A frozen yogurt obsession, the "Father of Video Art," Dana Schutz, and preserved lemons.

With a name like Yoga-urt (a mashup of "yoga" and "yogurt"), the branding is exactly what you'd expect (in kind of the best way). All of Yoga-urt's flavors build upon an almond-cashew base which makes for such a creamy texture seemingly reserved only for desserts with dairy. I had a mini swirl of their Chocolate Bliss and Peanut Butter Prana soft serve last week and it's all I crave now. I'm partial to the Kenneth Village location (it's near the Brand Library) but they also have storefronts in Echo Park and Santa Monica.

Since starting Present, time has been an especially sharp double edged sword. Having the freedom to spend my time when and how I want is both incredible and incredibly difficult as someone who was used to (and frankly, good at) being delegated what to do at previous jobs. I've become more keen to my own needs for structure and when I should just close the laptop and take a mental break. For me, productivity in the afternoons is a pipe dream, so I've been using that time to go for runs around the neighborhood. I've come to realize just how much running gives me–space to let creative ideas roam, release from stressful days, and more tactically, a training plan for the Edinburgh Half Marathon I'll be running in June. 

My friend Tiffanie and I trekked out west last Friday for a screening of Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV at the Laemmle Royal. Directed by Amanda Kim, the film chronicles the life of late artist and "father of video art," Nam June Paik. There are many a public figure who occupy tangential space in my mind–of whom I hold cursory knowledge but lack the time/curiosity/recall to investigate further. Paik was definitely one of those people and I'm so grateful for this film for providing a more thorough introduction to this remarkable man. I was especially inspired by his ability to navigate his own life and work in such a committed, critical, and curious way. I loved this quote of his that concluded the film: “Death means having no future imagined.”

I bought a comically large cake pan from a friend's yard sale last weekend and was excited to bake with it. Decided to double up on the Hot Cross Buns recipe from Mother Grains (an incredible cookbook by one of my baking idols, Roxana Jullapat) and spent Easter Sunday hopping around town delivering buns to loved ones. 

Dana Schutz’s “Between Us” at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was one of the most moving exhibitions I’ve seen in a while. The scale of her pieces is so all-encompassing I felt I could myself be sitting within the a group of characters in her work. I especially enjoyed learning about her process. The museum itself is so beautiful and well-composed. I would love to go back some day.

The most delicious bakery I tried while in Copenhagen a few weekends ago. I wish I could live in that bakery.

Taking another stab at making these tangy delicious preserved lemons after talking to Joyce about our love of preserved lemon, but our previous failed attempts at making them. I’ll take it as a sign that this recipe appeared in the GNI newsletter also.

Sometimes it’s difficult to know why you are feeling certain ways or how that might coincide with your hormones or other things going on in your life. I’m religious about tracking my period (I have PMDD) so when I found this app that helps you track your emotions in a really intuitive and helpful manner, it piqued my interest. I’m most excited about the way in which the app can present emotional patterns over time.