#188 Things worth spending money on
What else would you add?
Lately there’s been this trend of things worth spending money on and I thought we’d chime in. See, firstly there’s nothing wrong with spending money - especially on things that improve your quality of life. Money is a tool at the end of the day. Absolutely destroying your quality of life just to scrimp as much money as possible is a sad way to live.
This is by no means a comprehensive list! Feel free to add some of your own in the comments section below as well :)
Real food is always worth it
A goat milk subscription. Gentler on the stomach than cow milk, and good goat milk is absolutely worth a subscription. Support your local!
Weekly local sourdough. There’s nothing like a beautiful loaf of sourdough. If you can make one at home, brilliant. If not, get it weekly from your local bakery. Worth every dollar!
Niche extra virgin olive oil. You need to be collecting olive oil like wine. Get peppery olive oil. Fruity. Some that’s in between. Taste the difference and enjoy yourself.
Blocks of Parmigiano Reggiano. Never get pre-grated cheese dust. Always buy blocks, save the rind for soups / stock and always grate generously!
Raw honey of all races. It’s nice having different honeys for different things. Sometimes you want a sweet acacia for your teas, a darker jarrah for medicinal purposes or a good raw wildflower honey for drizzling over your sunny side up eggs.
Great salt of all kinds. A finer salt for seasoning your food and various flaky salts to sprinkle on your food if you so wish!
Expensive chocolate. Real chocolate is always worth it. It’s a completely different food from the slop that most candy bars are made of. Indulge tastefully.
Great coffee. Nobody ever regrets enjoying a good cup of coffee. Make it yourself if you want to or enjoy going out to a café and support the professionals who make them day in day out. I hate the notion of people saying you’re wasting your hard-earned money spending $7 on a coffee. That investing that $7 over 40 years would instead make you a millionaire. This is a very sad mindset to live by. Sure, put money aside to save for a better future. But at what expense? Enjoying a good frothy cappuccino in the morning in a vibrant café is one of the joys of life. You might even get an idea in your head that could possibly change your life for the better!
Farmer’s market hauls. Great produce nourishes your heart, mind, body and soul. There’s literally nothing more worth spending than good food. Food that actually makes your body stronger, your mind more robust and leaves you feeling amazing. Always visit farmer’s markets when you can. This is also how you eat with the seasons effortlessly.
Oyster Sunday. Always find a reason to have more oysters! Especially if you’re trying to conceive. Such incredible fertility support for both genders with the abundance of zinc and B vitamins.
An ice cream machine. If you’ve ever been disappointed with how poor the ingredients are in most supermarket ice creams, you should make your own. You deserve to eat ice cream without gums and stabilizers. Use real cream, good quality egg yolks and go crazy with real fruit and raw honey! Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over your home-made scoop as well. You can just do things.
Beautiful things that last elevate life itself
Nice dessert spoons. Real ice cream hits differently with a beautiful spoon in hand.
Stainless steel coupes. For your Sunday affogatos! They stay ice cold and look beautiful. They also don’t break the bank and last you a lifetime.
Quality glassware. You drink water every single day! Why not drink out of a beautiful vessel?
Heirloom fine china. The kind you actually use!! Not the kind you hide in a cabinet for a “special day” that never comes. Remember, beautiful things are meant to be lived with.
Linen cocktail napkins. I’m a sucker for gorgeous linen cocktail napkins, especially the ones that are embroidered beautifully. It’s such a nice touch to bring out when you have guests over.
All-Clad stainless steel (or any good quality pan). Truly something you buy for generations and I’m not even exaggerating. A good pan is one of the best things you can buy for your kitchen. Go ahead and get a set if you’re buying for a new home you’re in!
A black walnut end grain cutting board. A quality wooden end grain board speaks for itself. It’s gentle on your knives and you won’t be shedding any microplastics into your food.
Japanese knives. A properly constructed knife is one of the best investments you can make, especially when you’re starting out in the kitchen. A dull knife is also incredibly dangerous! Japanese knives will never fail you. For a full guide, read this:
A wooden pepper mill. Freshly ground pepper makes a huge difference! Never use it pre-ground. Crack it fresh over the plate with a beautiful pepper mill.
