Hello, friends!
Did you travel anywhere for spring break or do you have any trips planned for the summer? We went to Arizona, where we ate yuca fries, fried cactus, and rattlesnake sausage. My stomach is still recovering. We also met a cowboy named Jimmy who never steps foot in restaurants โcause his wifeโs cooking is so good, it puts โem all to shame. โShe makes a chicken fried steak thatโs thicker than his leg,โ he said, pointing to our 8-year-old. Which got me to thinkingโฆwhat home-cooked meal would you say is better than a restaurantโs? Iโm a pretty basic home cook. But, according to the kids, my tacos are โmuch better than the ones they make at camp.โ Thatโs a compliment around here!ย
Below are some gems the Internet served up in March and have a lovely Sunday!
Xo,
Toby
โข I deleted all my apps and ignored email for a week, which I recommend doing whenever you can find the time. It gives you an appreciation for what the Internet is truly meant for: animal videos. (BBC)
โข Have you ever given more than two seconds thought to the stickers they slap on produce? Behold the delightful history of fruit stickers, the worldโs tiniest canvases for graphic design. (Fast Company)
โข I subscribe to every newsletter under the sun but rarely am I so moved as when I finish an issue of An Irritable Mรฉtis. Chris La Tray stops me in my tracks. I recently saw his writing described as โnourishingโ and itโs the perfect word for his work. (Substack)
โข After having a surprising amount of fun putting together a family photo wallโand not letting myself get too obsessive over itโthis piece on making time for weird, small projects resonated with me. (Courtney Martin)
โข Iโll watch Michelle Yeoh in anything so Iโm looking forward to her new film, which looks especially chaotic. (AV Club)
โข This article on when you really become an adult is from 2016, but itโs *aged* well. (Sorry.) Even though I just turned 40 + have three kids, I still donโt feel like an adult! (The Atlantic)
โข The Oscars are my Super Bowl and the ceremony is going to be such a mess this year. I canโt wait. (Twitter)
โข This signal of distress made me snort. (Twitter)
โข I needed something inspiring to help me power through my deadlines this week and this album by Nubya Garcia hit the spot. (Spotify)
โข Hereโs a two-word mantra thatโs extremely helpful for when life isโฆlife-y. (Whatโs Up Moms)
โข Joyโs Asparagus Quiche is deliciously full of spring flavors. I skipped the crust, โcause as I mentioned above, Iโm a Basic Cook. Wait, is it still considered a quiche if itโs crustless? Letโs not dwell on such details. (Joy the Baker)
โข Loved this touching essay on a Holocaust-survivorโs ability to find happiness everywhere and the legacy she passed onto her family. (Kveller)
โข If thereโs an opposite of doom scrolling, itโd be this interactive poetry series, which continues to hit it out of the park. (New York Times)
โข Is It Cake? Thatโs the name of the game my familyโs currently binge watching. A group of talented bakers present a series of objects (handbags, for example) and judges decide which one is actually a cake. Itโs ridiculously entertaining. (Netflix)
โข Yevgenia Belorusets’ war diary is necessary reading, and her pictures will become the most achingly human part of your day. โIn the daily life of war, only something like photographyโunfamiliar, auxiliary, almost mechanicalโis capable of holding together sequences and memories.โ (Isolarii)
โข This lucky lady inherited her grandmotherโs gowns and the unboxing is a joy to watch. Her grandmother was the co-founder of Afro Sheen, and clearly a queen. (TikTok)
12 Responses
Those gowns are AMAZING!
I went to Rome with friends, it was so much fun!
Thank you for these reads!
Hi Joy, I’m just over here cackling at how oddly prescient you were with “The Oscars are going to be such a mess” Teehee! :)
Thank you for sharing Yevgenia Belorusets War Diary! Wow! And so sad. ?
I put the sad face emoji, but the format wasnโt recognized (thatโs why thereโs a question mark).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Made my day Joy The Baker!!! Now we’re cooking!
That interactive poetry series is my new favorite thing! What a beautiful integration of technology and art. It will be a perfect pairing to one of my favorite podcasts – Poetry Unbound. Thank you for this!
oooh thanks, Beth, I’m going to look into that podcast!
The thing my mom makes the best are homade chicken nuggets. There is just something about how crispy and juicy they are. I find myself visiting the kitchen for something so i can grab one off the plate each time I walk the stove.??
sounds delicious!!
Congratulations on a year of Sundays!!
seriously! that is a Big Deal!