Setting the Table: Vol. 4
Stressed, snapping & setting intentions anyway
Every Thursday, I’m setting the table for your weekend…a little collection of reads, recipes, fun things and whatever else caught my eye this week. It’s the moment before the chaos when you get to decide what kind of experience you want. NOT a to-do list…just some sweet-ass possibilities.
This week hit me like a freight train. On the heels of the long weekend where I helped cater a 25-person Valentine’s soirée, I’m also catering a private dinner for my best friend Marie tonight (on top of my regular private chef work). I’m excited about this winter-to-spring menu tonight though, it’s giving pink radicchio, bright kumquats, blood oranges, a little Niçoise action…all the colors that help make February feel less bleak. AND I’ve got a couple REALLY exciting projects in the works…the first I’m prepping tomorrow, and the only hint I’ll give for that one is…CEREAL. Stay tuned for awesomeness, friends.
Yo, Fire Horse year! Transformation, intensity, the kind of energy that makes you feel EVERYTHING all at once. And you guys, I’m already feeling it. All the irons I’ve got in the fire are great & exciting, but with my ADHD in full effect, I am stressed, moving 100-miles-a-minute…and I’ve already snapped at Yas once this week. :)
So today’s “table” is about nervous system regulation, checking your aura, remembering why facials are essential infrastructure, and some great obscure food writing that makes life worth living.
Pull up a chair, there’s always space for you at the table. Enjoy!
THE GRAZING PLATE
(quick bites, short reads, things to nibble on)
THE GRAZING PLATE (quick bites, short reads, things to nibble on)
The Mother Frequency - Why the Fire Horse Year Hits Mothers Hardest
This is about Fire Horse year…transformation, intensity, and how mothers, in particular, are feeling EVERY bit of it. If you’ve been more reactive than usual, this might be why.WrongHouse Issue 6 - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Butter
Lila’s publication just dropped Issue 6 yesterday and this butter essay is my JAM. Obscure, buttery and exactly the kind of deep dive into mundane brilliance that I live for. WrongHouse never misses.Chinese Medicine Doctor’s Guide for Fire Snake Year
Practical guidance for navigating this year’s specific energy. Wood element, liver health, releasing what no longer serves. Yes to all of it.
THE UTENSILS
(tools, recipes, the things that help you do the work)
Slow Braised Lamb BBQ
I made this for my friend Rose’s annual Pink & Red Valentine’s dinner this past weekend. Stupid-easy and the kind of food that makes people feel loved. Served best on grits (duh!), but it also shines on rice, cornbread, pita, or straight from the pan standing over the stove at midnight. You do you. Recipe details available for my lovely paid subscribers😘 Click to Upgrade.
THE VESSELS
(what holds us, what gives our chaos shape and space)
Consistency Tips for Women
Building routines (I LOVE a routine) that actually stick without burning yourself out in the process. For those of us who start strong, but fizzle by day three.The Broke Girl’s Guide to Nervous System Regulation
Practical, non-froo-froo ways to calm down when you’re stressed and snapping at people you love (sorry, babe!) Free, accessible, might actually work.
THE GLASSWARE
(the bubbles, the refreshment, what quenches)
Magic Jewelry - Aura Photos
My little spot, tucked away between Canal & Centre Streets. I’ve been getting readings here for years and they’re SPOT ON every single time. It’s my favorite way to check in on what I’m actually putting out in the world versus what I think I’m putting out. They photograph your aura, and a specialist walks you through what it means. It’s part therapy, part mirror, all truth.My Secret…JS Beauty
I’m done gatekeeping my facial place. I stumbled on this last year when I was brave enough to buy a Groupon to an unknown spot and found a GEM. I bought a package and have the most glorious facials throughout the entire year last year & just re-upped for this year. One of the best investments of my adult life.
THE NAPKIN
(for wiping away the week’s mess, the reset)
This Week: A Collective Reset
Monday was genuinely insane. An annular solar eclipse (Ring of Fire), a New Moon in Aquarius, the start of Chinese New Year, Ramadan beginning Tuesday, and Lent ALL starting this week. Across entirely different cultures, religions, and cosmological systems…all about the same thing: renewal, intention, discipline, forward movement.
It’s a collective permission slip to shed what no longer serves and decide what moves forward with you. Whether you observe any of these traditions or not, the sky performed the metaphor…the rest depends on what you choose to carry.
THE DESSERT PLATE
(the sweet stuff, pure joy, no justification needed)
Save the Date: Whitney Biennial 2025
Opens March 20th. One of the most anticipated contemporary art events of the year. Previews and member events begin March 6th.LES Printshop Classes & Workshops
The Lower East Side printmaking studio has been around since 1968 and is one of the coolest organizations around (Yes, I’m totally biased bc my best friend runs it, but still…she’s awesome, so it has to be). Screen printing, risograph, letterpress…all the hands-on, analog creative outlets your overstimulated brain needs. Also happens to be the venue for tonight’s private dinner. Let’s GO!
What are you setting out for the weekend?!