A proper butter dish. You need a dedicated home for your butter, soft and ready to be spread! You can even take this a step further and have a few butter dishes (or butter crocks) with compound butters of various flavors.
Vintage furniture. Built to last! Sometimes you’ll also be surprised at the deals you can get for quality that’s not being made anymore.
Incandescent bulbs and fancy lamps. The right light changes everything!! The rule is always many warm lights over a few bright blue lights. You never see high end hotels or restaurants with bright lights at night. It’s always a warm amber and there’s a reason for that.
A marble vide-poche. A little marble dish catch-all by the door for your keys, wired earpods and your everyday essentials.
Beeswax candles. Never burn toxic modern candles. Always opt for beeswax when you can!
Vintage magazines. There’s so much gold to be found in old magazines. If you’re not reading a WARKITCHEN, the next best thing is to find some old magazines that transport you to another world. Doomreading > doomscrolling.
Clothes made with natural materials. Linen, wool, cotton, silk, leather. They breathe, they age beautifully, and they aren’t bad for your hormones like how polyester is (especially the recycled stuff).
Blake stitched penny loafers. They say you should never skimp on footwear and there’s a reason for that. Well constructed penny loafers are always worth the money you spend on them. Sneakers are out anyway. It’s a penny loafers summer.
Great pens. Writing by hand is one of life’s simple pleasures! Why not get a pen that adds to that experience? A pen that encourages you to put your phone down and empty your thoughts on a piece of paper.
Books. You must always have time for good books. Fiction. Non-fiction. You never know the ideas you might come across just from reading.
Tennis rackets. I’ve been obsessed with tennis lately and I have to say a great racket is a marvelous investment! This goes for just about any hobby you have - especially ones that get you outside and social. Always worth spending money on great tools that elevate the experience, if you can, of course.
Anything that patinas. The best things you can buy are the ones that get better with age. Cutting boards that look better with age. A stainless steel pan that develops a natural non-stick surface. Even a leather phone case that gets more beautiful!
In a world obsessed with cheap, disposable, new things, go beyond and get the real thing that lasts for years, even generations sometimes. Surround yourself with beautiful things that last. What else would you add to this list?
England’s greatest desserts
What are your favorite English desserts?
Seasonal produce for Summer
This might just be the greatest season for produce. What have you enjoyed the most so far?
Spain’s greatest desserts
Congratulations to the best team in the world 🇪🇸 home of some incredible desserts 🤩
❋ Plum and Tarragon Cobbler by Benjamina Ebuehi
“One of the few fruits I could be convinced to eat when I was younger were plums. I still have a fondness for them, especially when roasted, turned into jam or baked into cakes, and desserts. They’re not the most glamorous or exciting fruit out there and are a little underrated but I love them all the same.
We’re continuing on in the season of cosy baking and as much as I love and champion a fully beige pudding, this week, I’m leaning heavily into the fruity, more colourful side of things with a hearty plum & tarragon cobbler. A cobbler sits somewhere in the middle between a pie and a crumble and it always hits the spot for me when I fancy a topping that’s a bit richer and more substantial. This particular recipe is from my cookbook, I’ll Bring Dessert, so some of you might have made it already.
Fresh tarragon is blitzed with sugar and tossed over the plums for a fragrant addition that brightens everything up. Give it a go this weekend and serve it in a big bowl half drowning in hot custard whilst curled up on the sofa.” — Benjamina Ebuehi
❋ How to Grow Hibiscus (a.k.a. Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa)
“There are many different kinds of hibiscus that you might be familiar with as garden plants. The most memorable, perhaps, are the ornamental ones that make large, vibrant blooms reminiscent of tropical vacations. My parents had them planted in our garden when I was young and I find them so appealing and nostalgic. The hibiscus I am discussing today, though, is the Hibiscus sabdariffa species, which produces small, cream-colored flowers with red calyces that swell up into candy-like delicacies when pollinated.
