Hello dear friends,
I’m currently in denial about what might be a cold? A cold because it better not be the flu. I’m not accepting any mail from the flu. Part of my denial this weekend involves me roasting a chicken with butter and lemons and making a variation of this lentil soup for next week. The old wive’s tale is definitely something like ‘feed a cold that you’re denying’ right?
This week I went to dinner at, inarguably, one of the most special places in New Orleans: Mosquito Supper Club. It’s an authentic Cajun restaurant, open three nights a week for one seating each night, communal tables, family style, so many biscuits and so much crab – it’s a perfect evening. I’m gathering up my other New Orleans favorites to share with you later this week. It’s an ever evolving list. You’ll come visit, won’t you?
I hope this week finds you well and healthy! The offering this week is below. As always, take what you need:
• This: How Is The Shutdown Affecting America? Let Us Count The Ways. (NPR)
• I haven’t watched the Marie Kondo Netflix show yet because I haven’t prepared my heart and schedule to purge my closet and kitchen but this is very relevant content: The Marie Kondo Effect Reaches Beacon’s Closet (The New Yorker)
• Several of you sent along this article for me to read: Bright Lights, small city. It’s about making the decision to move to New Orleans, encouraging a different life to take shape, and yes… talking to your neighbors. (Curbed)
• Stay sexy: How true crime podcasts find clues the police miss. (BBC)
• Do you listen to the podcast Ear Hustle? I like it very much. I also like this news quite a lot: Earlonne Woods Made An Amazing Podcast – and it won him his freedom. (MotherJones)
• This week’s long read is deeply real: The Weight I Carry (The Atlantic)
• I love Maggie’s perspective and appreciate how honestly and generously she talks about her relationship with food, health and dieting: The 3 Weight-Loss Proverbs That Just Didn’t Work For Me. (The Kitchn)
• Let’s commit to keep exploring new ingredients and techniques in the kitchen this year. Marisa from Food In Jars has a 12-month canning challenge for the new year and I’m super excited to experiment!
• Today is a good day to remind yourself how simple and satisfying it is to make a roasted chicken: No-Fail Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic. I added potatoes to the pan and have no regrets. (Bon Appetit)
• Citrus season comes along right when we need it: Grapefruit Cake with Grapefruit Curd. (Joy the Baker)
• Why yes, I very much want to make a PomPom Beret! (Teen Vogue)
• I am digging this collaboration between Poketo and Beyond Yoga. (Beyond Yoga)
That’s all for today my friends. Enjoy your Sunday!
My love to you.
xo Joy
Alison
An extremely fascinating podcast is one done by Rachel Madow (MSNBC) called “Bagman”. It’s about the criminality of former VP Spiro Agnew and how it played out during “Watergate”. Eye opening.
Christine Armao
I can’t wait to hear your NOLA faves! I’m visiting the city for the first time next week!
Gail
Can’t wait to hear your favs. Used to live there and visit often. Take cate, hope you feel better soon. Make chicken soup with the leftovers!
nurture
The Weight I Carry made me very uncomfortable to read. I could have done without that in today’s lineup. I wish I could un-read it.
AJ
I found it compelling and heartbreaking and uplifting. I wish the author well and am so thankful I don’t have his battle to face.
kk
Isn’t any opportunity to gain a little empathy worth a bit of discomfort?
Sam
That lentil soup is my favorite soup! I make it about once a month. Hopefully it helps you feel better.
Erin Mudd
My husband and I have been home with the crud for almost a week and our dog is recovering from knee surgery so we’ve been sleepless and cranky, going to roast a chicken today, that will solve everything! Thanks for the inspiration :)
Karen
Feel better Joy. My husband is experiencing the same stuff. He is eating tons of soup.
I love the Poketo clothing, but they are really expensive for me. I will be looking for a more reasonable alternative. Work out clothes need to be cute, but inexpensive because I go through many per week. They are adorable though.
Ashlie
In response to The Weight I Carry
I struggled with this long read when I came across it earlier this week. The author’s self-disgust and hatred of fat are his to own and I will never ask him not to speak them. However, that disgust and hatred are easily transferred to anyone with a fat body, and could be extremely painful for someone who DOES NOT hate themselves to read.
