A Whole Lotta Nothing
Issue 78 is rice at the wall
Friends, welcome to Spring. It’s sprung for us. Has it for you? The rain continues, but the sun is shining, and the buds have broken. Let’s call it Spring.
Last week, someone asked me why I write this newsletter and I froze. “It’s self-expression and consistency,” I said, wanting a far better answer.
If I do it for me, what about you?
Transparency in my experience furthers yours and vice versa. If I share a sliver of my life with you, something may resonate or become relevant to your world by way of my sharing mine. This is the power of my newsletter.
I’m curious, do you agree?
Also, if I can help you smile through all this crazy stuff called life, we’ve both won.
Canned Hammy
Maybe you heard, we got a hamster. His name is M&M. Originally, we were getting two, because, well loneliness. Hamsters are solitary animals and they’ll kill each other if they’re together—I want to insert a quip here but can’t figure out which one.
The two hammies were going to be named Mohawk and Mullet. Since we came home with one, we took the M and the M and put them together.
Please meet M&M, the hamSTAR:
Despite their size and rodent status, these beings require more than meets the eye. If you or anyone you know is looking to become a hamster parent, Victoria Raechel’s YouTube channel is highly recommended.
May we all become hamster whisperers.
Just a Word Tip
The margin for error on this one is massive. Did you realize there were two ways to unge?
Undulate (verb) to move in an up-and-down motion.
Ungulate (noun) is a hoofed mammal.
Have you ever seen a hoofed mammal moving in an up-and-down motion? That’s an undulating ungulate.
Say that ten times.
Undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate, undulating ungulate.
Yum Ottolenghi
I wanted to step up my rice game so I googled “flavored rice” and recipes from one of my favorite chefs popped up, Yottom Ottolenghi.
Since that fateful day, I’ve made two versions of stepped-up rice. Once you know the concept, you can mix and match as you wish or as your pantry dictates.
To be clear, I can’t make rice to save my life. I have a rice cooker, which I struggled to use correctly until I was shown E-X-A-C-T-L-Y how it was done. I’m that impaired (but only with rice). I realize that’s like saying I can’t make pasta—asinine. Still, it’s my truth and if I’m not vocal with my truth, others suffering from something similar won’t know they’re in good company. #community
So, the concept of Yotam’s rice is this: Roast vegetables, herbs, and seasonings in a pan for 40 minutes at 425° (or meats or beans—anything). After 40 minutes, toss in the rice, top it with boiling water, and cover with foil. Cook for another 25 minutes.
Voila! Perfect rice, full of fun and flavor!
To recap:
Know about Yotam (if you don’t already).
Get one of his cookbooks (or five).
Make some of his recipes (or ten).
Buy someone a gift hamper (we call them gift baskets in the U.S.).
Net/net: Yotam equals yum.
If I were writing his copy, I’d name him Yum Ottolenghi.
Swimmers Gonna Swim
Swimmers know several things non-swimmers don’t. I’ll fill you in:
We chose a sport that doubles as a life-saving activity and we’re proud of it. Sorry, golfers.
Because we exhale from our nose, we blow a continuous snot rocket. Our sinuses are clear. The pool water may not be.
The smell of chlorine on our skin after we’ve left the pool is the smell of sweet, sweet accomplishment—better than any perfume.
We rarely “go” to the bathroom, but we do go to the bathroom
That water-logged, post-workout sensation we feel is as good as (insert something really, really good).
The less alluring side of swimming, because 2 and 4 are not alluring, if you’re not a swimmer:
We chose a sport that requires us to be naked, basically.
We dread entering the pool, submerging ourselves in water, more than just about anything.
The need for sunscreen is real because, well, see #1.
Where I am, it’s time for bed. I hope you sleep swimmingly. I know I will. With love and gratitude, Simone
What did your friend say after that beautiful answer of yours?