gentle recipes spreadsheet printable download & catch up 🖤

Long time no newsletter, behind the scenes or rambly chat from me Honeybunches (probably a good thing)! The last couple of weeks have been a blur of colds, being caretaker-person while my mum had Covid (somehow dodging it myself), endless screen-time finishing up Big Mouth (launching hopefully this weekend) & waiting for printers to get back to me - which they mostly have not :(

WORK.

(First world problem, but) it's been so painful trying to secure this last step in the process. I've never had such a hard time getting basic answers out of them (I'm sticking with them because they are so much cheaper), I drove an hour into the city today to pick up a sample copy (so I can show you what the hardcopy will look like - when I open pre-orders), only to be told that their machines broken so they'll *hopefully* uber it at the end of the day. Which is nice, but I won't believe it until I see it, as this is 2 weeks in the making (!!) & also... petrol/time wasted (grr). Also you've really been hearing me harp on about this for long enough. I'm so sorry!

With my Big Mouth timeline being pushed out (what is the point of planning, I  ask myself) & a pickle forming in front of me - I pivoted to making some solid promotional material (ew, I know) to give this book a proper LaUnch. Meaning (yep - hold your ginger tablets), some reels - ooph. Which are actually pretty groovy & convey the tone/vibey of the book far better than a still snapshot of it does. I did some stop motion (#helloRSI) and they're super cute. So, (I swear this self-promotion is more painful for me than for you) look out for those!

I made a free download for you this week, a Mega Spreadsheet of Gentle Recipes for you to keep on hand for those "I can't eat anything, rhaa!"/"what the heck do I feed this FODMAP-intolerant person?"/"does gentle comfort food exist?"/"I'm hungry & I don't know what to EAT," moments. Download it here!

There's space for you to add your own fave gentle recipes, a 'Cheer Me Up'  section, as well as tips to help you restore your love of food (very important). Most recipes are from books I've written - which you may or may not have - but many more are linked/google-able. Hope that it's a help to you!

KITCHEN.

Cooking has felt v free lately. I've enjoyed making all the comfort foods to power me through tedious screen-times - and just honour the cosy/chilly season that is. I seem to rise to the occasion when a family member is ill - getting a flood of motivation to cook glorious dinners for them. I've been experimenting with v/gf pastry lamination (pics coming soon!) & continuing to feed my confidence for micro-bakery times ahead!

READ.

The Year of Miracles, By Ella Risbridger
Such a fan I was of Ella's first book Midnight Chicken - this was probably my most anticipated read of the year, and my goodness, it delivered! Written during the pandemic, it weaves recipes between reflections of grief, survival mode & little moments of joy. The author's voice is so cathartic, so gentle, while also cutting straight to the point - like the gnarly bits of life that you cope with better than you  thought you would. Absolutely my kind of book. Reading it was a tonic.

This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch, By Tabith Carvan
I was not planning on reading this book. I saw it in a bookshop a few months ago & scoffed a little at the title before buying a cookbook lol. I mainly thought the cover art was v random (I still do) and sort of cheapened the concept a bit. Anyway - this book surprised me big time. It's beautiful! It's about fandom, passions, (also) survival mode, vivid inner worlds and the magic of hobbies. The author is from Canberra, and is wrestling with/trying to make sense of her obsession with Benedict Cumberbatch that bloomed during the Sherlock-craze days when she was a new mum with two teeny kids. Watching Benedict, consuming everything he had ever been in &  said - became the only thing in her life that was hers. The author speaks to people in the fan-fic world & honestly, the book is far deeper than it appears. I wish they'd fix the cover to reflect that.

WATCHED.

My bet is that you've already seen this video - eco-chambers & all - but Italian YouTuber Rosie Maio, recently visited her grandmother for a wedding in Moldova & posted a video about all she ate during her stay. Talk about the 'What I Ate' videos we most certainly do need (because they are wholesome-as, involve village g-ma's & g-pa's, traditions & places westerny-ppl don't see enough of). It's a 30 minute joy to watch & I think you'll find it as fascinating as I did.

There's something in this image which involves me, that I can't wait to talk about soon !! Fingertips are genuinely vibrating typing this lol.

Here's hoping my sample copy of Big Mouth arrives tonight, otherwise next week will be publishing week - it just has to be.

Thank you ever so much for being here & wishing you a bloomin' wonderful weekend!

Phoebe & Merlin x