Collectibles Issue 1
Tortellini, trains and trying new things
Welcome to 2026! I’m so elated to be entering a new year with you all. I have been daydreaming of ways to connect with like-minded, like-spirited people better, online and in real life. My aspiration for this publication is to showcase a collection of things I’ve found of interest, passion and challenge. In sharing what I’ve collected, I hope to bring more useful information to your life than noise and ads.
Please approach this work like reading a magazine or newspaper with a variety of categories touched on that you can come back to read whenever you want. The first Thursday of the month will be the overall collection, filled with recipes, site-seeing activities, quotes, reflections, music, etc. The third Thursday of the month will be a deep dive essay on a single topic. It could be an interview with an artist or a dissection of a topic of philosophy. All of it meant to expose you to new things and reacquaint you with old.
When I first started this two years ago, I wrote to you weekly. I loved it immensely. And then when I launched my vegan bakery August 2024, my creative energy was diverted. Now that things feel more stable, I’m returning to my favorite pastime, writing. Thank you for supporting me through all the high and low tides.
Now let’s flip the page to start our new chapter!
Tortellini Swimming in Mushrooms & Spinach
This the perfect comfort food to savor on a winter’s day. It’s less liquid than its soup cousin but more flavors than a basic sauce covering the pillowy pasta. I liken the sauce to a sausage gravy with more oomph. The holy union of mushrooms, onions and garlic are the stars of the sauce but the secret flare comes the fennel seeds. The fennel seeds bring a zesty bite that lifts the savoriness of the sauce in lieu of using lemon juice. This dish is made all in one pan and keeps well into the next day. Upon first bite, I couldn’t help but close my eyes and sink into my chair in satisfaction. Play with the recipe how you like, add Parmesan cheese or tomato paste or ravioli! Have fun in the kitchen as always my love!
(Makes 2-3 servings depending on hunger levels)
Ingredients:
1/2 stick olive oil butter
12 oz organic baby Bella mushrooms, diced
1/2 small, sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seed, chopped
Salt & black pepper to taste
1/4 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
1 tablespoon organic vegetable bouillon paste
2 cups water
1/2 cup oat milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups fresh, adult spinach, diced
1 package of Kite Hill Tortellini
Method
Heat a large, wide sauce pan on medium
Once heated, add butter to melt
Add diced mushrooms and onions to pan. Cook for about 5 minutes then add garlic. Stir every couple of minutes.
Once mushrooms have shrunk and onions are translucent (about 10 minutes), add in spices.
Create a vegetable broth using paste and hot water.
Stir flour into vegetables then while stirring, slowly pour broth into pan
Add oat milk and nutritional yeast.
Allow base to cook for another 5 minutes.
Add spinach and tortellini to pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir until spinach was wilted. Pasta should take about 10 minutes to cook.
Serve in bowl & enjoy in the comfort of others.
Stunned at the VMFA
A childhood best friend of mine and I wanted to connect over the holidays in a more intentional way. I suggested a halfway point between our locations to do so. Richmond, Virginia is a city bursting with art inside and outside all the buildings. After a delicious brunch from my favorite spot 821 Cafe, we headed to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
It’s actually free to the public which is crazy to me given how vast and mesmerizing it is. It is stroller accessible and we never felt crowded in the exhibits. Some of the most memorable art we embraced were works by Dalí, Roman marble work, Egyptian statues, and much more. I cannot recommend it enough. I hope to go monthly just to see something new in the old. My souvenir was this cute magnet!
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
I remembered loving the first Knives Out movie so when I saw it promoted on Netflix I thought “let’s watch it now!” It truly did not disappoint. It being centered around a Catholic Church yet containing modern day quips made it a more digestible plot. It has such great pace in building up the story. The plot twists are unique and tastefully done. The cinematography is captivating and not overstimulating. Towards the end, there’s that adrenaline rush of “am I right of who’s the murderer?!” It was a very satisfying murder mystery movie. Every actor played their part perfectly in my opinion. I would watch it again. 10/10!
