The coffee order everyone asks about (and other notes)
The practice of being selective, my 5-cookbook boundary & the kitchen gear I use daily.
Welcome to The Sidebar—a monthly edit of the things I’ve chosen to keep. In a world that constantly pushes for “more,” this is a series on the practice of being selective. From the books on my nightstand to the links in my group chat, here is a peek at what actually made the cut in my life this past month.
The fact that this monthly wrap-up post for Feb isn’t hitting the stacks until mid-March isn’t lost on me. Time is flying by. It’s as if we doubled up the speed of time to make up for the absurdity of January’s crawling along.
Nevertheless, here we are. And I had so much I did want to say that I’m still going to share everything that was top of mind in the past few weeks since the last issue of The Sidebar.
Here’s exactly what’s been going on…
The drink everyone in line asks me about—
Jason & I meet up for coffee most mornings after we’ve dropped the kids off at their respective schools. It’s a great way to just spend a little time together, play a game of NYT’s Crossplay against one another & catch up before going on with our day.
That said, I’ve tried pretty much any coffee shop drink but the one I go back to time & again is never on any of the menus. Lately, I’ve had several people stop me to ask what’s in my mug & it’s always the same: a honey & cinnamon latte.
It’s so simple, clean & down right cozy. I personally ask for the baristas to go light on the honey & to steam the cinnamon into the milk but it would be good on the sweeter side & with cinnamon on top. With this combo, you really can’t go wrong. 👯♀️
My current cookbook rotation—
I shared so much last month about what I do to automate grocery shopping, streamline meal planning & get through nightly dinner prep, but I didn’t get a chance to share some of my favorite cookbooks. If you’re a paid subscriber, you already know that one of the ways I cut down on decision fatigue is to keep a max. of 5 go-to cookbooks that I plan from at any given time.
So here’s what’s currently on my shelf:
Cooking in Real Life by Lidey Heuck
Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or hosting guests, this is pretty much my go-to cookbook for food that’s going to taste ridiculously good without the stress of something overcomplicated.Nights and Weekends by Alexis deBoschnek
This cookbook is designed so thoughtfully with options for delicious dinners that are no-fuss on (week)nights but then the option for great meals on your weekend. It just makes it so easy to navigate & the food is absolutely delicious.Opa! by Helena and Vikki Moursellas
Okay, I’m real picky about my Greek cookbooks. There are only few that get my seal of approval. But Helena & Vikki have delivered in both of their Greek titles. If you’re interested in classic Greek recipes Opa! is great for family dinners but if you’re feeding a crowd, I’d be remiss to leave out Peináo. You can’t go wrong!Scratch That by Alix Traeger
I originally grabbed Scratch That for the house in Palm Springs but loved it so much I bought a second copy to have back home. The recipes are just so easy, thoughtful & Alix’s energy just seems to radiate off the pages.Milk Street Fast and Slow by Christopher Kimball
If you have a pressure cooker, this is the cookbook you need. While I love the convenience of a pressure-cooker dinner I’ve found most recipes made for them just fall short. The flavors are usually good but the dishes overall can fall flat in complexity. But the team at Milk Street really figured out how to overcome that problem–every meal we’ve had has been downright delicious.
The kitchen gear actually worth having—
On the note of convenience in the kitchen, I thought it would be helpful to follow up our series on dinner with a few pieces of equipment I’ve realized I grab for time & again that really do make dinners that much easier. I also know that getting pieces like these can be an investment so knowing someone else relies on these workhorses on the weekly can be so helpful!
Breville Air Fryer—We’ve had this countertop oven for over a decade & we will never be without one. It’s PFOA-free & has the ability to function as a surround oven, convection oven, air fryer, dough proofer & dehydrator. It’s so much quicker & efficient to heat this up that I rarely use my gas range as a result.
I’m not exaggerating when I say I use this daily. As it stands, my 4,000+ days of relying on this $350 oven have brought down the cost to 7¢/use. 😂
I personally have the larger unit that’s considered their pro model. But if you’re looking for one a bit smaller, the original model comes in these super sophisticated colors like an olive tapenade or an almond. Stunning.Staub 7-Qt. Cocotte—This is my newest kitchen investment & I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long. I use it constantly. Compared to my Le Creuset, I get a much better sear on meat, the braising lid prevents food from drying out & the dark interior is so much easier to keep clean. The Staub Cocotte is amazing for braises, stews & breads and it’s a stunner that you can leave out on your range and use for everything. Also, Sur La Table is currently running a sale on these—do not miss this crazy low price if you’re thinking of getting one.
Instant Pot—I struggle to articulate why food just tastes better from the IP but it just does. Maybe it’s the fact that food takes a fraction of the time & is relatively hands-off but I think it’s also that while the food’s cooked fast, it doesn’t taste rushed. Under pressure, the flavors come together beautifully.
This is my go-to for soups, stews & anytime I need a meal on the table but don’t have the capacity to stay in the kitchen all evening to make it happen.
