I'm Not Bullsh*tting You

and what that has to do with this spaghetti recipe

If you want to skip straight to this recipe, scroll to the bottom.

In Today’s Newsletter

—“Some Personal News”

—Lessons I shop and cook by

—A few things I brought to my summer rental, and two things I’m really mad I left behind

—A brand-spanking new recipe for Spaghetti with Sausage and Mushroom Bolo

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Just a girl and her bloobies

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Hello from Day Three of my summer break!

I am in my happy place—a rental midway between Napeague and Montauk, NY—which is where I’ve spent many a July over the years. I’m staying in a new place this year, splurged for an outdoor shower, a pool and enough bedrooms to host friends and family the whole time I’m here. My therapist helped me work through the hesitation I was having about treating myself, and as soon as I got here I knew I made the right call.

I haven’t talked about this much publicly, but I am freshly on the other side of my divorce, which was as amicable as these things can be, and that’s all I’ll say on the topic. Ending a marriage is not easy, but being unhappy is worse. Last summer (after we separated) sucked the big one, and as a summer baby, I wasn’t about to let that happen to me again. I want to be with friends who love and support me; I want to go to the beach and then jump in the pool; I want to cook every meal; I want iced espressos with maple syrup in the morning, freezing cold Diet Cokes on the beach, and cold vino the rest of the time. I’m filling out my bathing suits to the max these days, so I want body positivity and skinny dips. I will not be showering indoors during this time, period.