Amanda Shares Her 6 Favorite Ways To Relax

Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey there, it’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

---

This newsletter was written yesterday afternoon, so who knows what’s happening right now, or how anyone is feeling. In case you're feeling anxious, below are a bunch of tried-and-true ways that I divert my mind from heavier thoughts.

1: Weird things on social media

Like this delightful, yet frightening, yet oddly inspirational Instagram reel

2: True crime stories

I’m a law abider, but if I weren’t, this would be the kind of crime I'd commit. Twenty-two metric tons of cheddar were stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy, the UK’s storied cheese retailer. That’s more than 43,000 batches of Martha Stewart’s Macaroni and Cheese recipe.

3: Making plans

Planning is an immersive – and productive! – form of distraction. Thanksgiving is just over three weeks away. This year we assembled a Feel Good Thanksgiving section on the site: recipes that won’t make you feel sluggish after you rise from the table. A couple of my picks are above.

4: Shopping

My default form of distraction and procrastination is shopping.

Our sister brand, Schoolhouse, launched its Holiday catalog offering 20% off on orders $250+ with code BRINGTHECHEER through 11/15. My faves:

• Schoolhouse x Rachel Murray stockings and tree skirt

• Stocking hooks (I have 5 – 4 humans, 1 dog)

• Flannel sheets

• Schoolhouse x Notary Ceramics lighting, with crimped edges

• Forma Dining Table – a little Bauhaus and a little industrial, designed for family life

The Food52 gift guides are live, and they’re grouped by the personality type of the recipient. I’d like to say I’m in the “dinner partier” category but I’m probably a “hard-to-buy-for.” Sorry, friends and family!

5: Baking

I like how the process of baking cookies makes you pay attention to all the measuring, shaping, and getting them in and out of the oven. There’s no time to fret about anything else. Below are some especially consuming and delicious recipes:

6: Doting on my dog

Here’s our dog Fiver, who turned 4 last week. I talk to her. She doesn’t understand me, but she pretends to be interested.

See you next week!

Amanda

---