We’re in for a rainy weekend, so I’m trying to wrap up this edition quickly on Friday! I’ve got a few things to plant and I need to add a ton of dirt to my potato planters. I also need to finish my front door planter, which is always a challenge because it’s a tall, slim rectangle positioned in dark shade and I just never know what to do with it! I need something with height, something bushy, and something that will hang out the front of the pot. I might try splitting some pretty blue hosta that I have as the bushy thing, which I’ll then move to a bed in the fall. Beyond that, I’m stumped! If you have suggestions, I’m all ears.

The smell of my neighbor’s lilac is blowing in through the screened window of our office right now and it is just so heavenly. I’m gonna leave it there so that I can go get some sunshine on my face. Take care and have a good one!

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. The Feed is Fake via Vulture (non-paywalled link)
2. The Very Real Benefits of Tai Chi Walking via The New York Times (gift link)
3. How Our Grandmothers Made Us and Saved Us via Orion Magazine
4. How ‘Seabird Sue’ Blends Art and Science to Attract Birds Back to Lost Habitat via Smithsonian Magazine
5. Lichen Incognita via Chasing Nature on Substack

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Trying milk brew coffee this weekend! With homemade nut milk of course and a dab of vanilla extract because I can’t resist.
2. Adulthood!
3. This new instrumental project from members of Animal Collective: Croz Boyce
4. Trying this vertical method for my zucchini plants this year. Would love to hear from folks that have tried this! Trying to save space and plant as much as possible, so this strategy looks promising.
5. A weird one, but I got my hair cut last week and my stylist mentioned that I had some gray hairs popping up all along the back of my scalp (visible with my hair up) and I felt an unexpected sense of relief and happiness. The passage of time! It’s a privilege to age! The last time I got color/highlights was in the winter and I think I’m done on that for good. Something about feeling more self-assured and embodied as I get older kind of thrills me when I think about how my hair will keep changing.

5 Questions:

1. What’s something you’re really excited for?
   Just the idea of spending the summer hanging out in my garden, drinking a coffee in the morning while I examine my veggie beds (still in my PJs of course), reading a book in the shade of the trees, taking my meditations out there, cooking outside all the time etc. I used to dread the summertime because we were always so busy, but we’ve been dialing it back the last couple years and now I actually look forward to it.
2. Do you have a favorite way to use up a big bunch of fresh herbs before they go bad?
   Vegan pesto and salsa verde are obvious ones! I also love to incorporate more tender herbs into a salad as part of the greens–think: basil, dill, parsley, and cilantro. You can also chop up hardier herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage) and pop portions into ice cube trays, cover them with a bit of olive oil, and then freeze! Pop the cubes out once they’re set and store in a seal-able bag or container in the freezer. Then they’re ready when you are (for up to 6 months). Another alternative is to dry the hardy herbs and incorporate them into a seasoning salt or spice blend.
3. What’s something small you do every day that genuinely makes you feel better?
   I drink a big glass of water before I have coffee! This is my longest running good habit and I will never stop! It is simple, costs almost nothing, and it makes me feel good.
4. What’s your approach to meal planning in the warmer months?
   It’s definitely pared down. Every week, I make a bean/lentil/grain (or combination of all 3) salad that I can scoop out and add more stuff to for a quick lunch–I can share these on Instagram if folks are open to seeing them as a jumping off point; not a full on recipe. For the week, I’ll also make a sauce or salad dressing that’s versatile enough to incorporate across different meals. I make sure that I have my breakfast stuff ready to go (usually just washing and storing whatever seasonal fruit I’m in the mood to blend into a smoothie that week), and that’s about it. I’m cooking by feel a lot more this time of year–basing our meals on what’s in the garden or what I picked up at the farmer’s market. I do clean and prep these items so that they’re ready to go!
5. What would you make if you were hosting a vegan BBQ?
   See the seasonal recipe selections for this week below! ;)

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. Grilled Cabbage “Steaks” with Jalapeño Chimichurri
2. 25-Minute Fresh Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad
3. Our Favorite Picnic Salad with Potatoes & White Beans
4. Minty Cucumber Limeade
5. Vegan Dill Pickle Dip