The December Collection
: a return to Italy, 580 handwritten letters, and walking a mile in someone else's shoes :
Welcome to several new subscribers this week: Jason C., kcpyne, Meg W., Collette G., Michael E., Ramona G., Medha M., and Shauna H. Glad to have you here!
Some of my favorite posts from others are collections of what they’re discovering, so each month I curate my own. This month has some bonus content, so the email may be cut short. But if you click the title, you can read the full web version.
Check out past collections if you missed them:
THE SEPTEMBER COLLECTION - another book giveaway, lofty babka goals, and hospital art (it’s not what you think)
THE OCTOBER COLLECTION - a dinner fail, everyday people, and one really gorgeous notebook
THE NOVEMBER COLLECTION - a guest author, some children's book recommendations, poetry, and how I capture memories
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Feel free to jump around to different sections.
What I’m Cooking
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a mid-week discussion that included a special What I’m Cooking section dedicated to my contributions to our Thanksgiving meal. Check it out if you missed it!
Hungarian Style Potato and Sauerkraut Goulash
Way back in October I mentioned that I wanted to try
's Hungarian-Style Potato and Sauerkraut Goulash, but I didn’t have the proper paprika (well that was fun to say out loud!). I’m here to say I finally made it! I didn’t have jackfruit, so I subbed mushrooms as Jack suggested in his tips. The result was a hearty, tangy bowl of adventure! If you like sauerkraut, definitely give this one a try!Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce
As soon as I saw this slow-roasted sauce over at
, I knew I had to try it. Red sauce and pasta is one of my favorite meals, and my spaghetti sauce is a recipe I’ve perfected through the years. But that’s not to say it’s the only sauce I’ll try. This one had a number of differences, but the most significant was that it had no meat. I gathered my ingredients and set to work.As Jack suggested, I crushed the tomatoes with my hands, which grossed Mike out but was wildly therapeutic. I was a bit taken aback by the amount of olive oil added, but a quick check-in with Jack confirmed I had not misread:
Regarding that oil... Like most anything that has a fat of some kind added to it, the primary purpose is for human pleasure - in this case, mouthfeel and taste. You can cut back on the oil if you wish, keeping in mind the overall quantity and the amount consumed per serving. Fat is perceived in our mouth as a sweet sensation - one of the 5 major taste elements. Fat also works to balance one of the other tastes in our mouth - acid. The overall taste may seem too acidic and even somewhat flat without adding the fat to this recipe.
(Spoiler: I used the entire quantity, and it was totally worth it!)
My house smelled divine while this roasted all afternoon. I broke from my housework every hour to stir it, and the temptation to dip in before the four-hour mark was powerful!
I served it with red lentil fusilli and garlic breadsticks. Mike took the first bite and said, “This tastes like something I ate all the time while I was in Italy—Penne all’arrabiata. It takes me back. I haven’t tasted this in 30 years!” (His first duty station in the Navy was La Maddalena. He speaks of those two years often and fondly.)
The first taste caught me off guard. I thought surely it was too spicy or acidic, but as my tastebuds processed the mouthful they were simply delighted—all flavor, not acid or heat.
I shared the experience with Jack via email (he’s incredibly kind and helpful to encourage his readers to email him for guidance), and I loved his response:
I am thrilled you had success with this sauce, and Mike was able to bring back glorious food memories from his time in Italy. I am constantly amazed at how the simple pleasure of enjoying well-prepared food can add so much to the quality of one's life.
Did I miss the meat I normally add to my sauce? Not at all! Do give this one a try!
What I’m Reading
Printed Pages
Dear Dana by Amy Weinland Daughters
Earlier this year I decided to step back from social media. It started with evaluating and culling my Facebook friends then turned into an all-out break from social media platforms to focus on more important things in my life. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t continued to think about what life updates I’m missing from friends and family by not scrolling through feeds every day. For example, at Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law and I caught up on life, and I felt kind of crappy for not knowing all she had been through this year. The truth is, I could have picked up the phone, so I can’t just blame that on my social media hiatus.
