Issue #18, things in the worth it category

Let's Get Lost, July 27, 2024

I bought a hard shell kayak a couple of weeks ago. It’s small, only 8 feet long, but when you’re 5 foot nothing, legroom is rarely a concern.

As is the case when you live in 400 square feet and pack up all your stuff every couple of weeks and move to a new location, new purchases require some careful consideration.

Where will we store it when we travel?

Will it fit… ? (re: measure, and measure, and measure again)

How much does it weigh?

And the most important question of all: Is the enjoyment we’ll get from this greater than the hassle of storing/ moving/ maintaining it?

A friend of mine (you may remember her from the Mother’s Day brunch issue) wrote this question earlier this week and holy smokes do I relate: Do you ever get the overwhelming urge to purge EVERYTHING in your home?

When our kids were little I would periodically look around the house and have the urge to throw everything away. Everything. I mostly restrained myself BUT when we moved into the RV I actually got to get rid of almost everything and it felt GREAT.

I like not having a lot of stuff, but my level of minimalism has it’s limits. I truly love a lot of the stuff we have. It’s what makes it worth having.

If we love using it then the hassle of packing it, and storing it, and moving it doesn’t bother us. But the second the hassle outweighs the enjoyment we get from it, it’s got to go.

And honestly, I think this way of thinking could have benefited me much earlier in life. When we had a houseful of stuff, I spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing things that brought me very little enjoyment. Why did I do that?

Anyway, so far the hard shell kayak is solidly in the “worth it” category. I’ve been on the water a lot more than I would have if using our inflatable kayak was the only option. And being on the water is one of my favorite things. So if this kayak helps me spend more hours there, that’s a win.

The week in photos

1.We are in Duluth, Minnesota at the moment but before that we were in North Dakota and close enough to Roosevelt National Park to spend a day riding through it. Until a few weeks ago, I thought “the Badlands” = Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Not true. The word badlands describes a type or terrain, not a single place. That terrain extends through South Dakota all the way into North Dakota and into Roosevelt National Park. Which you probably already knew, but if you didn’t, there’s your little snippet of trivia for the day. You’re welcome.

2.On travel days I almost always pack lunch in a little cooler for us. It’s a preventative measure so we don’t succumb to gas station food, which is honestly, not ever a good idea. This couscous salad, packed in jars, is one of the things I pack for us the most. I’m sharing it with you now in case you are ever in need of a delicious, light, healthy lunch that travels well.

3 & 4. Over the past two weeks we’ve gotten to explore a little bit of the Lake Superior coastline. We spent a warm Sunday riding up highway 61, a long stretch of road along the water’s edge. In the parking lot of a lighthouse, a man told us to stop at Palisade headlands for a good view of the lake. We took his advice and were not disappointed. I’m always grateful to locals who are willing to share hidden gems.

5.The North Shore Scenic Railroad takes passengers on excursions up the coast of Lake Superior and we spent one Friday night on their BBQ dinner train in the SkyView Dome Car. Check it out, if you’re ever in the area. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable way to spend an evening.

6 & 7. Glensheen is a 39-room mansion on the coast of Lake Superior built in the early 1900s by the Congdon family. It was donated to the University of Minnesota in the 70s and is now open to the public for tours. We spent a Sunday afternoon there and the house is a fascinating peek into the past. We had heard about a notorious murder that happened in the house but there was no mention of it on the tour. Later that night, over fish and chips in Minnesota’s oldest brewpub, we looked it up and it’s an interesting, tragic story.

8.Meet Kris and Mario! We met these delightful people 10 years ago at a hot springs spa in California and enjoyed talking with them so much we’ve kept in touch. Kris and Mario live in the area so we got to spend an afternoon and evening with them and had the best time. We had dinner with them at the New Scenic Cafe, which I was remiss in getting photos of, but deserves a shout out. The atmosphere, the food, and the service was wonderful. We’d go back in a heartbeat and highly recommend it!

9.Kris and Mario told us about a place called Enger park in Duluth, a gorgeous park with an observation tower that offers a captivating view of the city and Lake Superior.

It’s the end of July and I think we all want to soak up as much summer as we can for the next few weeks. So, the rest of this issue is filled with easy, breezy recipes that take full advantage of the bounty of summer produce and do NOT require hours in the kitchen. Here’s what you’ll find in the rest of this week’s issue:

• Recipes that make the most of tomato and peach season

• An easy-to-make chocolate almond crostata that’s easy to slice, eat, share, and repeat

• Baked chicken with tomatoes: an simple one-pan recipe for throw-it-together kind of people and throw-it-together kind of nights

• No recipe required: Mushroom and summer veggie hash with fried eggs

• 12 “back pocket” sauce recipes that take minutes to prepare and are guaranteed to elevate almost anything

The majority of this issue is for supporting members. I started writing on Substack so that I could share many of my best ideas with you, without catering to algorithms or cluttering the content with annoying ads. Get access to the stories, recipes, ideas, and recommendations in this and every issue by becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you! ❤️

What to make this week

How much do we love summer produce??? Honestly, the variety of locally grown fresh fruits and veggies that are available right now is pure gold and I want to take full advantage of it. That’s what these recipes are for, starting with this brand new recipe for Peach Coffee Cake.

This buttery coffee cake is studded with sweet, juicy peaches and covered in a nutty, toasted coconut crumb topping that you will, from this point forward, want to start putting on everything.

Maybe that's just me. But I doubt it.

Get the recipe: Peach Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping

Have an abundance of tomatoes? Lucky you. Here are a few delicious ways to use them.