Welcome to the first weekend of Spring! We’ve had some drizzly days and pockets of sunshine. There’s a patch of snowdrops blooming in our backyard that’s making me so happy. The warmer seasons are slow to start where I live in southern Ontario, so I tend to savour the first early signs. The first day of sunshine and warmth with birds in the trees is borderline intoxicating for me haha.

I hope that you’ve been keeping well lately. My lower back/hip has been acting up, so this weekend is all about finding nourishment and calm in different ways. I haven’t been taking the best care recently, and truthfully that’s just life sometimes! I’m feeling those seasonal vibes of renewal, and am hoping to get some rest and to eat my vegetables with extra vigour over the next couple days 😉 .

Here’s the usual assortment of reads, things I’m enjoying, and some of your questions below. Be good to yourself!

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. I’ve Had It with Stunt Ice Cream Flavors
2. Nick Cave on the Fragility of Life
3. Just started: Wherever You Go, There You Are
4. We need the right kind of climate optimism
5. How To Start Your Own Garden–Even If Your Yard Is Tiny

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. We’re trying to train our one dog Cleo to “wipe” her mouth after taking a drink of water. She is the messiest drinker I’ve seen, leaving full-on puddles by the water dish every time haha. So far, she’s a bit confused but enjoys getting her treat after 😊 . We were inspired by this cutie on TikTok.
2. This “Reiki Healing” playlist has been the soundtrack to my showers and baths lately.
3. Rewatching the last season of Succession in preparation for season 4 starting on Sunday (!!!)
4. Loved this interview with Seth Rogen on Diary of a CEO
5. All of my gnarly and greasy metal baking sheets look brand new after very lightly scrubbing with hot soapy water and my new Scrub Daddy. I’m late to the party, but I swear by this sponge.

5 Questions:

1. Do you have any tips or resources for cleaning the cloudiness out of an upright blender pitcher? My well used and loved Vitamix just doesn’t shine the way it used to.
   I just use a baking soda paste on mine with a few drops of lemon essential oil. Then I really scrub it with either a rag or the Scrub Daddy sponge. After that, I rinse and wash the pitcher/blade with hot soapy water. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done for me. Also putting the clean pitcher out in full sun on a hot day seems to fade discolouration and spots as well.
2. Tips on knife sharpening?
   I recommend investing in a whetstone (I have this one) and learning how to use it via YouTube! This video is extremely thorough and takes you through the steps. The first couple times that you do it, it will feel awkward and like you’re wrecking the knife. But with consistency, you’ll get the hang of it and you’ll look forward to how super sharp the knife is immediately afterward. Sharp knives are safe knives!
3. Is your whole family vegan? Partner, parents etc?
   Nope, it’s just me doing the plant-based thing! My mom is not a big meat eater, so when we’re having meals together, her and I will usually do a plant-based main while the others have meat, and we all share sides. My partner loves and eats pretty much anything, so he has no issues with my cooking :). Sometimes at extended family gatherings, this can be a bit challenging! But I usually offer to bring something or have a hearty snack ahead of time.
4. Do you like to travel? I feel like I always see you at your cozy home or on your daily walk.
   I do really like to travel, but it’s somewhat difficult to do at this stage of our life. Our one dog (Mickie) gets a bit of separation anxiety. We have a whole ritual that we go through when my partner and I are both leaving the house for a few hours, which helps her a lot. If we have to be out for 5-6 hours, we’ll drop her at my parents house typically and she’s great with that (and also she’s respectful of their dog’s space). The older of our dogs (Cleo) is not friendly with other dogs or people, but can be on her own for 5-6 hours at a time (we rarely do this). Both of the dogs eccentricities combined kind of limit our options unfortunately. It would honestly be a dream to find a dog/house sitter that would work out for them. In the meantime we do dog-friendly trips when we can. Luckily they both enjoy a long car ride :)
5. A few fave easy snacks?
   I always try to have fiber, fat, and a bit of protein with my snacks. Some favourites include: cut veggies with any type of dip (hummus, red pepper dip, my dill pickle dip etc), sliced apples with nut butter and a little sprinkle of hemp seeds, pitted dates with nut butter and a little sea salt/chocolate chips, a mini smoothie with frozen fruit and a scoop of plant-based protein, Ryvita/crisp bread with nut butter/some type of savoury dip and toppings, and Haumana Bars are a staple for me too (you can get 20% off your order with Haumana with my code: thefirstmess).