And in my opinion, you can get away with the basic 6 qt. model (which I have) but if I were buying a new one, I’d be getting this Rio Wide model…If you can spare the storage space, I think it give you a lot more surface area at the bottom which is what you really want for the saute or slow-cook features. Plus, the wider model has a bigger capacity which is perfect both for batching dinners for your family or feeding a crowd.Mini Crock Pot—I actually ditched my full-sized Crock Pot when I got the Instant Pot & that was a mistake since I don’t have that Wide RIO model. I didn’t realize the IP slow cooker function only heats from the bottom whereas the Crock Pot warms the ceramic from all sides for a more even heat-source & cooking. This 2 qt. size is ridiculously affordable & perfect for either a single family dinner or awarm party dip/appetizer. Plus, it takes up virtually no space in the cabinet.
Rubbermaid Glass Containers—Okay, maybe not “gear” per se but worth noting because whenever people come over they ask where I got these glass storage containers because they’re the perfect mix between form & function. I appreciate that I can reheat food in these glass containers with peace of mind (sans lid) while also being really easy to keep clean, store compactly & ensure food stays fresh. It’s definitely worth grabbing a set!
Glad you’re here! 👯♀️
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What I’ve been reading lately—
Okay unlike January where I read so many books, February was bone dry. I’ll say, though, that Theo & I tore through books 2 & 3 of The Hunger Games series. We did a mix of read aloud at bedtime & listening to the title on Audible on our way to/from school. We’re now making our way through the movies & have also started the first prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. I’d never read it before & we’re both enjoying it immensely.
Also, we’re heading out of town for spring break soon, so I wanted to grab a paperback to bring along for our pool days & I think I’ve landed on Workhorse: A Novel by Caroline Palmer. Set in the early 2000’s, the story follows editorial assistant Clo Harmon as she tries to work through the ranks at a top fashion magazine. It’s apparently an easy read, funny & a topic I love so I cannot wait to dive in.
Spring break prep—
I can’t believe spring break is basically here & I’ve been doing my level best to get our trip to Walt Disney World squared away. While I’ve more or less got the logistics figured out, I’ve also had to do my share of last-minute shopping. These were the missing pieces I needed to get—
Swimsuits—Funny enough, the kids continue to grow…so new swimsuits it was. I ordered Stella some options from Quince (I’ll link to their vacation shop here—there are so many cute styles!) & I grabbed Theo more of the swim trunks he loves (these are amazing for summer camp, too, because they easily double as shorts for the day & dry fast).
Functional sling bag—Full confession, I do own this bag already but it’s in a darker brown that I don’t love for spring/summer. So when I saw Everlane had re-released it in this amazing quartz color I grabbed for it. It’s actually the bag we always keep Epi-Pens & Zyrtec in because it’s one both Jason & I feel comfortable carrying around. Highly recommend.
Walking shoes—I was in dire need of new shoes especially ones that would support my feet all day long. So I am finally giving Hokas a try. These Clifton 10’s seemed to be the most reasonable (some are so substantial) that I think they’ll be great for all-day wear. Actually, Stella tried on a kid’s pair as well & thought they were the comfiest gyms shoes she’d tried on. Which reminds me, I grabbed her some new shoes at Rothy’s. If you haven’t checked out their kid’s options, it’s time to reconsider. They are highly, highly, highly washable & absolutely adorable.
Travel towels—I used to have some just like these from IKEA & lost them somewhere in the move. I swear by these, not even for travel specifically but they’re perfect for this trip. I used to keep one of these in the stroller for wiping off wet slides, cleaning off a messy picnic bench or protecting the kids’ legs from hot swings.
Water bottle with a built-in filter—The older I get, the lower my tolerance for drinking just any old water. I wish I weren’t this way. But drinking from plastic bottles is a thing of the past. And so is unfiltered water. So this option from Larq felt perfect. I especially appreciate the 17oz. option & that it has a carabiner clip to make it easy to tote around the parks (or hikes in the future).
Travel hand wipes—I’m just restocking these. We’ve used these fragrance-free, castile-soap hand wipes from Handzies for years. I keep them in the car, toss them in the kids’ lunch bags & definitely bring with me to theme parks. I know the individual packaging is a convenience thing but I really appreciate they’re never dried out & it’s easy to toss them into a bag or a pocket so that they’re always at the ready.
Okay, I think that sums up the past month or so! It’s been such a busy time with a lot of moving parts so I’m going to drop the posts from the past month below in case you’d like to catch up!
Talk soon,
Erin
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From the past month:
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I’m Erin—a former teacher, wife & mom of two in Boulder, Colorado. And this is where I write about what it looks like to stop running my life the way I was told to & start trusting what I know about it instead.
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There’s something really grounding about this—especially the idea of being selective in a world that constantly pushes for more.
That line about keeping a small rotation of go-to cookbooks to reduce decision fatigue really stood out. It’s such a simple shift, but it changes the entire experience of daily life.
Also… honey & cinnamon latte might be the quiet star of this whole post. ☕️
Love this series—feels like a reset in the best way.
This was a great publication! I will absolutely bring adding Opa to my cookbook rotation.
I cook from my YiaYia’s recipes, but she mostly just tells me to add “taste it until I think it’s right”, and a bit more guidance would be nice 😂🫶🏻.