What it's like to live in vacation destinations

+ A tour of my kitchen, Charred asparagus Salad, Mushroom Ravioli, and Cherry Cake with Cherry Frosting! 🍒

To everyone new here, welcome. I’m Rebecca and this is the Let’s Get Lost newsletter. Many of you know me from my recipe websites, Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot. This newsletter comes out every Saturday morning and includes stories and photos from our life on the road plus a weekly menu of new recipes inspired by the places we visit and the people we meet.

---

Here’s what you’l find in this week’s issue:

• What it’s like to live in vacation destinations 😎

• A tour of two kitchens, one huge and one tiny (the tiny one is mine 😉)

• What’s happening in the Lost Supper Club

• This week’s menu: Charred asparagus Salad with feta, prosciutto, and citrus vinaigrette, Mushroom Ravioli, and Cherry Cake with Cherry Frosting! 🍒

---

What it’s like to live in vacation destinations

In 2022, in the middle of planning our travel itinerary for 2023, something hit me: stretching out before me were 13 vacation destinations and we were going to visit every single one in just one year.

It might seem strange, but the fact that living in an RV meant we would spend much of our life living amongst vacationers did not occur to me in the beginning.

And friends, it’s a seriously awesome perk. 10 out of 10. Highly recommend.

In 5 years of full time travel, we’ve been to a wide variety of places and some are more vacation destination types than others.

At the moment, we are at an RV resort in Michigan. The other night, as we walked around the park amongst kids on bicycles and scooters, groups of people at picnic tables, BBQ grills and campfires, boys fishing at the lake, teenagers at the pickleball court, kids splashing around at the waterpark, and adults lounging in the hot tub, Steve said…

I’ll bet we’re the only people in this entire park here to work.

I’m sure he’s right. This park is the definition of a vacation destination.

The view of the water park from our front door and the view of the lake from our back deck.

The thing I love the most about being at a place like this is that everyone is just so happy to be here. The energy is relaxed and casual, neighbors smile and wave every time we walk out our front door, and the sound of kids having the time of their lives drifts in through our open windows all day long.

The vacation energy rubs off on us and it feels like we are on vacation too, even while we’re working.

In the evenings, we walk down to the resort’s cafe to get ice cream and then sit out on our deck to watch the people walking, bicycling, roller blading, and scootering around the lake. They smile and wave as they pass by and sometimes stop to chat.

One of the questions people often ask us is, Is it hard to work when everyone else is outside playing?

Surprisingly, no. Most of the time, at least.

On most days, the energetic, fun loving atmosphere is an enhancement more than a distraction. But, every now and then, I find myself envious of all the vacationers and have a hard time focusing on my work. Not coincidentally, this is usually on days when I am tired, distracted, bored, or burned out. In other words, I’d have a hard time concentrating no matter what. Wanting to ditch work and join the vacationers is just a symptom.

What I’ve been considering lately is whether we can be more purposeful about placing ourselves in more situations where we are surrounded by happy people? And what would that do for us?

I feel like this is more important now than ever. Besides the fact that it feels like the world is on fire, a plethora of statistics and studies show that happiness and life satisfaction have been declining in the U.S. and around the world for quite some time.

But I didn’t need a study to tell me that. It’s obvious, isn’t it? We already know this, don’t we?

I realize the reasons are complicated and varied. But I strongly suspect that one of the root causes has something to do with the amount of time we spend on screens.

And yes, I understand the irony of the fact that I am writing this on a screen knowing that you will also read it on one.

We are not going to get away from life with screens, nor do I want to. What I want is to not spend my entire life staring at one. I don’t think it’s a coincide that the people outside my window are happy because they are (mostly) away from their screens and outside enjoying their life.

Opportunities to surround yourself with happy people doing fun things are everywhere. If you were a vacationer in your city, where would you go? Why not go there too?

I know this is a subject on many of your minds. Talk to me. Leave a comment below about how you’re managing the balance between our digital reality and your emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. And also… where are the places you might go to surround yourself with happy people?

---

A tour of two kitchens

When my husband and I sold our house and moved into an RV, one of my concerns was whether my work would be limited by the smaller space. But, over the past 5 years, I’ve done everything in my tiny kitchen that I did in my much larger suburban kitchen.

This is not to say that I don’t often miss having a large kitchen. There is something wonderful about the luxury of large open spaces with plenty of room to move. But also, there is something wonderful about the luxury of tiny, cozy spaces that contain everything you need within arm’s reach.

Earlier this week, chef, recipe developer, and cookbook author

Nicki Sizemore

joined me for a LIVE tour of both of our kitchens, and hers is absolutely stunning.

---

What’s happening in the Lost Supper Club (exclusive content for paid subscribers)

—> Here’s where you’ll find every single piece of content that’s exclusively for Lost Supper Club Members.

