What’s New With Katrina Kittle

JULY 2025

Welcome to the dog days
in the dumpster fire.

It is HOT in Ohio as I’m typing this—a heat wave of several days in the 90s and soooo much humidity, you just feel slimy all the time. The current news just makes everything more unpleasant and stressful. So, what can we do? I heard someone say that the “antidote to anxiety is action” and that really spoke to me. Sure, we can seek ways to help the situation (and please, everyone, try to do that as you are able), but we also need to seek ways to help ourselves with action that centers us and helps us cope. Doing nothing—or worse yet, just doomscrolling or immersing yourself in the news—doesn’t help anything or anyone. When it all feels too much, I go to the garden.

This meme is so true for me:

I made a little video of my garden for you. Right now everything looks lush and promising, but this heat and the inevitable drought of summer will change that soon enough, so I’m trying to savor the beauty and abundance. I mess up a couple of times in this video, but it was already too sticky to stay out there and try it again, so forgive me. (When talking about the hollyhocks, I say “I bought this one but the rest are store bought,” which makes no sense. I meant to say that I bought one hollyhock, but the rest were from seed.) 

Pesto

The New York Times recently shared a basic pesto recipe with the line “Pesto is a mouthful of summer,” and I couldn’t agree more. A couple people have recently requested my own pesto recipe and I happily reshare it here. 

The gorgeous, bright Kelly green basil plant almost laughs with an aroma that is the epitome of summer. I grow an abundance of basil, so much that I sometimes simply pick it as the most cheerful of filler (and aromatherapy mood lifter) in fresh cut bouquets. 

My favorite thing to do with basil is of course to make pesto—to use on pasta, in omelets, in risotto, for grilling salmon and chicken, to spread on panini sandwiches, to dollop as a garnish on gazpacho ... you name it. Here’s my favorite recipe, given to me by one of my best friends, Bill Anderson from West Virginia. Enjoy!

BASIL PESTO

Blend the following in a food processor:
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons walnuts (or pine nuts, or pistachios)*
1 clove garlic**
1/4 cup Parmesan***
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup basil leaves packed tight

*Oh, come on, only 2 Tablespoons? I always put in a wee fistful.
**Seriously? One clove? There's no such thing as too much garlic, in my opinion.
***There's also no such thing as too much cheese. Ever. But save some to sprinkle on top, along with toasted pine nuts.

(Huge thanks to my friend Heather for the great ingredients picture. Even bigger thanks to my friend Heather for a container of her homemade pesto!)

These three books could not be more different from each other!

MY FRIENDS, by Fredrik Bakman

I devoured this beautiful new book about fierce friendships, the power of art, and our responsibility to pay it forward. I know, I know, that phrase has become a cliché, but this book made me laugh out loud and ugly cry in public. I want the characters to be real so I can be friends with them, too.

KING OF ASHES, by S. A. Cosby

Oh, how I love Cosby’s dark, twisted stories. I adore a good revenge story and this one is superb. The Carruthers family owns a crematory business (hence, the fabulous title) and Roman, the oldest son, returns home to find his father in a coma after a (not an accident) hit-and-run and his younger brother in deep debt to some very ruthless, very violent criminals. Roman sets out to protect his family, taking to heart his father’s mantra, “Everything burns.”

PAPA’S COMING HOME, by Chasten Buttigieg

I heard about this charming children’s book when Chasten was interviewed on Pod Save America. It’s a simple story (illustrated by Dan Taylor) about two kids super excited that their Papa is coming home from a trip. To welcome him home, their Daddy helps them bake a cake and pack the car with all of Papa’s favorite things before they head to the airport to pick him up. Representation matters. This is sweet and fun and about families who love each other. I plan to donate my copy to a library. 

Join me in conversation
with Rachel Moulton.

Last month, I wrote about how much I loved Rachel’s upcoming novel Tantrum, which releases on August 5. Originally from Yellow Springs, Ohio, Rachel now lives in New Mexico, but she’ll be returning to Ohio for some book events and I hope you’ll consider joining us in conversation at the fabulous new woman-owned bookstore Storyline in Columbus on August 7. More details coming soon, but save the date!

You’re invited to ask me questions—about writing, about one of my books, about one of my pets, about pretty much anything. So … what do you want to know? Just email me at katrina@katrinakittle.com and you may end up in the next newsletter.

Meeting my Cute City Bitches writer friends every Tuesday afternoon at ContempoRoast coffee shop to write together

Cats in boxes

Goat yoga!!!! (Huge thanks to my friend Sarah for telling me about a local goat yoga class. It was less about the yoga and all about the goats. So much laughter.)

Eating out of my garden—most recently a buttercrunch lettuce salad with sugar snap peas and radishes

Hearing an ice cream truck in the summer distance

Going for a walk in the early, not-quite-sun-up morning before it’s too hot and getting a glimpse of the neighborhood foxes

The History Guy on YouTube (I’m such a geek, but I love love love this guy’s videos! I mean, haven’t you ever wondered about the history of the orange? Or of socks? Or circus peanuts? Or helium? Trust me: When you catch yourself doomscrolling, turn to learning some interesting history instead.)

Root cellars (I wish I had one.)

Aperol spritzes

The stunning miniature dioramas made by Japanese artist Tatsuya Tanaka (These are utterly delightful!)

Remember: When you seek happiness, happiness shows up! Making these lists helps you notice more happiness, even when the world—and our democracy—seems to be burning. Your happiness is part of self-care, and we need to take care of ourselves when times are tough!

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Find the action that eases your anxiety, stay cool and hydrated, and be good to each other out there!

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