The other thing that breaks my heart is that he never places the responsibility outside of himself, and it DOES NOT LIVE IN HIM. Pictures of him as a child show a slightly husky boy, and he speaks about starting diets as young as 11. This is what harmed his body. The science of dieting shows that the yo-yoing of losing and gaining weight and the destruction of our ability to listen to our body’s natural cues ARE THE CAUSE of extreme weight gain and diseases people associate with being fat. Our bodies are ruined by diet culture, and doctors prescribe diets to fix it.
As a “small fat” (a person in a fat body who experiences less discrimination than larger fat people), I spend so much of time trying to explain that health does not directly correlate to weight, that people of size can be athletic and healthy, and that fat people deserve humanity and respect, period. I can totally see some of the people who have called me a disgusting pig shoving this article in my face. “See? He hates himself, and you should, too!”
I mourn for this man. He has been trapped in cycles of restriction (which are biologically followed by cycles of bingeing) for most of life, been taught that food is morality, been psychologically traumatized, and now feels like he is a failure because of messages that were ingrained in him since childhood. I praise him for his honesty, and I hope that he is able to feel good and strong and comfortable in his body as soon as possible. I hope he can drop of that debilitating shame that other people gave him.
I know this is a little lengthy, but I hope people consider this context when reading that article
bonnie
Thank you Ashlie for what you wrote. I agree that it is not overweight children’s faults and so much harm is done when children are put on diets; you can see that in their bodies and self worth. My mother, who was never grossly overweight herself, was terribly shamed throughout her youth and compared to slimmer sisters and peers. She transferred her shame to me and put me on diet pills at a very young age; I think I was 13. I appreciate Maggie Battista’s perspective so much. Learning what our bodies want and need rather than reacting to the deprivation and shame is the loving response. Here’s to being the ones to take the best care of ourselves now. To making peace.
Cait
I hear where you are coming from, but I read the article in a different light. I think it’s important to recognize that whatever circumstances put us in a certain situation, we are the only ones who can get ourselves out. I say this as someone whose mother’s attitudes and behavior towards food (along with control issues) likely significantly contributed to my anorexia. However, in order to recover, I had to realize that though I did not get to that place myself, I was the one in charge of my behavior from that point out. And I saw him basically saying that – it can sound shameful but it’s actually also very empowering once you realize that you are not just at the mercy of the universe. Of course there are genetic and psychological patterns at work, and it would be unrealistic to expect that he is going to turn into some sort of Ironman athlete, but there is a middle ground.
I totally agree with you that weight is not always an indicator of health (case in point, before my low weight became obviously unhealthy, anyone would have thought I was the picture of health yet had no idea the destructive habits I engaged in regarding food/exercise.) But no one can argue that weighing over 400 lbs is not incredibly unhealthy and I am rooting for him to succeed in his journey.
Lastly, anyone that would take this article as proof that someone is “disgusting” or should hate themselves has no soul. A human’s worth is not found in their weight (or their skin or their hair, etc.) No one should hate themselves because of their physical form.
Rachel
Happy Sunday, Joy! A great list, as always.
Rachel | rachelstriving.com
Tracy
Joy, just want you to know how much I enjoy you and Let It Be Sunday. I look forward to it weekly, and always walk away with something; a new recipe, podcast, a good laugh, etc. I appreciate you and all you do. Thanks for sharing with us!
Jean Kastanek
I wake up every Sunday morning looking forward to reading Let It Be Sunday. Thanks for all you do!
Michelle Valente
I’ve started following on Instagram and love everything about you. I’ve been in banking 24 years,currently Branch Manager(boring right?),whose passion is baking and party planning.
Interesting enough New Orleans is on my bucket list to visit and I will be checking this off in February 2019.
I’d love to hear your must see and do while I’m there.
Must appreciated
Michelle @everythingsprinkledwithlove
Lisa
Thank you for these weekly lists of insight, encouragement, news, and story. I always find something interesting here, and it makes my Sunday’s start well.
Happy Sunday and feel better.
Dani H
Feel better soon, Joy! (And don’t let Marie Kondo into your kitchen. She doesn’t understand the need for eight whisks and four mixing bowls the same size.)
Taste of France
Ha! One never has enough mixing bowls.
Dani H
Right? Or spoons.
Rena
Hopefully your method works and you will recover soon!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com