Have a Great Weekend.
What are you up to this weekend? The boys and I are having friends over for pizza tonight. We always order one cheese, one pepperoni, and then one with green pepper and pineapple because it’s our favorite and we won’t hear a word against it! Hope you have a good one, and here are a few links from around the web…
Want to change careers? I LOVED interviewing three women — a lawyer, realtor and bakery owner — who did just that. (Big Salad)
What a sexy, beautiful sweater.
Katharine Hepburn’s brownies look rich and gooey. (NYTimes gift link)
Omg I read this true-crime article last night and was GRIPPED. (NYMag)
White Lotus season 4 will be in…France!
All the portraits in this English cottage are very cool.
Will you watch The Paper, which is a spinoff of The Office? Here’s the trailer.
Emails from my dentist that would actually make me schedule an appointment. “YOU’RE OVERDUE FOR A CLEANING! Jennifer at reception started having an affair with one of the dentists, and her husband will be storming into the office to confront them about it during your appointment.”
San Francisco captured through the eyes of kids who live there. Incredibly sweet.
Plus, two reader comments:
Says Tara on an epic week in NYC with preteens: “My husband is from Germany. His dad is a very stern German type, a professor and former government official, and he LOVES 16 Handles. One time, when he was visiting us in NYC, we walked to Momofuku Milk Bar but it was a thousand degrees outside and there was no place to sit. We ended up going up the street to 16 Handles, where he downed a cup, handed it to my husband, and asked him to go get him another. Ever since, 16 Handles has been a required stop on any visit.”
Says Tara on an epic week in NYC with preteens: “I was part of a high school exchange program with an Austrian high school. When the Austrians got picked up at the U.S. airport by a classic yellow school bus they lost. their. minds.”
(Photo by Brat Co/Stocksy.)
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Comments
97 commentsRe: yellow school buses: I grew up on the northeast (rode bus to school!) and I have always wondered about schools that have lockers outside….I have seen these on tv and always wondered what that was like…are they real or just a set? & they must have pretty nice weather there!
Donna, I grew up in the tropics and my high school had stacks of the mini-lockers outside. Cue monsoon season when anyone on the bottom row had to frantically dig out their stuff before it got flooded!
As a born and raised tri-state area person, I grew up saying plain pizza instead of cheese pizza. I guess it’s similar to the fireflies vs. lightning bugs debate.
The bit about Austrian teenagers losing their mind at riding a yellow school bus made giggle- but it just goes to show you how ingrained American culture is the world over. And how so many of us take certain things forgranted, what is commonplace for us is extraordinary for others. My husband wasn’t raised in the US so even he even admitted to me once that he kinda still wants to ride one some day. In the meantime I’ve introduced him to various other Americana – his favourite being American diners. When we visit my parents now we always have to go to one, its his one request.
The NY Times article made me think of the Netflix documentary I watched last night. Show called Unknown number: The High School Catfish. Such a crazy, twisted, wild ride of a story. Definitely worth a watch.
I would LOVE more interviews and stories about people changing their careers. SO good and SO timely!
Yes, Taras representing in the reader comments this week!!!
The photos are so touching. I think that 9 years olds – and children around that age – are so capable of loving their lives and embracing the joys they have. I saw it in my kids and in the kids where I have taught. I don’t know SF or the Tenderloin – but the photos are joyful. The link to the crime story isn’t working this Sunday night. Did I miss it?
My neighbor just dropped off some of those Katharine Hepburn brownies. SO GOOD! Very dark, less sweet than your average brownie.
The Katherine Hepburn recipe is also famous for having the greatest comment in NYTimes cooking history: This has been my go-to brownie recipe for 30 years, even after going to baking school! I agree that using the best cocoa possible makes a difference. These days, I use Callebaut. In the 80s, an acquaintence in Germany to whom I brought some of the brownies, and who considered herself a great cook, asked for the recipe but was never able to get it to work. She kept asking me what she was doing wrong and I was never able to solve her problem. Eventually, she moved to the US and stole my husband!
Wait. What?
hahahahahahah this made my week
Ok but have you all noticed the comment section below the brownie recipe? Omg its WILD in the best possible way 😂
‘A salty meat’ = ‘a salty peace of dead, tortured animal’. The cheese on the pizza = breastmilk for a baby cow that cried for it’s mother and she cried for him/her, but they were brutally separated and soon the baby cow was slaughtered to become ‘meat’. I write this in the hope to add to the whispers in someone’s head -anyone’s- who’s been thinking for a while that what is done to animals is wrong, and wants to consider taking steps towards contributing less to their suffering.
Thank you, Jessica. Building a kinder world can include what’s on your dinner plate. <3
another option is to repeat the mantra, good for you, not for me. xoxoxoxox
I’m a life-long vegetarian but your phrasing here has nudged me to think harder about the small amount of dairy I still use – thank you for that.
