the joy and surrealism of being 30

(almost 31), plus a very spring-y recipe!

Apr 04, 2023

Hi friends, thank you so much for being here! It means a lot to me. If you enjoy my writing, I’d love it if you’d share A Little Something Sweet with the people you love. I also invite you to upgrade to a paid subscription, which gives you access to my new Rom Coms Revisited movie club, exclusive recipes, and other subscribers-only content. Your support of my work allows me to keep creating here and elsewhere. I’m so grateful, xoxo.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like I went into pandemic times as a young person and came out as a not young person. This is my last month as a 30 year old. And let me say: I’m really enjoying this new decade. It feels like I’m settling into adulthood instead of just fighting my way in. The shift feels natural. But it is strange to no longer just inherently know what’s cool, in the youthful way. Y’all will have to tell me!

Things I care less about:

What my body looks like
Group dynamics & my position in them
The male gaze

Things I care more about:

Sleep (I mean, I’ve always cared about this, but now I sleep with an eye mask, white noise, and a body pillow)
Nurturing friendships I plan to have for life
Having a fridge with an ice maker

Things I still wish I cared less about:

Being seen as “successful”
The tone of other people’s emails

some notable (and less notable) things

I love every second of this album
Raise your hand if you need this t-shirt
Did you know you can make lists for very basic things in the notes app (with checkboxes!) so you’re more likely to do them? It’s completely fine! Example:
An update from my weekend:
i’m holding the kumquat tree that is basically rhys & i’s first baby
Looking for another way to support people in Texas who have abortions? Visit http://bit.ly/FundABun to participate in this super cool event by Buckle Bunnies Fund! Their goal is to provide free abortions to anyone and everyone who needs one - on demand, with zero reprocussions <3. Details:

a recipe

carrot cream cheese bars, from Baking by Feel

OK, this recipe is a little bit out there, but just a little. Imagine if a gooey seven-layer bar had a baby with a cream cheese-frosted carrot cake - sound delicious? Then you’ll love these bars. They are not cake-like in texture - they’ve got a layer of a rich and sweet cream cheese/carrot mixture that’s vaguely cheesecake-like, and finally: crunchy, toasty pecans scattered on the top. Their flavor is bright and fresh, perfect for countering a case of the scaries.

for the shortbread crust:

1-1/4 cups (163g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) melted unsalted butter

a pinch of kosher salt

for the filling

4 oz (113g) room temp cream cheese

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1 cup (100g) finely chopped (in a food processor) carrots

1/2 cup (60g) coarsely chopped toasted pecans

the how-to: shortbread crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and two sides of an 8-inch square cake pan with an overhanging strip of parchment paper cut to the width of the bottom of the pan. Grease the exposed sides of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Add the dough to your prepared pan and, using your fingertips, press it down evenly. Bake the crust for 15 to 17 minutes, until it’s lightly golden around the edges. Set aside on a wire rack to cool slightly.

the how-to: filling

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 more minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the carrots and mix on low speed just until combined. Pour the filling over the baked crust. Scatter the pecans over the top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Place the bars on a wire rack to cool completely in the pan, then lift them out using the parchment paper sling to slice and serve. Serve room temp or cold from the fridge!

Store in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.