Some Happy Scribbles...
Happy Friday! How has your week been?
A hot topic around here was last weekend’s Saturday Night Live skit about getting Covid to escape work and family responsibilities. It was controversial: while many women I know (including me!) found it hilarious, it was (understandably) not universally well-received.
Another conversation starter: Fair Play, a 2019 bestseller about dividing household and parenting responsibilities between couples, which Jim and I are both reading. The book identifies a well-established issue: in many households, the bulk of the domestic and parenting work, and associated mental load, falls to the woman, whether she works outside the home or not. And it offers a solution: a system, based on a set of customized playing cards, that provides a framework for couples to discuss and assign responsibilities. Probably a better way to handle burnout in women, than getting Covid!
Even more controversial?! This NY Times bestselling book, by well-known blogger, and Mormon mother of six, Gabrielle Blair, which presents a provocative take on who should take responsibility for birth control. This would be a very interesting Book Club read!
In other news, it’s getting chilly here and the leaves are mostly off the trees, which means it’s time to…
…be cozy!
We’ve lit fires a couple of nights this week, and there are so many shows and movies I want to watch I’m almost glad the clocks changed on Sunday resulting in lighter mornings and total darkness by 5:30 pm…
Here’s what I’m excited about:
Shantaram: I’m hoping this will be a good one for Jim and me to watch together.
Fleishman Is In Trouble: a limited series starring Jesse Eisenberg and Clare Danes, based on the book by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who also wrote this epic piece on Gwyneth Paltrow.
Tar: Cate Blanchett’s latest movie (in theaters) about a besieged orchestra conductor.
The Crown is back! Elizabeth Debicki, who I loved in The Night Manager, plays Princess Diana, and I cannot wait to get into it.
Weird: a spoof of biopics based on Weird Al Yankovic and starring Daniel Radcliffe.
And Harry Styles is in another movie:
Finally, last week I watched The Good Nurse with Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain - based on a true story; it’s chilling and very good.
What’s cozier on a cold, dark night than reading a great book? Maybe eating, but we’ll get to that, too!
I’m halfway through Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which is excellent. Next, I’m thinking of diving into the “Cozy Mystery Books” genre, which seems just right for this time of year! Kate Baer is out with a new book of poems: And Yet (her books make excellent gifts!). And I loved this piece on the fabulous Emma Thompson, who still lives on the same street she grew up on, has only ever taken one six-week acting class, and wore tap shoes to her Cambridge graduation ceremony!
On to cozy food!
I highly recommend the roasted spaghetti squash dish that features in our regular rotation. It’s gluten-free and vegetarian, and most importantly, both of my kids love it. I serve each portion in an individual ramekin, which, let’s face it, makes anything seem special and cozy!
Here’s the super-simple recipe - one spaghetti squash will serve 3-4 people.
Cozy Spaghetti Squash Bake
Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut spaghetti squash in half, sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and olive oil; then roast on a sheet pan, cut sides up, for 50-60 minutes, until the edges of the squash turn brown.1Remove squash from the oven, and when it cools down a bit, use a fork to pull the “spaghetti” away from the skin. Toss in a bowl with store-bought marinara sauce, add pieces of fresh mozzarella to the mixture, then spoon into individual ramekins or a large baking dish. Top each ramekin or the baking dish with more fresh mozzarella. Return to the oven for 10-12 minutes, until squash and sauce are bubbling and mozzarella is beginning to brown. You can sprinkle some grated parmesan over the top and return to the oven for a minute or two, for extra crispy cheesiness!
Another favorite easy cozy dinner that also makes the house smell wonderful is Slow-Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Green Beans and Sage. But you must plan ahead: this one takes 1.5 hours in the oven.2
Lastly, on the cooking front, have you heard about transparent post-it notes for marking up cookbooks without ruining them? Life changing!
So you want to leave the house and still be cozy? I hear you! Soon there will be holiday events to go to - unless we all get Covid again, like last December. I’m hoping that won’t happen because I really want to get a pair of these velvet slippers to swan around in (comfortably) at parties!
Speaking of the holidays, how amazing is this colorful Christmas tree by Anna Spiro, an Australian interior designer?!
Back to shoes, I thought this piece on which black boots to buy if you want them to transcend trends and last for years, was very helpful.
Still shoe-related but back to cozy, here’s a good run-down of house slippers, because everyone needs a good pair!
I hope you have a wonderful, comfy, cozy, relaxing weekend planned. I’m looking forward to getting my highlights done (long overdue), catching up with friends, and playing some platform tennis. Here’s David Cassidy and The Partridge Family (in groovy deep green velvet suits and amazing haircuts) to play you into the weekend. I’ve had this song stuck in my head for days because it features in the novel I’m writing - you’re welcome!
Have a good weekend!
xo
Amelia
Put your feet up and enjoy the fact that the majority of the work of making this dinner is done…
If you can’t access the NY Times Cooking site, let me know in the comments, and I’ll get you the full recipe!
Thanks, Amelia! Great receipt for the Spaghetti Squash. We are always looking for new, cheesy ways to make it!!
Gubs