In the In Between
04.22.20

In the In Between

Friends, are you out there? The world has changed so much since I last posted and nothing feels normal. As everything was beginning to shift, writing a blog post was the furthest thing from my mind and whenever I did think of it, it felt unimaginable. Posts I had planned to write felt pointless. Why talk about things like recipes or artistic endeavors during a global pandemic? It felt tone deaf and I wasn’t interested anyway. Now, weeks into living in the time of social distancing and learning how to cope with this new normal, the blog is starting to appeal to me once more as the creative outlet I have always found it to be. In truth, my creative hobbies are some of the few things helping me maintain a sense of comfort, self care, and any sense of normalcy right now. They provide escape, allow me to focus on something less overwhelming than the state of our world. I have sensed this from you all as well through our communications on social media. I have been heartened to see so many people cooking and baking all sorts of recipes from my archives. Thank you, and please keep sharing and tagging me! I have found much solace in my kitchen as well.

I have decided to resume posting here occasionally for two main reasons. First, I currently feel called to this space as a creative outlet as I mentioned above. Second, all of my blog revenue is going to two local organizations I care deeply about. One is The Patachou Foundation and the other is Coburn Place. In times of trouble, finding a way to help others is always reassuring and I have been so pleased to be able to provide some assistance to these fantastic causes through the workings of this site. If you feel inclined to provide donations to these organizations, they (and I!) would be so grateful! However if you are unable, please know that every click around this site will generate revenue that I give to them.

I have no exact schedule in mind and I will simply post when I have something that feels worth sharing. I do have a very large backlog of travel posts but those will have to wait for a time when we are able to move about more freely again. I have currently paused my Cookbook of the Month reviews, mainly because I never know quite which ingredients I’ll be able to locate and I don’t need that added level of stress when I’m just trying to feed my family.

Normally this is the day each year when I share a post honoring Earth Day, but I never force myself to write when it doesn’t feel natural and I’m not planning to start now. Instead, I’ve included below some snaps of the happy and sweet moments and touchstones that are helping me stay grounded right now. Please share with me in the comments how you are feeling and what things are helping you cope. Know that I’m thinking of each of you, hoping you are safe and well, and doing what you can to make it through The Great Pause*.

*A name that I love for this strange time we are in, borrowed from my friend Katherine.

Rosie
Family Reading Time
The Vent Sleeper
Lovely Fabric
Dress for the Birthday Girl
Rosie Naps, Again
Gorgeous Ranunculus
Sweats for Twinning
Cake for My Nine Year Old
Sushi, Sushi, Sushi!
Smash Burgers, Fries, and Great Wine
Exercise is Life
Sewing and More Sewing
All the Baking
Wildflowers
So Many Good Books
Just a Pretty Shot
Baking with Caroline
Time for Puzzles
Porch Treat Drop
Hazel is Four!
Even More Baking
01/22
Rosie

If you don’t like cat photos, just leave now. Trust me.

Family Reading Time

Don’t let the picture fool you. We have allowed PLENTY of screen time when it saves our sanity, but the kids are also often willing to participate in family reading time, especially when I set up a cozy spot for it.

The Vent Sleeper

Rosie loves to sleep on the vents. She also loves to pull the vents out of the floor and does so on the regular.

Lovely Fabric

I’ve been slowly organizing my fabric stash and moving it into my newly converted sewing room. These two beauties I pulled out a few weeks ago have now been sewn up into gorgeous garments and I’m thrilled about it.

Dress for the Birthday Girl

I made this dress as a birthday gift for Caroline and loved how it turned out. She wears it as often as possible!

Rosie Naps, Again

She naps in certain spots at certain times of day but is nearly always napping. This is her afternoon spot.

Gorgeous Ranunculus

Ranunculus are my favorite flower and I can’t resist buying them when they are in season. These lovelies came from Blooms by Wildwood, one of my favorite local shops.

