finding some light in my simplest pleasures 🌞

an exhaustive list of the little things giving me life, perspective, comfort, and solace - including my hotel-borrowed robe, voice notes, and three easy peasy recipes I make on repeat

casita during morning golden hour, featuring my favourite guate pillow

oh hello! long time no see. the last chunk of the year has really barreled towards el fin quite quickly so let’s pick up where we left off, okay?! I made my way back across the pond to berlin + dublin for community stuff (got to hang IRL with the creators + builders who make my 9-5 so rewarding), hurried back to nyc - cowbell and all - to cheer on J and 48,573 other crazy runners in the NYC marathon (he did it!! and then hopped onto a plane to lisbon the same night 🥵), struggled through a work situation that’s been consuming my headspace, shared raspberry bomboloni’s, pan con tomate, edamame dumplings, copitas de vino, and thanksgiving dinner with people I love, and felt more deeply at home in new york than I have in so long. 

the silver lining of life racing, or being away for a few weeks too long, or being dealt cards that you simply can’t control is that you’re forced to hold onto the comforts of your routine even more tightly. and for me, it also means that I notice and appreciate the littlest parts of it all the more more. it’s the things that you could just about race home for when the doors slide open at your subway stop, that give you a rush of serotonin as you’re turning the key back into your apartment, or where your mind wanders to when it’s searching for light. 

so, let’s find some light, shall we?

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🪅 my simplest pleasures 

morning golden hour, THE cookies, plant shops turning into city christmas tree farms

• wnyc in the morning - my parents would play NPR on the radio growing up so it feels like part of my life’s soundtrack

• living in my robe that I may or may not have indefinitely borrowed from a lovely hotel in D.C.

• single serving chocolate-chip cookies (which for me means two) - all baked goods make my day, but at the end of a long one, or when you’re in a pinch these hit different

• hot showers featuring my scalp massager, this scrub that makes me feel like I’m at the sauna, and post-shower body oil (this one for your wallet, this one for a little luxury)

• snuggling into bed after said hot shower and feeling like nothing bad could ever happen to me there

• the way the sun kisses my apt between the hours of 7 and 9 am

• kind eyes + gentle smiles shared with people I don’t know - for some reason lately with older women, both of us genuinely beaming knowing warmth at one another

one of sergio's autumn bouquets, a baby latte in a mug I brought back from berlin, wreaths galore in brooklyn

• a bouquet of flores from sergio. if you live in bk, he’s on the corner of flatbush + st. marks almost 24/7 and his seasonal bouquets are so special

• morning cafecito (ofc), the ritual of making it and sipping it

• any meal made by my papa, any baked good by my mama

• long walks around the neighborhood, sprinkled with sightings of puppies + babies, and romanticizing life inside of beautiful brownstones

• a little musica to cook to as I flutter around the kitchen. could be bossanova jazz, my spotify cooking mix, or right now, cozy holiday jazz (also this soundbar that I got off fb marketplace for a steal, fb marketplace > !)

• voicemails, because they’re normally only from my grammy

• voice notes, my mini personal podcasts, because they’re normally from my best friends

a bk kolache saturday, basking in the sun's rays, taquitos!!

• warm sun on my skin!!! on the beach! in the sand! by the water! through a window! no importa

• taquitos al pastor with lots of piña + salsita verde, made by an og taquero on a corner in cdmx

• slow saturday mornings with my person, bagels or kolaches, and our current tv obsession

• the smell of babies!! currently getting my fix from my (really lucy’s) baby, leo

• scrolling through my notes app and piecing together all the random, sweet, silly thoughts, quotes, and ideas I’ve documented over the years. a few I’ve stumbled upon recently:

  • “upstate street names that make me swoon: peppergrass lane, long and winding road, lilac lane, half moon ridge, lamplight street, lime kiln road,”

  • “peace arrives at your doorstep every morning in the form of choices”

  • “J said if I was an actor I’d be anne hathaway” lol

  • “oh baby I love your way big mountain reggae version” also lol

• any stew that sits in the oven for hours, ideally bathed in stock + wine, with pull-apart meat

little cutie e with no cares in the world (channeling her), nyc skyline, glazed short ribs over polenta

• facetimes with mi familia where we’re all laughing our asses off thousands of miles apart

• big hugs!! especially with people I haven’t seen in awhile, but really any hugs will do

• scrolling on up in my camera roll - I laugh at the videos, kiss my screen at loved ones, aw at old baby pics, retell the stories, etc. etc.

• MTA train conductors whose announcements over the PA system make you smile to yourself + feel proud to be a new yorker (oh! after almost a decade living here I finally got an NY ID (!!) very on brand for me that I won’t claim the USA but I will claim NYC)

• watching the manhattan skyline and brooklyn bridge glimmer from the n/q/b/d train

• my comfort meals - recipes I could whip up with my eyes closed + using just pantry staples - these are three that I make on repeat 🥚🍅

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🍳 the softest scrambled eggs: eggs (however many you want!), chives or scallions, unsalted butter, crème fraîche, flaky salt

• heat pan on low (low + slow is key here!!) while you whip your eggs together, add a little butter to the pan before adding your eggs. grab your trusty spatula and make quick little circle swirls. be patient - don’t turn up the heat! silky little swirls will start to form, when you’re just about ready and the egg is keeping a shape, add a small spoonful of creme fraiche to the top and let it melt into the eggs. remove from heat, add some chives, flaky salt + pepper

melt in your mouth fluffy and smooth

🍅 tomato egg drop soup: 2 big tomatoes cut into wedges, 2 eggs lightly whisked, 4 cups chicken stock or 4 cups water + 2 scoops bouillon, rice noodles (1-2 servings), half garlic clove, salt + white pepper, splash of sesame oil, splash of soy sauce, chili oil to taste, scallions on top

• heat oil (with high heat point, so veg or avocado are best) in heavy-bottomed pot, add the tomatoes and stir vigorously until they start to soften, stir in garlic, then add the stock, bring to a simmer

• boil your noodles separately on the side for 6 minutes, remove from heat, drain water, and cool them off with cold water

• with your whisked eggs in one hand, and your spoon in the other, stir the soup to make a little whirlpool action as you slowly pour in the eggs. they’ll form the prettiest silky ribbons. add pepper + splash of soy sauce

  • if you want a thicker soup you can do the whole cornstarch slurry situation (cornstarch + water)

• then grab your bowl, add the cooled down noodles first, then ladle the soup on top. finish off with a few drops of sesame oil, chili oil, and scallions

soul warming on a winter night

🥫 queen marcella hazan’s tomato sauce: 28oz can of whole tomatoes, 1 onion (cut in half), 5 tbps butter, salt

• combine tomatoes, both sides of the onion, butter, and a pinch or two of salt in a pan, bring to a simmer + cook uncovered for 45 min - you can crush the tomatoes as you go along and give it a good stir every now and again. I like to cut up the onion after and add it back in to serve

  • mezze rigatoni is my favourite pasta shape to pair it with

this sauce is everything to me. it cooks down in the most beautiful way

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it would make me the absolute happiest to hear what some of the small stuff that’s lifting you up is these days, your simplest pleasures - so let me know down there in the comments or text me!! I’m in minnesota for the holidays (🤞🏽 for a white christmas or else why am I here you know?!), relishing every minute with m, p, and noah, the calderon’s, my abuelitos, and more. (no work allowed!! 🙅🏽‍♀️) lots of cookie-making, pastelle-assembling, card-playing, and jooooolly good times ahead.

sending love your way this holiday season,

EYY