Love is in the... clench

(Episode 4, “With love, Meghan” - Love is in the Details)

I’m getting back to this, finally. To remind you, I am watching “With love, Meghan” and without much planning or forethought or anything, blogging my “live” reactions. And as an extra special reminder, I am not doing this because I have some animus for Meghan: I do not. I don’t think she’s bad or evil or mean. I think she’s a little awkward (helllo, it me), has a lot of money, possibly not super realistic ideas, and needs a haircut. These are my opinions. Yours may be different. Her show is new, kind of not great, and I need practice writing. It’s been a while. So hop on board, let’s go.

The show starts with “Don’t Fence Me In” playing over scenes of what I assume is Montecito (damn it’s pretty! When are we going?), and Meghan in the - surprise! - kitchen.

Whoever is singing this cover (it can’t be Bing, right?) has a really nice voice. It reminds me of this dude I follow on Instagram who plays the cello and has a beautiful, haunting voice. He covers songs from all genres, and I really enjoy his posts. Check out his website (hey, I sound just like I did in 2006! Hello Readers!).

Meghan tells about her “dear friend” Delfi while she’s manhandling some jars and talking about making “sun tea.” My mom used to make this, I think? Mom didn’t use dehydrated citrus or make her own sachets.

I really need to know who’s covering “Don’t Fence Me In”!

I absolutely hate this feature of the dude from the crew (the director?) talking to her from offstage. If you want her to talk about her childhood or her process of making sun tea, LET THE GUESTS INTERACT WITH HER. Who is this guy??

Meghan’s tea bag floating in the mason jar looks like a baby octopus.

Oh sweet, she’s making tea bags for her buddy Delfi, who she knows because their husbands play polo together. Her husband’s name is “Nacho,” and I love that, I’ve never met a guy named Nacho who wasn’t like, my third cousin in jail.

Ah, she’s making “mate”! Yeah, I watched “Mozart in the Jungle”! My husband went through a mate phase. I was not a fan.

Oh, and she’s making dog biscuits. She puts on a perfect white apron and I wish she’d pull her hair back. Her doggo is cute.

OK, see, her having to point out that she’s using filtered water “of course” in the dog biscuits, yeah, it’s kind of annoying. I don’t think even Martha points out that it of course must be filtered water in the whatever. Martha would point out that she’s using the BEST flour, or that the eggs were hatched this morning by her very own chickens, but filtered water? It’s Montecito, Meghan, not Fresno (I visited Cal Matters for information about the worst tap water in California).

I’ve watched enough cooking shows to know that real bakers prefer French rolling pins. (If you’re ever shopping for a present for me and want to get me something totally cool that I would never buy for myself, I’d like a French rolling pin from Vic Firth. Thanks!) Well, maybe that’s all they had in the rental house.

That’s a really beautiful oven! Aren’t expensive things lovely?

Now she’s making raspberry preserves for her buddy Delfi, and she’s breaking the rules man!

Is it possible to be awkward but also totally confident at the same time? She just feels so tight, so anxious, so clenched. I’m not relaxed watching this. I don’t trust her to be an expert in the things she’s telling me. I don’t want to make sun tea, dammit.

Did she say the dog biscuits are for her own dog, or her friend’s dog? Oh, Delfi’s dog, She’s going to present them in a little jar, which is cute, but the ratty beige bow she ties around it looks like it was made out of that janky fabric that covers the underside of your couch, the one my cats have totally ripped so that they can get up in there and hide.

Her dog is REALLY cute.

Her friend Delfi is very pretty and her accent is sexy. I had no idea I liked an Argentinian accent. This is something I wish I’d known 30 years ago.

Ugh, even I am bored by this episode. SO MUCH BEIGE.

They should talk more about speaking Argentinian Spanish (oh and the background music turned all Latin-y) or Meghan’s time living in Argentina.

Meghan does this thing of talking to her friend but looking at the camera. There’s just nothing natural about her, and I know she was an actress (I tried watching “Suits” but couldn’t get into it), but there’s so much TRYING here. Delfi is much more natural on camera.

They go on a hike, and HOLY SHIT IT’S BEAUTIFUL WHEREVER THEY ARE.

OK, them dancing on the trail is pretty cute.

Now we’re making “lavender towels” and I had no idea I needed lavender towels! Oh wait, it involves essential oils, and ever since I learned that most essential oils are toxic to cats, I stopped using it. I’d like to try out a lavender towel so if you make some and want to let me try them, that’s cool, but I won’t be making them myself.

Meghan and Delfi are in their 3rd outfits and we’re only 20 minutes in.

I know the Le Creuset pans are annoying to some people but the one they’re making the foccacia in is pretty. And it looks really nice when it’s done.

I like the way Delfi talks about her kids.

So, hey, I’d eat this pasta dish with all the greens and lemon and cheese. And the charcuterie looks good too, but dude, even I can put a charcuterie board together. For two people? Easy peasy. I’d use red grapes, not green, though!

Meghan and Delfi wrap themselves in pretty beige wraps and take the food outside to hoard from the dog, Pula, who watches with sad, sad eyes.

Delfi points out that Meghan looked like she was most in her element when they were hiking, and I have to agree. It just feels more natural.

The music choices for this episode are weird.

It’s possible I was bored.