Monthly Review: June 2026

Let it not be lost on me,

what you have given. For all your gifts are good,

but these far more abundant than I dared to ask,

joy to surpass my grief.

Let it not be lost on me

how you are working. The seeds I scatter fall at your will

to grow as you ordain,

fruits timely and surprising.

Let it not be lost on me

where you have led me. The paths I wandered,

certain they went nowhere, have brought me into level ground,

grace to lead me home.

---

Here's what I read, cooked, and created in the month of June.

What I Read

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling (★★★★★)–reread

• Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins (★★★★★)

• Help! My Kid Hates Writing: How to Turn Struggling Students Into Brave Writers, Julie Bogart (★★★)

• When We Were Monsters, Jennifer Niven (★★★)

• How to Dress Vintage, Gabi Jones (★★★)

• The Magician's Assistant, Ann Patchett (★★★)

• Rules of Civility, Amor Towles (★★★)

  
  

If you want to hear the rationale behind my rating, head to my Goodreads for full reviews.

What I Cooked

• Baked Chickpeas

  • Difficulty: ★

  • Flavor: ★★★

  • Keeper: Probably not

Eh, these were fine. I ended up with a lot leftover and turned the rest into hummus.

• Chicken Cobbler

  • Difficulty: ★★

  • Flavor: ★★★★

  • Keeper: Yes

Cozy comfort food, top to bottom. I did not find the Cheddar Bay biscuit topping to be quite as flavorful as I was expecting, but I did still like the casserole overall. This would be a great meal train casserole.

• Deconstructed Wonton Soup

  • Difficulty: ★★

  • Flavor: ★★★★

  • Keeper: Yes

I made this off the recipe card on Instagram rather than the full blog post version, and I think that would have solved my main gripes with the recipe: the fact that I had to fish a lump of fused wonton wrappers out of the stock and try again and the fact that it included bok choy as its only vegetable. In the future, I think I would use ramen or egg noodles in lieu of the wonton wrappers, and I would add cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots in lieu of the bok choy. It was definitely a quick and easy meal.

• The Best Coleslaw

  • Difficulty: ★

  • Flavor: ★★★★★

  • Keeper: Yes

Just a great, classic coleslaw dressing.

• Green Bean Caesar Salad

  • Difficulty: ★★

  • Flavor: ★★

  • Keeper: No

This . . . was not good.

• Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

  • Difficulty: ★★

  • Flavor: ★★★★

  • Keeper: Yes

I've used this method to make ice cream before, and it works so well. I kept wanting to make cookies for ice cream sandwiches and not being able to, but I think that would really seal the deal.

• Peach Pie Crumb Bars

  • Difficulty: ★★

  • Flavor: ★★★★

  • Keeper: Yes

These were tasty, although I found the peach filling texture somewhat odd.

• Limeade

  • Difficulty: ★

  • Flavor: ★★★

  • Keeper: Maybe

While this was very easy, it had a strange bitterness to it (maybe I left the rinds in too long?) that was less than enjoyable.

What I Created

• Original poem and essay "For This Child I Have Prayed" (which, by the way, thank you for reading and sharing so much kind feedback, especially on a story I was initially hesitant to share).

• The rest of my next essay for Commonplace magazine

---

May your days be filled with beauty, and may your heart be filled with the willingness to see and give thanks for it.