Sweats for Twinning

Another handmade gift for Caroline’s birthday, this time for both of us. This is our second pair of matching sweatpants but it certainly won’t be the last.

Cake for My Nine Year Old

I’m sorry, what? I have a nine year old?! This cake was fun to make and brought some cheer to a birthday during quarantine.

Sushi, Sushi, Sushi!

We have been ordering take out from our beloved family-owned sushi restaurant at least once a week to help support them. One week I had the kids make cards for them and I loved this cute one Caroline came up with!

Smash Burgers, Fries, and Great Wine

Having some extra time off from work has meant a lot more time to make involved meals. One week we cooked smash burgers on the grill with homemade French fries and it.was.AWESOME. We make this recipe for the burgers with these buns (duh) and use the fake shake sauce from Smitten Kitchen. The French fry recipe I like best is from Food Lab by J. Kenzi López-Alt.

Exercise is Life

I know many people have many different feelings about exercise during this time and that is a-okay. Everyone should listen to their own body and don’t give AF about what anyone else is doing. For me, regular exercise is really helping to keep my mood stable and my sleep on track. I’m mixing up cycling, yoga, and bodyweight workouts and it is a great combination to keep me feeling strong and happy.

Sewing and More Sewing

Having more time for sewing is something I’m ALWAYS wanting but never seem to get. This is one silver lining of this weird time for me. I have been able to focus on my projects and really enjoy the process. This is a bralette in the works (now complete, and I love it.)

All the Baking

Time on my hands means time for croissants. I’m thinking about posting this recipe soon…stay tuned.

Wildflowers

Caroline loves to pick flowers, and will do it whether she’s supposed to or not. Thankfully most of what she picks are wild flowers or things on our own property, not neighbors’ flowers like she used to.

So Many Good Books

I’ve been reading voraciously since it is the perfect escape when you can’t go anywhere. This is one of a few I read last week – Juliet Takes a Break by Gabby Rivera. Assessment: I agree 100% with Roxane Gay.

Just a Pretty Shot

Loved the way the light hit my glass this particular evening.

Baking with Caroline

I love how much my girl loves to bake with me. Most weekend mornings the first thing she does when she wakes up is comes to wake me up (boo) and asks if we can bake something together. I mean, how can I say no?

Time for Puzzles

I often reward myself after a period of intense work by starting a new puzzle. I started this puzzle after Caroline’s birthday, when all the sewing and wrapping and baking was finally complete. It was a challenge but I absolutely loved it.

Porch Treat Drop

We dropped off a some birthday treats including a cake for my friend’s daughter. It was hard to be so close yet so far away, but we were happy we could make her day a little bit more special and I was honored her mom asked me to bake the cake.

Hazel is Four!

The birthday girl with her very pink cake! (Photo courtesy of her mom)

Even More Baking

I had leftover egg yolks from making the frosting for Hazel’s cake and I decided pastry cream was the next logical step. After which, the next logical step is a fruit tart. The crust got much darker than usual this time, I have no idea why, but it was delicious nonetheless!

View as a List
  • Rosie
    Rosie

    If you don’t like cat photos, just leave now. Trust me.

  • Family Reading Time
    Family Reading Time

    Don’t let the picture fool you. We have allowed PLENTY of screen time when it saves our sanity, but the kids are also often willing to participate in family reading time, especially when I set up a cozy spot for it.

  • The Vent Sleeper
    The Vent Sleeper

    Rosie loves to sleep on the vents. She also loves to pull the vents out of the floor and does so on the regular.

  • Lovely Fabric
    Lovely Fabric

    I’ve been slowly organizing my fabric stash and moving it into my newly converted sewing room. These two beauties I pulled out a few weeks ago have now been sewn up into gorgeous garments and I’m thrilled about it.

  • Dress for the Birthday Girl
    Dress for the Birthday Girl

    I made this dress as a birthday gift for Caroline and loved how it turned out. She wears it as often as possible!

