Ok, I’m getting obsessed with this newsletter, primarily because you are all so friendly and lovely, but also I’m like an excitable CHILD - I feel like I have so many things I want share with you… all my little dimes of comfort (as well as discomfort and mildly embarrassing/comical moments)
Steph - you are incredible at whatever step of life you’re in. Your honesty and knowing I’m not the only person who has some struggles really is maybe one of the most comforting parts of this blog. Also, my favorite cookie is a recipe from my grandma and aunts - they are called Delicious Cookies (lol so descriptive)… they have oats, Rice Krispies, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, butter extract, and coconut extract so they are extra buttery and coconutty. There’s A LOT going on in that list but it comes together in the best way 😍
What a treasure packed post! Thank you for all of the recipes, can't wait to take a swing at them. Especially the rhubarb and biscuits, instant craving alert.
I also wanted to offer up to you some grace that I have had to offer myself from time to time too. I am 34, and have not found my 'calling' either. I am so happy for all the people out there who truly love to do what they do for their occupation but I am totally not one of them. I try to remind myself that some people will feel fulfilled with their jobs and it's ok if that doesn't apply to me. I am so thankful to know someone else out there feels the same way :)
Maybe our fulfillment will come later in life and we will get to appreciate it that much more once it is here. In the mean time we will get to be fulfilled from many different moments strung together in our lives; baking and enjoying a great biscuit, getting quiet to notice those bird chirps, or that the sun is rising a little bit earlier each day and setting a little bit later, or really nailing the creation of a perfect cup of coffee.
Coffee cheers to you sweet friend! Thank you for another lovely post.
I'm so thankful for your posts. How comforting to hear from you. If the weather's to blame for uneventfulness I can't imagine what burst of energy the sun might bring. 39 bakes is one heck of a sunburst in my mind. And what a fabulous introduction for Bake Off the Professionals, which I had not heard of until you mentioned it, and pesto, which I've never tried! You're quite the harbinger of comfort and good news.
You set me on the quest for my favorite biscuit. Not sure what it is but it might be something oaty like you. I visited the UK back in 2007 and tried both Digestives and Hobnobs, the former being a bit sweeter but crumblier and the latter having more bite. I love oats and chewy, gritty textures that stay together. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent to Hobnobs in the U.S. So begins my quest, with your biscuit recipes and posts (the oaty ones, and the sourdough ones studded with seeds) as the ideal to emulate.
I will be on the lookout for my favorite Instagram, whenever it's ready, no pressure. What a blessing. Btw "blessing" can be a present participle, which is a verb acting like an adjective. But I don't mean to contain you and your impact in one little word. You keep doing your thing and being your wonderful self!
Will be praying for your health, kudos to you for taking calcium - it reminds me I need to as well. For me, taking pills is harder than law school, which I did, and finished, yet I cannot seem to take my pills regularly. I, too, used to have ephemeral ideas that I could never put to paper because of inconvenient circumstances. In this endeavor, once again, you far exceed me. I bet the ones that get away are just wonderful Instagram posts waiting to blossom at the right time.
Having just finished my 30's, I can honestly say they were better than my 20's. 20's: college, law school, worrying about what the world thought of me. 30's: enforcing the law as a government attorney, fulfilling my calling every day, walking with God. In my humble, prayerful opinion, I think your 30's are looking really good and promising. Hope this encourages you as much as your posts encourage me daily!
Hello, Steph! Thank you for your words and the quote. I know what my next step is but I don’t know the one AFTER that and reading this quote helped. I, too, am in my 30s and live at home with my parents for now (everything is temporary). But it can feel like a set back or like you’re behind your peers but that is not the case. We’re right where we need to be. I believe that. I wish for you to have less stress surrounding perfection. Tall order, right? But it doesn’t serve anything. At least in my experience. OH, and my favorite cookie is the classic chocolate chip. Gooey from the oven. Sending love from Montana, USA. And my cat of course.
