This Week at The Kitchn! Plus a side note on the difficulty of letting go

This was my last week with my regular schedule at The Kitchn before going down to fewer posts and it's making me feel a little weepy. It's all for good reasons, mostly to do with freeing up a little more of my time with this whole book thing happening. But, man, The Kitchn has been such a huge part of my daily life for so many years that taking even this small step away from it just feels...weird. It feels a little like losing my center of gravity. Or rather, like my center has just shifted a little to the side and now my balance is all wonky.

And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that my ego is hurting a little. These posts are my babies. As genuinely happy as I am to see other writers on the site eagerly stepping in to take over the now-empty post slots, there's this twinge of anxiety that I'm letting my babies go. How do I know the other writers will treat them right? How can I be sure they're taken care of? It's astounding how emotionally attached I feel toward them.

But I have to laugh at myself. The other writers on The Kitchn are phenomenal. More than that, they're my friends and we work as a team. My little Kitchn-post-babies will do wonderfully in their capable hands.

And this is really a very good thing for me. I'm usually of the mindset that I can do it all, all the time, and nope I don't need any help thanks! Then I am very surprised weeks or months later when I'm suddenly a stressed-out ball of quivering nerves who can't sleep at night. Go figure!

So yes, this transition is leaving me feeling off-balance and emotionally akimbo, but it's a good move in the long run. (Dear husband: You're welcome!) I really am looking forward to having more time and just plain ol' energy to work on the book as well as some other projects that have been on the back burner for far too long. Good times ahead. Eventually.

P.S. Check it out! An article I wrote on grilled calzones got picked up by the Chicago Tribune, and that's pretty cool: Bubbly, Hot and Delicious: Grilling Turns Calzones into Crispy, Flavorful Mouthfuls

And here's what I've been up to on The Kitchn:

• These hamburger buns made my whole apartment smell like a freakin' bakery. And they tasted pretty awesome too.
• Love garlic? Forget mincing and try thinly slicing it instead.
• Dear Ground Sumac from Penzeys: I'm sorry.
• Hard to top a classic Vlasic pickle. Unless it's homemade.
• Corn + Tomatoes = BFFs

• My favorite new tea.
• Fruit juicers are frustratingly expensive.
• Vegetable oil is one slick customer.
• Can't wait to try these macaroon tartelette crusts.
• I use basic pizza dough for...mmm...80% of the things I bake?!

• One of the tastiest beers I've tasted in a long time.
• Chinese longbeans are my newest farmers market find.
• I'm totally trying this the next time I forget to salt my pasta water.
• No surprise: I'm very particular about my BLTs. You?

What have you been up to?