One outrageous ant and one whiskey sour, please
What’s your favorite pasta shape? I’ll get back to you with my answer when I finally finish perfecting my vegan version of “canned beef ravioli” I’ve been dreaming about since I stopped eating meat at age 12. While I have you, if you have a favorite basil recipe drop it in the comments here. We are all growing too much basil! It’s so easy! What should we do with it?
We’re moving our newsletter to once a week, and we’ve got published a ton of great stories to catch up on since I wrote last week:
I completely love this gorgeous reflection from Layla Benitez-James on parenting during the pandemic, and watching birds with her 9-month-old son:
In the mornings, I wake twice. In the first waking, when the boys leave, I notice the baby making a new sound. It is a quiet kind of whooshing, like an arrow through air. I ask, and my husband tells me he’s asking to see his swifts, asking for them by the sound they make.
It’s past time we talked about The 15 Most Outrageous Animals, and figured out just what the heck is going on here. If you can make it through this post without giggling, we don’t understand each other. Check out this ant:
Laura explained how to confit vegetables, which are cooked low + long while completely covered in oil. Drool. As she points out, fat makes food delicious, and these recipes for confit potatoes, cherry tomatoes, beets, and parsnips are no exception.
Since I started working for myself, I stopped setting an alarm. I’m happier and more productive than ever and here to say: it’s ok to not be a morning person.
Jack introduced us to the adorable and yet slightly terrifying work of Tom Curtis, a father-of-two who collaborates with his kids by turning their drawings into realistic photoshops. Fun!
Arabella is hear to reassure you that if your plants are dying, that’s ok. She has tips for growing in simple, achievable ways, or for just admitting that plant-parenthood isn’t for you and giving up. Either way, just know that we love you whether you can keep a plant alive or not.
New contributor Nathan Allen wrote about how scuba diving helped him see life and pain from a fish’s perspective, and ultimately strengthened his vegan ethics.
Do you have a house tomato sauce that you can make with your eyes closed? IMO, everyone should. If you don’t, Alicia’s easy tomato sauce is yours to borrow, adapt, and make your own. And! She also shares her recipe for delectable fried zucchini you can dip right into that sauce. Summertime is the tastiest time. Speaking of which…
This corn chowder ↑ is summertime to me. We were able to excerpt this incredible recipe from the upcoming Friendly Vegan Cookbook by vegan blogging legends Toni Okamoto and Michelle Cehn. Y U M. 🌽
Shhh… a seaweed secret.
Have always deeply resented the myth that cats are less loving or emotionally tuned in than dogs. The cats I’ve known have been gentle and empathetic companions during hard times, and this beautiful personal essay about a pair of cats helping through postpartum depression is a perfect retort.
Consider: making your cat a friendship bracelet.
TENDERLY REC ROOM
On Tuesdays, we tell you about things we like
“Louie the potbelly pig is one of Arthur’s Acres Sanctuary’s most recent animal rescues that I have fallen in love with. This sweet guy was rescued from a horribly neglectful where he was not getting proper nutrition and was kept in one room without being allowed outside. Louie has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but you can see from the photos and videos the sanctuary has shared that he is already thriving in his new home. 💘🐷💘” — Arabella
“I loved this sadly relatable piece about craving a cig by friend of Tenderly / Editor of Humungus, John Devore. ‘A cigarette is a quiet moment of selfishness. A small prayer to the devil asking if he’ll forgive me for ignoring my responsibilities.’” — Summer Anne
“I’ve really never been much of a drinker and now that I don’t go to bars and restaurants I very rarely have any alcohol. But sometimes during the socially-distant backyard/porch hangs I’ve had this summer, I want to sip on something besides Topo Chico so I’ve gotten these vegan Swedish ciders that come in fun flavors like strawberry-lime, mango-raspberry, and passionfruit. If you like light, fruity drinks, these will be an instant favorite!” — Arabella
“I currently have a batch of Mark Bittman’s perishable, simple, delicious cucumber pickles souring on my counter and I can’t wait to eat all ten pickles in like 24 hours.” — Summer Anne
“S’mores don’t just have to be for eating around a campfire! This dessert has super ~summery vibes~ and all you need to make them are some vegan marshmallows (my personal favorites are Dandies!), chocolate, and graham crackers. If you have a gas stove, you can try to roast the marshmallows over a burner, but you can also put them in the broiler to get that melty, golden brown goodness.” — Arabella
CHEERS TO GETTING THROUGH ANOTHER WEEK
Drinking together, apart
Foamy Vegan Whiskey Sour, recipe by Laura Vincent
- Two ounce blended scotch (I used Isle of Skye)
- One ounce lemon juice
- One ounce pineapple juice
- ½ ounce sugar syrup
- Angostura bitters, for garnish
Place all the ingredients in a cocktail tin or glass. To give extra aeration to the drink, you can shake it first without ice, then open the tins, add fresh ice, close the tins and shake again. Either way, shake the cocktail vigorously for ten to fifteen seconds, then strain into a tumbler over ice or into your preferred cocktail glass. Pour a couple of drops of Angostura onto the foamy top of the drink, and swirl with a skewer to make a pattern if you wish.
CURRENTLY PLAYING
Tunes from Tenderly HQ
I have been loving this heavily ’80s influenced, chill and groovy new album, Pleasure Line from Video Age. Just the worry-free boogie at my standing desk that my quar-bore needed.
