Friday Favorites
Banana Snacking Cake, The Body Keeps the Score, Zwilling Cutting Boards and Airplane Outfits. Plus, my favorite playlist for weekends at Kitchenette Farm.
Welcome to Friday Favorites! This quick glimpse of my week goes out to all subscribers (free and paid). I include a fan-favorite recipe, something I’m watching, reading, or listening to, a recent find, and a weekly win.
What I’m Cooking
This week, I made the Banana Snacking Cake from my cookbook, but with a couple of tweaks (namely switching the butter to avocado oil and decreasing the amount to 3/4 cup). Just in case you don’t have the book, I’m attaching the recipe as my gift to you. Also, check back on Monday when I share my Aperol Margarita recipe from Dinner is Done, along with four other not-to-miss June recipes. This is the edited version, which is slightly lighter, in honor of summer and all. I’ve made this with gluten-free King Arthur flour and it turns out GREAT. The trick with gluten-free baking is not to overmix the ingredients once you add the wet to the dry; stir just until everything combines so it doesn’t become gummy and gelatinous before baking. You can add 1 cup of dark chocolate chips to this tasty cake, but I prefer it without, and I love chocolate. One last tip: Let your bananas get extra dark and oozy for the richest and deepest banana flavor. It might attract fruit flies in your kitchen, but I promise it’s worth it! If you’re cooking this weekend, crank up my Farm Weekend playlist.
You can find all the SITK recipes I’ve shared on Substack in my Recipe Index.
What I’m Reading and Listening To
My Kindle Paperwhite is locked and loaded with a backlog of summer reading. I’m considering writing a Substack post that’s a list of all the rom-coms and summer books I’ve downloaded. Thoughts? Comment “book list please” on this post if you’re interested. If there’s enough traction, I’ll write it up! In the meantime, I started listening to The Body Keeps the Score on Audible. Amy Griffin mentioned it in The Tell, which I also listened to on Audible and is narrated by the author. The Body Keeps the Score has been on my radar for a while. It’s not an easy listen about trauma, brain chemistry, and healing, but it’s an important subject. I also downloaded The Many Lives of Mama Love on Audible and it’s next on my listen-while-walking routine.
What's In My Cart
I just received a shipment of Zwilling cutting boards that I’m trying out, and I think this one will become my new favorite for cooking class stations. I like that it has a moat to catch liquids and non-slip grips. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing a moving cutting board when I’m teaching my students knife skills. If that happens to you at home, put a damp paper towel under the cutting board to help it grip the counter. Also, no pressure, but I have an online course all about knife skills for home cooks if you need a little summer school project! You can watch the 10 modules as many times as you’d like and there are accompanying recipes you can download to your computer or print and save.
I've also updated my post, “What to Pack in a Carry-On,” since I’m leaving for a trip to Madrid soon. I am a carry-on-only kind of girl when I’m on a trip for a week or less (I’ve even managed to pull it off for a three-week trip to Europe with my family). The weather in Madrid next week looks perfect, and while it will be warm during the day, I’m used to that coming from Houston. On the plane, I’ll probably wear a blue-and-white striped t-shirt and my cream Air Essentials crewneck with wide-leg pants and Adidas tennies or ballet flats. Compression socks are also a non-negotiable for me. The three things I know I’m packing in my suitcase are my black linen Mirth pants (the most comfortable pants known to woman), Loewe sneakers (I might be on the hunt for another pair since this is a Spanish brand) and my navy striped skirt from Hill House (perfect for wine and churro tasting since it has a stretchy waist!).
Airplane outfits are one of my favorite topics of conversation related to travel. I love to quiz my friends on what they’re planning to wear on an overnight trip, and answers range from stretchy jeans to joggers and flowy pants. What’s your go-to? Please share in the comments.
This Week’s Win
I found out this week that my Substack is #42 on the rising Food & Drink list! That was such a celebration for me, and I’m immensely grateful for all of you who read, share and comment on my Substack. Please help me rise the leader board and tell your friends to subscribe to Smart in the Kitchen so they get this email in their inbox every Friday! My goal is to make it to the top 10! If we can make that happen, I’ll schedule a free online cooking class for all subscribers, whether free or paid. It takes a village. If you’re new, here are a few of my most popular posts!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Engaging with Substack writers by liking and commenting on their posts and notes, even as a free subscriber, is a valuable way to show your support. Your involvement makes a big difference!
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GIFT CARD
Looking for a birthday or “just because” gift for your best friend, mom, sister, or aunt Sally? I have the perfect idea! You can gift a subscription to my Substack! The annual subscription can begin at any time.
Order my award-winning cookbook, Dinner is Done! It includes over 100 weeknight and family-friendly recipes, including chapters on meatless mains, fish and sauces, appetizers and snacks, cocktails, desserts and more.
The Body Knows the Score is a game changer. I just downloaded “Consider Yourself Kissed” by Jessica Stanley for fun summer read. ALWAYS love your packing list ideas. Ordering those Mirth pants!
book list please! Safe travels to Madrid, can’t wait to see and hear about it!!