The Only Newsletter I Care About This Week
#homeecmakes
"A nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished"
- Amanda Gorman
Dolly Parton's Fudge PieÂ
via the Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking Cookbook and a woman named Susie Hatcher who's significance I am too lazy to Google.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate Chips (I used the open bag of semi sweet chocolate chips and wait for it... it still tastes great)
1/2 cup Butter
2 eggs, beatenÂ
1 cup of Sugar
1/4 cup of Flour (I would say that going with 1/2 cup of flour here wouldn't be the worst idea)
My optional additions:Â
Bourbon
Vanilla Paste
Flakey Sea Salt
Heavy Whipping Cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring as you go, until they are melted together. I added a good little pour of bourbon and a little bit of vanilla paste here.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and flour. Pour that mixture in with the melted chocolate and butter. Stir to combine.
Pour everything into a pie pan, sprinkle with flakey sea salt, if you have it and bake for what Susie Hatcher says is 20-25 minutes, but ended up being closer to 40 for me. This pie is meant to be sort of loosey goosey and pudding-ish, but I wanted it to be a bit more sturdy than I was seeing at 25 minutes.Â
While it was baking, I whisked up some whipped cream in a chilled metal bowl. While making your own whipped cream, not dissimilar to when learning to knit, your brain is playing a constant soundtrack loop of "this is not working this is not working this is not working" until, in an instant, it does. Soft cascades and then stiff peaks in a matter of seconds. And suddenly, you're promising to never buy another store bought sweater again. I like my homemade whipped cream as just that: whipped cream. But feel free to add a sprinkle of powdered sugar or vanilla paste or salt or cocoa powder to get fancy.Â
When the pie is done baking, let it stand to cool for about 10-15 minutes.Â
Serve with a large dollop of whipped cream, of course.
Happy birthday, Dolly!
Baby girl has a new look!Â
Friends with an eye for detail will notice some subtle yet familiar changes to the newsletter template. Turns out that actually using the brand guidelines that you paid a very talented graphic designer real dollars (hey, Julie!) to create for you does, in fact, lead to a better looking brand! Go figure. I streamlined the colors a bit, used the fonts that most human eyes find calming, opened up Photoshop for the first time since 2018... et voila! These were fully the kind of computer hours that took me much of my weekend to execute, but 99% of people wouldn't ever notice unprompted. So, consider this my post-haircut car selfie. I need you to notice. And compliment me on it. And when you do, I'll act surprised and shy. Â
I'm currently in the process of applying the same graphic design restraint to my new (but still under construction) website, which I'm super excited to launch in the near future. Not only has it been so fun to flex these old muscles, but it's also been really interesting to see how my confidence in my style has changed in even the last few years. (Editors note: I started to write this whole newsletter last week, forgot about it and then did a whole, impromptu throwback on the evolution of my style in my IG stories this week -- I must be thinking about this more than I realize!)
It's all reminding me of a piece of interior design advice that changed my life, but I'm only good at practicing 50% of the time. Wanna hear it?
Â
Okay, so if you're the kind of guy or gal who believe more is more, will reach for pattern or print when shopping and has 10 answers for the question "what's your favorite color," set yourself up for longterm success by choosing neutral bases (i.e. walls, couches, bedding etc). You will eventually bring all of the color your heart desires into your space or wardrobe because you're always going to be drawn to it, but the baseline is established and you'll have a harder time going overboard!Â
Kind of genius, right?Â
Example: I did a terrible job with this in my first apartment. The thinking was "I love color, so I want it everywhere." Green couch, red rug, rich wood, lots of competing color on apartment-y tan walls. Plus, all of the accessories, from my plates to my pillows, were super colorful. It didn't look terrible... but in the case of that very small space, it was sort of stifling.
In general, I think I've chilled out with color in the last few years, but I know I'm always going to be more attracted to cobalt blue than to cream. So, when moving into my current apartment a year-ish ago, I specifically chose a light tan couch and requested that the walls were painted white. Inevitably, between all of the accent pillows, the art on my walls and the random cráp that I can't live without, there is more than enough color to bring life into my space without being totally exhausting -- or worse, binding me to a specific color story that will be hard/expensive to change if I ever decide I'm over the super saturated, primary color vibe I've been really leaning into lately. Easy swaps, baby.
This theory can kind of sound like a drag and, as with anything style related, you do you boo boo. Of course, there is a time and a place where more is more is more and is executed beautifully. Especially if you've got a great eye or the help of a professional who is orchestrating every detail of a thing from start to finish. But these sort of design rules of thumb are always super helpful for me, a gal who's Pinterest boards looks like Elton John's Tour wardrobe made sweet, sweet love to anything #cottagecore and then gave birth to Jen Gotch.Â
...Gracelessly transitioning back to my original announcement --Â I like my new newsletter template and I hope you do to. I'm proud of the fact that, so far, I've met my commitment for sending a newsletter once a week this year. I've got a lot of ideas for this space and can't wait to share.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback and encouragement on what you like and what you don't. But keep it nice. Here's to growing up on the internet in all the ways, including, but not limited to graphic design choices.Â