  • Rosie Naps, Again
    Rosie Naps, Again

    She naps in certain spots at certain times of day but is nearly always napping. This is her afternoon spot.

  • Gorgeous Ranunculus
    Gorgeous Ranunculus

    Ranunculus are my favorite flower and I can’t resist buying them when they are in season. These lovelies came from Blooms by Wildwood, one of my favorite local shops.

  • Sweats for Twinning
    Sweats for Twinning

    Another handmade gift for Caroline’s birthday, this time for both of us. This is our second pair of matching sweatpants but it certainly won’t be the last.

  • Cake for My Nine Year Old
    Cake for My Nine Year Old

    I’m sorry, what? I have a nine year old?! This cake was fun to make and brought some cheer to a birthday during quarantine.

  • Sushi, Sushi, Sushi!
    Sushi, Sushi, Sushi!

    We have been ordering take out from our beloved family-owned sushi restaurant at least once a week to help support them. One week I had the kids make cards for them and I loved this cute one Caroline came up with!

  • Smash Burgers, Fries, and Great Wine
    Smash Burgers, Fries, and Great Wine

    Having some extra time off from work has meant a lot more time to make involved meals. One week we cooked smash burgers on the grill with homemade French fries and it.was.AWESOME. We make this recipe for the burgers with these buns (duh) and use the fake shake sauce from Smitten Kitchen. The French fry recipe I like best is from Food Lab by J. Kenzi López-Alt.

  • Exercise is Life
    Exercise is Life

    I know many people have many different feelings about exercise during this time and that is a-okay. Everyone should listen to their own body and don’t give AF about what anyone else is doing. For me, regular exercise is really helping to keep my mood stable and my sleep on track. I’m mixing up cycling, yoga, and bodyweight workouts and it is a great combination to keep me feeling strong and happy.

  • Sewing and More Sewing
    Sewing and More Sewing

    Having more time for sewing is something I’m ALWAYS wanting but never seem to get. This is one silver lining of this weird time for me. I have been able to focus on my projects and really enjoy the process. This is a bralette in the works (now complete, and I love it.)

  • All the Baking
    All the Baking

    Time on my hands means time for croissants. I’m thinking about posting this recipe soon…stay tuned.

  • Wildflowers
    Wildflowers

    Caroline loves to pick flowers, and will do it whether she’s supposed to or not. Thankfully most of what she picks are wild flowers or things on our own property, not neighbors’ flowers like she used to.

  • So Many Good Books
    So Many Good Books

    I’ve been reading voraciously since it is the perfect escape when you can’t go anywhere. This is one of a few I read last week – Juliet Takes a Break by Gabby Rivera. Assessment: I agree 100% with Roxane Gay.

  • Just a Pretty Shot
    Just a Pretty Shot

    Loved the way the light hit my glass this particular evening.

  • Baking with Caroline
    Baking with Caroline

    I love how much my girl loves to bake with me. Most weekend mornings the first thing she does when she wakes up is comes to wake me up (boo) and asks if we can bake something together. I mean, how can I say no?

  • Time for Puzzles
    Time for Puzzles

    I often reward myself after a period of intense work by starting a new puzzle. I started this puzzle after Caroline’s birthday, when all the sewing and wrapping and baking was finally complete. It was a challenge but I absolutely loved it.

  • Porch Treat Drop
    Porch Treat Drop

    We dropped off a some birthday treats including a cake for my friend’s daughter. It was hard to be so close yet so far away, but we were happy we could make her day a little bit more special and I was honored her mom asked me to bake the cake.

  • Hazel is Four!
    Hazel is Four!

    The birthday girl with her very pink cake! (Photo courtesy of her mom)

  • Even More Baking
    Even More Baking

    I had leftover egg yolks from making the frosting for Hazel’s cake and I decided pastry cream was the next logical step. After which, the next logical step is a fruit tart. The crust got much darker than usual this time, I have no idea why, but it was delicious nonetheless!

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