Hello and welcome to the weekend! It’s a long one here in Canada with the Victoria Day holiday on Monday. For my non-Canadian pals, it’s kind of the kickoff to summer (although the temps look chilly next week unfortunately). We are building raised vegetable garden beds this weekend and hopefully filling and planting them by the end of it all. I’m optimistic that we will get it done! We’re also heading to a baseball game and getting coffee with friends at our fave spot.

Once the veggie gardens are done, there’s only one more big job to get to, and that’s planting a hosta “boulevard” of sorts between our fence and the sidewalk. The stretch of land is currently a mess of invasive periwinkle, pachysandra and lily of the valley. We saw queen Martha’s hosta garden and thought it might be a workable solution for us since we have a ton of large hostas that need splitting anyway.

Hope that you’re taking care out there! Be well ♥️

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. Rebels with a Vase: Meet the Florists Taking on Big Flower via The Walrus
2. When your garden fails, the magic happens via Vox
3. The Power of a Quiet Life via Tricycle Magazine
4. Electrolyte Drinks Are Everywhere via Consumed on Substack
5. Why We’re Unlikely to Get Artificial General Intelligence Anytime Soon via The New York Times (gift link)

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. I listened to Dr. Stacy Sims’ episode on the Huberman Lab podcast recently and started fueling my lifting workouts with a simple 15-ish gram protein shake after hearing her recommendation in the episode. It’s been a game changer for me! I head to the gym for 6 and am generally not hungry at that hour. A little protein powder and water is fine though, and it’s made all the difference. As usual, Dr. Sims is a wealth of information on women’s health.
2. Studying up and planting accordingly: 23 Plants That Work to Repel Mosquitos in Your Backyard
3. Watching: Season 2 of The Rehearsal
4. Chef Chris Bianco on the Life & Thyme podcast
5. Dr. Peter Attia on The Science of Aging Well

5 Questions:

1. I know I shared this question last week, but a kind reader emailed me an excellent hack that I have since tried and now recommend (thanks Aimee!) Here it is again: Is there a hack for mixing up natural almond butter and keeping it mixed?
   I have a hack! Danielle Walker shared it originally – you take an electric mixer and put 1 beater in the jar and mix (hold the almond butter jar steady as you do so or you will have a huge mess on your hands). By some miracle, this actually fully incorporates the oils and it has always stayed that way for me!! I keep my nut butter in the pantry and use it up quite quickly, so I don’t know if that makes a difference.
2. Getting bored with work from home lunches lately. Any suggestions that are quick (preferably warm)?
   I’ve been buying bags of broccoli slaw/cabbage-carrot slaw and sauteing some of that up with edamame/chickpeas/shredded smoked tofu (sometimes all three!), a handful of chopped dark leafy greens and any leftover roasted veggies I might have around. Get it all warmed up in a big sauté pan, season it well with salt, pepper and any spices you like. I finish mine with any sauce I have on hand (sweet mustard dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, tahini sauce, cashew butter ranch, hot sauce, sky’s the limit). I have to say, it generally does look like slop in a bowl, but it’s always tasty, fast, and filling.
3. How to avoid crumbly cake? Struggling with this and other aspects of vegan baking.
   I highly, HIGHLY recommend the book The Elements of Baking. I have a lot of experience in vegan cooking and baking, and the information shared in this book has been incredibly valuable and actionable for me. Across all categories of bakes, Kat provides instructions on how to make recipes vegan or gluten-free. When I have to make a dessert, I generally prefer to find an Ina Garten, Sally’s Baking Recipes, or a New York Times recipe and vegan-ize it. This cookbook gives you the tools to do precisely that. Kat has so many incredible recipes on her blog The Loopy Whisk as well. I’m a big fan!
4. Who makes the best vegan vanilla ice cream that doesn’t taste like coconut?
   Love this question because we’re hopping into the season of local fruit desserts + ice cream. The cashewmilk one from So Delicious is ultra rich and widely available. It has a little bit of a nutty edge, but overall quite mild and super creamy. Here in Ontario, Farm Boy was selling an oat milk-based ice cream last summer that I quite enjoyed. The vanilla was pretty smooth!
5. Do you have a favorite bedtime/wind down drink?
   Classic Sleepytime Tea by Celestial Seasonings. The flavor is kind of a comfort to me now! I brew a 6 oz mug of it right after dinner. I know lots of folks do tart cherry-infused sleepy time mocktails and such, but I’m a fan of simplicity these days.

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. Spicy Vegan Watermelon Salad with Corn Nuts and Basil
2. Grilled Cauliflower Wedges with Tahini Yogurt & Sumac Onions
3. Pesto Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas
4. Crushed Beets with Chunky Olive & Mint Dressing
5. Easy Vegan Berry Cobbler