DO
Recipe I’m loving: I’ve been making this cauliflower soup about a once a week for the past few weeks. It’s easy, healthy, and perfect for this weather (at least in Minnesota). No, my kids do not eat it, and I don’t care. More for me and Bryan, I say! Note: I use olive oil instead of butter and skip the flour. The reason for the olive oil is that butter + chicken broth would not be kosher. (We don’t mix milk and meat.) And no flour because I don’t feel like that step of making a roux with the butter and flour would work well with the olive oil. Anyway, it is DELISH and very creamy even without the roux.
LISTEN/SEE
Podcast alert! I’m still listening to my regulars (Tablet’s Unorthodox, Slate’s DoubleX, Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Hour, Serial, Rabbi Sacks, RadioLab, Modern Love), but I added another one to the rotation: Call Your Girlfriend. Call Your Girlfriend is a long distance phone conversation between two (very smart and fun) best friends–writers Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow. In related news, I rarely discover new music. Can only listen to so many things at once.
Scandal watchers: Can we discuss that early scene in this week’s episode that had me blushing? You will know what I’m talking about once you watch. *waves hand in front of face to keep herself cooled down*
The Go Fund Me page for my nephew is the most amazing thing I’ve had the honor to witness. The generosity and caring of so many people around my sister’s family that is coming from so many directions, including from my friends and my community, is really beyond words. I know I’m listing all kinds of silly things in this post that are nowhere near as important as what’s going on with my nephew. I am somehow able to hold all these realities at once, but don’t worry, I know what really matters.
READ
Is there such a thing as “texting chemistry? I think there is! Hat tip to my writer-friend Lauren Apfel who posted this Time.com piece about texting chemistry and pointed out that it’s true for friendship as well. I  agree! It’s extraordinarily deflating to text something somewhat emotional to a friend only to get a “yes” or a “sure” or an “ok” in return. You can tell me that’s not how it used to be with dating and friendship, and you would be correct. But that’s how it is now. No getting around it.
The Torah portion read in synagogues this week as explained by the brilliant Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
I’m sending out my next Tiny Letter newsletter soon, which I hope is a good read! It only comes out every three weeks or so. Don’t miss out!
All the books I’ve been reading are listed on this page. What are you reading?
Latest posts by Nina Badzin (see all)
- 5 Friendship Issues to Consider Addressing with a Therapist - April 17, 2024
- Subtle Friendship Slights and Changing Your Instagram Handle - April 10, 2024
- The Courage to Trust Friends After You’ve Been Hurt - April 2, 2024
- Why Big Friend Groups Often Fail: Dr. Lisa Damour - March 25, 2024
25 Responses
Awesome post!
I love looking for stock photos for my blog, so I’m happy you’ve shared this resource with us.
I became addicted to “Scandal” a few months back courtesy of Netflix and my third child, a.k.a. my Kindle Fire! 😉 I’m nowhere close to catching up to the current season because I made the mistake of watching the pilot of “How to Get Away With Murder” and I’m hooked on that instead….but I’ll get back to “Scandal”!
As an avid texted I definitely want to read the “Time” article you mentioned. Thanks for all these wonderful referrals; I tweeted this link right away.
take care & have a terrific weekend,
Dyane
p.s. I still want to cook up a friendship question for you – speaking of that, I’m off to read your latest friendship column. I’m really curious to see the feedback you’re getting!
Sorry about the typos – drat! I loathe typos!!!
I look forward to seeing that question!
Nina, there are many things I could comment on (as always), but I’ll leave it just with my thoughts are and will continue to be with you and your family, and especially your nephew. The acts of generosity, kindness and love you spoke about in your letter are truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing with your readers.
Thank you so much, Caryn.
I don’t usually use stock photos, just because I have too many of my own, but I do think I should every now and then.
And last year at a photoshoot, the client paid me and also gave me cauliflower soup. Honestly the soup alone.. was enough payment. So good.
I do believe in texting chemistry.
Tamara recently posted..I Want to See Someone Who Dances in Ice Castles.
YOU should never ever need a stock photo!
OMG YES on the texting. I get mad at my husband all the time for not being emotive enough on text. I think I am reacting to the lack of emojis or exclamation marks – it feels like a cold response. He says I’m insane. I love these posts, always. xox
Ha! Yes, Bryan has said similar things to me. What’s worse, I get almost no words in his texts now that he’s obsessed with Bitmoji.