It is these calyces that are harvested in the herbal tradition to make delicious, tart-flavored, bright red teas. In some parts of the world, this plant is called roselle and the tea is there called roselle tea. The herb is often paired with herbs like hawthorn and linden to create tasty herbal tea blends that can help support the health of the cardiovascular system.”
❋ A Whimsical Peach Galette (Shaped Like a Fish) by Sarah Stack
“I came across a photo of a fish-shaped galette on Pinterest & had to try it. With stone fruit season in full swing and a Peaches & Cream Olipop in hand, it felt like the perfect afternoon project. I layered the peaches to mimic fish scales— starting from the tail and working up— & she came out golden, puffed, & just the right amount of charming.🥰
It’s simple, summery, & a little bit special. Best enjoyed with a breeze, a cold drink, & absolutely no rush. 🙂↔️” — Sarah Stack
“Fig Leaf Syrup is an enchanting simple syrup infused with fresh fig leaves, bringing flavor notes of coconut & vanilla. A simple way to make use of an often overlooked ingredient.
I spent way too much of my life not knowing that fig leaves are edible. Now, I make a batch of Fig Leaf Syrup every summer. The flavor of fig leaves is unlike anything else I’ve tasted. They’re definitely reminiscent of fresh figs, but with a hint of coconut and vanilla mixed in. It’s absolutely delightful.Fig leaf simple syrup can be used in cocktails, mocktails, and all kinds of desserts. I’ve used it to drizzle over fig tarts, sweeten baked goods, add depth of flavor to seasonal cocktails, and add sweetness to homemade lemonade.
Read on to discover more about how to select your fig leaves, tips for making this syrup, and all the wonderful ways to put it to use.”
❋ Roman Rice-stuffed Tomatoes (Pomodori al Riso)
“Roman Rice Stuffed Tomatoes, also known as Pomodori al Riso, are a delicious vegetarian dish perfect for summer. This classic recipe is a staple of Italian, especially Roman, cuisine.
To make this dish, you need large, round tomatoes that are ripe but still firm. Tomatoes ripened in the summer sun are especially flavorful and fragrant.
Pomodori al Riso can be enjoyed either lukewarm or cold, making it a versatile summer dish. It can serve as a colorful and healthy main course or an appetizer, bursting with Mediterranean flavors.”
❋ July Meal Shortcuts by Ella Henry
“I’ve never been a meal-prepper, I like following my cravings and intuition on what I want to eat, and that’s hard to plan five days out, so meal shortcuts are like little components, shortcuts, that make my life easier. They aren’t full meals, but building blocks you can use as is or get creative with to make something new.
I still love the slow & intentional version of cooking and baking, slowing the f down and being present while creating in the kitchen has become a form of meditation to me, and really a love language. But I don’t alwaysss have the time for those slow meals, which is why these shortcuts help me so much. Little pieces prepped in advance that cut out some of the work so future me can make whatever sounds good whenever the craving hits, with more ease.
I have been prepping these meal shortcuts for years now and sharing all the recipes here on substack, so I have 150+ meal shortcut recipes in my archive if you are ever looking for more to prep!!” — Ella Henry
❋ Roasted Strawberries with Crème Fraîche and Flake Sea Salt
“Strawberries may signal spring in many parts of the world but in France—from slightly tart Gariguettes to deeply floral Mara des Bois to the sweet, bright red Cléry—each variety is a celebration. Variety-aside, choose strawberries by their vibrancy and fragrance and, if the seller is willing, their taste. In prime season, buy one more pint than you need, eat immediately, and consider each bite a reward for making it through winter. Roast the rest.”
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Have an amazing week! Issue 42 (a tribute to sandwiches) out soon :)
— Rocky
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If you don't yet have an ice cream maker, you can find them on Facebook marketplace for a song! Tons of people looking to get rid of ones they never used. Ours has served us so, so well and was only $20. We also have a fig tree so I'm gonna make that syrup!
awww thank you for the mention!!!! love your attention to detail & finding beauty in every aspect of living :)