Christmas Cheer
My sweet boy will be turning 3 this month and was over the moon excited for Christmas this year. His joy is infectious so it was so worth the marathon of Christmas caroling to create as much Christmas magic as we could conjure. We collected so many Christmas versions of his favorite books (trains and more trains) and read them daily by request. Truly everything was centered around trains for us. They do a good job of transporting you to the North Pole and back home you know? I felt a lot of fulfillment curating a memorable holiday season. That’s where the magic is felt most, in recognizing the effort we all put into making others feel special, seen and loved.
Here are my Christmas glimmers:
Virginia Scenic Railway: The Santa Express
This was our second year attending and they greatly improved on the experience from last year. We went the day after a huge snow storm so the snowy landscape added to the magic. Essentially, you’re able to board a decorated train for a 45 minute ride, eat cookies, drink hot cocoa, do some activity coloring sheets and take photos with Santa. Seeing my son starstruck meeting Santa was one for the books. You also get a souvenir coin that’s stunning!!! If there’s a train ride experience in your state, I recommend checking it out!
The Polar Express Movie Party at the Alamo Drafthouse
The cool thing about movie parties at the Alamo is that the kids can be kids! They can sing, dance and let loose, which is relieving for any parent worried about their kid being silly in the theatre. If you’ve never been to the Alamo, you also get to enjoy large seating and really good food served to you. We always get the vegan cauliflower wings with fries & ranch. Outside of watching the movie on the big screen, we were all given golden tickets, Santa hats, coloring materials and an engraved silver bell that read “Believe.” Truly a nice touch. I cried seeing my son ring his bell at the same time as the movie characters did at the end of the film. We hung the bells on our Christmas tree later on. Perfect keepsakes.
Winter Wander at the Boar’s Head Resort
This is a signature experience here in Charlottesville. It’s a trail of Christmas lights surrounding a small lake. Each year they add something new like a drone show to ballet performances to new displays. Our first visit was a few years ago for our first wedding anniversary and “Babymoon” so it’s so special to return annually as a family. I suggest going on a weekday because it’s less crowded so you can linger longer to enjoy the lights and take more photos. The light tunnel is the best photo op!
Home traditions:
We always get a live pine tree to decorate. It was a bit bigger than we expected but it did radiate Christmas energy. We baked gingerbread cookies, Danish butter cookies frosted cookies this year. I mailed out Christmas cards and received so many that collaged our fridge. We built a snowman named Pancake with the first snow of the season. We made our own play dough and gifted it to friends and family (thanks Brittany Viklund for the recipe!) I created Santa’s boot prints in the living room for Christmas Day and my kid went into full detective mode, it was so funny. Overall, it was a holiday season to remember. I hope yours was kind to you too.
Ice Skating Challenge
In efforts to try new things together, I signed us up for ice skating. I love roller skating and hockey but haven’t really ice skated before. It was fun as a family to get on the ice, very slowly, and try something new. We only had two falls! I think we will keep trying at it, with helmets on, and maybe try to go to some professional hockey games soon. My legs were sore from skating, my husband’s hip was sore from falling, however, it was worth seeing our son do something scared because he really wanted to learn. There’s moments in parenthood you see your kid fully embrace something or fully reject something, but that in between space of intentionally accepting a challenge to learn and have fun is special. Its in those moments you get a glimpse of who they will be as adults with or without you there to guide them. It also reminds me to be brave like that more often than not. Children are beautiful mirrors.
Inspiration Corner
“ I didn’t come this far to only come this far”
My Planner of the Year
I’m feeling very grounded going into the new year because I will be using the Many Moons Lunar Planner again. Personally, I’m not very good at actually using planners regularly. I’m the type of person who recalls her schedule off the top of her head and never misses a deadline. This planner however does help me orient myself month to month and has the best essays. I love all materials produced from The Moon Studio, digital and physical. It’s not too late to grab this planner!
Final Word from Carrington
Thank you for indulging in this month’s issue of The Carrington Collection. Look for an in depth article with the one and only Ivana Esther Martinez in a couple of weeks as we discuss how food choices and skincare intersect. Please let me know via a comment below or email your thoughts and requests for topics to cover.
