Hello! Hello! Welcome to another weekly episode of Good Things where I give you a peek into my everyday life during the week, and roundup my good links, ideas, books, and more.
Happy Weekend to you!
I hope you’ve been having a restorative holiday weekend.
I always like these long weekends as an excuse to get in the garden, eat ice cream, do joyful things, read good books, go on adventures, spend time with people I love – which is technically how I like to spend every weekend, but with a little bit more breathing room!
👋 If you are new here, welcome! I try to fill these newsletters with a little something for everyone. (If you are just here for the food, it’s at the end! Feel free to scroll, I won’t judge!)
July Intentions:
Each month I sit down and write out a list of intentions for the month ahead. It’s not exactly a to-do list, more like an “options” list. Place-holders also help me make space for more exciting adventures! Many of my intentions remain the same month to month, but I try to pick out a few new things regularly!
How do I want to feel this month? That feeling you had during the summer time in middle school. Full on summer vibes. This month, I’ll have a good amount of heads down and quiet time. I plan on doing a mid-year check in, summer audit, catching up on my systems and lists, and spending a lot of time outside both in the garden and on adventures.
Out and About
My feet in the ocean • Time on a BOAT • A barbecue • An art class • A cooking class • A visit to a Trustees property • A Red Sox game with my sibling • Golf at Commonwealth • A movie in the theater • Monthly Boston dinner with my friend Kathy • Monthly family dinner out with my mom and brother • MFA for Hallyu! The Korean Wave (before it closes at the end of the month. Still haven’t gone!) • Fishing
Good Eats
Noma Tastebuds Club (take two! last box got stuck in shipping) • at least 2 lobster rolls on my Summer Lobster Roll Quest • All the berries season • revisit your 2024 kitchen resolutions • NOVELTY!
Some Meal Ideas:
Inspiration: See Mark Bittman’s 2007 Summer 101 dishes in 10 minutes, and Second Lunch July Eats, Nigel Slater Summer
Seafood: Cod and chips, whole belly fried clams, whole lobster. Steamers. Next five lobster rolls: Row34, Pauli’s, that one down towards the cape. Turkish green plum fish. Mackerel in vinaigrette with beets. Squid, peas, cilantro chutney.
Rice bowls with: Kebabs. Grilled chicken. Salmon.
Recipes: Dishoom’s Chili Cheese Toast. A cherry clafoutis. Marian Burros Plum Torte. Summer fruit panna cotta.
America: Tomato sandwich, good bread, goat cheese. Pickle juice marinated grilled chicken thighs. Hot dogs and baked beans. Blueberry Muffins. Grill some Copper River salmon.
Noodle things: Lobster pasta. Cold sesame noodles. Vietnamese Bun. Cold Korean noodles (Naengmyeon). Deconstructed Mantı.
Vegetables I want to eat: corn, tomato, zucchini, green beans, new potatoes, fennel, green beans. Tomato, salami, herbs, and dressing. Turkish fried zucchini and eggplant.
Fruits: all of the cherries, all the berries, strawberries and cream.
Sauces: more pesto, peanut sauce, nuoc cham, cacik, ezme, tarator, sauce gribiche.
Treats: Danish red berry pudding. Douhua. Warabi Mochi. Berryline FroYo. Mango Sago. A Taiyaki Fish. Mango Sago. Good biscuits. Texas Sheet Cake. Peach Melba.
Drinks: Ayran. Vişne suyu. Brazilian lemonade. Horchata. Iced tea lemonade. Tart cherry + spindrift lemon.
Out: Bar Vlaha. Pizzi Farm. Anna’s Big Jim (a sandwich at Formaggio). Formaggio Barbecue. Oleana.
What are you looking forward to eating this month? I’d love to add to the list!
