#162 What are your 2026 Ins?
It's time to usher in the New Year
The New Year is a time for renewal. No, it’s not cool to counter signal and act like it’s another day. No matter how sovereign you are, January 1st 2026 marks the beginning of a new calendar year.
Why exclude yourself from the sheer positivity that’s engulfing the world? Transmogrify that energy for good. Use this time [after Christmas, before New Years] as a moment where you’re with you, yourself, your goals and your dreams.
Critically analyze your life. Are you where you want to be? What could you be doing to get yourself to where you want to go? What should you not bring with you in 2026? While these are the questions only you can answer, we published Valerie Ribon’s Complete 2026 Guide in Issue 40 and it includes a worksheet with guiding questions that may help with that endeavor.
On top of that, here are some WARKITCHEN 2026 Ins:
Live your days in seasons. Uninterrupted work. Deep leisure. Nothing in between. This is how your light burns the brightest.
No more diets in 2026. You need to be taking a whole foods approach. Build your meals around quality red meat, poultry and seafood. Vegetables, nuts and grain prepared properly. We’re human beings - we can eat everything. Leave extremist diets in the past - or as tools for when they’re absolutely necessary.
Engage in the art of tasteful desserts. Stop having cheat days. Instead, allow yourself a beautiful slice of tiramisu or an affogato on Sunday. Build it into your lifestyle. Don't go crazy and “cheat” like a glutton - cheat days are a great way to develop a horrible relationship with food. You shouldn’t be viewing your everyday meals as torture.
Keep yourself hydrated. Eat seasonal fruit. Nourish yourself with milk. Drink still & sparkling water that’s abundant with electrolytes. Hydration is no longer about bringing a gallon of distilled water around you and constantly sipping - that only flushes electrolytes out of your system. Hydrate, tastefully.
Dress well. You feel good when you look good. You don’t need an exorbitant budget for this, simply wear natural materials that fit well. For starters, ZARA offers incredible options - both for men and women. Start with basic colors and build your wardrobe.
Enjoy coffee creatively. It shouldn't be a crutch that gets you to baseline. Caffeine is supposed to elevate the human experience.
Be present in conversation. Hold eye contact. Look into their soul. Actually listen and be genuinely curious when you’re speaking with someone else.
Backpacks are out. Nobody wants to look like a turtle anymore. Carry a tasteful leather brief / tote in your hands and explore the world.
Great taste is the ultimate differentiator. Expose yourself to more Art. Visit museums. Explore old archives. The masters of old will whisper and it's your duty to listen and act.
Loafers are back. Goodyear welted or Blake stitched only.
You're durable. You're strong. You need to simultaneously go through life with good habits AND feel indestructible independent of these habits. It's tough, but you cannot forget just how beautiful and forgiving the human body is. Stop worrying.
Every little thing is an opportunity for unlimited artistic expression. There's beauty everywhere if you so choose to open your eyes; if you so choose to forge it in your light.
Scroll constructively. Use social media as unlimited inspiration to riff of your ideas. We're living in the greatest time on Earth - you just have to take the wheel.
Curate your world relentlessly. Nobody decides but you. You can change every little thing in your life. You can just do things.
Cook more. It's alchemy. We're blessed with the ability to turn beautiful ingredients into amazing food.
Lastly, before you go, I just want to wish you & yours heartfelt blessings for the New Year ahead. Whether you’ve just joined us or you’ve been with us for a while now - your support truly means the world. It’s going to be a beautiful 2026 for us all and I’m excited to have you alongside us for the ride :)
-Rocky
Stay warm
Foods to stay warm during winter
24 hours of Christmas in Chicago
Experience 24 hours of Christmas in Chicago
Warm lights matter
Cruffins are croissants shaped liked muffins (“Cr” = croissant + “uffin” = muffin). That is all. Many people have devised interesting methods for making cruffins using pasta machines, puff pastry, etc.; but for this recipe we’ll just be making good old-fashioned croissant dough and baking it in a muffin (or popover) tin.
I’m just focusing on the cruffin pastry base here, but you can go wild with customizing your cruffins! Start by tossing them in a spiced or flavored sugar. If you’re feeling ambitious, go crazy and fill your cruffins with jam/curd/pastry cream. Finish them with a glaze or garnish for extra flair. You could even run in the opposite direction with a savory cruffin — sprinkle a spice blend on the pastry strips before shaping or fill with a savory whipped cheese. Mmmm…
❋ THE BEST ANCESTRAL BANANA BREAD RECIPE
This banana bread banana BREADS. It’s actually the best banana bread ever- WHILE being a total superfood. (not kidding, it does not taste like a health food at all)
I am absolutely obsessed with how nutrient dense fresh milled flour from ancestral grains taste & their benefits. The nuttiness & rich flavor of real flour compliments this bread perfectly, and they give me so much energy (hello, thiamine + b vitamins!) and having this alongside my morning 30g protein raw milk + gelatin matcha latte was a dream Sunday morning.
- Valerie Ribon
❋ HOW TO MAKE SUGARED CRANBERRIES & SUGARED ROSEMARY
Sugared cranberries and rosemary are coated in a simple syrup then rolled in granulated sugar for it to stick onto the surface. They look like they’re covered in sparkly ice and they’re typically used for garnish or decorations!
❋ Read our latest WARKITCHEN magazines:
❋ You asked, so we had to deliver. Prints are finally here! "Fundamentals" presents twelve prints, each sized 8.5" x 11", printed on 350gsm art paper with a protective matte finish. The prints are bundled and wrapped with soft 22g tissue paper - sealed gently with a cute watermelon sticker (as everything should be). Get your prints (that come in a bespoke WARKITCHEN linen gift box) here.
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ins: the “don’t think, just do it” mentality, experimenting in the kitchen, whole foods, exercise & stretching, baking, reading regularly, going to the movie theaters, and pouring love and kindness into the world whenever possible
Rocky I love this so. More great writing, I know you’re here for us! 💛💛