Jessica, I know you’re trying to be helpful, and I know you’re saying this because it is something that’s really important to you, but this is kind of like being approached by a stranger in the supermarket who asks if you’ve accepted Jesus as your lord and savior. It’s brash and probably has the opposite effect you’re trying to achieve. Or at least it does with me, and I rarely eat meat.
Jessica, as a vegan, I find this comment really uncool. This is not the way.
As a meat eater I find this comment really cool. As we say, good for her, not for me. I can read, ponder my choices, and do with my thoughts what I will. I’d probably be vegan if I were a better person.
As a vegan, I appreciated this comment. A good reminder that we all have the choice to support a kinder world,
Double pineapple is the favorite pizza topping for this family of five! We started as single pineapple, but the two-year-old would eat all the pineapple off the top and then ask for more, so double-pineapple for the win. :)
I’ve read your blog for the past 10 years and I love the community you’ve created. I’ve never commented before, but I really appreciate your stories about people who change careers. I changed careers 5 years ago from being a chemical engineer to being a high school science teacher. Your blog helped me make the jump and I have absolutely no regrets.
Christine, this is so absolutely awesome. Good for you!
Truly shocked that no one else has come here to comment that the Katherine Hepburn brownies recipe has the best NYT comment of all time!!!!
The Katharine Hepburn recipe has the single-greatest NYTimes Recipes comment of all time: “This has been my go-to brownie recipe for 30 years, even after going to baking school! I agree that using the best cocoa possible makes a difference. These days, I use Callebaut. In the 80s, an acquaintence in Germany to whom I brought some of the brownies, and who considered herself a great cook, asked for the recipe but was never able to get it to work. She kept asking me what she was doing wrong and I was never able to solve her problem. Eventually, she moved to the US and stole my husband!” Not. making. that. up.
Hot tip – the New York Magazine is available on the Libby app for some libraries if it comes up as a paywall!
Katherine, thank you for this tip!
Wanted to share a relevant article re: the SF Tenderloin pictures: https://missionlocal.org/2025/08/elm-alley-tenderloin-community-school/ I was surprised to learn that: “The Tenderloin has the highest density of kids of any neighborhood in San Francisco, but some of the lowest park acres per person and about half as much open space per person compared to the rest of San Francisco”.
That’s how poverty works. High birth rate due to low impulse control and lack of birth control education, and residence in low rent areas where nature is a not a municipal priority and therefore a luxury.
ILia, you are right that those living in poverty don’t get the same access to trees/parks as those living in higher tax bracket areas — which is so unfair and should be remedied. But it is wildly offensive to say that poverty / high birth rate is because of low impulse control. Plenty of rich people have low impulse control and make awful decisions — and many came into their riches by birth or luck.
Ilia – that is an *utterly grotesque* thing to say. Furthermore, your MAGA ignorance is showing. Might want to clean up after yourself.
I love nuts in brownies and I won’t apologize for it! :)
It appears the link for the fall nail color changed…yesterday the pics were like a jelly finish in a color I think was called Cherry Cola. When back to find it now and can’t. Please advise…Very interested in what I saw yesterday.
I think we may have sold it out! Here is a similar color :) https://go.shopmy.us/p-24809542
Well, shoot. The color it defaulted to is what I have on my nails right now, and I felt really cool.
The yellow school bus story got me thinking about when I was 16 (in the year 2000) and moved with my family from London to Chicago for a couple of years. There were so many typical ‘American’ things I was excited about experiencing – mainly fuelled by my intimate knowledge of American teen movies. My London friends were convinced I was going to get a boyfriend called ‘Chad’ or ‘Brad’ and become a cheerleader – haha. On my first day of school in Chicago I ended up eating lunch with some cheerleaders, and I also had to play ‘American’ football in my sports class, it all felt *so* American! And then a few weeks later I got asked to the Homecoming dance, and I was beside myself – my real American teen movie moment! Of course there were lots of things that were different to what I was expecting, but I had lots of ‘so American’ moments during my time there, it was really fun! I never did meet a Chad or Brad though…
Oh, gosh. This reminds me of the time my f-i-l HUGGED a waitress when we were leaving a restaurant because she was so kind and friendly. We were visiting our son at college, and were glad he wasn’t with us to actually disappear through the floor, because we almost did ourselves.
I’m originally from Europe, but have lived in the US (now a citizen!) for about 20 years and I STILL get excited whenever I see a yellow school bus. I also remember the first time someone offered me a drink in a red solo cup … JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES! Now my toddler son shares my excitement for the buses and fire trucks (they are so pretty) and it feels very special <3 A lot can be said about the state of this country, but I do feel deeply grateful and lucky to be living here.
