The Good Stuff #5

The light between the Lemsips

Feb 09, 2026

So, how was the first month-and-a-bit of 2026 for you?

I revelled in the vastness of January. While many berated its endlessness (including my bank balance), I was relishing the opportunity to take things slow for weeks on end, before the year really began in February.

After a jam-packed and flu-ridden December, I wanted nothing more than to take things at my own, hibernatory pace. Yes, endlessly, to cosy evenings, writing sessions, hours of reading, baths and following lengthy, complicated recipes on a weeknight.

And while much of that was true – I did have a lovely time taking things slow, hunkering down, hermitting – I also succumbed to the third cold in as many months (which has since seemingly tag-teamed with the fourth, astonishingly). This gave me no option but to take it easy for many of these early weeks. This was not my plan. I wanted to vegetate in full health. Rage, rage, rage.

Folks, my patience has worn thin with my immune system. I’m now on a mission to barricade my body against further vileness this season. Four times in three months is obscene – and even more offensive when you consider the fact that 1) I don’t have kids bringing awful stuff back from nursery/school and 2) I wash my hands and antibac constantly (true: check out how wrinkled they are already).

Quite frankly, I’m offended, and starting the second month of the year feeling pretty fed up (and sore, from all the coughing).

BUT

There has been some light in amongst all this. You didn’t click on this post to hear about my ailments, but about the things I’ve enjoyed over these first few weeks. And I’ve got plenty to share, even though I took things slowly!

And there’s not a cold remedy to be seen.

Here’s some Good Stuff from January (and a bit of February):

True to my ‘resolution’ to try and cook one new recipe a week from an actual recipe book, I made Ottolenghi’s Mafalda and Roasted Butternut Squash in Warm Yoghurt Sauce from Flavour. Uber garlicky, super creamy, and generally left us speechless for a little while once we’d scraped the bowls clean. I was a little agog that I’d managed to make something so delicious. An excellent start.
Once I’d shaken off the worst of my January cold, I visited a good friend in Winchester for the day. We ate decadent Orange Brulee pastries, chewed over life, and perused the market before heading to The Arc for the main reason we’d met up: to see Beauty of the Earth: the art of May, Jane & William Morris, which at the time was entering its final weeks. The exhibition was astonishingly good, beautiful and enlightening. I learned an awful lot and left feeling inspired and invigorated. Sadly, the exhibition is over now, but if you ever get the chance to learn more about the Morris family and the activism behind the art, do. Superb.
Prompted by gifts of jars of queen chickpeas from a foodie friend for my birthday, and the purchase of both recipe books soon after, I can safely say that I understand the Bold Beans hype and am fully on board.
I’d played this many moons ago, but dinner with a travelling mate brought Ticket to Ride back into my life, and reminded me of what a brilliant game it is. So we bought it for our own collection, anticipating more game nights in 2026.
Within a big order of spices (thanks to that very same recipe-based resolution), I added another packet of The Spicery’s Indian-style Cauliflower Cheese with Spicy Tomato Chutney; one of my favourite flavour kits they sell and an all-time winner. I recommend that, and The Spicery in general (referral codes available, if you want to try them for yourself!)
I’ve been listening to a lot of Olivia Dean recently. No explanation needed.
More food! I made Emily on Toast’s Roast Veg and Halloumi Traybake with Chimmichurri, and it was the least amount of effort I’d ever put into cooking something with so much flavour. That chimmichurri is a revelation (as is her substack; give it a follow for more deliciousness).
We visited Stonehenge on a very crisp early January morning, making the most of our English Heritage memberships while we had them, and it was so much more worthwhile than I expected. I had visions of an overly touristy experience, and while it was busy, and I encountered more selfie sticks than I’d like on a Sunday, it was quite lovely to be able to encounter something so ancient, made all the more magical by crystal skies, the chill in the air, and the year fully ahead of us.
I found out that an Etsy gift card I’d been given a few years ago was about to expire, so I ordered myself a new ring from Minerals Rock Studio – a Hampshire-based small business whose owner creates the most beautiful semi-precious pieces. I already owned a simple silver band of theirs, so I added a delicate gold wishbone ring to stack with it. I am in love, and wear it every day.
My first audiobook of the year was Ruth Jones and James Corden’s When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between, which turned out to be an absolute gem. Listening to the pair of them reminisce about, recount, and recreate some of the show’s greatest moments and most iconic scenes was an absolute joy and left me nostalgic and chuckling on my commute to the office. If you’re a fan, I really recommend the audio version. It just makes the whole thing so much more special and intimate, and it’s a reminder of the talent behind the series.