A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to make something that could bake along with the Honey Baked Lentils and could be eaten with them to add some Vitamin C to the meal to improve our absorption of the iron from the lentils. We didn't have any squashes to bake, but canned pumpkin is a staple … Continue reading Pumpkin Cornbread
About those newsbots…
I received a skeptical query in response to my recent article "When Robots Write the News":C'mon, those were in spam? They were too grammatical. The ones I get are usually the first several words of one sentence and the next several words of another, without regard to grammar.All of the text I quoted was lifted … Continue reading About those newsbots…
Our Green Christmas Tree
"How to have an enviro-friendly Christmas" seems to be a hot topic in the media this year, so I won't bother with an extensive list. I'll just describe one idea that is, as far as I know, unique: We don't use a real tree as our Christmas tree, nor do we have one of those … Continue reading Our Green Christmas Tree
Songs to soothe the savage baby
Nicholas had a very difficult first month: He wasn't used to being in this world outside me, he didn't understand the day-and-night thing, and when he was the slightest bit uncomfortable his immediate response was full-throttle shrieking. One thing I learned during that month--which has proven useful ever since--is that singing may calm him, and even … Continue reading Songs to soothe the savage baby
Potato-Turnip Thing
This is a great side dish for any food that is dry and/or bland, because you can dredge that food in the excess oil, and it's a healthy fat. Add sunflower seeds, nuts, tofu, tempeh, or nutritional yeast flakes (huh?) to make this a main dish. There are no measurements in this recipe because it's … Continue reading Potato-Turnip Thing
When robots write the news
Lately, my e-mail account at work has been receiving a lot of spam that consists of a block of text, a pornographic image, an ad for some drug, and then another block of text. It's become a routine yet surreal part of my day, being bombarded with porn while I'm trying to do my job. … Continue reading When robots write the news
New Realms of Reading
One day in August, Nicholas and I were walking past a pile of trash set at the curb in front of an apartment building when I noticed a huge anthology of "Peanuts" comics, clean and hardly used, on top of the pile. I immediately grabbed it to take home. Nicholas (age two-and-a-half) was very interested in … Continue reading New Realms of Reading
Honey Baked Lentils
I've seen this recipe floating around vegetarian and thrifty discussions for the past year or two, but I didn't get around to trying it until this past weekend. It was delicious and very easy! It will be ideal for us now that Daniel is working at home, because he can spend just a few minutes … Continue reading Honey Baked Lentils
It beautifies your complexion AND scrubs your tub!
A paste made of baking soda and liquid soap, that is. It's a versatile wonder-cleaner worthy of one of those over-blown TV commercials about the many many uses and the amazing value...except that it's so basic and inexpensive that nobody would buy it as a commercial product. (Oh. Wait. People will pay $1.50 for a pint of tap water … Continue reading It beautifies your complexion AND scrubs your tub!
Handkerchief season is here!
My father uses handkerchiefs. I'd always thought of it as one of his idiosyncrasies. Normal people used paper tissues. I always found it kind of weird, though, that so many people use a tissue just briefly, to remove a few drops of watery stuff from the nose, and then throw it away. What a waste … Continue reading Handkerchief season is here!
Mothering in transit
The distance from our home to our childcare center is less than three miles. In rush-hour traffic, it's a 20-minute drive. But almost every day, Nicholas and I make the trip by public transit, taking two buses and at least 45 minutes in each direction. I could walk that distance in that time! Am I insane?! No. I'm convinced that public transit is a wonderful way to travel with a young child. The conveniences more than make up for the inconveniences, that extra time is time we spend together, and the trip is full of learning experiences for my child and me.
High-Protein, Vegan Pasta Salad
After some experimentation, I developed this ***NEW!!!***IMPROVED!!!*** more nutritious Pasta Salad. Note that you can reserve some of the cooked pasta and veggies for the Original Recipe treatment and use the Improved Recipe on the rest, thus pleasing a variety of palates or just giving yourself some variety as you eat leftovers. Both versions of Pasta Salad are extremely versatile as to which vegetables you use, which makes this an ideal recipe for summer when your garden or farm-share crate is overflowing and you've got an array of random vegetables to use.
Links galore!
This speech by a psychologist includes some fascinating ideas about gender roles. After landing a movie role at age 13, this local actor responded to his success by deciding he should do something to help his community. He hasn't done it yet, but just the fact that he thought of it is refreshing! Have you heard … Continue reading Links galore!
Spicy Peanut Dressing
UPDATE: I'm linking this post to Real Food Friday in 2016 because we still enjoy Spicy Peanut Dressing frequently! We just made a batch last night to go with a big salad made from lettuce, spinach, and green onions we received in the summer's first box of local, organic produce from our community-sponsored agriculture farm! … Continue reading Spicy Peanut Dressing
The TV Game
My brother and cousins and I came up with this game when we had been sent to play in an upstairs room at our grandparents' house and were wishing there was a television to watch... One person is the TV. Everybody else sits down facing TV, each holding an invisible remote control. TV stands there looking blank until … Continue reading The TV Game
There go the helpers!
One day when my son was a tiny baby, I was walking with him along the main street of our neighborhood when an ambulance went screaming past. Just ahead of us on the sidewalk were a little boy and his mother, and they jumped up and down shouting happily, "There go the helpers!" Wow. What … Continue reading There go the helpers!
response to “The Urban Archipelago”
I just learned that an article several people forwarded to me just after the 2004 election now has its own Website. "The Urban Archipelago" has one very clear, important point: The states of the United States are not as different from one another as the cities are different from the small-town and rural areas. But after … Continue reading response to “The Urban Archipelago”
Offering Choices
An often-repeated tip for coping with young children is to "give them choices." Sometimes that works wonders...and other times it doesn't. It's all in how you do it. My grandma said that one of the most important things she learned as a parent was this: Don't ask a child IF she wants to do something unless … Continue reading Offering Choices
One Portable Feast
Nicholas and I recently spent a wonderful day at the Carnegie Museum, which included lunching in the sculpture garden. We brought our lunch from home. It was tasty, healthy, and affordable and produced very little garbage. I've been hearing lately, from real parents and in the media, that packing a meal or snack is just not feasible because … Continue reading One Portable Feast
Household Hints
Add a slosh of white vinegar--about a tablespoon--to the sinkful of hot soapy water when washing dishes. I started doing this last spring, when we'd all been sick, because vinegar kills germs. I found out that it also cuts grease and makes the dishes really squeaky clean! (Vinegar has many other uses, too!) Here's some … Continue reading Household Hints
The Earthling's Handbook 