so into that: 5 quick things

dispatch from San Diego :)

Hi! I hope you had a great holiday weekend. We had a 4th of July extra off the grid at our already very off the grid cabin, as a power line was down so we didn’t have power the entire time. We lit candles and grilled every meal and it was lovely, actually. It was just what we needed in the wake of a very sad week.

Our dog, Hooper, went to doggy heaven last Wednesday, and I have frankly been gobsmacked by grief. His health complications from several types of cancer have been so all-consuming and difficult over the past few months that I anticipated feeling somewhat relieved when his time came, but I’ve felt anything but. We are devastated, and man, having to parent and work through this type of grief has been really difficult! I want to admit that I feel silly talking about my grief over losing a pet — I know there are much harder things in the world — but I could never have anticipated how difficult this would be, so I just wanted to share, for anyone who’s been through it and also felt knocked off their axis, or for anyone who might go through it in the future and need some solidarity. This really sucks :(

Shifting gears now to more joyful topics (although Hooper brought us so much joy during his 14 years!).

This week we are back in our happiest place, and the place we first brought baby Hooper home to: Coronado, California. Back when we lived in a one-room guest house on 5th and B, George and I used to walk to the Hotel Del Coronado (with Hoop by our side!) for drinks on the Sun Deck or pizza at Eno. We’d look around at all the families playing on the beach and in the pool and talk about bringing our future kids here someday.

The Del is a sprawling resort stretched out on Coronado beach, directly beside the Navy SEAL base where George trained (you can see them training from the beach!). This is our third time bringing the kids to the Shore House, but our first time trying out the kids’ club, called Ocean Explorers, or the in-room childcare, and we are all completely blown away by the level of thoughtful programming.

As parents, I think the trickiest part of a family vacation is not feeling like you actually get any relaxing vacation time to yourself, or feeling guilty if you don’t spend every second with the kids. It felt really great to drop them at Ocean Explorers for a few hours in the morning and know they had an absolute blast and made core vacation memories while I went on a 4-mile walk along my favorite beach in the world and read in the hot tub with George!

If you’re ever looking for a family-friendly vacation spot in Southern California, I cannot say enough great things about the Del. It is so, so special. We are very grateful to have been hosted by the Del for this stay.

1. I’ve been purchasing Williams Sonoma’s celebrity spatulas benefiting No Kid Hungry for as long as I can remember because 1) a percentage of proceeds goes to one of my all-time favorite organizations and 2) they’re truly the perfect silicone spatulas, ideal for everything from baking to making scrambled eggs and stir fries. When they invited me to design a spatula for the 2026 collection, my jaw hit the floor. I obviously had to do sticks of butter for my Butter Pants!! (If you’re new here: Many years ago I shared that the best way to soften a stick of butter fast is to stick it down your pants and now everyone tags me when they stick butter down their own pants and thus we are The Butter Pants). Hidden symbolism: Three sticks of butter for my three books. Four ounces of butter for my four babies. Proceeds from the spatula go to No Kid Hungry, an incredible organization that helps connect families in need to meals and resources in their area. I’m so honored to be a part of this collection alongside Shania Twain (!), Cher (!!), Meredith Hayden, and so many other wonderful people. Each spatula purchase provides roughly 60 meals for children in need! Please tag me if you get one or see it in the store!!

2. I’ve been wearing my favorite FP Movement shorts on my beach walks all week. I’ve talked about them before — they’re very comfortable, with a really wide, stretchy, high waistband, built-in underwear, and drapey, breathable fabric that comes in lots of colors. FP Movement’s athletic wear is a good price point (my favorite shorts are $40!) and hold up really well. I’ve had the Carpe Diem shorts for years! They were my go-to pregnancy outfit during a hot pregnant summer. I wore them with this loose-fitting tee, which I love with shorts or leggings.¹

3. Y’all know I love a margarita. But I do not love the way that drinking more than a couple makes me feel. This summer I’ve been making margs with Free Spirits’ N/A tequila and they are so so good. It tastes like tequila, mixes as well as tequila, yet replaces the alcohol in tequila with B vitamins, so it gives me energy rather than drains it. Sometimes I use all N/A tequila, other times I use half N/A, half traditional tequila so it tastes the same but has half the alcohol. One of my close friends is sober and loves a mocktail and says it’s the best he’s tried! Use code CARO15 to get 15% off!²

4. I’ve worn this dress a million times this summer. Same with these flip flops.

5. Our fave mom-owned brand just launched swimwear!! I obviously had to get the turtles for my turtle-obsessed boys.

Every week, we dig into the What To Cook archives to see what we were cooking this time in years past — the recipes worth bringing back into your rotation. Here’s this week’s lineup.

1. no-stir zucchini risotto, 2025

This is what to make when zucchini season hits and you need something that tastes like summer with very little effort. You’ll grate the zucchini right into the pot (if you’re feeding picky eaters, peel it first to get rid of any green specks!), let it cook in the oven (no stirring needed!), and finish it off with butter, Parm, and a good squeeze of lemon for brightness. It’s a creamy and comforting vegetarian meal, but still very light!

2. 20-minute summer sauté, 2024

This meal is exactly what it sounds like: a fast, flexible dinner built around whatever summer veggies you have on hand and pre-cooked chicken sausages. A big handful of herbs, a sprinkle of feta, and a drizzle of balsamic at the end tie it all together. You can plate it over rice, toss it with noodles, stuff it into pitas with a swipe of yogurt, or just eat it by itself. It’s a great one for clearing out the produce drawer!

3. esquites chicken salad, 2023

Inspired by Mexican street corn, this salad is smoky, crunchy, sweet, and creamy all at once. You’ll grill some chicken (or use a store-bought rotisserie to make it even easier), and toss it with romaine, sweet corn, and a creamy lime dressing. You can prep all the components ahead and assemble when you’re ready to eat — perfect for work lunches or an easy dinner party main.

4. the sides are the best part, 2022

This epic Fourth of July-themed post is an ode to cookout sides. It includes five different recipes for a pitcher of strawberry-lemon margaritas, hot corn and scallion pimento cheese, baba ghanouj-ish, sesame-scallion slaw, and stupid-simple make-ahead mac and cheese. Just add burgers or hot dogs and you’ll have a perfect spread all summer cookout season long.

5. turkey zucchini burgers, 2021

Shredded zucchini helps these lean turkey patties stay SO juicy (and extra nutritious). They freeze like a dream — stash some cooked patties in the freezer and you’ve got a homemade dinner ready to go on the busiest nights. PS, these are great tucked into a pita with tzatziki or this dilly minty yogurt sauce!

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1. Thank you to FP Movement for supporting this issue of So Into That.

2. Thank you to Free Spirits for supporting this issue of So Into That. Promo code is valid for one purchase and cannot be used for gift cards.