Hi Steph, this is such a lovely post! I'm completely obsessed with pesto and I'm cooking for my family this week so I think I'll have to try it out with pasta <3
Also since you mentioned birds, I find watching and listening to them so comforting and relaxing. There's actually a little family of chickadees that return to the nestbox in my yard every year and I get to watch the babies leave when they're big enough. It's so cute!
Absolutely love the quotes you shared - similar to you, I've found myself feeling behind in life as well without the perfect "husband, 2 kids, and dog" that society tells us we should have. But apart from the pressure I sometimes feel to do what society expects, I'm actually quite happy with where I'm at, and I think that an unconventional path is best suited for me anyways. :)
Have you read Elinor Oliphant is completely fine? She has pesto every evening for dinner - I literally feel like that could be me - it's just EVERYTHING right?
Oh golly - can I come and visit? I want to meet the chickadees! I think I would like to be a bird - they just seem so brilliantly happy?
Do you know what? I totally know what you mean, how good is your own bed, STARFISH is the only way I like to sleep - so I would either need a swimming pool sized bed or my man will be sleeping on the floor - haha!
I actually LOVE that book, I read it so long ago I forgot about the pesto haha. Hit me up if you're in Canada and I'm always happy to show off my chickadees ;) but birds have such cute and simple little lives, I'm a bit envious!
PS I've already decided if I DO one day have a husband that he may have to have a separate bed haha, totally relate to that!
Hello Steph. Cannot tell you happy I am to have recently found the Comfort Chronicles. While I love the pesto & biscuit recipes this morning, it is the Stephen Fry and Oscar Wilde quotes you shared from another’s share and how you spoke of what they meant to you that really resonated withe me and brought tears to my eyes this morning (in a good way!). I, too, am 31, have not followed the ‘traditional’ path of my peers, and am constantly in doubt about my career, hobbies, & choices that don’t feel right but also don’t necessarily feel wrong (probably because I have tried too often to make these parts of myself nouns rather than verbs). So thank you for sharing your thoughts about this. Cannot wait to try the biscuits recipe! & my other favorite comfort biscuits include ginger snaps and gingerbread, as well we just about any shortbread style biscuit 💛
Ahhh so alike? I know we shouldn't let the expectations of society 'get to us' but I just see so much love around me at the moment and you know what you - absolutely pitifully - think... I wanna be loved!! But we'll find our way and I firmly believe that things happen for a reason and at the right time... and until then, we'll do our best to be thriving, happiful, verbs not nouns! Oh you know what? They are two great biscuits you have mentioned, oh I do love biscuit chat!!! Take care and have a great week. xx
Hi Steph I am loving this instalment - I have never made my own pesto despite eating it as a staple for YEARS so I am going to make yours 😁
Also the quote and your take on it is a shift in perspective I think everyone should have - expectations that we feel we must meet, we know we shouldn’t care but we beat ourselves up. Do life your way, only you have your struggles and triumphs. That quote is a grounding post it note that my 22yo could do with x
Make it, make it, make it... start with the standard one if you want a traditional pesto, then switch things up with the alternative broc one!
PREACH GIRL - absolutely agree - it's so hard not to feel useless when you compare yourself to others... and yet, more often than not, you don't know exactly what is going on in someone's life, the glossy image is often not quite what it seems and we just have to do our best to be and feel our best every day, without overcomplicating it or believing there is a 'right' way... god I wish it was easy though!
Hi Steff- I can’t wait to try these oat biscuits and pesto - I love both foods and have never made either from scratch! I’ll be honest- I have never eaten Rhubarb- it’s not a popular veggie here- but I’m tempted to try it. So many cooks on bake off use it that I am intrigued by it. Glad to hear your doing well and love how much of your personality shines thru in the blog. Being authentically you and sharing it with others is special - not many people achieve that in life.
