There's a hole in the cake!

French care packages, baking and the final countdown

A quick note to all paid subscribers: If you send me your mailing address, I’ll send you a special French care package when we return to the States! It’ll include goodies you can only get on the other side of the pond. For anyone considering becoming a paid subscriber, this is a reminder that I donate 100% of the proceeds to charity. So far this year, I’ve donated $250 to the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary and $225 to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

P.S. Jump to the bottom for a fun poll!

---

I’m pretty anxious at the best of times, and these are not the best of times. Next week’s election feels like we’re staring down a speeding freight train and can’t get off the tracks. An existential threat is at our doorstep. Even if Harris wins, it boggles the mind that we ended up with the orange menace running again. And the race is so close. What the actual f**k?

Many of you feel the same way, so how are you coping?

I’ve been baking bundt cakes, which are surprisingly easy and look impressive thanks to the clever pan (which apparently was created thanks to two nice Jewish ladies). I’m not sure why I’ve become obsessed with bundt cakes, except they take me back to a simpler time and give my brain something to do other than worry. I fondly remember my mom making vanilla and chocolate marble bundt cake and a lemon poppy seed bundt from the Silver Palate cookbook. I’ve been using recipes from my well-worn copy, along with assorted recipes from the Internet and the New York Times.

My very well-worn copy of the Silver Palate Cookbook circa 1990

Over the past few weeks, I’ve baked two different lemon bundt cakes and a gingerbread one with cream cheese icing, which was a hit with the family. Few things get me out of my head quicker than doing something that demands my full concentration, even if that’s just measuring ingredients and making sure I don’t mix up baking powder for baking soda.

Jason and I are also watching the latest installment of the Great British Baking Show, which is the TV equivalent of drinking hot cocoa under a weighted blanket. I love that the bakers all like each other and cry when someone leaves the tent. I especially enjoy the part when they do home visits, and we discover that Nigel and his partner, Ollie, raise albino chickens and enjoy making tiny villages in flower pots.

My other sanity savers include daily walks, enjoying the changing leaves, meditation with the Headspace app, petting every dog that crosses my path, and listening to podcasts. My favorites include The Earful Tower, Join Us in France Travel Podcast, and Everything is Fine. I’m also thrilled to recommend my friend Kimberly Wilson’s midlife-focused podcast, Tranquility du Jour (season 2). The latest episode is with best-selling author Jennifer Louden, who writes It’s Not Too Late on Substack. I found the episode very relatable and filled with helpful advice for navigating mid-life.

Next month, I’ll be writing from Bordeaux as we begin another five-week scouting trip. We’re even staying at the same Airbnb as last time, and we’ll be meeting with a realtor to check out some apartments. Lots of people have asked when we are moving to France. I always tell them that we are testing the waters. We’re seeing what is possible and what feels right. Maybe we’ll find a place to buy, maybe we’ll split our time between here and there. It’s all on the table right now. I’m trying not to think about what will happen if the one-who-shall-not-be-mentioned wins, but needless to say, it will definitely speed up our timeline. For now, though, I’m going in search of my next recipe.

A bientôt,

Sacha