I kind of wish Ira Glass would just follow me around all day and say inspiring things.
In the meantime, this video below is a solid alternative. Anyone pursuing creative endeavors of any kind should watch this every now and then to remind them that it takes a lot of practice and determination to get to the place you want to be.
Did you watch it? Okay, good.
As I'm starting to pursue this blog and the photography/videography/styling side of food a little more seriously in my personal and professional life, I really identify with "the gap." I'm pretty sure my taste is still about a Grand Canyon away from my skill level — it's a significant gap. It's the kind of gap that made me shy away from practicing for long time, because I was never very happy with the results. And because, in general, I don't like being bad at things. Even hobbies.
But I picked the camera back up again and again, took more pictures and fell in love with the process so much that I would completely lose track of time. Now a lot less of those pictures suck (progress!).
I thought the image at the top of this post would be fitting because it was the first photo I took where I was like, "Hey, this is pretty good." For the first time ever, I didn't pick it apart. I genuinely liked the composition and the light (and — bonus — it wasn't blurry or overexposed!). I even liked the way I edited it, which is saying something because I am constantly looking at older photos on this blog and wondering WTF I was thinking.
For the first time, a photo was good enough to get a gold star from my stodgiest critic — me.
Now, almost two years after I took that photo en route to Kansas City for The Midwestival, I find myself wanting to re-edit it. Like, just a liiiiiittle bit. And that might be picky, but I'm calling it progress. I've come to accept that I'm constantly embarrassed by my first drafts, and that's okay because it means I'm getting better.
Anyway, I thought this would be a good way to celebrate the new year and a new approach to Worthy Pause.
Cheers to doing more of the things that make you lose track of time, punching self-doubt in the face and slowly narrowing that gap.
The baby is now a toddler?! I now deeply understand how time acts differently the minute you become a parent. It’s all relative to this little creature who is growing way too fast.
Since we’re currently stuck at home during the pandemic and exactly zero people have asked me about skin care, I thought it was a good time to share some of my favorite pieces of sheet to put on my face.
When I say “you” here, I mean “me.” This is how anxiety is helping us with spring cleaning this year.
I’ve been a sorry excuse for a half-Indian woman because I just started making dal for the first time in my many years on this earth. I’ve eaten a lot of dal, but it’s just not something I’ve ever tried to cook until this year.
"This is you, in a recipe!"
That's what my friend Lauren said when I told her about this idea to infuse the most old-school Minnesotan of recipes (hotdish, i.e. casserole) with Indian flavors. And she's right.
It me.
I don’t want to hype this recipe up too much, but you’re going to wanna make it… like, today. And tomorrow. And the next day for three meals a day forever and ever.
I’d like to talk about the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi. Yes, THE cauliflower gnocchi.
Thank you for joining me here today—I’m back again with another episode of crispy chicken thighs (this one inspired by anchovy lobbyist Alison Roman).
The meals I make most often are usually the ones I forget to document for Worthy Pause. I’ve made this sausage skillet thing many, many times, but it never even crossed my mind that it might be a good recipe to share here until the other day when my daughter was scarfing it down like she hadn’t eaten all day (note: she hadn’t eaten all day because she had refused all the other foods).
I challenge you to find anything as delicious as perfectly roasted potatoes. Some people might have a sweet tooth, but I have a potato tooth (?). I love them in any form, but roasted is probably my favorite.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the emotional muck and mess that was 2019. The lessons from this year have been harsh, necessary and are ultimately leading me to become a person I genuinely like.
Copenhagen is what Minneapolis wants to be when it grows up. It's no surprise, of course, that I fell in love with the place.
After an exhaustive trial of Korean and natural skin care products, I bring you my winter skin care routine from the dry airs of Minnesota.
This unleavened, naturally gluten-free chickpea bread is one of my favorite things to make for myself (socca for one!) and for having people over because it’s sort of impressive and no one else has to know that it’s basically only one ingredient.