This is a public issue of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice. Feel free to share it!

Hi friends! Last Friday and Saturday we made this autumn lasagne recipe. Yes, we made it over the course of two days because it is involved. I made the pasta from scratch and I’m very proud of myself. I think I have the egg pasta dough down pretty solidly and that has been a goal of mine for a couple of years.

We’re mid-process on the annual holiday cards and I’m really excited to send them off. Maybe we’ll put up the decorations this weekend. We were really last-minute last year and I want some time to enjoy them.

Don’t forget about the most recent episode of EEDA Pod! Cookbooks, Conjure, & Queers: The Best Books We Read in 2025

In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole share their favorite books they read this year, discussing a wide range of genres from cookbooks and historical nonfiction to romance and science fiction. They offer personal anecdotes, thoughtful commentary on the books’ themes, and recommendations for listeners, while also touching on topics like gift-giving and supporting independent bookstores and creators. There is also a very important DuckTales universe correction from the previous episode.

You can find our show, Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts. You can also support the show on Patreon, where we have some perks for paid subscribers with even more coming this year. You can also just make a recurring donation through subscribing to our Patreon, as our show is independently run and without ads. It helps keep us going!

It’s a resource week but I think we can all use something a bit light. So, I have one light resource for you and a couple of things on the internet that have crossed my path and sparked a lot of joy.

Resource: Harry Potter Alternatives by Two Bossy Dames

This came to me via the Book Riot newsletter and it’s quite helpful. Remember kids, the author is a garbage person and also, the books are vile! I say this as someone who used to be a huge HP fan. At one point, I tried to reread them for the umpteenth time as an adult and was like, “Wow, JK really hates fat people. And poor people. And people of color. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ENSLAVED CREATURES LIKE BEING SLAVES?!”

For Your Amusement: Medieval Cat Meme Generator

It is exactly what it says it is.

For Your Amusement: GeoCities Website Maker

Do you wonder what a current website would look like if someone made it in GeoCities? Well, now you can find out! Just drop a url into the GeoCities Website Maker and let ‘er rip!

Recent & Current Reads

Inclusion of a book in this section is not necessarily a recommendation and these books won’t always be added to my Bookshop. Links are affiliate links.

Recently Read:

• Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams

• Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown

Currently Reading:

• The Best American Food Writing 2019 edited by Samin Nosrat

• The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker