommend.

This apple fritter focaccia I made for the second time recently.

This is really the thing that I’ve come here to tell you about (I’ll leave the full recipe at the bottom of this post). I made this back in the fall and liked it so much I repeated the flavor a couple of weeks ago when we started getting apples in again from an orchard in Pennsylvania. To be honest, when I put a sweet focaccia on the menu it’s typically because I know it’s sort of a crowd pleaser. Whether that’s peoples’ preference or they order for the novelty of it all—the important thing is, I tend to sell a lot of them. I like them too. I think they’re just sweet enough which makes them the perfect companion to a morning or afternoon cup of coffee. But, my favorites are always the more simple, savory flavors. However, this one blew me away. The glaze over its crispy exterior gives it a nearly doughnut like texture and the apple and cinnamon combo is simply never going to disappoint. I’ve made so many focaccias that typically a couple bites will do, but with this, I could take down a whole loaf.

And while we’re at it, this cacio e pepe focaccia too

I’m feeling generous so I’ll also share this. It’s so simple it hardly warrants a recipe, but my team and I did agree that it’s a damn good flavor. And how could it not be? Copious amounts of Parmesan cheese is always going to be a win in my book. I’ll walk you through how to make it below!

Apple Fritter Focaccia

Ingredients: