As my cat, Tengo, is getting all cozy in the “bad poetry” box that I sorted out in my office/studio, I’m realizing I should take the time to amend my previous post on spring-cleaning. 

Today is cloudy and damp, a cool spring day that makes me want to dedicate time to cleaning my home. In my brain, right now, spring is synonymous with spring-cleaning. Ah, the time of year when you realize the clutter, dust and general state of your home and heart is…

Well, it’s time, folks. Lez be real.

Hello, friends and (possibly) foes! Are you looking for a grassroots campaign to contribute to on this very fine earth day? Feeling a little disconnected from earthy things? Interested in getting your hands dirty from afar? Consider donating just $10 to Altgeld Sawyer Corner Farm, a volunteer run community garden in Chicago, IL! 

It’s been pretty quiet around here lately. My days have been slow, revealing insides that are messy and some days, a slowness that can only lead to more slowness and a soft, contemplative air. 

I think beets are the perfect example of how I am experiencing the world right now. Beets are messy, ugly, and kinda hairy. One of the more impenetrable root vegetables I’ve found, especially because of their petite size, the way they bleed, how difficult they are to chop. And, oh, heavens, how close you’ve come to cutting off a finger trying to get them prepped for cooking.

Oh, Goodness. Here we are again. Cookies. Those delightful balls of goodness that melt down into delicate, sugary discs. Oh, loves, it’s the end of the world. This is it. I cannot continue to bake cookies like this! Is there ever a case of too many cookies? The sugar-addicted farmer would probably not agree with me, but things are going to change around this kitchen. More cabbage, carrots and vegetables coming to a screen near you. But, anyhow, here’s another recipe I created which I am confidant will fill your kitchen with a spicy, end-of-winter/beginning of spring sugar high. 

Hello, dears! I bring to you today a homage to the first cookie I made in the Home Ec/Shop class I took when I was 11 years old. I remember that it was a really different baking experience than I was familiar with. It wasn’t fun. It seemed competitive, like, for whatever reason it was important who got done first. And then, you had the bell at the end of the class signaling that you were going to be late to your next class and you also haven’t even finished baking or cleaning up your station! Ah! No time! No licking of spoons! Stress cookies!