winter storm indigo is the name of my riot grrl cover band

baby, it's cold outside

Northern friends, I salute you. I am not built for temperatures below freezing. I do not know how you brave people do it.

in my most natural expression with my most favorite blanket

Here are some things, in no particular order, that I would like to share with you:

• These orange-cardamom energy bites are really tasty—I just made them for the second time, and doubled the batch. I’m usually not an “energy bite” kind of person, but these are satisfying my perimenopausal sweet tooth and pair really nicely with a cup of tea. (You will need a food processor for this recipe.)

• Can we normalize talking about menopause? Because damn. Like, women have to deal with periods their whole adult lives and then once you’re finally free of that curse, you get to deal with hot flashes & irritability & vaginal freaking dryness & your libido getting hijacked? What the ACTUAL. We can’t make babies anymore so nature decides to incinerate us from the inside out? Sheesh. It’s really some kind of nonsense. So everyone needs to learn to get comfortable with women asking for tampons in mixed company and needing to step outside during meetings because they feel like they are ON FIRE all while doing the majority of the emotional labor and domestic labor and…yeah. Can you tell I am embracing my crone phase ahead of schedule? I’ve always been “so mature,” so I figure why the hell not. I am so ready to be a wild-haired witch who gives no fucks. (PS: has anybody yet written a dissertation positing the theory that all female fairy tale villains were really just women experiencing menopause? ‘Cause if not, I might need to finally go for that Ph.D.)

• My friend Marynelle (hi Mar!) recommended the above podcast episode and I second her recommendation here. While the podcast host annoys me a bit, his two guests (they’re twin sisters) are a DELIGHT, and everything they say makes a whole lot of sense: about burnout, chronic illness, and the stress that comes with systemic inequality. The more I read and learn in this era of my life, the more I’m convinced that our pathway forward—toward sanity, toward connection, toward any kind of possible liberation —has to happen inside our bodies first. We are animals, much as we wish to forget or fight this fact, and we so often allow our nervous systems to hijack and run the show. Nervous systems are great decision-makers when you’re being chased by a predator; not so much when you’re trying to build relationships and self-awareness.

  Understanding my own triggers and employing strategies to soothe myself back into regulation have been game-changers for me, and I love how this episode not only offers practical suggestions but also explains the science behind why they are effective.

• Might I suggest a cold-weather project for you? Make some applesauce. It’s dead simple and way more than the sum of its parts; I don’t even like store-bought applesauce, but I can’t stop eating what I make at home. Here’s my method: core and chunk at least a half-dozen apples. (I like to throw in a pear or two if I have them around, for added dimension of flavor.) You do NOT need to peel the apples, trust me—the peels will soften with cooking and add beautiful color to your finished sauce.

  If you have a slow cooker*, this is the perfect place to use it. Toss the apple + pear cubes in with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon (if you have it), a 1/4 cup water, and (optional) 2 T of brown sugar. You can also include a cinnamon stick or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon: star anise is another tasty addition, and I like to use a couple of whole cloves or 1/4 tsp. ground cloves. Turn your slow cooker on low and leave it alone for 2-3 couple of hours.

  When you check back in, your fruit should be soft and steamy—give it a good smush with potato masher or fork, and stir. Depending on your preference, you can stop now or keep going. You can keep your sauce more on the textured side or use an immersion (stick) blender to puree it; just don’t forget to grab any whole spices you tossed in there first!

  If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use the oven. Heat to 400F & use an enamel or glass pan to bake the fruit, covered (with a lid or aluminum foil), for 45 minutes to an hour. Bonus when it’s this cold out: turning on the oven warms up your house!

  

  here is a very cute, and very cold dog

  Apologies for no applesauce pictures—it’s extremely hard to photograph. I like mine warmed up with an equal amount of cold, plain full-fat yogurt and granola on top. (Bonus points if you make the peanut butter granola that I’ve plugged before.) DELICIOUS. Homemade applesauce is also excellent in baked goods of all kinds, including this applesauce cake.

• Last but not least, I know everyone is delighting over their Spotify day mix titles (my latest is “catwalk 2020s thursday morning” LOL), but if you’d like some other listening suggestions, here are a few current faves.

This new album from Kali Uchis—sexy, lush, great kitchen music:

Totally different vibe, I made this playlist a handful of years ago for a friend recovering from a major injury & ensuing surgeries:

One of the most fun things about Shiv at this age is sharing music with her and the fact that SHE introduces ME to cool music now, not just this other way around. We are big fans of Jorja Smith; her voice & this album are both <chef’s kiss>

Hope y’all are staying warm out there!

xoxo

Nishta