What I think about when I think about running is showing up for myself in the midst of parenting young children: I think to myself “You can’t be the woman you want to be tomorrow. You can only be her today.” I keep my past self in sight, wave to her and tell her we’re doing alright, and I look toward my future self and tell her I’m putting the work in now so l can keep pace with her.
Thanks for highlighting this valuable mantra. I also wanted to thank you for posting your father's beautiful eulogy in January. I found myself writing one for my own father this last week, and of all the ones I read for inspiration, no surprise, it was yours that most resonated. Along those lines, if you haven't done so already, I'd welcome a newsletter topic with suggestions for easy veg meals for the first weeks back to real life after a Big Hard Life Event, when doordash stops and your own cooking is a lifeline to re-establishing normalacy. Thanks for considering and thanks for the inspiration.
Caroline - I'm so sorry about your father. Please give yourself time with re-establishing normalcy, but when you're ready, I'd lean into roast chicken with mashed potatoes, enchiladas (if you have The Weekday Vegetarians, I love the green enchiladas on page 105), lasagna, spaghetti with Marcella Hazan's tomato-butter sauce. There is a reason they call it comfort food. So very sorry for your loss.
Mom of a 6, 4, and almost 2yo, and I came here to suggest the exact same thing! It's much more efficient for me to knock out a whole month at a time rather than finding the time each week.
Interested in that yummy looking green pie! And would love advice for the opposite of the toddler problem: three (almost) grown men will be joining us for the summer. The two college sons will descend next week, just as we seem to have finally found our groove cooking for three.
I remember seeing toddlers, a stage I loved, soon after mine were all school age and wondering how I ever had the energy for it. Now I feel the same about feeding five every night. I may assign each of us our own day to cook, but I don't want pasta and burgers every night. I have no memory of how I managed to grocery shop for 5 once a week, even though it wasn't that long ago. Maybe I'll finally try instacart!
Thanks for this Murakami reminder, Jenny! You running so regularly inspires me! I am polishing this reason a bunch lately: turns out functional strength is a real thing (I used to roll my eyes at streaming workout instructors who would be like “this is the same motion that will protect your back when you’re lifting groceries,” but now that I’m almost 40 and lifting a 40 lb three year old daily, I’m like “oooh!! I get it - functional strength!”
While I would not say I hate running, I love having run a lot more. Recently got a Garmin watch and now I feel like I am the watch's Tamagotchi. I want to please my watch. If it is proud of me, I am proud of me.
Thank you for the mantra; and the suggestions for exhibits in NYC. Our family is visiting Manhattan from New Zealand and I’ve made lists of many of your restaurant recommendations, can’t wait to try them out!
What I think about when I think about running is showing up for myself in the midst of parenting young children: I think to myself “You can’t be the woman you want to be tomorrow. You can only be her today.” I keep my past self in sight, wave to her and tell her we’re doing alright, and I look toward my future self and tell her I’m putting the work in now so l can keep pace with her.
Brilliant. Thank you
Thanks for highlighting this valuable mantra. I also wanted to thank you for posting your father's beautiful eulogy in January. I found myself writing one for my own father this last week, and of all the ones I read for inspiration, no surprise, it was yours that most resonated. Along those lines, if you haven't done so already, I'd welcome a newsletter topic with suggestions for easy veg meals for the first weeks back to real life after a Big Hard Life Event, when doordash stops and your own cooking is a lifeline to re-establishing normalacy. Thanks for considering and thanks for the inspiration.
Caroline - I'm so sorry about your father. Please give yourself time with re-establishing normalcy, but when you're ready, I'd lean into roast chicken with mashed potatoes, enchiladas (if you have The Weekday Vegetarians, I love the green enchiladas on page 105), lasagna, spaghetti with Marcella Hazan's tomato-butter sauce. There is a reason they call it comfort food. So very sorry for your loss.
https://cupofjo.com/2022/03/02/best-roast-chicken-actually-simple/
https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/p/lasagna-for-the-super-bowl
https://food52.com/recipes/13722-marcella-hazan-s-tomato-sauce-with-onion-butter
I am a mom of toddler, and I find that planning dinner by the month makes it so much easier in terms of mental load. Here is an example!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gTMSXKtyuIM7OVJXZNURk-ENVn-zbH07ogewzvoZVAc/edit?usp=sharing
That is NEXT LEVEL! Thank you so much for sharing.
This is amazing! It gave me some ideas for future dinners!
Mom of a 6, 4, and almost 2yo, and I came here to suggest the exact same thing! It's much more efficient for me to knock out a whole month at a time rather than finding the time each week.
We should trade calendars for ideas! ;) Great minds think alike!
Whoa! Thank you for sharing!!
homey greens pie looks so yum. so excited for your book. XO
Interested in that yummy looking green pie! And would love advice for the opposite of the toddler problem: three (almost) grown men will be joining us for the summer. The two college sons will descend next week, just as we seem to have finally found our groove cooking for three.
I remember seeing toddlers, a stage I loved, soon after mine were all school age and wondering how I ever had the energy for it. Now I feel the same about feeding five every night. I may assign each of us our own day to cook, but I don't want pasta and burgers every night. I have no memory of how I managed to grocery shop for 5 once a week, even though it wasn't that long ago. Maybe I'll finally try instacart!
I hear you on this one. I'm in the same boat -- both girls coming home within a few weeks and my brain is a complete tabula rasa. HOW DID WE DO IT?
😆 It’s a good problem to have, and still, how did we do it?
Meal planning and mantras will get us through the week and life, Jenny. Rock on!
That quote- I definitely needed to hear this today
I can't wait for this book!
Makes using that great pantry I keep promoting easy-breezy. So many fab sheet pan dinners!
Thanks for this Murakami reminder, Jenny! You running so regularly inspires me! I am polishing this reason a bunch lately: turns out functional strength is a real thing (I used to roll my eyes at streaming workout instructors who would be like “this is the same motion that will protect your back when you’re lifting groceries,” but now that I’m almost 40 and lifting a 40 lb three year old daily, I’m like “oooh!! I get it - functional strength!”
While I would not say I hate running, I love having run a lot more. Recently got a Garmin watch and now I feel like I am the watch's Tamagotchi. I want to please my watch. If it is proud of me, I am proud of me.
Thank you for the mantra; and the suggestions for exhibits in NYC. Our family is visiting Manhattan from New Zealand and I’ve made lists of many of your restaurant recommendations, can’t wait to try them out!