By Two weeks to release. The World-Herald piece reprinted in the Omaha Grower's Gazette (a trucker's trade publication) on Tuesday. Sarah said preorders doubled again. Three radio stations want interviews. A podcast called "The Road Ahead" that a trucker I respect listens to wants me on. I am saying yes to everything that fits the schedule. I am not saying yes to TV. Sarah asked me about a morning show in Omaha. I said no. She said, "Brenda. It would help the book." I said, "Sarah. I am not TV." She said, "Okay." She heard me. That is Sarah.
Easter is April 17 this year. Two days before release. The family is coming — full spread, pews and hams, the whole thing. Gayle, Steve and Louise, Hannah and Mark and Ella (she is 3 now, and terrifying), and us. Thirteen at the table. I am going to make the ham and the scalloped potatoes and deviled eggs (a whole dozen, twelve halves, easy) and Gayle's rolls and green beans with almond slivers and a lemon bar tray for dessert plus the chocolate sheet cake because Dee — wait, Dee is not born yet; Dee will not be born until 2031; I keep confusing my timelines — because the sheet cake is what we do.
Drove a Lincoln run Tuesday. Drove an Omaha run Thursday-Friday. The Omaha run was long because I went on the radio Friday morning while there — KFAB, a morning show, 15 minutes. The host, a woman named Tamara Little, had read the book already. She asked me about Darla within four minutes. I told her. My voice stayed steady. I came out of the studio and sat in my truck in the parking lot and breathed for ten minutes. Then I drove home. I do this now. I talk about my sister on the radio. I am a writer who talks about her sister on the radio. I am 44 years old. Everything is new.
Tyler has been sneaking the book into his backpack to school. I found it in there when I was fishing out his lunchbox. He has been showing it to his shop teacher. I did not know this. The shop teacher, Mr. Kinney, called me Monday to say he had read the whole thing and would I come talk to his class in May? I said yes. I am going to talk to high school boys about cooking in a truck cab. In a high school classroom. In Grand Island, Nebraska. The universe is not subtle about what it wants me to do now. I am doing it.
Sunday supper: lasagna, garlic bread, a salad. The kids wanted lasagna. I wanted pot roast. The kids won. That is my life. I am happy they won.
The kids called it—lasagna, no debate, no appeals—and honestly, I was too happy to fight it. Thirteen at Easter and a table of four on a regular Sunday, and the answer is always the same: feed them what they want and make something warm to go alongside it. These Small Batch Popovers have become my go-to when I need bread on the table fast and I’m not in the mood to fuss. They come out golden and hollow and just a little dramatic, which felt about right for a week where I talked about Darla on the radio and let the universe tell me exactly what it wants me to do next.
Small Batch Popovers
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 38 min | Total Time: 48 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat hard. Place a 6-cup popover pan or standard muffin tin in the oven and preheat to 450°F. The pan must be hot before the batter goes in—this is what gives you the rise.
- Make the batter. Whisk eggs and milk together until fully combined. Add flour and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth with no visible lumps. Stir in the melted butter. The batter will be thin—that’s correct.
- Rest the batter. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven finishes preheating. Do not skip this.
- Grease and fill. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven using oven mitts. Brush each cup generously with butter—it should sizzle on contact. Pour batter into each cup, filling about 3/4 full.
- Bake without peeking. Return pan to oven and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 15–18 minutes, until popovers are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Release and serve. Remove from oven and immediately pierce the side of each popover with a sharp knife to let steam escape. Tip them out of the pan and serve right away. They collapse if they sit—bring them to the table while they’re still puffed and proud.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 128 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0.5g | Sodium: 218mg