I can’t believe j crew has three separate models wearing that sweater who are all 5’9 or 5’10 wearing xs or s. I Come on, it’s 2025.
This.
Thin is so in and so *everywhere* that I, 5’9″ and a size 4/6 have been feeling ‘chunky’ lately and I have to remind myself all the time that it is all the damn straight up SKINNY that is everywhere. God is it 2001 all over again?
i didnt even notice that. i just thought that neckline would be very chilly outside.
Preach!
AGREE! The Gap, too. Come on, man. So boring.
I think it’s hilarious how a lot of sites let you change the clothing size of the model but not the height. I’m 5’1″, it is not helpful to see what a size XS, S, or M looks like on someone who is at least 9″ taller than me
Hear hear!
Unfortunately, I think we’re going to see more of this as DEI is actively discouraged under this admin. People who are different sizes are part of the diversity and inclusion part, which makes CoJ’s work that much more important.
Preteen story: Last year my neighbor hosted two lovely preteen girls from Japan for a week. They were visiting Victoria, British Columbia for a school trip. I was excited to say hello and we communicated mostly through a translation app on their phones. They asked for recommendations for what to do that week and I gave them a fulsome list including exploring castles, gardens, and beaches. They looked at the list as it translated and seemed bored and disappointed. Then they typed in their phone “Where is the mall?”. LOL! That’s something my own preteen girl would say. Why didn’t I think of that?
The yellow school bus, lockers, cheerleaders … all things (many) foreigners love to see! :)
Thank you for the love…<3
I read that cyberbullying article earlier this week and my heart ached for all the teenagers, especially the daughter. What a horrific experience that will likely impact her for the rest of her life.
I read the article and then watched the Netflix documentary. What is wrong with people?
I see you standing in your truth as a lover of pineapple (and peppers) on pizza! Solidarity.
Re: the fall nail color. I keep seeing this “jelly nails” look. Is it achieved by the polish alone? I’m confused.
It is! They’re semi translucent color pallets that most nail salons carry a version of these days. I’ve been wearing these translucent or “jelly” colors for years and swear by them!
Yes! I’m wearing a gel manicure jelly nude on my very short nails and I love how clean and pure it looks! Also, my nail place buzzes off the gel with an electric dremel type tool instead of soaking which I didn’t know could be done. No one should be soaking in acetone for 15 mins! So toxic, and that’s what has kept me from pro manicures until recently.
I don’t know the brand highlighted here, but a variety of brands have polish colors that are made to give that finish. Korean nail brands have very pretty glass/jelly/syrup gel options!
👀 these comments! I am also interested in knowing which brands give the “jelly” look and if there are any that are TPO-free. I have seen folks (not here) decrying how silly Europeans are to ban these polishes, but I feel like it takes .5 seconds to look at US health trends and European health trends and figure out who’s on the right side of things… Any clean, non-toxic Jelly colors/brands deeply appreciated!
I love the aesthetic of a boatneck, but I can’t bear strapless bras! Maybe nip covers would work?
I own a couple sweaters that I wear nip covers with. I probably wear those more than bras these days. I was made fun of a lot for my small breasts. From Junior High through my 20s. I never considered a breast augmentation. And now I feel vindicated.
or just be free! (millennial here who hasn’t worn real bras in years)
Or just show the bra straps! It’s not a secret :) but it also might not be the aesthetic you’re going for.
I sew a little piece of ribbon with a snap that allows me to wear a regular bra but holds the straps out of sight.
Recommend the largest silicone nip covers you can find as they become invisible whereas the regular 3″ ones Are visible as an outline, if that kind of thing bugs you, which it does me. If I were still gloriously flat chested as in my youth I would just let my nips be free but the girls overall have grown, and size plus nips would just be too much. Love those large nip covers, lol
I still buy the “boob pads” as they’re called in my family, i.e., Lasinoh/etc. disposable pads to insert in your bra to avoid getting milk stains when you’re lactating and leaky, and stick them in my shirts instead of wearing a bra. Bras–I just can’t handle you anymore. But I’m not there yet for myself with just nipping out, at least in public.
Try the Cakes stickies!!
I love Cakes for nip coverage if you don’t need the support of a bra to be comfy!
I was chatting with a friend of mine recently and we both agreed that kids who grow up in SF become the coolest adults. Generally super well adjusted and interesting people. We laughed because it’s the same with SF dogs, who are all also exceedingly good-natured. Neither of us are from SF either. Just fans of those who are ;)
Haha! Love this! I lived 16 years in SF in my 20s-30s before moving to the nearby ‘burbs to have kids so I do hope your impressions apply to those living just 30 minutes away by car! :-)
Do you think that still holds true? The city has changed sooo much in the past 15+ years. Way more tech industry folks earning $$$ with second homes in Tahoe etc. Just a very different vibe/community depending on the neighborhood than today’s adults who grew up there.
