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Do you have a classic novel you’ve always meant to read but haven’t? I have a few, but at the top of the list is East of Eden. Every.single.time I drive north on the 101 through the Salinas valley (aka Steinbeck country) I promise myself to right this wrong… but then I forget by the time I hit San Jose.
Until this year! I’m proud to say I’m more than halfway through my 1980s paperback copy, just in time for a road trip north. I’m absolutely riveted by it, and recommend pairing with chilled coffee and a couple of lap cats.
a smattering of things I’ve been working on, eating, reading, loving, or thinking about
Christine Koh and I have been connected for nearly a decade, first as Internet buddies with a lot in common and, as time went on, real-life-if-very-long-distance friends. She’s one of the most inspiring, authentic, full-of-integrity people on the planet, and I loved chatting with her on this episode of her Edit Your Life podcast. Our conversation is all about leaning into local, wherever you live.
I have a new favorite way to use up an abundance of fruit (in our case recently, plums from the backyard tree): the recipe is called Cranberry-Pear Crumble Bars (gift link), but I invite you to substitute literally any fruit for the cranberries and pears and then thank me later. I like this so much better than any crisp or crumble or streusel or cobbler I’ve attempted in the past.
We made this and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since: Coconut-Miso Salmon Curry (gift link)
The garden is dreamy, yes, but I stayed for the interview, particularly the origin story of the Demon Copperhead idea, which I hadn’t heard her tell. How Dreamy Is Barbara Kingsolver's Appalachian Garden? (Big Salad)
I’ve been wanting a tiny lamp for our built-in bookcase for a long time, and finally found one I love (I bought both styles and put the other in our home office!)
Looking for creative accountability and inspiration? Ashlee Gadd walks the walk, and I bet this is going to be fantastic
a few items of note pertaining to my hometown - tell me what’s happening in yours in the comments!
Local news in Santa Barbara has been tough this month. I appreciate my friend Tyler’s reporting, and all that local reporters are doing to keep us informed.
The Powers family decided that Summer 2025 would be the summer of breakfast burritos, and we set out to find our favorite in town. I have determined thus-far that my perfact BB is vegetarian (even though I, as a person, am not) with an abundance of good veggies, crispy potatoes of some kind, and plenty of cheese to bring the saltiness. Pictured below: Super Cuca’s, Rudy’s, and The Shop.
Because I read a lot of local news and follow a handful of local reporters, I appreciated this peek behind the scenes from Matt Kettman: The Lost (and Found) Notebook
Erik at Siteline SB puts together these roundups twice a year and they seem like they’d be an enormous amount of work (much appreciated, Erik!): 32 Restaurants Expected to Open in the Coming Months
Does your city have The Scout Guide? Santa Barbara just launched its imprint of the locally-owned city guides and my friend sara prince did all the gorgeous editorial photography. The @tsgsantabarbara Instagram is also gorgeous. Come visit!
I hope the ice cream shops in your town have lines out the door this month, and that the sweet teens behind the counter receive as much grace and patience as the littler ones who can’t decide on a flavor. If you’d like to share a slice of local life with me, wherever you live, leave a comment or hit reply!
That’s it for now! -S
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