Published July 1, 2023

In April of this year, Gretchen Rubin (one of my favorite authors) published her newest book, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.

As a dedicated reader, I bought the book on principle — knowing I would like it based on Gretchen’s writing style, storytelling, and use of research research. I was happily surprised to find that Life in Five Senses echoed the theme and approach that Gretchen took when writing her famous books, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home (which I adore).

Each chapter focused on one of the five senses and how slowing down or focusing on sense-specific activities allowed Gretchen to be more present (and happier) in her day to day life.

As life speeds on to the end of the year, I wanted to reflect back on the month of June through my five senses. As a foodie, much of my life revolves around taste and smell — and the month of June was no exception on that front. But what other highlights did I have when it came to sight, sound, and touch?

June Recap Through the Five Senses

Reading New Books

Combining the senses of touch and sight, I read another new book this month which was unique in its layout and design. The second book I read in June was The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Secrets to Happy Living.

The beautiful cover is reflective of the infographic and visual layout of the book. The pages featured ample whitespace for easy reading with flat graphics in navy, mustard, and pumpkin colors. There were fun graphs, lists, and recipes within the book as well. Even the content of the book evoked the senses, with Danish emphasis on lighting, sweets, candles, and hygge like fireplaces, cozy socks, and rainy days.

Arranging Fresh Flowers

One of my favorite sights to have at home is a bouquet of fresh flowers. I love the routine of buying fresh flowers each month and creating a colorful bouquet based on the season.

What I’m most impressed by, as I reflect on this month’s bouquet, is that I made this bouquet at the end of May and they lasted the entire month of June.

I loved watching the slow progression of the petals opening. It was satisfying to have all of the flowers fully bloomed. Flowers are a great way to add color, texture, and scent into a space (engaging many of the five senses!)

Preparing Homemade Poke Bowls

While I didn’t get to film a new recipe video this month, I did get to challenge myself to a new recipe.

For Father’s Day this year, I wanted to branch outside my typical Italian menu. My sister and I came up with the idea of making poke bowls (a traditional Hawaiian dish of diced fish and fresh ingredients).

This was my first time handling sushi-grade tuna. I purchased it frozen from my local Asian Market (which is actually recommended over fresh tuna) and I spent hours researching how to best thaw it.

I was shocked to find the amount of rules around preparing raw fish. I read over 15-articles, from the FDA to fishmongers to ensure I was following the best practices. In the end, I thawed my fish in the morning, instead of overnight. By dinnertime, the fish was thawed at the correct temperature and ready to slice and serve.

We topped our poke bowls with seaweed salad, pickled ginger, edamame, carrots, cucumber, mango, ponzu, scallions, and masago. I even added a piece of dried seaweed for additional texture.

I loved the fresh vegetables and crunchy textures in the poke bowls. The ponzu sauce added some bright flavor and the scallions added additional dimension. The homemade poke bowls were a nice treat and something I would prepare again for a special occasion.

Experiencing a Tea Ceremony at Sinofilia

Sinofilia Tea Shop in Boonton (diagonal Pergamino’s Bakery & Cafe) is an adorable Chinese tea shop with a variety of offerings. You can stop in and order bubble tea, browse the selection of packaged and medicinal teas, or explore the shelves of teapots and cups.

We booked a tea ceremony on a rainy afternoon. Settled around the elm table, we watched as the water was boiled and the pots awakened. We selected three teas from a list — black oolong, green oolong, and pu-erh.

I learned so much about how the teas are harvested and processed and the correct way to prepare them. The flavor was unbelievable and so different from the teas you buy in the store. My favorite was the green oolong.

I won’t give away any of the fun facts from the experience. I highly recommend you book your own tea ceremony and enjoy the amazing experience.

Going Strawberry Picking

My main goal for June was to go strawberry picking. In New Jersey, there is only a 3-4 week window before the 4th of July for strawberry picking. The season started the second week of June, and with the air quality issues from the fires in Canada and the two weeks of rain, I was worried we wouldn’t make it this year.

However, even in the rain, my boyfriend and I took a drive to the Sussex County Strawberry Farm in Andover, New Jersey.

The weekend offered limited hours for strawberry picking. We were the second car to park in the grassy field, likely because of the light drizzle and overcast sky. We carried large umbrellas and the farm’s heavy cardboard containers out to the field.

Luckily, the ground wasn’t too muddy. We followed the path out to a red sign where one other couple was picking. As we stepped along the narrow rows, the clouds paused their rain and we could easily pick without holding our umbrellas.

After an hour, we went home with two containers of the sweetest, juiciest strawberries. The bonus is that we beat the rush of people, and were back in the car when the rain started.

We found after the drive home — and lunch at Pergamino’s — that the strawberries on the bottom of the container started to soften. My recommendation is to arrange the strawberries on lined cookie sheets as soon as possible and put them in the fridge. I washed each batch as I used them and they maintained their firmness.

While fresh picked strawberries alone tastes like dessert, my favorite recipe so far is a white cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream icing. It was airy, fresh, and tasted like summertime.

What were your June highlights?

When I think back on the month of June through my five senses, I am pleasantly surprised at the highlights now stored in my memories: The floral taste of hot tea, the quiet gurgle of water coming to a boil, the satisfying pop of a strawberry picked from the stem and the gritty texture of dirt, the sharp smell of sliced green onions, the consistent patter of rain on the gutters, and the loud bustle of a fish market on a Saturday afternoon.

When you reflect on June, what adventures, recipes, or activities come to mind for you?