An easy turkey Bánh mì meatball recipe, the best laptop stand, and the softest boat shoes

Plus, happy towels for a spring refresh

I woke up this morning to the revelation that I’d slept almost 8 straight hours. As I type this a few hours later, with a cup of coffee on the bedside table, I’m still filled with a sense of triumph, given that for more than a year, I haven’t been able to sleep more than 5 hours at a stretch.

I’ve been steadily pulling on all the various levers: hormone replacement therapy, pelvic floor therapy, trying a slow-release melatonin, various magnesium supplements, drinking less alcohol, and tapering water in the hours before bedtime. It’s a lot of work to be this well rested. 😂

Outside, the daffodils are just starting to troop, the birds are nesting in the eaves and in our bird boxes. It’s after dinner now, but it was still light out at 7 pm as I made Bánh mì sandwiches and listened to Alex and Ben jabber in the next room.

And yet, everything feels bifurcated. I continue to wake up (rested or not) dumbfounded at the state of the world. I found myself thinking all week about Heather Cox Richardson’s story of a long-haul trucker’s advice on how to stay safe on the road: Keep your hands on the wheel and keep driving. Not easy advice to hear by any means, but then, this isn’t an easy time.

Here’s my turkey Bánh mì-inspired meatball recipe, which I use in rice bowls or, better yet, on a freshly sliced French baguette with lots of sriracha mayo, pickled onions, and cilantro, adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe. This is forgiving (you don’t need the basil or the green onions, though having one or the other, or both, is ideal). It’s easy to double or triple, so you can eat some now and freeze some for your future self.

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix together:

1 pound ground turkey (note that I buy a 3-pound package and line up three separate bowls to make sure I keep the ratios right)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
salt + pepper
Chopped basil - (note that I hate kitchen waste, so I tend to just chop up the entire package of basil and divide it between the three bowls - original recipe called for a 1/4 cup)
Chopped green onions (again, I just use the entire bunch of green onions, divided by three bowls - original recipe called for two green onions)

I make golf-ball-sized meatballs by hand, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spritz with olive oil, and bake for 20ish minutes, or until crispy (sometimes I broil at the end for extra crispy). While baking, I mix mayo and sriracha 1:1 and get some kind of pickled veggie ready (usually either pickled veggie slaw or Veggie*Confetti Pickled Onions.

I freeze about half the meatballs immediately for an easy dinner for Future Abbey.

A. I gasped when I clicked over to Lucas du Tertre. I’m dreaming of summer picnics.
B. In the small joy of ‘keeping my computer charger contained’ category, I ordered one medium organizer for the charger and one small organizer for everything else in my never-ending quest for a more organized tote bag.
C. I recently remembered I had this gorgeous and very useful MacBook laptop stand. Everyone at work wants one!
D. A friend runs a bulb CSA, and boy, did these wow me this week - the ruffled centers!

E. These Loeffler Randall boat shoes had been winking at me, and I finally ordered them last week. They are keepers - like walking in buttery clouds. I saw a pair on Poshmark in size 8.5 and on the Real Real in size 8. If you haven’t ordered LR before, I’ve found they run a half size small - I’m usually a 9 but a 9.5 in LR shoes.
F. These happy towels made me consider a springtime swap out of our usual.
G. A pretty hand-me-down scarf from a chic friend.
H. I live in the shirt version of this dress. Could be fun for spring.

Feb 27, 2016 - I miss NYC bodega florists!

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