“Mom, I promise I’ll eat the bananas.” Declan put two large bunches in the cart. “Are you sure? That’s a lot of bananas.” He’s a picky eater, cycling through egg whites one week, apples the next, scoops of peanut butter–not sandwiches–alongside slices of home-baked bread. I vowed not to be one of “those moms” whose kids eat like freaks. The universe had other ideas. “Listen,…
When Enviro-freaks Wake Up to $H!^
“What’s a paper towel? said little Declan at a holiday meal. A member of the extended family asked for one. I passed around a stack of cloth napkins. “It’s one of these made of paper.” Declan laughed. When he saw his first paper napkin in a restaurant, he was confused, much the same as when new guests come over…
3 Ways to Die…Try Canning!
Canning and preserving are age-old techniques for saving the mountain of food you thought was cute when you planted it or bought too much of at the farmer’s market. Or maybe your friend dumped off “just a few” zucchini. It’s that time of year. I do canning every year. I love it, but for most of America, it’s a giant disappointment. “I…
The Lean Season: Don’t Eat Stickers on Tomatoes
Fiber. That’s all it is. I ate the sticker on the tomato. They’re insidious. Hidden on every piece of produce, down to the last pea. My fault for not eating in season. These tomatoes were grown far, far away. I try to eat locally. Tomatoes are grown in winter greenhouses here. That’s worse for the environment though….
Finding the Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
I was at a large store. I don’t often go if I can avoid it. So many boxes, and bags, all that extra wasted packaging. I prefer to go to the farm and get a carrot. But there are some things the farm doesn’t have, like King Arthur Bread Flour and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Besides, the farm…
Blueberries and Pickles–No, I’m Not Pregnant
Last week, I picked blueberries in the rain. It wasn’t that pleasant. I was cold. When I reached into the bush, water shook from the leaves, soaking me to the bone. I got colder and wetter. I started to frown. There was one drop of rain on my glasses I couldn’t get off. When I wiped it…
The Curse: How to Destroy Appliances Like A Pro
I’m going shopping for a new gas dryer. I don’t really want one. I want to hang my unmentionables over the garden fence to dry–give the neighborhood something to talk about. It’s not like I live in an area where people can see where I’d hang underwear anyway. No one will post pictures of my laundry on…
Food Extremists Who Are Worse Than Me
This is me. Entirely. I never made out with anyone in the produce aisle, but I feel strongly about food. I want to grow and raise what I eat. I want to eat healthy, to avoid packages. I do lots of things that are considered weird. I bake bread–it goes on the counter to rise at night…
How Much Manure is in Your Job?
The snow has melted. There is a really loud bird singing outside the window. Crocuses poke through the dirt, and the Yankees just got clobbered by the Red Sox–it’s spring. Time for growing stuff. This weekend, we constructed the garden. At the old house, I built a ton of raised beds built when my husband wasn’t looking….
Getting an Early Start on Common Cores Using The Economist
I am reading my son’s school newsletter. It does an excellent job discussing the Common Cores. I know this because I use Common Cores all day myself. The school is calling for a 50/50 balance of literary and informational text. I support this because I am a serious professional nerd. Literacy’s important. I’m tired of people who…