Self Care
Self-Care Short List (new) • Massage • Weekly Manicure • DEXA/RMR/VO2max testing • Acupuncture to work on De Quervains • Sauna and Cold Plunge at Kelo (I went in June and it was incredible. 3 hours of luxuriating and contrast therapy, a platza, and a big pot of tea.) I will be going again! • Eye Masks in the fridge in the morning • Float Spa (want to test Float and The Indoor Oasis) • Scalp treatment (either at SKA or Fashion Point)
Move
Lift – Weekly Lifting 2x at home with lifting schedule printed out, 1/week at gym - continue working on Hip Thrusts • CRAW • GVRAT (200 miles goal - run 3 miles at least 3 times a week) June was a little bit more sedentary due to the heat, I’m looking to fix that! • Golf • Kayak
Update Lists
Inputs List (Podcasts, Reading, Watching) • Recipes to Cook / Let’s Eat Spreadsheet • Cooking Projects 2024 • Bean of the Week • Hobonichi Monthly Review 2024 (been doing great at this!) • Placeholders for “Once in a Lifetime monthly activities”
Create
Daily Hobonichi Cousin (Food, Gratitude, Mood) • 2024 Calendar • Sketch in Sketchbook • Watercolor • Shortlist of new art projects to try: botanical drawing? oil pastels? • a class at New Art Center or Shepherd Maudsleigh
Home
Plant lots of things! • Tend to the garden • List 5 things to giveaway on Buy Nothing • replace the air filter • get my car interior cleaned (Allston Car Wash) • wash dog beds • tidy up downstairs entrance • go through clothing drawers for a clear out • Short list for my “Life Binder”
Inputs
Update: podcast to listen list (WIP) • Update Movie List • Update Summer Reading List • Watch: My Lady Jane (absolutely delightful so far - strongly recommend!), House of the Dragon season 2 (Max), Dr. Who (Disney+), The Garden Chronicles (Max), Martha Gardens and Martha Cooks on the Roku Channel, The Boys. • Movies: MaXXXine, Thelma, Fall Guy, Inside Out 2, Challengers, Furiosa
Connect more Deeply with my Humans:
Time spent in NH with family • friend calls on my walks • initiate texts and love to friends (this is hard for me!) • Dog Walks with Friends • Porch Sitting Season • Plan fall travel • Plan fall “learn with friends”
Slow Drip Gardening
My mom brought me an old growth hosta from the house to break up and plant here.
Picked up a handful of new self watering pots at Target for the front garden (Home Depot was out).
Zinneas from Five Fork got planted. Rabbits took the heads off a few of them even though I sprayed.
The back plot (which we moved) has been filled with soil, I built a fence, and now I attempt for some early summer planting. I’m doing a sun study, and my hunch is that it’s partially shaded still.
New front plants: two cherry tomatoes, a cucumber, a flowering yellow
Back plot plants: hosta, rhubarb, zucchini (2), watermelon, parsley (3), sage, thyme, rosemary
What are you planting?
More Good Things:
📖 Reading: In my “Year of Sanderson” we’re on to the Rhythm of War (I’ve also downloaded Tress of the Emerald Sea to listen to). Working my way slowly through: William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience, and David Burns’ ‘The Feeling Good Handbook’. And starting ‘This is your Brain On Music’ by Daniel Levitin. Dr. Casey Mean’s Good Energy.
🎧 Listen: The Bone Valley Podcast (if you like true crime, this is good so far!) I’ve started my July Spotify playlist. I’ve been adding songs as they catch my ear (so far there’s a lot of Spanish Juanes/Elvis Crespo/El Alfa/Feid on there, some Charli xcx… Dr Gabrielle Lyon on Huberman Lab talking about muscle, protein and aging (good episode).
🌻 Flowers of the Week: clipped gorgeous hydrangea from my overflowing bush!
🛍️ Good Acquisitions: a Manta eye mask (after being influenced by folks at the Western States 100). Screen repair tape to fix some holes in the window screens. Some cleaning supplies: Affresh dishwasher, washing machine, and disposal cleaners. The Original Bee’s Wax magic spray (what can’t it do?), microfiber cleaning cloths, Scrubbing bubbles foaming bleach spray, a Chef’s Choice Trizor 15XV knife sharpener.
✅ Tackle a Nagging Task: after a wonderful freezer deep clean, I did my fridge this past weekend and feel FREE I tell you. I’ve been also writing a “Done List” where I add the errands/tasks I actually get done in a day, and it makes me immediately feel better about myself, and helps to snowball doing more.
🚶🏻♀️Let’s Move + 🐶 Dog Walks with Friends: fun with Mickey who lives across from the field. A few walkies with Bruno. Printed my lifting plan for July.
