Friday favorites 8/26

Vegan carrot cake, encouragement on “putting yourself out there,” and my new favorite summer salad recipe

Vegan carrot cupcake at Celicioso

Feliz Friday! The last Friday of August has crept up on me like a post-paella food coma (a real thing, at least in this household). Where has the summer gone? Fall is my favorite time of year, but there’s something about the end of summer that’s always a bit poignant.

The craziness continues around here (all good things happening, but boy, have I been busy!), which means I’ve had to take extra care to block off some time to breathe. I’m trying to drink less caffeine, more water, get in daily movement, and make time to catch up with friends and family to keep myself sane. I’ve realized I thrive off of pressure, but I also have to be careful to not burn myself out.

Below, little pops of repose in the form of food and text:

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• Carrot cake (or tarta de zanahoria) is a frequent offering on dessert menus here, and I’m always sad that I have to pass because of the cream cheese frosting. Por eso,¹ when I saw vegan carrot cupcakes (pictured above) on the menu during a coffee date catchup at Celicioso, I didn’t even hesitate. I’ll always hold a soft spot in my heart for Celicioso because it saved me from an intense cupcake craving a few years ago. Even today with more and more vegan options popping up, it’s a solid choice for yummy dairy-free (and gluten-free) baked goods. And my recent carrot cake capricho?² Solved.

• A friend and I were talking the other day about how scary it is to put your work out into the world, whether that be by sharing your writing (*raises hand*), your photos, or even your cooking. It was a conversation right in line with a post I read this week over at Little Things by Ali Vingiano. I like that Ali acknowledges that while sometimes critics can be harsh, not all feedback comes from ~*hAtErS*~ hiding behind their computer screen. Feedback helps us grow. She also writes the following:

  Sharing your work requires vulnerability, which is trained out of us from birth. If you’re releasing something you’ve created into the wild, you’ve already won. No reaction should make you feel less proud.

  You can read the entire article below.

  Dealing With Negative Feedback

• Speaking of Ali’s post above, it also lead me to my new salad obsession: this recipe for Cucumber-Avocado Salad from NYTimes Cooking. I made it earlier this week, and it’s the perfect effortless summer dish for when you don’t feel like turning on any appliances. We halved the recipe and ate it as a side with pan-seared chicken breast, but I could see myself doubling it instead and eating it as a main when I’m feeling super lazy. It’s also a great solution for using up any leftover avocado you may have hanging around. I hit mine with my beloved Cholula Chili Lime hot sauce, but you can prep yours a tu gusto.³

For anyone wondering what “Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips” (a step in the NYTimes recipe above) is supposed to mean

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Parting notes:

• Sunday Sobremesa is back! Come back on Sunday to join in this week’s discussion.

• Rachel at ingredient was nice enough to share a sneak peek of a future recipe featuring my one true love: figs. I can’t wait to try it out this weekend! If you use figs in the main dish, does that bar you from eating figs as dessert? Asking for a friend.

• I’m slowly making my way through the backlog of comments and emails and reading lists and and and… If I haven’t gotten back to you yet, I promise I haven’t forgotten about you! Also my Twitter and Instagram participation is severely lacking (one of many reasons why I’d never hack it as an influencer), so please pardon my absence. I don’t know how you guys do it!

TTFN!⁴ Have a great weekend and see you on Sunday!

Ki

1. Por eso: Because of this

2. Capricho: Whim, craving

3. A tu gusto: To your liking

4. TTFN: Ta-ta for now. Reliving my middle school note-writing days.