Monthly Musings: June 2019
Hello friends – happy June!
The six month mark already, wow wow wow. Is it just me or did May fly by at extremely high speed? Looking back, the whole month has kind of blurred into one very long weekend in my mind. We spent a lot of time surrounded by family & friends over the course of the month, and for that I am grateful.
Did you have a nice month? I hope you found time to sit down for a long over-due chin-wag with your loved ones.
The offering for the month ahead is below. It’s trivial and easy, but sometimes that’s exactly what we need. Grab your coffee, choose a nice cozy spot on the couch, and read your way through my ramblings this fine Sunday. We’ll be over here, making pancakes & dancing around the kitchen.
Thanks for stopping by, friends. Enjoy!
monthly musings: june 2019
In case you were wondering: my mom came to the rescue re helping me with wedding outfits. She kicked my butt into action & we had two very successful shopping trips. Two dresses (here + here), one fancy dress coat, a dusty pink linen wrap, some strappy not-too-high heels (a & b), a baby pink clutch, and some cute rose gold earrings later, I was wedding ready. Mothers are truly a blessed gift.
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May was a weird month for weather here in Ireland. On one hand, it was so sticky & hot that I spent a lot of time in my Birkenstocks. On the other hand, it rained A LOT, so I wore my Rockholly raincoat all month long. I mean, I thought May was meant to be all sunshine and blue skies? The good news is that my Birkenstocks & my raincoat accidentally match. Silver linings!
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June is one of my very least favourite months in work. Every single year, I dread reaching June 16th for one simple reason: Bloomsday. An annual celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses that draws huge crowds of people to dress in ridiculous clothing & follow Bloom’s steps through Dublin. Sadly, the tiny village in which I work is one of the major stops on the route, making it one of the busiest workdays of the year. Annnd this year promises to be extra busy because not only does it fall on a Sunday, but it also happens to be Father’s Day. Joy.
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In case you missed it: a new recipe for Salted Maple Pie hit the blog a little while ago & you need it in your life asap. It’s from Sister Pie’s amazing book and it is perfection in a pie. Just sayin’.
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My new favourite word: alinea. It means “the beginning of a new train of thought”. Yes, I heard about it on Chef’s Table – our love for the show grows ever stronger – and yes, we want to visit the restaurant of the same name in Chicago.
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I just finished reading the entire Twilight book series again. I forgot to charge my Kindle one night & thought why the heck not enjoy some easy reading before bed. In all honesty, I had no intention of reading all four again… but then one thing led to another & I was suddenly 15 years old again, hooked. I’m no longer ashamed to admit it: the books are great.
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Related: I mentioned in last month’s post that I was trying to spend less time on my phone by carrying a book around in my handbag. Now whenever I have a minute to myself, I find that I don’t even really want to go on my phone, I’d much rather read another few pages of whatever book I’m reading. It’s so wonderful! I’m currently reading the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly & I’m entirely unable to put them down – they’re addictive!
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One of my sweet friends at work recently gifted me a banneton to up my sourdough making skills. I had refrained from buying one for some stupid reason like saving or whatever, but I am so thrilled with it! I just made my first ever loaf using it the other day & it definitely made a difference to the crust. Thanks, Nastja! Now to secure a trusty baker’s lame.
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Can we talk cookbooks for a second? I have a large collection that is filled with my faves & they are all so well loved. Every single one of them has post-its marking the recipes I want to make. Any recipe that I’ve ever made is marked with a cute little green sticker I buy solely for this purpose. Every third page or so is dotted with coffee, smeared with butter or chocolate, and lightly sprinkled with flour. That, friends, is what you call love. What’s in your collection? I’m thinking about adding a sourdough book to the group, do you have any recommendations?
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As of June 1st, there is only 102 days left until Boyfriend & I finally set off on our trip through Tuscany. I’d say that means I can start letting myself get excited in about 57 days. 45 days seems like an appropriate amount of time to be excited for, right?
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What’s on your baking list this month? I’ll leave this recipe from two years ago here just in case you need inspiration: Strawberries & Cream Naked Cake. My first and only foray into the world of naked cakes. So simple & yet so delicious!
I hope you have a wonderful month. Until July!
Hugs,
Vicki xo