Nina, the olive oil and flour does work (I’ve done it before), just in case you want to make your next batch of soup with the flour.
That texting article was so interesting. I’d be useless if I were in the dating game these days. I say this often because I text for logistical purposes and I consider a text unless it is truly urgent just an FYI (Ha!) so my friends know to not expect any fast answers from me, unless I’ll be seeing them in the next 24 hours 🙂
Fortunately my husband is the same way!
So good to know! Thank you!
I love these posts, Nina. That cauliflower recipe looks great, and I think I’ll make it with olive oil and no flour, too. For myself, since of course my kids won’t eat it 🙂 Oh, podcasts, you know how I love them and am working on a newsletter about my favorites – mostly author interviews, I’m kind of obsessed. It’s like the next best thing to going to book readings and hearing writers speak. Maybe even better because I can listen in my pjs and while making dinner. For books, I’m buried in wonders including The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch (not for the faint of heart) and H for Hawk. Oh, and I LOVED that texting article and totally agree there is a chemistry to it. Though I do tend to write more than I should, and I am known to double (or triple!!) text at times.
Right now I’m reading Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s Gift From the Sea. I’ve had on my list ever since I read the Aviator’s Wife, and finally picked it up – after stumbling upon it in a book store. I’m listening to Opening Belle and I love it! Reese Witherspoon just optioned it for a movie, too.
Finally had a moment to read this! The texting…oh yes. It is endlessly fascinating to me to see differences among the 4-5 people I text with regularly. So many one word responses…which bug the heck out of me! And I loved that question that came in last week. Such a dicey situation for sure.
Kristen recently posted..If You Ask Me . . . Ink
I am catching up and adore these posts, Nina. I use cauliflower in Indian cooking, but haven’t considered it in a soup recipe. Thanks for the tip.
Texting in relationships is a dicey subject – If it is a conversation that requires more emotional complexity, I’ve opted to pick up the phone or have a conversation in person.
Rudri Bhatt Patel @ Being Rudri recently posted..A Few Friday Faves
Oh, great! Going to check out the stock photos article now. Thanks.
I haven’t replied to one of your tiny letters, but I love them! Just printed out the cauliflower soup recipe too.
I’m currently reading Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You and (still) listening to Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Enjoying both!
My thoughts are with you and your family. I certainly hope that your nephew makes it through this okay.
You know what has really stuck with me? A quote from the Jane Austen letter that came in one of your letters. She was advised to add more “said she” and “said he” to her P&P novel to make it clearer, but “she doesn’t write for such elves.” As I edit my romance, I’m working on not writing for such dull elves. 😉
I haven’t read any of the book you have (or are). I’m currently reading a bunch of regency romance novels free on kindle since I want to delve into that era next. I’m also reading (or am about to) a few books and anthologies from friends, which is great. It’s nice to be surrounded by such talent.
Well, I’ve only responded to one aspect of your post, but there it is. 🙂 Hugs!
I love this! Such a joy to read about things I should look into when I have the time. And I have a few minutes now, so off I go!
I’ve been trying to find time to comment on this post. First, I cooked the cauliflower soup last night and actually went to Target to buy an immersion blender. 🙂 Second, I love the Modern Love podcast, I never have a ton of time to listen to podcasts, so I love that the essays are short. I also love the different types of essays they have chosen for the podcast. I can’t wait to check out your other suggestions. Most importantly, I am so sorry to hear about what your nephew is going through, sending healing wishes his way.
I LOVE that Time piece- it is definitely true. I am so glad you posted.
Also, I am amazed at how many podcasts you listen. Can you write a post, please, on how you do it? That is honest-to-goodness asking. Hope you are off into a good weekend!
Unsplash is my favorite place for stock photos which I’ve resorted to using because I got tired of trying to find the least crappy of my own pictures for my posts. 🙂
I made cauliflower soup not too long ago and loved it. I used roasted cauliflower, roasted red/green peppers, a couple of carrots, caramelized onions and organic chicken stock. I used an emulsifier to blend it all together in the pot. It was adults only as well. 🙂
I’m loving Rob Bell’s podcast lately (called The Robcast). He just had an episode where he focused on the Hebrew word T’shuvah–thought of you. 🙂
I’m reading the Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff and Being of Power by Baron Baptiste. Love these posts! Thanks for sharing all the goodies!
Such great ideas here, Hallie. Thank you!