finished my cookbook + writing 🤝🏻 youtube success + DIY hot chocolate mix!
I just got back from a small celebratory *sushi by the beach* with Merlin after finishing the cookbook! The last step was ctrl-F-ing (that's doing the search function... just so we're clear) every possible error I had made note of and I'm now going to sit on it over the weekend, decide on the quantity (a great time to preorder hehe!) and then send it off to the printers on Monday!
June was relentless and I am definitely in need of a break. But I also felt so much fulfilment ticking off cookbook milestones that were so long in the making. Getting really encouraging feedback from all of you also buoyed me on more than you'll know!
It's been a very special (and hard!) final-slog finishing this book. I definitely feel like I've matured in how I approach creative projects and I hope that continues into how I look back at them. Meaning in a balanced way – not too romanticised or too consumed by the negatives.
I had to manage my fatigue and POTs this month without being able to clear my schedule (the one thing that always works). Not having that emergency button was a challenge, but I got through it (growth) and I think some of these things really helped:
Lots of naps, earlier nights, hip openers, 'legs up the wall' pose after any exercise or extended periods of standing, intentionally leaving housework that could wait and making my world smaller / easier in every other way (eg. simple meals, Telehealth over in-person appointments, wearing comfy clothes).
While I now move into the marketing, administrative side of things... which there is plenty of – I'm itching to take myself on a few city dates to cure my cabin fever! I'm writing that here so I actually follow through.
I hope this winter / summer is being kind to you 💜
WRITING.
A piece I wrote for ABC Lifestyle about the worthwhile responsibility of owning a big dog came out this month. It did quite well I'm told – popping up on the ABC's home page throughout the week and on people's iPhone news round-ups?!
I kept a diary during the week I announced my cookbook, which you can read here.
YOUTUBE.
I made a video offering some general tips for feeding yourself sustainably when you're neurodivergent, living with dynamic disabilities, chronic illness etc. A light intro into many of the themes and resources in I Want Dopamine for Dinner!
It's surprisingly done quite well too! Hello to anyone who found this newsletter through it, my channels grown a bit as a result : )
KITCHEN.
L–R: I sensibly prepped some sausage rolls (recipe in I Want Dopamine for Dinner) before my dad and uncle came to stay earlier this month. I'm always making cheesy kimchi, tofu and carrot rice with any leftover rice, and I made last month's crispy buffalo tofu and green goddess slaw for my uncle to rave reviews.
L–R: A hodgepodge dinner of half a salad sandwich, greens and fries? Spiced Tofu and Cauliflower with Spinach Rice and Cucumber Raita and some spinach meatballs (recipe in I Want Dopamine for Dinner) with simple spaghetti and salad.
L–R: Ordered some Soulara ready meals to give myself a cooking break – they're honestly so underwhelming and a bit too healthy tasting for my liking, but I'm still grateful for the break. Then I improvised a vegan tofu ricotta, pesto and pumpkin lasagna (10/10) and made my tofu spinach saag (it's in this book) when I desperately needed to get some greens in!
L–R: A plate of deliciousness from some last cookbook reshoots, a butter chicken tofu meatball curry (from I Want Dopamine for Dinner) and a kinda sad gluten-free lamington my mum brought me home from Bendigo (3/10).
READ.
I read two wildly impressive graphic novels by Australian authors this month. I Ate The Whole World To Find You by Rachel Ang explores the traumas and pulse points across one woman's life. And When One Person Dies The Whole World is Over by Mandy Ord (not as depressing as the title suggests) spans a year of the author's life, as she captured four moments from each day. The result is the most beautiful, gently powerful and deeply affecting work about growth, seeking help, small joys and the mundane routines of life. The latter will be a forever favourite. It felt like a TV series. I completely fell in love with the characters and didn't want it to end!
Mandy Ord also illustrated the children's book Chalk Boy by Margaret Wild and I shed a tear while having a quick read of it at the library.
OMG! Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata was a RIDE! A dystopian/utopian(?) weird-fest about a society which tries to simplify the human experience and in doing so makes you question what makes us human. It's unpredictable, revolting, occasionally charming and very very memorable... for better or worse. Would definitely recommend!
I'm extremely sceptical when it comes to heavily praised new fiction – I just like to make my own mind up. So you can imagine I was SO ANNOYED when I found myself gobbling up Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley. I suggest giving it 100 pages before reserving judgement, because it's an intelligent, well-paced, cosy, inner-child healing intelligent romance, that you might even enjoy if (like me) a romance book is the last genre you feel drawn to right now. I really didn't want this one to end : (
I heard of We Need Your Art by Amie McNee after Instagram suggested a wonderfully transparent post by the author detailing their experience publishing the book (the book deal, the cost etc.). It's a motivating read for creatives, persuading and detailing why you should prioritise your creative practice... in a sustainable way! A lot of the first half felt too written in a notes app genre of self help for me, but I loved the later chapters around success, failing and celebrating.
RECIPE.
Time for a simple seasonal recipe! This month I'm sharing a three ingredient, dairy-free DIY hot chocolate mix! Yes it's cheap enough to buy, but sometimes it's nice to indulge in the pleasure of making a simple home comfort from scratch. Plus this one isn't overly rich, which my-tendency-for-nausea appreciates!
There's a whole chapter on simple but satisfying recipes in I Want Dopamine for Dinner, as I know how important it is to regularly have little wins in the kitchen!
Thank you for reading,
Phoebe x
You can tip my work or adjust your subscription here 🖋️