When a friend recommended Dear Dana, I immediately grabbed the Kindle version and began reading. The story is faith-based, but don’t let that deter you if you don’t ascribe to her beliefs. I think you’ll find important takeaways from the author’s experiment in sending handwritten letters to all 580 of her Facebook friends, especially as she gets into the chapters that give examples of the responses she received from different recipients. So often, the way a letter landed at the perfect moment was incredibly serendipitous, and there are times the author struggled with knowing this “real-life” correspondence could not be anything more than a letter or two—it could never morph into something more because there are only 24 hours in a day and we can’t maintain close friendships with every person we’ve ever met.
Here are a couple of passages I highlighted and will spend more time considering:
Don’t think that your words aren’t life to someone and aren’t well received if they don’t quite know how to respond….We don’t need a response to validate that we’ve made a difference.
and
I couldn’t be there for all of my 580 Facebook friends, not because I didn’t care, but because it was impossible.
That’s why it’s so important that we separate our social media relationships from those we do in “real life.” Yes, we may feel connected and care about our Facebook people, but we need to cultivate our in-person relationships, not only for our own well-being, but for the well-being of others.
If you read this one, email me your thoughts. I think there’s a lot to discuss here—maybe a good book for a small group discussion (in person or virtual!).
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
If you are in a creative slump, read this book. If you’re wondering why you keep writing or painting or drawing or crafting when it seems there is little financial reward, read this book. If you have an artist in your life, stuff their stocking with this book. If you know someone who has forgotten how to play, give them this book.
I discovered
here on Substack several months ago and have become more and more encouraged and inspired with every post I read. What he shares isn't rocket science, but man, how we need his reminders of what life's all about and creative techniques that will jumpstart your ideas! I loved this post from a few weeks ago where he shares stamps and pens to try, ways to map out your ideas, his downloadable gratitude zine, his wife’s pizza recipe, and exercises to get the creative juices flowing.I started reading Steal Like an Artist a couple of weeks ago (how have I not known about this book for the last ten years?!). There’s so much good stuff here that you just have to read it, but one idea that resonated with me was:
Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.
He suggests you do all the boring things like ironing your shirts, washing the dishes, taking long walks, staring at a spot on the wall. The boredom will focus your mind. This reminded me of a post I wrote months ago in which I noted several books that spoke to slowing down and spending time in solitude.1 I’m constantly having to remind myself to schedule time for nothing. My calendar fills up so quickly, and if I don’t schedule time for my thoughts, they will never make it to the page.
I’m planning to read two more of Kleon’s books soon: Show Your Work! and Keep Going. I’m not prone to fangirling, but it’s never too late…
Have you read any of Kleon’s books or posts? Have any of his ideas helped your creativity?
On the Web
Curious Realizer - The Power of Travel to Make the Familiar Unfamiliar
I enjoyed this post by
at last month where he talks about the "blind spots of familiarity" and how time away--from home or something we're working on--is "vital to regaining perspective and objectivity." Perhaps reading it made me subconsciously choose that unfamiliar route I wrote about last week.Here’s How One Group Aims to Lower Accidental Opioid Overdoses in Baton Rouge
I recently received an email that my company was partnering with an organization called Set Free Indeed to provide Christmas gifts for incarcerated parents to give their children. These parents have taken positive steps and are participating in a life skills and recovery class each week, learning parenting skills, budgeting, and more. However, they are not able to give gifts to their families while still incarcerated. This drive will supply gift cards to support 27 children.
Curious about the organization, I did a quick search and learned through this article that Tonja Myles, founder of Set Free Indeed, “operates numerous community programs and campaigns that have led scores of people to sobriety and recovery.” I emailed our CEO to let him know how much I appreciate our company’s support of this ministry (and for being, in general, a company that gives back) since its mission hits so close to home—my son has been in recovery from opioid addiction for over six months. Brad responded that he’d like to personally introduce me to Tonja over lunch in a couple of weeks.
I’m looking forward to learning more about Tonja and more ways we can help support Set Free Indeed. Perhaps we’ll have an interview featured here at Release and Gather in the future!
