10 Things: Warm, Horse, Spice
All my recommendations for what to read, listen to, ponder, obsess over, relax with, buy, bake, and consider this week.
My Loves,
There are a disproportionate amount of new readers today, because this newsletter was mentioned in a column in The Guardian by Emma Beddington (thank you!). The “10 Things” email — a weekly roundup of recommendations — normally comes out on Fridays, but I’m a bit behind. Newcomers: welcome! I always offer my first three recommendations for free, and the rest are behind a paywall. The Main Email comes on Wednesday, and is always free. Was this too much explaining for something that was pretty self-explanatory? Sure. Let’s get on with it.
CELEBRATE: The Chicago Bird Alliance
My partner Kat texted during a very tough work week to tell me the wonderful news that The Chicago Bird Alliance (formerly the Chicago Audubon Society) changed its name! Here’s their simple explanation:
Personally, I think that looking at birds is one of the best things about being alive on this planet in 2023, and it’s great to be able to collaborate with other humans to enjoy it without having to reference names that cause some people harm, so HOORAY! Here is an essay I wrote about this if you are still feeling confused. Here’s the full announcement by the Chicago Bird Alliance on Facebook.
And here, because it is, wonderfully, still fall migration where I live (CHICAGO!), is an amazing comic by the amazing
, who is my actual favorite living artist1. Here is her Instagram, and here are all of her very perfect comics.BAKE: Oatmeal
When the weather snaps, I instantly go, “OK I WILL HAVE TO BAKE SOME OATMEAL NOW.” The secret about baked oatmeal is that you put eggs in it, so it tastes more like pudding (British version), and you fill it with nuts, spices, and fruit. I have experimented with a lot of recipes, but this is the best one. TO VEGANIZE: sub 2 mashed bananas for the eggs; flax eggs also work, or JustEgg.
IN A NICE BIG BOWL, BEAT: 4 eggs, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup apple sauce, 1 teaspoon applesauce; 2 cups milk. ON TOP, PUT: 3.5 cups oats, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ground cloves to your liking, a thumb of freshly ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix the dry stuff together, trying to keep it roughly on top of the wet stuff. NOW, MIX IT ALL TOGETHER. ADD: chopped apples, smashed pecans or walnuts, chocolate chips, berries — whatever sounds amazing. I THINK APPLES AND NUTS SOUND AMAZING. I like to do three apples, chopped up into tiny pieces, and as many nuts as the bowl can stand to hold. BAKE FOR 40 MINUTES AT 350 DEGREES. YOUR HOUSE WILL SMELL LIKE YOUR NAME SHOULD BE GRETEL.
LAUGH AT: Bowen Yang as Christopher Columbus Saying He Discovered boy genius
I watch Saturday Night Live so you don’t have to.
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