I agree Anon, the city has changed so much! I’ve lived in SF for over 30 years and am raising my kids here — it really does depend on which neighborhood you live in. My soon-to-be college student volunteered at a rec center in the Tenderloin during his high school years and worked there over the summers. It has been an amazing experience for him — opened his eyes and brought him so much joy. When we first heard this piece on the radio, he even recognized some of the kids by voice :) Time will tell, Charlotte, how ‘super well adjusted and interesting’ these kids become. I do think my kids probably have a better shot at fitting that mold, but every neighborhood and life circumstance shapes people differently.
Awww I love this! As someone who was born and raised in SF and who’s now raising three girls here, my most important job is making sure they stay curious, interested in people and the world, and kind. Comments like yours renew my commitment to it!
OMG the photos from the kids who live in the Tenderloin! Soooo soooo sweet and amazing!!! What an important project. Last time I was in the Tenderloin, we drove past a man who had been stabbed. 🥺
Ah, AMK I feel mixed about your comment, so I’m going to brain dump here. First, thank you for recognizing how important this project is, especially as SF (my hometown) is really in a downward, unwarranted spiral of negative media coverage. And at the same time… How do you know the man was stabbed if you were in a car, driving by? True, there are better and worse parts of the city (like ANY city!), and the Tenderloin has it’s good and bad blocks (I was literally walking in the TL at 10 PM by myself last night, headed to meet a friend and was perfectly safe) – AND I want to just question if this is 100% true, or if it’s am assumption based off piecing together what you think about the neighborhood. If it’s true – I’m so sorry you had to see that. How awful. If it’s perhaps not 100% confirmed as true… please be thoughtful about perpetuating narratives like this! Ok. Brain dump over! TY for letting me say my piece!
OMG- I just watched Unknown Number: The High School Catfish which is the documentary about Lauryn Lecari (the NYMag article) and was SHOOK!!! I watched it with my 13 year old daughter and wanted to cry, vomit and hold on to her for dear life. I can’t wrap my head around it. My daughter turned me to at the end and squeezed me to within an inch of my life (a rare treat from my VERY 13 year old) and then said “I’m so glad I don’t have a phone” which may be the only good take away to be had really!! 😵💫
I watched it as well. Insane! And she appears to still be in need of some serious psychological help.
I absolutely read “France!” in a Miss-Universe-Contestant scream. https://youtu.be/GcXYknUUais
LOLOLOL
Lauren, IYKYK!! LOL!!
Hahahaha! I needed a laugh, Lauren O. always delivers!
I love the entire cottage.
I loved the cottage too, however I was annoyed by the lack of information provided about each photo. Also, the portraits were gorgeous but again a little more information would have been appreciated.
My daughter started creating her own nail color by taking a bottle of clear and adding a little bit of white to it for a perfect milky clean classic vibe and I love it! Not much for painting my fingernails because it chips so quickly but I can’t resist her creation! It is so good. She has such cool girl vibes.
Ohhh trying this. Teens know all the cool hacks these days!
You simply must try a pizza with pepperoni, jalapeno and pineapple! It’s sooooo good!
We do pineapple banana peppers and jalapeños. 10/10.
the jalapeño on pizza is essential!!! and are you a native Arizonan too? Maybe it’s an AZ thing ;) Hope cooler temps greet you and my AZ family members soon.
Yes, Erin!!! This is my favorite!! My latest addition: drizzle some hot honey on top. *chef’s kiss*
10000% agree!! Pineapple, a salty meat (candian bacon, bacon, pepperoni, or soppresatta, etc.) and spicy jalapeno – The Best!
Yes pepperoni and pineapple is my go-to!!! Joanna, you and the boys will LIVE.
My vegetarian version is pineapple, jalapeño & olives (for the salt factor!). Can add onions too 🤗 and dipping it in ranch is essential!
You guys!! I feel so seen. I get the strangest looks when I tell people this is my favorite pizza of all time.
Ahh! We do jalepeño, bacon and pineapple and it’s so good every time.
Also good (from the days pre-little kids when we had the oomph to made our own pizza): pineapple, chickpeas, purple onion bits, jalapenos, with barbecue sauce instead of marinara, on a thin crust. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro!
please consider fritos and jalapenos for the topping combo that you didn’t know that you really needed…. salt, crunch, heat and pizza…. Honestly! If you want to go full on… have a soft serve vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles after because sprinkles are for winners :)
Pineapple, chorizo, and sriracha! Pineapple is the superior pizza topping.