68 Comments
User's avatar
Samantha Greene Woodruff's avatar

Your sour cream village should meet my shredded cheese township and Ice cream valley. So many open containers of the same thing. But that's the fun of it, no? Which one will be opened to reveal mold growing on top? Which one might have a smear of salsa? Love you on substack!

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

I love you all over the place, and yes the shredded cheese township is alive and well here too!

Expand full comment
Monica's avatar

Oh my gosh, I so relate to your refrigerator! 😂 I have a cracker corner stuffed with 6 open bags of crackers... And a freezer full of compost that the husband cannot get behind unless he's throwing it out. Which he did before I woke up this morning. I texted him and declared YOU WILL NOT WIN THE COMPOST WAR. Trust and believe he will not. We've been at this for 17 years 😂

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

The Compost War is the best thing i've ever heard. Hands down.

Expand full comment
Jen O’Connor's avatar

😂😂 I feel like this could be an episode (at least) of Modern Family.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

It could! And they'd each be guilty of hoarding some random thing. Writes itself!

Expand full comment
Jen O’Connor's avatar

The next time I see you at SSC I will introduce myself. Always afraid I will fangirl and get the big eye roll from other diners.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Come on! You’d better Jen!

Expand full comment
Jennah Fox's avatar

Your description of Welcome to Murder Week had me running to add it to my goodreads!

Expand full comment
Jennah Fox's avatar

Also...not even really sure what substack is but you're here so I'm here!

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

And LOL! I don't know what it is either but we'll figure it out together

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

It's so good Jennah, i can't even describe it

Expand full comment
Kat S.'s avatar

My Parmesan Cheese Pavilion is alive and well. Can I get more shavings out of that last chunk that is basically entirely the rind? Only time will tell but for now, we’d better leave it in its plastic bag and use the new block right next to it instead. Let the mystery marinate for a while. No sense in spoiling the fun until at least 3 more blocks of Parmesan cheese have moved into the neighborhood and paid their cheese tax. I like to think of the last chunks of cheese as the wise elderly citizens of the Pavilion. They’ve been around the block a few times, they’ve seen some shit. Oh the secrets those little old rinds hold…

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

I am laughing so hard. The tiny little bags of just the dregs of the parmesan, i feel like those elderly citizens some days

Expand full comment
Kat S.'s avatar

Same here, specifically on Mondays 😂

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Especially! Watch this space for a full report on parsley liquified in a plastic bag because i forgot why i bought it

Expand full comment
Kat S.'s avatar

I am cackling. Liquified parsley is both disgusting and hysterical. Definitely the lesser of the herb family.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

It’s the sad drunk member of the herb family!

Expand full comment
Carol Johnson's avatar

Just finished Summer Romance 🤌 Your humor and writing style is quintessential modern romance to me…who else sees humor in the ordinary, sour cream village that’s so relatable! Looking forward to your new book in 2025…My new Erma Bombeck 🧡🤎

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

This is the kindest, most aspirational compliment. Thank you so much!

Expand full comment
Lane Patten's avatar

Yes. YES, YES, YES. I make the grocery list (after all we don't want to run out) and my husband follows behind taking things off (we already have four bottles of ketchup, and did I remember that our ketchup eater moved to Chicago for college four years ago?). Sigh. Twenty six years of this and we still laugh too. We're too invested at this point not to.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Honestly, this is the ONLY WAY! You'll be married another 26 years for sure.

Expand full comment
Dawn Camp's avatar

At one point recently, I had four cartons of heavy whipping cream. I'm down to two. When an ingredient is so crucial to your existence, you can't take chances, right? I finished the second draft of my first novel this week and I've written about 2K words of another. I've worried it wouldn't flow so easily again, so this gives me hope. ♥️

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

That's so exciting! (Not the whipping cream, that's a nightmare) Yes, keep going on that second book, i think sometimes it really helps put the first one in perspective. Plus, you're already in shape for writing. If i stop for too long it's hard to start again. Good luck!

Expand full comment
Chiara's avatar

This post is so heartwarming it made me smile ❤️❤️❤️

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Thank you!

Expand full comment
Annissa Armstrong's avatar

We have a Salsa Village..lots of different spice levels!! Love the 4 books covers together and can’t wait to read IT’S A LOVE STORY!! Welcome to the substack world!!!

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

The thing about Salsa Village is that's the music's usually good. Enjoy! (And thank you, i love seeing them all together too, just can't believe. it)

Expand full comment
Meg Dallas Edwards's avatar

I have done this very thing quite a few times. We have a surprising amount of bags of cumin. Also, icing sugar ( which I use about once a year). I am inspired to order your first book, and I wil tomorrow, if I remember! I need more cheerful and funny in my life. And I am even going to try to live better, I swear. Less worrying, more writing, lighter heart. Thank you for being inspiring.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Meg, the icing sugar is no joke! You make a cake and you're so sure you have all the ingredients but then - no icing sugar. This must have happened to me once, because now i buy boxes and boxes and make zero cakes. Yes please to moving toward the more cheerful and funny things this year. Cheers to lighter hearts all around!

Expand full comment
M K Worthington's avatar

Hello citizens of Sour Cream Village! I’m from the land of Parchment Paper and Aldi Everything but the bagel jalapeño seasoning. I love the idea of laughing at my husband’s foibles. And his laughing at mine. I will read him your prose and see if we can agree to this bit of wisdom.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Marriage counseling is my side hustle now. (And the parchment paper problem is real around here too)

Expand full comment
Keris Fox's avatar

I don’t understand authors who don’t like first drafts. It’s just making stuff up! You can write anything! Making it make sense (and not just be pages and pages of banter and kissing) is the hard part.

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

This is how i feel. I just wrote a scene on a boat and started to get queasy so now they're in a restaurant. That'll make sense later.

Expand full comment
Lindsay Sword's avatar

So happy to find you here! I love your books and just preordered It’s A Love Story, which comes out the before my birthday (a big one)! Can’t wait to read it and your writing here!

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Thank you so much. That makes me feel so good in this new unfamiliar place! Can't wait to wish you a happy birthday in May.

Expand full comment
Fran Hauser's avatar

So happy you're here! I'm new to Substack, too! xx

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Hi! Let's figure it out together. You go first

Expand full comment
panda53's avatar

For us, it's sauerkraut! The jars enjoy a convention in the ring a round cupboard. Who would have thought!

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Ok, i never saw this coming. Sauerkraut Central?

Expand full comment
Marcia Francois's avatar

Loved your newsie! Also envious of your personality (I lean more accountant - I have an Instagram account called…wait for this…OrganisingQueen) and all those eggs in the fridge (I have twin teens and no matter how often we buy eggs, there are always only two left!)

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Marcia, when my kids are all home (they're grown) i go through a dozen eggs every day! Have you read Summer Romance? It's about a professional organizer. I admire your skills SO MUCH

Expand full comment
Marcia Francois's avatar

I have read ALL your books and Summer Romance was my favourite!

Expand full comment
Annabel Monaghan's avatar

Oh yay! Thank you!

Expand full comment