Because generosity is better when it's shared with a slice of cake — and her words stayed with me.
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Ana’s work lives in that quiet, golden space where warm buttered cake meets personal growth.
One moment, you’re in her grandmother’s Balkan kitchen, inhaling citrusy steam from a childhood recipe; the next, you’re unravelling the emotional weight of digital validation and learning how to rebuild self-worth without the filter of social media.
She doesn’t just write about baking — she bakes to heal, to remember, to reconnect.
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Her new column Not Exactly Baking is full of simple, soulful recipes and stories that turn nostalgia into nourishment.
And her reflections on leaving Instagram behind are some of the most honest and tender I’ve read.
This is work that lingers.
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— Mark
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A little more on what this is all about here if you're curious:
☕️ Don’t Buy Me a Coffee — Buy One for Ana
Each week I feature a writer whose work has earned more than just a like.
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This week:
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Not Exactly Ana
📖 https://notexactlyana.substack.com
💸 https://buymeacoffee.com/notexactlyana
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Why?
Because generosity is better when it's shared with a slice of cake — and her words stayed with me.
ㅤ
Ana’s work lives in that quiet, golden space where warm buttered cake meets personal growth.
One moment, you’re in her grandmother’s Balkan kitchen, inhaling citrusy steam from a childhood recipe; the next, you’re unravelling the emotional weight of digital validation and learning how to rebuild self-worth without the filter of social media.
She doesn’t just write about baking — she bakes to heal, to remember, to reconnect.
ㅤ
Her new column Not Exactly Baking is full of simple, soulful recipes and stories that turn nostalgia into nourishment.
And her reflections on leaving Instagram behind are some of the most honest and tender I’ve read.
This is work that lingers.
ㅤ
— Mark
ㅤ
A little more on what this is all about here if you're curious:
https://therealmarkc.substack.com/p/dont-buy-me-a-coffee?r=2wzy9e
This gave me chills.
Wonderful in the chilliest of possible ways. Thank you so much for your comment Moll.
Tried to think how 18th century pistols could form a part of dystopian tech but not quite figured out that one yet 😆
Well, if and when you do, I’m all agog!
🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
Thanks Mahmoud!