Meatless March

I recently got a clear indicator that Things Have Changed. Of course, I'd noticed that we're gathering more and masking less since COVID vaccination has increasingly brought the pandemic under control, but it all hit home when my backup dancer came down with a cold. It is merely a common cold: to be on the safe side, I took her to the doctor, and she tested negative for COVID and strep. The only remarkable thing about it is how long it has been since her last cold, because we were isolated for so long, protected from germs of all sorts. It is a sniffly milestone on the pandemic journey, and an uncomfortable reminder that even as viruses are being shared again, we still don't know when kids her age will be eligible for COVID vaccination. Here's a recipe that might help compensate for the misery of sore throats, stuffy noses, and vaccine-ineligible children: vegan " Rocky Road Cookies " (The Colorful Kitchen). I did not bother making it gluten-free, and instead

" Vegan White Chili " (Ve Eat Cook Bake) is easy. While it's not much to look at, I found it plenty flavorful despite my substitution of almonds for cashews. The almond paste didn't work great, but it sufficed And dig this substitution: I didn't have juniper berries (who does?) so I used gin instead of wine to deglaze the pan. I'm feeling pretty smug about that stroke of brilliance. Consider making the chili for Vegan Vednesday. My approach to cooking and baking is similar to my approach to flower gardening: You try something, and if it doesn't work out, you try something different later (and order a pizza in the meantime). The basics of my garden were "installed" in 2016, and I have been experimenting on it ever since. 2016 This week Today, it has matured to the point where all the plants seem super-sized, or perhaps I have shrunk. I love the garden so much. When I'm not outside admiring it, I often walk over to a window to gaze upon it thro

I am obsessed with getting new life out of old things. The goal is zero waste: Get as close as you possibly can to wasting nothing! Bear with me for a moment; the desserts will be your reward. One way to minimize your waste is buy repairing things rather than buying replacements. My community hosts occasional " Repair Cafes " where you can bring your busted items and volunteer experts will try to fix them, for free.  It is exhilarating to show up with something that has been sitting broken on a shelf for months, and leave with a functioning item again. At the last Repair Cafe, I got a couple items of jewelry fixed, and a bike repair guy fixed the brake on the stroller we used long ago for my backup dancer.  That stroller has seen more action than your usual stroller. It used to commute daily between our apartment in Jersey City and a daycare in New York. It also travelled - it has been packed into planes, trains, and automobiles, and buses too.  Nine years ago, almost to the

We were invited to a small outdoor block party this past weekend to say goodbye to some friends who are moving away. It was such a breath of fresh air to catch up with people we had not seen in person since the Before Times, and the adults were unmasked! Noses and teeth are back, baby! Early on in the festivities, displaying the grace for which I am known, I knocked a glass bottle of tabasco sauce off a table, shattering it and splattering orange liquid everywhere, including on my pants and shoe. A couple of friends picked up a gigantic water dispenser and proposed to pour water down my leg. Their enthusiasm was infectious (might masks have prevented that?), and in the spirit of the occasion, I consented to the pouring. Then I was wet AND adorned with tabasco sauce, but the laugh was worth it. Later, a conversation with my friend Joe turned to my blog. I relayed how I had recently looked through some old posts, like this one , and I lamented that lately I've lost the fun spirit of