Happy holidays!
Here we are, Christmas is nine days away, and I don’t know about you but I haven’t bought a single gift! Our belongings from Vietnam are still in transit (they’re almost at the port of Los Angeles) and our new house is still kind of like a campsite – but thanks to friends and our local buy nothing group (highly recommend!) we borrowed some household essentials. I do, however, feel a pang for my beautiful German Christmas ornaments. For the second year in a row they’re trapped on a transport ship during their prime season. Maybe I’ll have a Christmas in July decorating bonanza this summer.
All my time this month has been focused on the last line edit of my new novel, which I finally finished last week. I’ll have lots of news in the new year, including a cover reveal (!) so stay tuned. I’m so excited to share this book with you!
Here’s what else I’ve been up to…
What I’ve been eating
–A jolly gingerbread man inspired my 8-year-old and I to maybe make a gingerbread house over the winter break? I’ve made one in the past, and it was absolutely wonky… Also I’m terrible at piping icing. If you have any tips or recipes please share them in the comments!
–Between my book deadline and our rudimentary kitchen set-up (did I mention our oven has been broken ever since we moved in?) cooking has been extremely rudimentary around here – although I did manage to bake five (5!) Thanksgiving pies in our neighbors’ ovens.
–But! Tonight I’m going to an outdoor holiday get-together and I’m bringing this caviar dip, which is a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and folds together all sorts of creamy things with dill, scallions, and salmon roe. You eat it with potato chips or everything seasoning crackers and it is heavenly.
What I’ve been reading
–On a walk in my new neighborhood, I saw cat wearing a clown collar and looking mighty ticked about it. A clown collar? No, actually its owner informed me that it was an anti-hunting collar to prevent the cat from catching birds…! Learn more here.
–Is pad Thai simply a delicious food we dream about and order when we’re too tired to cook? Or is it a diplomatic and geopolitical tool? Inkstick media takes a look at gastrodiplomacy.
–Winter produce is often dull on the palate – but happily we have citrus to ward off the doldrums! If you’re searching for new ways to use these tangy fruits, I highly recommend my friend Marie Asselin’s new e-cookbooks, Savory Citrus Delights and Citrus Desserts. Marie’s recipes are simple, quick, and flavorful and I love her books so much they accompany me around the world. Both of her new books are on sale right now, and Marie has created a 50% off code for newsletter readers: citrus50
(This is not a paid promotion, I just truly love Marie and her recipes!)
–If you’re looking for more bookish gift ideas, check out my shop on Bookshop.org, where I’ve been keeping a list of all the books I read this year – 27 titles and counting!
Joyeuses fêtes
This year has flown by, even though I spent most of it in lockdown – I can scarcely believe we are saying goodbye to 2021! It’s been an unpredictable year and I’m looking forward to something a little more calm and sedate with lots of writing, maybe creating a subscription portion of this newsletter with special in-depth travel stories on, say, the history of fleur de sel (is this of interest?), and no moves. (Please, 2022?).
In a few days, I’m headed to California to see family and eat the best barbacoa tacos, so look for my taco crawl on Instagram :) In the meantime, I’m sending heartfelt thanks for all your support this year. It’s such an honor to be part of this community of readers.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season – may all be calm and bright.
XO Ann
Thank you Ann, Your newsy newsletter always puts a smile on my face 😊 Hoping 2022 will be calmer for you and your family. Cheers, Carolg
Thanks for the information about the Buy Nothing group. I’m going to look into that, what a nice concept.