the report | vol. 19
it's an Ina Garten summer
Ooooh baby, baby—the weather has finally fully rounded the corner and I am in it.
I’m talkin’: riding my bike to the farmers market (and everywhere, see below), making meals based on seasonal, local produce and vibes, picnics and acro yoga in the park, reading/tanning in the backyard, spending evenings paddleboarding outside the amphitheater for artists I like, but not enough to buy a ticket for, sitting outside with my tea, watching the stars come out.
This morning, my husband and I diverted our morning walk to the closest coffee stand for matches. Can you even imagine?!
This is the version of myself I forget exists in the winter. Eyes open and bright, constantly doing something but never in a rush, sleeping hard, waking up refreshed, overflowing my cup.
(I’m sorry, but you gotta flex when/where you can. And honestly, at least I’m not complaining like I did all winter—sorry about that)
It’s something that
penned Ina Garten Summer— ”a rebellion against urgency”. It’s not checking off the summer to-do list, clutching so hard to time that your knuckles turn white (my tendency—the window between frost and wildfires can be narrow), but truly savoring summer slowly, really being in each movement exactly how it is, not trying to contrive or force it, or rush to the next thing, but being immersed in it. Letting your senses take you deeper—the sights, the smells, the textures, THE LIGHT.People really hype up slowing down in the winter, but I’m all for slowing down in the summer. Winter is for physical rest, summer is for mental rest. Yes, I’m physically doing more, but mentally I’m here:
Barefoot, outside, in the mountains (soon!), allowing myself to feel fully alive.
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ALSO! Before I get into the month’s report: Hello to all of the new people who have (unexplainably, but I’m not asking questions) joined me over the last month. I’m stoked you’re here.
The report is where I give myself a little monthly break from essays and think pieces and share what I’ve been personally doing, loving, and exploring month-to-month. It’s less formal, and I share links, thoughts, recipes, and more (basically just playing pretend I’m an influencer for one day a month lol)! It’s just my way of infusing a little more of myself into my Substack in an attempt to deepen my connection with my subscribers.
Enjoy!
xx Erin
reading —
Just finished
When Breath Becomes Air. The way I SOBBED at the end of this book… I don’t remember the last time I cried so hard. I needed a nasal strip to be able to sleep, and my eyes were so swollen the next day that I could barely hold them open. It is heartbreaking and cathartic in the best way possible.
Just started
. When Breath Becomes Air left me with the feeling that I would never recover—how does one follow up a book like that?I had learned about Suleika in the documentary American Symphony, and I remember being even more transfixed by her even more so than her husband, Jon Batiste (a genius and next-level talent with a sparkly soul in his own right). I’ve had her memoir on my list for a while, and I decided now was the time—a story written by someone who had cancer and lived seemed like the antidote to the pit in my gut left by WBBA.
So far, the writing is stunning. I’ve definitely stayed up past my bedtime to just get one more chapter, which is exceedingly rare and out of character for me.
exploring — the world of bike commuting
This month, I sold my car. Since moving, it didn’t get driven much, and it was getting old—the time had ultimately come for me to part ways with it. I know I’m not supposed to be attached to things—you can’t take it with you, after all—but I’ll admit: I cried when it was gone.
It had seen me through so many eras of life and becoming an adult, it was reliable and fun to drive, and it was completely analog (the screens and tech in newer cars is… not for me). Our other vehicle is a truck, and it’s not my favorite thing to drive, to say the least.
Upon its final departure, driven away by the sweetest teenage boy (that I manifested) and his dad, I was stricken with a grief I was embarrassed to feel. So many things flooded over me, but chief among them was a sudden loss of freedom. Being married, the blending of lives can sometimes be difficult for me to navigate, even six years deep. Freedom is one of my top values, and it feels important to me to have things that are mine. Things I don’t have to share. I had bought my car before my husband and I had even met. I owned it outright (and worked really hard to make that happen). The tuck is technically his. Not having a vehicle of my own suddenly felt…weirdly isolating. In a way I wasn’t expecting.
But alas, the feeling subsided. With the help of my new bike that I’m obsessed with.
I got a Tenways Ebike (we saw them everywhere in Amsterdam and loved them), and my world has been cracked open. I feel like some of the freedom and autonomy I felt I lost in the absence of my car has been restored. Commuting by bike has been so freeing, so relaxing. Who knew?
playing — chess
I’m 32 and don’t know how to play chess. Sue me.
My husband, however, like so many men (for some reason), is completely engrossed in Chess.com. For his birthday, I got him a travel chessboard so he can teach me and play irl.
It took me two days to figure out what all of the pieces do, so that’s where we are.
obsessing over — wild flowers
I live in a duplex with a small backyard. We’ve been here for a couple of years, and the mulch around the border was starting to look a little worse for wear. But something about buying mulch to refresh it felt fucking idiotic to me.
So instead, we cleared the mulch and I spread wildflower seeds (suited for our climate zone). I got my neighbor to do the same thing, and together we are wildflower vigilantes (we definitely aren’t supposed to do this per our rental agreement but I think modern lawns are asinine and wildflowers are not only beautiful but provide habitat for pollinators so… nah nah. Also an exercise in anarchist calisthenics).
A few sprouts are starting to pop up, and I can’t wait for them to bloom!
recommending — laptop sun visor
Now that the cold weather is officially over, I’m spending as much time in the sun as possible. After all of the freezing, gray, depressing days, you think you’re going to find in inside?! You’re insane.
The first few days I tried to take my work outside I couldn’t really see my screen and my laptop overheated in about 20 minutes.
I promptly bought this laptop sunshade and it’s a game changer. There’s still a bit of glare, but it’s not as bad and it definitely keeps it from overheating!
treating — saffron olive oil cake
Last year, for my husband’s birthday, I made him a chamomile citrus olive oil cake, and he was obsessed. This year, he requested another olive oil cake, so I made a saffron olive oil cake with a labneh frosting (to match the Middle Eastern feast we made for his party). I was skeptical about how it would turn out, but it was INCREDIBLE.
Recipe below!
Saffron, Honey & Olive Oil Cake with Labneh-Honey Frosting
Ingredients
Dry:
1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Wet:
¾ cup (180ml) high-quality extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs (room temp)
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
⅓ cup (80ml) honey
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground cardamom
Big pinch saffron threads (about ½ tsp, bloomed in 1 tbsp hot water for 10 min)
Labneh-Honey Frosting
1 cup labneh (I made mine by straining about 2 cups of full fat Greek yogurt overnight)
2–3 tbsp honey, to taste
½ tsp orange zest
Tiny pinch of salt
Toppings
Crushed pistachios
Drizzle of honey
Dried rose petals
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment.
Bloom the saffron: Steep the saffron threads in 1 tbsp hot water (not boiling) for 10 minutes.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla, cardamom, milk, and the saffron (water and all). Whisk until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Combine: Fold the dry into the wet gently, just until no dry streaks remain.
Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
Frosting
Mix labneh, honey, orange zest, and salt until smooth. Chill until ready to use.
Once the cake is fully cooled, spread a thick layer of frosting on top.
Top with crushed pistachios and rose petals, and drizzle with honey.
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Swapping out my car for a bike has been one of the most revolutionary life decisions I've made, not having to pump gas or sit in traffic is pure bliss.
It really is an Ina Garten summer!! Love this concept and the carefree attitude that is meant for sweet summer time.