• Class replays: LIVE cooking classes are free for anyone to attend, but the replay library is a perk of being a paid subscriber. Click here to access all the class replays!

• Michigan meet up in July! Time and location TBD but please let me know if you are interested in attending! Leave a comment below, send me a direct message through Substack, or send an email to rebecca@rebeccablackwell.com.

---

---

This week’s menu

Charred asparagus salad (recipe follows) + Homemade mushroom ravioli + Cherry cake with cherry frosting

Charred asparagus salad with feta, prosciutto, and citrus vinaigrette

*No recipe required: As with all no recipe required dishes, this is more of a formula than a recipe. Use more or less of anything and swap out the vegetables, cheese, or other ingredients as you like.

Makes: 4 side-dish servings

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for the citrus vinaigrette:

• 2-3 tablespoons minced shallot

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• The zest from 1 orange

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper

To make the vinaigrette:

1. Add the minced shallot, lemon juice, orange zest, dijon mustard, honey, and mayonnaise to a small bowl and whisk with a fork or wire whisk to blend. Sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper, and then let this mixture rest for 5 minutes (or longer) to soften the sharp edges of the shallot.

2. Slowly pour the olive oil into the dressing, whisking with a fork or wire whisk as you pour.

Ingredients for the salad:

• 2 pounds of asparagus

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

• 1/2 English cucumber

• 2-4 radishes

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• Something crunchy like pangrattato, chopped roasted nuts, or roasted pumpkin or sesame seeds

• About half a cup of crumbled feta

• 2-4 thin slices of prosciutto

To make the salad:

1. Break the asparagus where each spear wants to naturally snap in half. Discard the bottom half of the stalks (or save to make vegetable broth). If your spears are on the thick side, cut them in half lengthwise. This is not necessary if your spears are pencil thin.

   

2. Fill a sauce pan with enough water to easily cover the asparagus and add a very generous amount of salt. The water should taste at least as salty as sea water. Set it over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and let it cook for 2 minutes. Drain the blanched spears in a colander set inside the sink.

   

3. Cut the cucumber into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, toss to coat, and set aside. Slice the radishes into very thin slices, sprinkle with salt, toss to coat, and set aside. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

   

4. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and set it over high heat. When the oil is just beginning to smoke, add the blanched asparagus. Cook, stirring every once in a while, until the spears are well charred.

   

5. Remove the asparagus from the saucepan, placing it in a bowl. Add the cherry tomato halves to the skillet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are charred and shriveled, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and scoop the tomatoes into a small bowl.

   

6. Add the asparagus and cucumbers to a bowl and pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Toss the vegetables around in the dressing to coat. Use tongs to remove the vegetables to a plate or serving bowl. Reserve the vinaigrette in the bottom of the bowl.

   

   Honestly, you could stop right here and serve this salad as is with nothing but charred asparagus and salted cucumbers drenched in citrus vinaigrette. But to really gild the lily, top it with all the ingredients below…

7. Top the asparagus and cucumbers with the sliced radishes. Sprinkle with something crunchy (I used pangrattato). Top with some feta cheese crumbles. Tear a few slices of prosciutto into thin strips and add them to the top of the salad. Top with the seared tomatoes. Drizzle with more of the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Lost Supper Club Members (paid subscribers): Download a pdf recipe card of this and every recipe in the complete recipe index!

---

Homemade mushroom ravioli with garlic butter cream sauce

My friend Judy, who taught me how to make homemade pasta, says that you know someone really loves you if they make homemade ravioli for you. And she's right... homemade ravioli is a labor of love. It's not a quick, throw-it-together kind of meal.

Homemade ravioli takes a bit of time and attention. But, oh my, it is worth it. And, while making fresh homemade pasta isn't for everyone, I love the entire process.

Is it a labor of love if you love the labor? Maybe that's the secret to everything.

Here’s where to get the recipe —> Homemade mushroom ravioli

---

Cherry cake with cherry mascarpone frosting

Here's what I want: A slice of cake the color of a unicorn and a whisky cocktail. I would like both to be packed with Luxardo cherries because holy smokes they are magical. Dark as night and delicious as sin.

Is that also what you want, friend? I just knew you were my kind of people.

It's the kind of cake that feels child-like and whimsical, and adult all at the same time. And really. Why can't we have both? A pale pink cake cherry studded cake covered in pale pink cherry frosting that reminds us of childhood AND packed with sophisticated and grown up things like Luxardo cherries.

Give it to your children if you like, but please save the biggest slices for yourself. Being a grownup has it's rewards and one of them is getting to eat the good cherries AND cutting as large a slice as you please.

Here’s where to get the recipe —> Cherry Cake with Cherry Frosting

---

Limited time offer

For a limited time, receive 20% off your first year’s membership in The Lost Supper Club

---

❤️ Did you know that if you hit the heart or recycle symbol at the top or bottom of this post, it makes it easier for other people to find this newsletter?