If you grew up watching Sesame Street, The Muppets, or Fraggle Rock (a personal favorite), you simply must read this post by
over at featuring Jim Henson's "modest diary" filled with "single line notices of important events" from 1965-1988. Hess also includes wonderful biographical information on the puppeteer and video clips of some of his lesser-known work, much of which was new to me.This was before Shazam, before Spotify, and smart phones. To find the song or any music like it, I needed to ask a living, breathing human being. So that's what I did.
What happens when everything is online, when there are no more brick-and-mortar stores? How will we discover new music, movies, or books?
The effects of our increasing reliance on centralized, institutionalized, disconnected influencers reaches much farther than our music tastes.
This is what contentment looks like
In this article found at
newish mom talks about the insecurity invoked by conversations with child-free friends who are "following dreams, traveling places, and taking risks."Becoming a parent changes who you are and what you prioritize. It changes how you spend your time, what you eat, who you hang out with, where you go, what you watch, and what you say. It changes everything—and it is maddeningly frustrating to not be able to describe the magnitude of that change to the non-parents in your life.
Does she reach contentment as the title suggests?
What I’m Watching
St. Vincent
I’ve had this on my Netflix Watch List for a while, so after finishing all episodes of Inside Man (a wild ride, not for the faint of heart) and The Texas Killing Fields (I’m a sucker for true crime) and being disgusted with terrible Christmas movies, I decided it was now or never. It was painful at first—I immediately disliked Vincent (Bill Murray), a character with zero redeeming qualities and single mom Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) was too apathetic for me, but I pushed through and found a treasure of a story—one of imperfect people making the best decisions they can given their circumstances.
St. Vincent will make you laugh, cry (I did, in fact, cry more during that movie than I have in a very long time), and watch in sheer awe as Naomi Watts superbly and convincingly portrays Daka, a Russian “lady of the night.” And Vincent—well, he is every grumpy old man, every alcoholic, every gambler, every sarcastic asshole I’ve ever judged. A reminder to stop and ask, “What’s the story behind the attitude and behavior?”
Top Gun: Maverick
“Just saw top gun,” my 23-year-old son messaged me six months ago. “So good. You should go fr.”
“But have you seen the original?” I asked. There was no way this sequel could be as good as 1986’s Top Gun. I mean, hello—a young, saner Tom Cruise, one very hot Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Kelly McGillis, an iconic soundtrack—how could anything be better?
But then my mother-in-law told us that in her opinion Maverick was better than the original. She has pretty great taste, so I thought maybe we’d go see it. But life was full and we didn’t make time. Last week when browsing movie titles at our favorite theater, there it was (how is it still in theaters after all this time?!)—a 4 p.m. show, which was perfect for people who live an hour away and are usually in bed by 9:00.
Was it “so good” or “better than the original?” Yes, it was! Don’t delay—and when you’re done watching, read all the trivia on IMDb over your favorite pizza and beer!
What I’m Listening to
This is the third year I’ve had this Advent playlist on repeat. Such a great way to start my morning and remember why I celebrate Christmas.
Light a woodsy candle, throw some cheese and meats on a wooden cutting board, open a nice bottle of red, and hit play for a truly cozy night.
I discovered this album thanks to
Check out this ambient music that's perfect for soothing frenzied nerves or anxious minds.That’s it for this month’s collection. I hope you found something you want to check out! Head over to the comments and let us know what you’re cooking, reading, watching, or listening to these days.
That slow roasted tomato sauce is heavenly! Since you’ve been cooking quite a lot of vegan dishes, I wanted to share my collection of Plant-based recipes from around the world over at Flipboard. Have a look! https://flipboard.com/@stellak2020/plant-based-recipes-from-around-the-world-nnog6gl1z?from=share&utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=curator_sharePlant Based Recipes From Around The World
Hi Holly, Here is another Christmas song to inspire you. Dutch soprano Floor Jansen, more than six months pregnant, singing "O Holy Night" in Finnish. I'm not even religious and this makes me believe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1Wc5dmUYc