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4 days ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
hello, hi, good morning. as i write this, iām on the couch watching frankie survey her kingdom (aka the sidewalk), and thinking about why i write this column every other week. they say to āfind your why,ā a phrase i deeply resentā¦ it feels like the corporate version of a tattoo you regret. but fine. fine. i guess i have one. when i started What Iām Making This Week last fall, it was because i needed routine. not a full-blown meal prep operation, but justā¦ a little plan.
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5 days ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
we ate hominy weekly growing up; my entire family loved it. i remember my brother and i would literally just eat it out of the can after school… while watching Dr. Phil, of course. for those who have never tasted it: Hominy is dried corn kernels that have been soaked in an alkaline solution through a process called nixtamalization, which removes the hulls and makes the kernels more digestible and nutritious. hominy is a fundamental of mesoamerican cuisine.
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5 days ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
i’ve been seeing matcha tonics everywhere lately and finally decided to make one at home. the tonic water gives it this crisp, italian spritz energy, and the strawberry ginger honey syrup makes enough for at least 5 drinks — so you can batch it once and sip all week. it really does feel spring in a glass: sweet, earthy, fizzy. not to be dramatic, but i want to drink this while wearing linen, ignoring my phone and like… hang drying my laundry.
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6 days ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
hi everyone! i feel like this week kind of flew by which i am not mad about because we’re headed back to Sea Ranch this weekend!! i live for a northern california coastline with very little cell service. anywayyy, below is the usual report plus a roundup of 13 recipes that i think would be perfect for an Easter brunch. sending love! xR | Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld — this book was picked by a member of my book club, so i had no idea what to expect going in… i think i’d give it a 3/5.
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1 week ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
if i had friends coming over and needed to make them an appetizer in 10 minutes, this is what i would make every time. it’s perfect on its own for happy hour, in the middle of a charcuterie board for a hors d'oeuvre, or on the table at brunch.
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1 week ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
i was talking to a friend recently about sunday routines and how sacred they’ve become to me. if you know me, you know i rarely make sunday plans (and if i do, it’s early in the morning) because the rest of the day is reserved for resetting. one of the biggest parts of that is grocery shopping. i’ve turned it into a kind of game: planning dinners for the week, buying just what we need, and finishing almost every last item before the next sunday rolls around.
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1 week ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
Happy Masters Weekend. the boys are entering their won’t acknowledge your existence until Sunday night era. they will be on the couch by 9am. they will be checking their phones like their life depends on it. they will be yelling at golfers they’ve never met like it’s their full time job. so here’s a non-alcoholic Azalea — aka the official Masters cocktail made cuter and alcohol free — because you deserve something prettier than a light beer while you sit through 7 hours of golf commentary.
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2 weeks ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
i’ve been thinking… there was a stretch when i was making 4 mocktails a week, going so hard on the syrups and dramatic garnishes. most of it was my job, but part of it was that not drinking became my whole personality. and while it served me, i also kind of lost the plot. last fall i got really burnt out on making drinks and over the last seven months i’ve been trying new things and letting myself experiment. that’s part of why you’ve been seeing more and more food recipes here.
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2 weeks ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
oatmeal is out. rice pudding is in. at least, makes it feel that way. last month in LA i had the brown rice pudding from Sqirl LA which reminded me how much i love rice pudding. i used to eat it for dessert with my abuelos, but it can absolutely be made in a healthier and more protein-rich way for breakfast. this one is creamy, cozy, and loaded with spring energy—thanks to roasted strawberries and ribbons of fresh basil.
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2 weeks ago | 
olivianoceda.substack.com | Olivia Noceda
a few weeks ago i saw someone post about a honeycomb latte with tahini and instantly knew i needed it in my life. but instead of going full latte mode, i made a quick, at-home version with just honey, tahini, and my preferred drip coffee. it’s not really a latte, because espresso makes me spiral and most lattes have an alarming amount of milk. this version’s mellow, nutty, and just sweet enough. plus, you can batch the milk mixture and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
