Hello and welcome to the weekend. We’re helping out with a family event, going out for brunch, and also covering all of our garden beds with mulch–8 yards total! We’ll be busy and probably a bit sore come Monday haha.

I am plugging away at a new email subscriber bonus and switching over to a new email marketing provider. I have done this at least 5 times since I started my site and it’s always a bit of a project. As I sloooowly try to spend less time on social media, email is an absolutely vital tool to get the word out. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!

I have little shoots popping up from the carrots, beets and radishes that I planted recently. We have potatoes started in some old tree pots, and the radicchio is flourishing. Spring is spring-ing, finally.

Catch you back here next week! Take care in the meantime.

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. I Almost Lost My Mind in the Bridal Algorithm via 404 Media
2. Ask a Climate Therapist: Why should I plan for my future when I feel we don’t have one? via Grist
3. The Endless Wonder and Beautiful Uncertainty of Interstellar Comets via The Walrus
4. how to find meaning in ordinary days via milk & cookies on Substack
5. How I Broke Up With Amazon: A Practical Guide via In Joy on Substack

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Radical Neighbouring — The Farm Where Nothing is for Sale
2. The Moon Joy™️ continues! Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch reunites with her precious dog Sadie
3. Recently on my pal Jess’s podcast: Gardens That Can Save The World and A Noodle Obsession with Lottie Delamain (RHS Chelsea award-winning gardener)
4. Watching the final season of The Boys before my Prime membership runs out in May (never to be renewed again!!)
5. Making Zainab’s orange vanilla bean syrup for iced matcha latte season!

5 Questions:

1. What to look for when selecting a good brand of pasta?
   If I’m buying regular pasta (ie not protein-enhanced pasta), I look for bronze cut/bronze die extruded brands. This process makes for a rougher edge on the pasta, which in turn adds more silky starch to the finished product. The sauce just clings nicely to bronze cut pasta. I’m a big fan of Felicetti–their monograno line is a splurge, but the base line (originale) is also excellent. Also love the paper packaging.
2. What vegan items do you think really are best made from scratch vs ones you are ok using store bought?
   I think it’s worthwhile to make basics from scratch sometimes–just to understand the work and time involved! It just depends on how much time and energy you have available to devote to cooking in general. I make my own salad dressings, nut milk for my morning latte, and vegetable stock most of the time, but I buy tomato sauce 99% of the time. Sometimes I buy vegan cheese (like any variety from Nuts for Cheese) but most of the time I make my own because I want a bit more control over the flavor profile. Same goes for hummus and other dips–sometimes you find brands that are exceptional and just so good, but most of the time I skip it and make my own.
3. I was gifted a huge amount of grits (blue, white, red) as well as polenta. Most people seem to enjoy them with copious amounts of butter, cheese, a fried egg, shrimp etc – all non-vegan items. I’m looking for ideas beyond just ‘vegan butter.’ So far have had them topped with hummus, avocado, tahini, hot sauce, nooch, spinach – pretty basic. Curious if you have any ideas?
   My favorite way to enjoy polenta is to cook it up with stock and seasoning and then set it solid in a baking sheet in the fridge. Then I cut it up and pan fry the pieces until golden brown. From there I serve it with traditional tomato sauce, pesto, romesco, and veg/legumes on the side. I have to admit here that I do not cook with polenta/grits often. Maybe some folks can help us with some vegan ideas in the comments?
4. I noticed you’ve been incorporating sunflower oil lately. Is there any reason for that? Can I substitute a non-seed oil?
   I like using sunflower oil for baking because of the neutral flavor. It’s also easy to find brands that are 100% produced in Canada, which is a priority with my grocery shopping right now! I’ve also been going back to grape seed oil for salad dressings lately when I want a more neutral base that won’t turn solid in the fridge (also easy to find Canadian-sourced). For a baking substitution, you can do melted refined coconut oil. For vinaigrette, feel free to use olive oil–just be aware that it will be a bit more peppery and the finished salad dressing will go solid if stored in the fridge. You could use avocado oil in both the baking and salad dressings, but I honestly find it a little too expensive these days for those applications. I also am not 100% sure that it has a totally neutral flavor profile! Like I really notice it in a muffin batter–a bit grassy!
5. How do you fuel your 5 am workouts? I’m not hungry in the morning but definitely need something if I’m lifting.
   I struggle with this big time. I’ll get on a pre-workout snack that I love and then grow sick of it after a week like clockwork. I try get a little protein and carb in one little package. Here’s a sample of ones I’ve done in the past: whole grain cereal with soy milk, small serving of overnight oats with a bit of protein powder and soy milk, roasted Japanese sweet potato with almond butter, small protein shake and a couple pitted dates, rice cake with peanut butter and jam, a little protein pancake that I batch cook early in the week, or Simply Protein’s crispy bars (sometimes just half, sometimes the whole thing). I know a lot of people do bananas pre-workout (and I do love bananas), but they kind of make me feel sick first thing!!

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. Pickle Panzanella Salad
2. Creamy Dilly Beans & Peas
3. Herby Whipped White Beans with Smoky Mushrooms
4. Spice-Roasted Cauliflower in Coconut Tomato Sauce with Lentils
5. Gochujang Peanut Sweet Potato Salad with Green Beans