Happy Saturday to you. We’re in for a lot of rain and indoor time around these parts. Perfect conditions for getting a start on Spring cleaning and a few other tasks that I’ve been putting off. We’re also visiting with our brand new niece this weekend!

Last week we said goodbye to our friend Maggie (photo below). Folks that have been following me for a long time may remember my family’s dog Maggie and her fun personality that I would share in Instagram posts here and there. She was a sweetie and true companion for 14 years. I miss hearing her little tippy taps greeting me at the door when visiting family and the millions of kisses she would give out. We never get enough time with our furry friends 🥺

The usual weekly offerings below for you. Take care of yourselves and each other out there 🫶🏻

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. How I Built Community By Starting a Buy-Nothing Group In My NYC Apartment via The Good Trade
2. Comedy’s Most Erudite Buffoon via The Atlantic
3. Social Media Is an Outrage Machine — Here’s How to Avoid Getting Caught in Its Trap via Teen Vogue
4. The forgotten art of squatting is a revelation for bodies ruined by sitting via Quartz
5. Sit, Stay, Say Goodbye via The New York Times (gift link)

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. A very helpful companion planting chart from one of my favorite veg gardeners to follow on Instagram.
2. Pretty sure I linked Mel Robbins’ podcast last week, but this episode (“a wake-up call that will forever change the way you see your phone, your attention, and your time”) was major for me, so we’re sharing again this week.
3. Excited to listen to Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
4. Making my favorite no-knead focaccia this weekend.
5. Not a thing I can link to, but I’ve really taken to just drinking my coffee in the morning with no phone, book, magazine, or amusements of any kind. I just sit with one or both of the dogs in a chair and look out the window. Mind you I drink the first one very quickly haha. I’ve noticed that so many activities and tasks in my life involve detours/interruptions courtesy of the many distractions on my phone or iPad and want to lessen their influence in my life.

5 Questions:

1. What is your favorite homegrown herb?
   Cilantro is one that I really notice the difference in homegrown vs store bought. It’s just more citrus-y and lively tasting. I think I’m weird in that I can be on the fence about cilantro depending on the application (most folks seem to love or hate it). When I grow it myself though, I 100% love it. I wish I was better at growing cilantro and getting consistent harvests all summer though! I don’t have this trouble with any other herb. If any pro gardeners out there have tips, I’d love to read them in the comments 😉
2. I really want to become an avid gardener. What are your best gardening resources and tips?
   I am not an avid gardener at all! I embrace it like I embrace everything: with a beginner’s mentality. Making mistakes and having things not work out is how you learn and with gardening, it can be pretty low stakes. Everything I’ve learned has been from my parents (both excellent gardeners) and through trial and error in my own explorations. I do a TON of googling! I also follow lots of truly avid gardeners on Instagram, like @youcandoitgardening, @gardenanswer, @urbanfarmandkitchen, @deannacat3, @frontyardveggies, @ladylandscape, and of course queen Martha!
3. Do you have a matcha powder that you love? Maybe different types for different uses?
   I only ever drink matcha in latte form or rarely use it in a smoothie. I don’t really drink straight up matcha or use it in my baking at all. So for the uses I mentioned, I love: Aikenka Matcha, Ippodo Tea’s matcha selections, and Lake & Oak Tea’s matcha powder as well. Let me disclose that I am not a matcha connoisseur, but can appreciate when it has a clean, grassy, lightly vegetal taste.
4. Any benefits to freezing tofu? If so, how do you work with it once thawed?
   Yes, definitely benefits! The pockets of water in tofu blocks expand upon freezing. Upon thawing you get denser, chewier, more spongy texture that is really pleasant! All the little holes created by the expanding frozen water make the tofu more susceptible to a flavorful marinade as well! A go-to method for me: freeze a whole block of firm tofu (in its packaging, no need to be fussy), thaw it out, apply a marinade, dust marinated pieces with arrowroot/cornstarch and a bit of oil and air fry until crispy.
5. Are you doing any spring cleaning? If so, what’s that looking like for you?
   Yep! I usually switch out my winter clothes and sort a few for donation/the rag pile in the process. We really need to clean out our garden shed, clean the tools, and organize everything in there. Some squirrels/other critters got in there this winter and made a bit of a mess haha. I’m going to check all my spices and other pantry goods, and clean those areas up a bit. I like to go thorugh my makeup and skincare this time of year too and check expiry dates/purge what I’m not using. Our garage needs a big spring clean( or borderline total overhaul if I’m being honest). I also do a deep clean on the barbecue and Blackstone to get ready for grilling season. Beyond that, not much! I generally keep the house pretty clean because I find mess distracting, so the spring jobs aren’t too daunting.

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. Tangy Four Bean Salad with Rosemary & Roasted Peppers
2. Blackberry Glazed Tofu with Black Pepper & Chili
3. Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Skillet with Pesto, Lentils & Broccoli Rabe
4. Fresh Shredded Snap Pea Salad with Lemon & Mint
5. Moist Vegan Carrot Muffins