On Slowing Down, Scheduling Rest, [and a Reason to Make Spudnuts]
“Rest requires us to be who we are and nothing else.”
There’s been an unplanned, obvious lull in this space the last few months, and on certain days, it’s left me feeling frustrated. There are simply too many things I want to do in a day, and not enough time or enough of me to do them all. As fall began, I intended to write about the importance of rest in motherhood, but as it turned out, I needed to experience that rest myself before I could share about it. Go figure. This year has been teaching me lessons in gentleness toward myself, and November—this month set aside for gratitude—feels like the perfect time to share.
October felt packed, the kind of busy that fills weekends with travel and the weekdays with school and activities. My husband and I found ourselves meeting only in passing, usually in the kitchen under the last of the evening light. The days seemed both long and fleeting, with the crisp autumn air nudging its way against the windows and the early dark falling too soon. I realized then that the fullness had taken over; we were always moving, never stopping to catch our breath. It was time to slow down.
November has brought a needed quiet, a reprieve where Saturdays begin without an agenda. For us, the shift isn’t easy—my husband and I are planners, makers, doers—but something felt right about embracing a slower rhythm. Ski season will soon arrive, pulling us back into motion, but for now, we lean into this pause.
“Wasting time is foreign to the DNA of a culture that often values what we do over who we are. ”
Rest is a skill, and I want my children to learn it just as much as I want them to learn math or reading. I want them to know how to listen to the soft rustle of leaves outside, the way the wind whispers as it carries the last of autumn across the yard. I want them to practice quieting the noise—people, work, media—until they can hear themselves, and maybe even God, in the stillness.
So, for now, our family carves out time: at least an hour a day, 30 minutes of reading quietly and 30 minutes of solo activities like Legos, puzzles, or simply being outdoors. The only rule: you cannot interrupt another. It may sound strict, but it’s an invitation to hear the gentle spaces of the day, to let the noise fade and the quieter parts of life come into focus.
And sometimes, during these slower weekends, we make spudnuts. The process itself is a kind of rest—soft dough rising in a warm kitchen, flour covering little hands, and the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg wrapping around us. It’s a moment where we’re all together, and for a while, the noise and rush of the outside world fade.
So, as November unfolds and the air cools, I hope you, too, find moments of quiet. Embrace the pauses not as luxuries but as the gifts they truly are, and let the turning of the year invite you into rest.
If you want to make rest a way of living, read this inspiring practical guide to rest.
Rest doesn’t always have to look the same. Rest can be going for a long run, joining friends for coffee, plopping on the sofa with a good book.
Here’s a podcast episode on the 7 types of rest
Spudnuts
Yields about 12-16 spudnuts, plus doughnut holes
Adapted from Atlas Obscura
Ingredients
3–4 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 cups whole milk (as needed), plus 1/4 cup
1½ teaspoons yeast
½ cup warm water (approximately 110°F)
½ cup plus 1 pinch sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1 egg
½ teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
¼ teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon vanilla, plus 1 teaspoon
¾ teaspoon salt, plus 1 pinch
3 ½–4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
Canola, safflower, refined peanut oil, or melted shortening for frying
Glaze Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Peel and quarter the Yukon Gold potatoes, then place them in a saucepan and add enough milk to cover. Bring to a simmer and allow the potatoes to cook until they are completely tender (20min wasnt enough, be careful not to UNDERcook or you’ll have to use a stick blender to finish). Drain, reserving ½ cup scalded milk.
Mash the potatoes w/an immersion blender and/or a handheld masher and set aside. Allow the potatoes and milk to cool.
Wipe out the saucepan and add 6 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Cook, swirling regularly, until the butter smells fragrant and turns a deep shade of hazelnut. Allow the butter to cool.
While the butter browns, proof the yeast in the warm water with a pinch of sugar. Visible bubbles should form in the mixture after about 10 minutes.
Beat the egg in a large bowl, then add in the mashed potatoes, yeast mixture, milk, browned butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and spices and stir until thoroughly combined. Gradually add in enough flour to form a soft, shaggy dough. Don’t worry if the dough feels slightly sticky—it will be easier to handle after resting. Would recommend a stand mixer.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow the dough to rise for about 1 ½ hours. It won’t quite double in size, but it should be visibly puffed and smoother.
Generously flour a work surface, then place the dough on top and roll it out to approximately ¾ inch thick. Keep dusting with flour if the dough is sticking to the rolling pin.
Cut out the doughnuts by using two circular cutters that measures around
Larger shape: interior circle: 1.5in outside circle 3.5in
Smaller shape: interior circle: 1.25in outside circle 2.25in
Heat several inches of oil to 365–375°F in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. A candy or meat thermometer is helpful for keeping track of the temperature.
While the oil is heating, whisk together glaze ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth.
Prepare a baking sheet with a wire cooling rack on top.
Fry the spudnuts in a single layer of roughly three or four at a time for about one minute per side, or until dark golden brown. Flip using a slotted spoon. Once both sides are brown, gently lift the spudnuts onto the prepared wire rack to cool slightly.
When the spudnuts are just cool enough to handle, dip one side in the glaze, then return to the wire rack, allowing the excess to drip off.
Spudnuts are best eaten while still warm, but the mashed potatoes will keep them moist for up to two days.