Steph - you are incredible at whatever step of life you’re in. Your honesty and knowing I’m not the only person who has some struggles really is maybe one of the most comforting parts of this blog. Also, my favorite cookie is a recipe from my grandma and aunts - they are called Delicious Cookies (lol so descriptive)… they have oats, Rice Krispies, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, butter extract, and coconut extract so they are extra buttery and coconutty. There’s A LOT going on in that list but it comes together in the best way 😍
Hi Steph
What a treasure packed post! Thank you for all of the recipes, can't wait to take a swing at them. Especially the rhubarb and biscuits, instant craving alert.
I also wanted to offer up to you some grace that I have had to offer myself from time to time too. I am 34, and have not found my 'calling' either. I am so happy for all the people out there who truly love to do what they do for their occupation but I am totally not one of them. I try to remind myself that some people will feel fulfilled with their jobs and it's ok if that doesn't apply to me. I am so thankful to know someone else out there feels the same way :)
Maybe our fulfillment will come later in life and we will get to appreciate it that much more once it is here. In the mean time we will get to be fulfilled from many different moments strung together in our lives; baking and enjoying a great biscuit, getting quiet to notice those bird chirps, or that the sun is rising a little bit earlier each day and setting a little bit later, or really nailing the creation of a perfect cup of coffee.
Coffee cheers to you sweet friend! Thank you for another lovely post.
Kat
Hi Steph,
I'm so thankful for your posts. How comforting to hear from you. If the weather's to blame for uneventfulness I can't imagine what burst of energy the sun might bring. 39 bakes is one heck of a sunburst in my mind. And what a fabulous introduction for Bake Off the Professionals, which I had not heard of until you mentioned it, and pesto, which I've never tried! You're quite the harbinger of comfort and good news.
You set me on the quest for my favorite biscuit. Not sure what it is but it might be something oaty like you. I visited the UK back in 2007 and tried both Digestives and Hobnobs, the former being a bit sweeter but crumblier and the latter having more bite. I love oats and chewy, gritty textures that stay together. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent to Hobnobs in the U.S. So begins my quest, with your biscuit recipes and posts (the oaty ones, and the sourdough ones studded with seeds) as the ideal to emulate.
I will be on the lookout for my favorite Instagram, whenever it's ready, no pressure. What a blessing. Btw "blessing" can be a present participle, which is a verb acting like an adjective. But I don't mean to contain you and your impact in one little word. You keep doing your thing and being your wonderful self!
Will be praying for your health, kudos to you for taking calcium - it reminds me I need to as well. For me, taking pills is harder than law school, which I did, and finished, yet I cannot seem to take my pills regularly. I, too, used to have ephemeral ideas that I could never put to paper because of inconvenient circumstances. In this endeavor, once again, you far exceed me. I bet the ones that get away are just wonderful Instagram posts waiting to blossom at the right time.
Having just finished my 30's, I can honestly say they were better than my 20's. 20's: college, law school, worrying about what the world thought of me. 30's: enforcing the law as a government attorney, fulfilling my calling every day, walking with God. In my humble, prayerful opinion, I think your 30's are looking really good and promising. Hope this encourages you as much as your posts encourage me daily!
Hello, Steph! Thank you for your words and the quote. I know what my next step is but I don’t know the one AFTER that and reading this quote helped. I, too, am in my 30s and live at home with my parents for now (everything is temporary). But it can feel like a set back or like you’re behind your peers but that is not the case. We’re right where we need to be. I believe that. I wish for you to have less stress surrounding perfection. Tall order, right? But it doesn’t serve anything. At least in my experience. OH, and my favorite cookie is the classic chocolate chip. Gooey from the oven. Sending love from Montana, USA. And my cat of course.
Newsletter day is my new favourite day of the week ❤️X
Oh you sweetheart! Sewing hugs! xx
PAHAHHAH - sewing? *sending
Hi Steph, this is such a lovely post! I'm completely obsessed with pesto and I'm cooking for my family this week so I think I'll have to try it out with pasta <3
Also since you mentioned birds, I find watching and listening to them so comforting and relaxing. There's actually a little family of chickadees that return to the nestbox in my yard every year and I get to watch the babies leave when they're big enough. It's so cute!