📺 Watching: Finishing up The Acolyte (do NOT recommend), in progress with House of the Dragon. Absolutely LOVING ‘My Lady Jane’ on Prime.
🤣 Memes and randomness of the week: 131 ADHD pro-tips via Reddit // This Visit Oslo ad. Seriously, I want to hop on a plane immediately. // Following along my BFF on her Bucharest-Budapest Viking River Boat Itinerary the past week and a half.
The Weekly Meal Plan:
Why do I do this? I’ll note, my meal plans tend to be more of a directional support for me than what I actually end up eating in my week. (I think a lot of people who do meal planning feel obligated to actually eat the things they come with rather than just using as a placeholder/inspiration. I do not feel so constricted.)
🍒 Good Eats from this Past Week:
Best meal: my friend Michele’s kiddo Ben made some *spectacular* chocolate chip cookies which I ate while walking home from their house. // Tied with a bowl of birria udon // having Just Bare lightly breaded chicken cutlets on hand
It’s a miss! I received my usual favorite (Anna’s chile verde burrito) cold after an hour long DoorDash adventure. (Ordering delivery is really such a let down.)
🦞 Lobster Roll Quest: unexpected submission at Fenway in the Rooters club (decent!)
Best dessert: Rhubarb sorbet on a hot night from Rancatore’s
Drink: Gazpacho all week!
Snacks: Angel Bakery pitas (very soft!) with taco cheese / Salted edamame pods
✍️ Every week I spend some time working on my "Let’s Eat” kitchen organization spreadsheet. This week I updated my “Things I love at Trader Joe’s Tab” where I keep the things I buy regularly organized roughly by store location, and enjoy seasonally that I want to keep an eye out for.
Bean of the week: Rancho Gordo puglia lentils
Weekend prep: following up my freezer deep clean, I went ahead for round two and did the refrigerator deep clean! I also went to farmers market on Saturday morning, and picked up corn, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, and some new potatoes. And strawberries.
Sunday: Ali Slagle’s Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Feta (thank you Amanda) and a green salad
Monday: Sesame tahini noodles
Tuesday: Fish with new potatoes, butter, and dill; cucumber salad
Wednesday: Hiya Yakko (cold tofu)
Thursday: Pa Krad Pow (basil beef) (thank you
)Friday: Kebab rice bowl with tomatoes and cucumber
Saturday: Lobster Roll
Lunch Options: Lentil salad. Fresh Montreal bagels from St. Viateur (thank you mom and John!) Salmon with marinated artichokes and beans. Lamb vindaloo with yogurt, tadka dal and yogurt. Greek chickpeas with cumin. Coconut chickpea curry. Trader Joe’s Kimbap. TJs Jumeokbap. 🦞 A lobster roll off the summer list.
Snacks: 🍒 Cherries. Blueberries. Strawberries. Yogurt and berries, yogurt with lemon and nuts, eggs, cottage cheese, cheese sticks. Turkey Chomps. Polar grapefruit.
Treat options: Apple Tartines. Key Lime Pie. Trader Joe’s S’Mores in the freezer section. Popsicles. Dark Chocolate covered pistachios. Chocolate Lava Cake. Bubble Waffles.
What are you eating this week?
Previous Years:
Something I really enjoy doing is flipping back in my journal or my blog to the week of the year over the past several years. When I write it out in a list like this, it feels like a nice accomplishment!
Observing the data this week: Lobster roll season, baby! Also I always enjoy a little bit of introspection and creation around mid-year.
2021: The Weekly Meal Plan
2020: Good Things Week 27
2017: Summer Self Care Bingo and a weekly meal plan (link to bingo is broken but I’ll get another up!)
2014: Lately
2012: Dansk Købenstyle
2009: Carrot Soup and Garlic Toasts, Broccoli Ideas, Daring Bakers Bakewell Tart, Coq Au Riesling, Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto, Summer Squash and Potato Gratin
That’s all for now! Hope you have a great week!
xo, Sam
PS: Will you forward this to ONE person you think would like this newsletter? Thank you!
Sam, have you read the Dishoom cookbook? It's so good. Truly a travelogue/guide book with recipes. Just delightful. I haven't eaten at the restaurant yet, but we're going to London in October, and I can't wait! My friend — who used to live in London — said we need to go twice: for breakfast and for lunch/dinner, so that's on the agenda.