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Category: Reviews

Five Things I’m Loving

Five Things I’m Loving

Food I recently made brunch for a friend who is gluten-free. I decided upon shakshuka, one of my favorite meals to throw together, but wasn’t sure what carbs to eat it with, since I usually have it with a side of bread. And then inspiration struck me and I thought, why not grits! So I cooked up a pot of stone-ground grits full of butter, spooned a little bed onto each plate, and topped them with a hefty serving of…

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Let’s Talk Curls

Let’s Talk Curls

I am surrounded by friends and sisters with the most gorgeous, luscious curls that spring from their heads in little ringlets. And then there’s me. Wavy hair at best, and frizzy a good deal more of the time. Part of this is my own fault, because I cannot stand a routine that requires me to spend many dollars and hours in the bathroom coaxing my hair to do exactly what I want. I call it low-maintenance because it sound better,…

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Little Letters, Thanksgiving 2019

Little Letters, Thanksgiving 2019

I know Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is now making its presence known with blaring music and lights everywhere I look, and even the prettiest snowfall, drifting down on this city of mine and creating a hush in the mania. But for those of us trying to fill our lives with gratitude, every day is Thanksgiving day, right? So without further ado…   Dear Tough Decisions, I hate making you, and I love when you are made, much…

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Little Letters, Fashion Edition

Little Letters, Fashion Edition

Dear Linen Pants, whoever thought of you should be knighted. You are the breeze to a July day, the ice to lemonade, the watermelon to picnics. Cool and baggy and light and airy, you wouldn’t deign to get static, and when you wrinkle you simply look more chic than before. If the hot south ever had a signature clothing item, it should be you. Dear Red Trench Coat, I can’t remember my life before I met you. Your capacious pockets…

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Let’s Talk Instagram

Let’s Talk Instagram

No, this is not a post about the evils of Instagram, or about my Instagram fast, or even particularly about the merits of Instagram. I don’t have anything new to say about any of those topics- I’m not that clever or insightful. This is simply a post about what my Instagram feed looks like, because when I find something I like, I want all my friends to know about it in case they like it too. For instance, wouldn’t it…

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Bon Appetit February: Salmon Tostadas

Bon Appetit February: Salmon Tostadas

I leafed through my February issue of Bon Appetit, looking for something to make that I wouldn’t have to shop for, something I magically had all the ingredients for. And then I stumbled upon the Arctic Char Tostadas, which can also be made with salmon, a fish which was lurking in my very own freezer. “Aha!” I thought, “Something I can whip up out of my own larder.” Well. Three grocery runs later, I finally gave up trying to get…

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Bon Appetit, December & January: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

Bon Appetit, December & January: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

There are a lot of things I think people should stop arguing about because they’re stupid and divisive and less consequential than we think. Many hills I don’t think are worth dying on, as it were. But there are some things I feel very strongly about, namely, good literature, a good bed, and good pickles. Enter Bon Appetit’s December/January issue. Now, you might expect a Christmas issue of a food magazine to be full of hams and sweets, and while…

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Bon Appetit November: Broccoli Caesar

Bon Appetit November: Broccoli Caesar

I don’t know what it is with broccoli and I. I’m not particularly obsessed with it- frankly, I even forget to stock it quite often in my quest to eat As Many Peas As Possible, but I keep finding myself elbow high in broccoli florets when I go to make my Bon Appetit recipe for the month. Maybe it’s because broccoli recipes tend to be less fuss than something fancy like goose livers cooked in Cabernet and seasoned with cashew…

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The Evil Gummy Bears Got Me

The Evil Gummy Bears Got Me

It was a day just like any other day, fairly uneventful and commonplace. The rain fell from a gray sky and darkness came swiftly that winter night as I tucked myself into my apartment for an industrious evening at home. I had food to make for my church small group, a gift basket to assemble, furniture to rearrange, and I was happily plodding through my to-do list when the first ominous pangs struck. “Whatever, it’s just a few stomach cramps,”…

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The Foolish Blood Donater, or, Bon Appetit: October Edition

The Foolish Blood Donater, or, Bon Appetit: October Edition

I’m a sensible person, I really am. I wear coats when it’s cold, I eat plenty of vegetables, and I don’t buy every new iPhone that comes out. But when it comes to cooking, sometimes my brain glitches and all common sense flies out the window. Such was the case as I flipped through my October edition of Bon Appetit. The glossy pages were strewn with garlicky recipes, from fried rice, to garlic pasta with olives, to roast chicken, and…

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Bon Appetit, September: Fried-Bread Panzanella with Ricotta and Herbs

Bon Appetit, September: Fried-Bread Panzanella with Ricotta and Herbs

Well, this was a fun one. You put cheese, tomatoes, basil, and bread together, and it’s hard to go wrong. At least, that’s my general assumption about life, and in this instance, the assumption holds strong. First off, this recipe is much easier than it sounds, so don’t be scared off by the fancy words like “Panzanella”. Whether or not you can pronounce a recipe is completely irrelevant to whether or not you should make it. Also, I apologize in…

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Why I Bought Birkenstocks

Why I Bought Birkenstocks

As some of you may know, I have long had a tumultuous love/hate relationship with Birkenstocks, mainly veering over to the hate side. I know people buy them and then practically pass them on to their descendants because they’re so durable and they love them so much, but really, couldn’t a company make shoes that are both insanely comfortable AND somewhat beautiful, rather than looking like a huge board strapped to one’s foot? Is that really too much to ask?…

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