🥔 experiments + potatoes + hosting
ISSUE #149
MAKING
There is no expiration date on ideas, experiments, or projects. 3+ years ago I played around with paper weaving. I shared it on Makeist, put it away, and haven’t thought about it since. Until randomly this week I had an idea. So I picked it back up and experimented with folding to add texture and dimension. Maybe this time it will go somewhere? 🤷♀️
LOVING
I’ve been bitten by the baked potato bug again. It took me a while — I was pretty sick of them after all the recipe testing for my Chili Potato Zine last year. But I couldn’t stay away for long. Once the weather turned, my love for spuds and sour cream prevailed.
Baked potatoes are a Type O ingredient: universally loved, affordable, and able to move from solo dinner on the couch to a family-friendly feast for four. But when it comes to hosting, the humble tuber truly shines. The heart of it all is the perfect baked potato — the crispy-skinned, fluffy-centered base that makes the whole bar come together. Add some chili and you take it to the next level — optional, but optimal.
A Baked Potato + Chili Bar is flexible by design — vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free — all doable with smart bases and a spread of toppings. It scales beautifully, from two people to twenty. And best of all, almost everything can be made ahead. While the potatoes bake, you prep the chili, set out toppings, and you can hang out with your guests.
If reading this has you eyeing your oven and dreaming of baked potatoes, hold that thought. Next week I’m launching the Makeist Holiday Pop-Up Shop, where the Chili Potato Zine — plus other fun food and art zines — will be ready for gifting and getting.
THINKING
Entertaining is out, hosting is in. Think of your home not as a stage where you have to perform, but as a place for connection and gathering. You don’t need a theme or a tablescape. You just need you.
Here are a few low-lift, unintimidating guides to help you get started:
