The Pressure Paradox & Fresh Pasta
Making time, one hour at a time
Let me tell you something strange: I get some of my best work done on the weekends. Yes, the weekends. When the house is loud, the schedule is full, and everyone is home.
You’d think it’d be hard to find the time. But ironically, weekends are when I make the most of my limited time—because I’m intentional about it. Between sports, errands, birthday parties (so many birthday parties), and the kind of playdates that feel like social survival drills, our weekends are packed.
But I know that going in. Every Friday night, I go to bed with a running mental list, strategically carving out time to write, test recipes, or catch up on the admin tasks I let slip during the week.
The time I do find is usually in short bursts—early mornings, nap time, or after bedtime. Just an hour here or there. But somehow, those weekend hours are two to three times more productive than anything I manage Monday through Friday. I call it the “pressure paradox.” There’s something about knowing I’ve got exactly one hour to make progress that kicks me into overdrive.
Is it sustainable? Probably not. But for now, it’s working.
Here’s what I got done this weekend:
Saturday
Wrote 1,107 words
Researched the Chicago Outfit (for book two)
Retested a fresh pasta recipe with my new KitchenAid attachment
Sunday
Wrote 857 words (just under my 1,000/day goal)
Picked up The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza at Barnes & Noble (research!)
Tested a recipe for bibimbap
Whether you're writing, cooking, or just trying to stay ahead of your to-do list, I hope you find your own “pressure paradox” moment this week—that sweet spot where focus and purpose meet.
Until next time,
Stephanie
✍️ Writer of love stories and messy lives
🍴 Home cook on a mission
📚 Currently reading: The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
Fresh Pasta Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a nest (I use a large metal bowl to contain everything, but you do you). Add the eggs, olive oil, and salt to the center and use a fork to gently break up the eggs, keeping the flour walls intact as best as you can. Use your hands to gently bring the flour inward to incorporate. Continue working the dough with your hands to bring it together into a shaggy ball.
Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. At the beginning, the dough should feel pretty dry, but stick with it! It might not feel like it’s going to come together, but after 8-10 minutes of kneading, it should become cohesive and smooth. If the dough still seems too dry, sprinkle your fingers with a tiny bit of water to incorporate. If it’s too sticky, dust more flour onto your work surface. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Dust 2 large baking sheets with flour and set aside.
Slice the dough into four pieces. Gently flatten one into an oval disk. Run the dough through the Pasta Roller Attachment or a pasta maker three times on level 1 (the widest setting).
Set the dough piece onto a countertop or work surface. Fold both short ends in to meet in the center, then fold the dough in half to form a rectangle.
Run the dough through the pasta roller three times on level 2, three times on level 3, and one time each on levels 4, 5, and 6.
Lay half of the pasta sheet onto the floured baking sheet and sprinkle with flour before folding the other half on top. Sprinkle more flour on top of the second half. Every side should be floured so that your final pasta noodles won't stick together.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Find original recipe at Love and Lemons.