Friday Recs: Charging my joy batteries, cozy recipe charts for fall, and good matcha
“Yours is the only newsletter I pay for.” “Receiving Downtime is the highlight of my week!” “I’ve been a longtime reader for years and finally decided to upgrade my subscription.” Join in the fun—become a paid subscriber to Downtime for exclusive content, reader chats, full access to the archives, giveaways, and more. Your subscription directly supports the growth of the newsletter. (And also, it helps me pay my editors, designers, collaborators, etc. :)) Friday Recs: Charging my joy batteries, cozy recipe charts for fall, and good matchaFeaturing a Q&A with bestselling cookbook author Julia Turshen. Plus a special holiday gift guide announcement! This is Friday Recs #68.This is the Friday post at Downtime, a feel-good weekly roundup of recommendations and delightful distractions. If the email cuts off, you can view it on the web.Hello everyone, How was your Halloween? How has your week been? I’m writing this on Thursday morning, buzzing with excitement for pumpkin carving, pizza, and candy with the family tonight. This week’s letter is short and comforting because, in the words of a TikTok I was recently served, “It has been Halloween and the week before the election for five years now.” Reader, I felt that. I’m finding little sparks of hope to carry me through, though. Early voting felt so satisfying (and it was soooo easy). My family and I had the honor of attending the White House’s “Hallo-READ” celebration, in which we had a blast (and Lily met her celebrity crush, Corduroy). It was a great reminder to celebrate the little moments of joy right now. To remember the wholesome feeling that is gathering with community. This weekend, there will be a beautiful baby shower and a sparkling Diwali celebration. These spots of joy and connection are powering me through, despite my fatigue. I RSVP “yes” through the exhaustion because I know that in the end, there’s nothing more energizing than getting together with people I love. In my mind, I’m charging my joy batteries for what will be a stressful Tuesday. I need all the happy reserves I can get. —Alisha P.S. An announcement! I’m taking your trickiest gift-giving questions again this year. ✨ You can submit who you’re shopping for here in our chat thread or via this form. I’ll select a few to answer in this year’s holiday gift guide Q&A. Before we dive in, a quick shoutout for a versatile, lightweight down jacket: I just got this Wanderweight Packable Down Jacket in navy blue from Land’s End, and it’s already my go-to for everyday errands like daycare pickup, dog walks, and even taking food scraps out to our compost bin after dinner. Since it folds into a compact little square, I can toss it in my tote without worrying about it taking up space. With cooler temps on the way, I know I’ll be reaching for it constantly—it’s cozy enough to keep out the chill yet light enough not to weigh me down. As a bonus, I love that the navy color goes with everything, and the electric blue lining adds a little *pop* of personality—a needed touch of fun during the gray days. Here are some of my other cozy staple picks: the fleece-lined leggings, flannel PJ’s, and a packable down tote bag. And good news: everything is 50% off sitewide on Land’s End until November 6, 2024! *Sponsored mention. Thank’s to Land’s End for unlocking this issue for everyone today - and to you for supporting the brands that help support Downtime. I’m a little light on recommendations this week because honestly, my brain just feels a bit fried. I’m allowing myself to rest and recover, and I hope you will, too. I’ll be back next week with many more fun finds that I’ve stockpiled—I just want to spend a little more time with them to write something cohesive and useful for you. x
💬 Psst: Give a rec, get a rec in our subscriber chat. As a paid subscriber, you can start your own thread! A Q&A With Cookbook Author Julia TurshenListen up, fellow chart nerds and visual learners. One of our favorite bestselling cookbook authors and overall delight, Julia Turshen, is back with us again, this time to share more details on her latest cookbook, What Goes With What: 100 Charts, 20 Recipes, Endless Possibilities. The book is inspired by all of her brilliant charts and soup matrixes that help you whip up dishes with ease and maximum flexibility—and yes, it contains all! the! soups! So perfect for cozy season. And who doesn’t want to whip up a warming Italian Wedding Soup or a dish called “The Fastest Chicken Noodle Soup?” We asked Julia a few q’s, below—and she’s graciously shared a recipe from her cookbook with our subscribers. Enjoy! What is the inspiration behind What Goes With What?
Why are charts so good at building cooking intuition?
What are three weeknight dinner heroes in your freezer/pantry?
What's one way (that's not cooking!) that you like to spend your downtime these days?
Thank you, Julia! Follow along on Instagram, buy a copy of the cookbook, and check out her upcoming book tour dates in NY and OH. 🎉 We’re giving away a free copy WHAT GOES WITH WHAT, to a paid Downtime subscriber. I’ll select a winner at random next Wednesday. (Oh, you’re not a paid subscriber? You can join us via this link below.) Edited by Aliza Abarbanel.And here’s a bonus treat for you: A pasta chart from Julia Turshen’s “What Goes With What” —and a full recipe for our paid subscribers.GET THE EXCLUSIVE RECIPE Paid subscribers to Downtime can see the recipe for Caesar Spaghetti right here. Honestly, it’s just this one today. I’ll be back in full force next week! Hope you have a cozy weekend! x Alisha You're currently a free subscriber to Downtime. If you’re enjoying it, could you consider upgrading your subscription? For $5/month, you’ll gain access to more recommendations, exclusive content, our subscriber chat, the full archives, and more. You’ll also support *all* the work that goes into producing this newsletter each week — the writing, editing, interviewing, graphic design, and so on. Either way, thanks for reading! This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click something and buy it, I may earn a small cut of the purchase at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work; I only recommend things I truly love and/or have vetted. If you enjoyed this post, please click the like ❤️ button at the bottom. It helps others discover my content and is a *free* way to show your appreciation. You could also forward it to a friend you think might enjoy it. You can also screenshot a favorite part and share it on Instagram. Be sure to tag me, @alisharamos so I can repost it. Follow me on Instagram and look through ShopMy for my latest finds. |
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A Little Self-Care Trick (And Some Treats)
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
...and some treats. I'm sharing ten little ways I'm taking care right now during an incredibly anxiety-inducing, brain-melting time. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Weekend Recs #67: The best cozy teas and escaping election doom spiraling
Friday, October 25, 2024
Plus some links that brought me joy this week. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
The Dessert That Feels Like A Warm Hug, From Pastry Chef Paola Velez
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
And a Q&A with the author of BODEGA BAKES. Paola shares her creamy, spiced flan recipe with us — perfect for chilly nights and too good to miss. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Friday Recs: Ina Garten's memoir is a cozy delight
Sunday, October 20, 2024
A few of my favorite life lessons and highlights from the book. Issue #66. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Catching Up: September!
Monday, October 7, 2024
What I read, one thing that saved our butts during a busy month, my hunt for perfect jeans, and the BEST thing I did for my mental health. And announcing this month's subscriber giveaway. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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