New year, new us, newsletter!

Plus, my producers (aka, you!)

Hello and happy 2024! (We’re still under a week in, I’m allowed to say that).

And what a new year it has been. I must admit, I’ve never been this *online* during a new year and I can feel the resolutions pulsing through the air. Now would be a great time to check my newsletter from last new year to see what I said about resolutions, but I’m going to choose to live in denial and not read anything from past me. If you’re interested in 2023 Justine’s resolutions, be my guest. Just….don’t screenshot it and send it to me, ok?

I’ll be the first to admit it, 2023 was a hard year for me. As I grow older I start to see years with this wide-angle lens, and 2023 was a year I’ll always remember as riddled with insecurity and uncomfortable, challenging growth. From the outside there was so much to be thankful for (I got engaged! I finished my book!), but it’s hard to tell yourself that accomplishments override feelings, because they don’t always. But it’s important to have these kinds of years, the ones we remember as not-so-great. And it’s also why I’m entering 2024 in the softest way possible. My big goal is to feel good this year. Luckily food has always played a part in that.

But I hope you had a wonderful 2023, hopefully one you remember as a good year, and thank you for eating with me through 2023 and into 2024. I’m excited for this year, we have so much to make!

That being said, let’s talk about producer credits!

You might remember many posts back I said you’ll never pay for this newsletter, and that remains true. However, so many of you amazing people have pledged money to support my work, that I finally decided it is time to turn on my paid tier. I’ve excitedly decided to call you all my Producers (unless you hate that….you must tell me if you hate it…then we’ll brainstorm), because this money will go directly to producing future long form content!

If you want to become a Producer (OR A NEW NAME…TBD), you can pledge here:

But if you don’t have the means, don’t worry, nothing is changing. Producers will just receive bonus content, like:

• One exclusive monthly seasonal recipe the first week of every month

• One monthly audio Q&A session (audio will be timestamped, so you can hop around)

• And the ability to offer production input (topic ideas, recipe requests, etc.) on future long form content. You are producers, after all!

If you already pledge support to me, thank you so much. I take none of you for granted, and I’m excited for what I can bring you in 2024.

Now, this year’s first weekly round-up!

We have two comfort BANGERS this week, and both are pretty nutritious, too.

Carrot & White Bean Soup with Harissa Sesame Oil - this soup is juuust thick enough and packed with spices. Don’t be afraid of the dried mint, my Persian cookbooks currently have me hooked on the stuff.

Miso Risotto - Part congee, part risotto, part miso soup: this comfort food is a mash up of many favorite things. It came from the question “what would happen if I used miso soup as my risotto broth?” It has big influence from Japanese ingredients, minus the dashi, since I know it can be hard to locate in some areas.

And a bonus from 2023: my two favorite cocktails from the cocktail series I did last week! The first, ACV Bubble Water for my non-drinkers, and the second is the Broken Plane, for those of us who are a little boozy.

And that’s it for this week! Thank you to my producers (name TBD) and HAPPY 2024 to us all! If you have any fun resolutions lmk. You know where to find me :)

Xoxo,

New Year_New Snacks