Absolutely love the quotes you shared - similar to you, I've found myself feeling behind in life as well without the perfect "husband, 2 kids, and dog" that society tells us we should have. But apart from the pressure I sometimes feel to do what society expects, I'm actually quite happy with where I'm at, and I think that an unconventional path is best suited for me anyways. :)
Thank you for sharing!
Hey Erin,
Have you read Elinor Oliphant is completely fine? She has pesto every evening for dinner - I literally feel like that could be me - it's just EVERYTHING right?
Oh golly - can I come and visit? I want to meet the chickadees! I think I would like to be a bird - they just seem so brilliantly happy?
Do you know what? I totally know what you mean, how good is your own bed, STARFISH is the only way I like to sleep - so I would either need a swimming pool sized bed or my man will be sleeping on the floor - haha!
Sending massive hugs! have a great week! xx
I actually LOVE that book, I read it so long ago I forgot about the pesto haha. Hit me up if you're in Canada and I'm always happy to show off my chickadees ;) but birds have such cute and simple little lives, I'm a bit envious!
PS I've already decided if I DO one day have a husband that he may have to have a separate bed haha, totally relate to that!
Enjoy your week! <3
Hello Steph. Cannot tell you happy I am to have recently found the Comfort Chronicles. While I love the pesto & biscuit recipes this morning, it is the Stephen Fry and Oscar Wilde quotes you shared from another’s share and how you spoke of what they meant to you that really resonated withe me and brought tears to my eyes this morning (in a good way!). I, too, am 31, have not followed the ‘traditional’ path of my peers, and am constantly in doubt about my career, hobbies, & choices that don’t feel right but also don’t necessarily feel wrong (probably because I have tried too often to make these parts of myself nouns rather than verbs). So thank you for sharing your thoughts about this. Cannot wait to try the biscuits recipe! & my other favorite comfort biscuits include ginger snaps and gingerbread, as well we just about any shortbread style biscuit 💛
Hey lovely,
Ahhh so alike? I know we shouldn't let the expectations of society 'get to us' but I just see so much love around me at the moment and you know what you - absolutely pitifully - think... I wanna be loved!! But we'll find our way and I firmly believe that things happen for a reason and at the right time... and until then, we'll do our best to be thriving, happiful, verbs not nouns! Oh you know what? They are two great biscuits you have mentioned, oh I do love biscuit chat!!! Take care and have a great week. xx
Hi Steph I am loving this instalment - I have never made my own pesto despite eating it as a staple for YEARS so I am going to make yours 😁
Also the quote and your take on it is a shift in perspective I think everyone should have - expectations that we feel we must meet, we know we shouldn’t care but we beat ourselves up. Do life your way, only you have your struggles and triumphs. That quote is a grounding post it note that my 22yo could do with x
Loving this little forum xxx
Make it, make it, make it... start with the standard one if you want a traditional pesto, then switch things up with the alternative broc one!
PREACH GIRL - absolutely agree - it's so hard not to feel useless when you compare yourself to others... and yet, more often than not, you don't know exactly what is going on in someone's life, the glossy image is often not quite what it seems and we just have to do our best to be and feel our best every day, without overcomplicating it or believing there is a 'right' way... god I wish it was easy though!
Sending so much love! xxx
Hi Steff- I can’t wait to try these oat biscuits and pesto - I love both foods and have never made either from scratch! I’ll be honest- I have never eaten Rhubarb- it’s not a popular veggie here- but I’m tempted to try it. So many cooks on bake off use it that I am intrigued by it. Glad to hear your doing well and love how much of your personality shines thru in the blog. Being authentically you and sharing it with others is special - not many people achieve that in life.
Hey Laura, oh absolutely have a go and let me know how you get on?
Rhubarb is a weird one, I think it needs to have some great additions to draw out its greatness but a little sugar and spice works wonders!
Just about keeping my head up, this little space and you lovely lot are really helping me focus a bit but it''s not all glossy, just doing my best!
Hope you are well and have a great week. xx