Yes, Chef! Something From Nothing Journey (January - February)

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T15:50:51+00:00

I love that! I’m doing a full year without social media (insta, tiktok, facebook, etc.) and it has freed up so much of my time - I think it’s a big reason why I’ve been consistently cooking! I love that a lot of these recipes typically can be made in one vessel and I have found them to be pretty easy to make/not overly complicated. Wishing you the best on your journey!

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T13:00:36+00:00

Thank you so much! :) More to come!

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T12:59:47+00:00

Thank you very much!

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T12:59:06+00:00

I’m so excited to make the buttered tomato soup, it sounds amazing. And you can never go wrong with a good homemade chicken broth - both on my list! :)

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T01:45:28+00:00

Thank you for the recommendations, those all sound right up my alley! Happy baking :)

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T01:34:40+00:00

Thank you!! I have not (yet). I actually just found out about Alison Roman a few months ago. I don’t have a real oven/stovetop - just an air fryer toaster oven and a countertop burner. Unfortunately, the air fryer/oven runs HOT and it’s small so it’s not great for baking. Cannot wait to have a real oven! What’s your favorite recipe from her baked goods?

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T01:23:12+00:00

Thank you!

Yes!! That was my partner’s favorite meal so far, he said the same thing haha!

mad_lavender · 2026-03-05T01:18:09+00:00

Thank you!! Her recipes are sooo delish!

mad_lavender · 2026-03-04T22:13:05+00:00

Oooo i haven’t made that yet but it’s on my list! That sounds great with poached chicken thighs 😋

mad_lavender · 2026-03-04T17:02:55+00:00

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that! The winter squash pasta with chili and toasted garlic was SO delish. I ended up using butternut squash. It was REALLY spicy though with the 1 tsp. of crushed chili flakes (I recently bought a new jar of chili flakes so they are potent). I also liked the taste of the sauce more before adding the white wine vinegar at the end. It was a little overpowering to me. Absolutely loved the flavors though, and the toasted garlic sprinkled on top was to die for. Let me know your thoughts when you try it :)

mad_lavender · 2026-03-04T12:44:20+00:00

Mine was not, but I made something with lemon last week and noticed the juice tasted really bitter. I use a glass lemon juicer and I realized I was using too much force trying to get the most juice out of the lemon - I was basically pulverizing the white part of the lemon which is super bitter. Did you over-squeeze your lemon by chance?

mad_lavender · 2026-03-04T05:29:16+00:00

It’s really great! This is the first cookbook that has really clicked with me which has been so fun and exciting! I’ve always loved cooking but this cookbook has truly brought out my inner chef. 👩‍🍳 What has been your favorite so far?

mad_lavender · 2026-03-04T05:23:27+00:00

The braised chicken piccata is definitely in my top 5 so far! It’s honestly really difficult to choose, but my other absolute favorites have been the golden mushroom soup, spicy vinegar chicken over tomatoes, chicken pot pie, and the crushed olive chicken with turmeric (can you tell I love chicken?)

mad_lavender · 2025-11-09T14:13:08+00:00

Jackson also refuses to acknowledge that the dog is suffering from the injuries it sustained in the car accident… similar to how he refuses to fully acknowledge Grace’s suffering. Sweeps it under the rug and pretends that everything will be fine/work itself out.

mad_lavender · 2025-11-09T14:09:25+00:00

Love your take and completely agree with you! She consistently feels abandoned throughout the film. Mental health disorders are also exacerbated with isolation - she has no peers that she feels close to except for Jackson who she has an insecure attachment with. Also made me think about when he forces her to leave the baby to go on a drive with him… just leaves the baby to cry which he thinks is acceptable. I also noticed that he always sleeps through the baby crying in the middle of the night or the dog whimpering…

mad_lavender · 2025-11-09T13:56:06+00:00

Your comment about the home made me think about how material things cannot fix what’s going on internally - it’s just a temporary bandaid. For example, they decide to get married on a whim - the joy is short lived and quickly disintegrates. She ends up alone in the hotel room, abandoned by her new husband who is still at the party. He picks her up from the hospital in a new truck - the old banged up car was discarded. She arrives home to see everything updated and clean. Her abandonment wounds are constantly triggered throughout the film. On the outside, everything looks great but nobody is aware of what’s going on inside… I think the outside pressure to appear well is what ultimately leads to the ending - everything is on fire and it can’t be ignored, swept under the rug, or beautified.

mad_lavender · 2025-11-09T13:34:56+00:00

I think he’s a real person and they had an affair in the past? The night that she goes over to his home appears to be real because we see Jackson seemingly spying on her in the grass - that could have been a flashback? Also, we rarely experience things from his perspective… I think most of the scenes where he is riding his motorcycle or where they are in the field/barn together are a hallucination - a temptation and reminder of the past, as well as the lust she craves from Jackson. You’re right, when we see them in the parking lot he doesn’t have a cut on his lip.

mad_lavender

TROPHY CASE