#6 Try

Hope everyone is doing well and hanging in there during this odd, bizarre and unprecedented time. I, for one, am still processing it all!

By now though, hopefully everyone has completed a puzzle, learned a new language, hopped on some type of ZOOM call or rearranged the pantry. And has established a new routine. Or is that just pie in the sky thinking?

We have no real routine. Our pantry has been rearranged about four times. At least. One day it looks like a neat 7/11 mini-grocery with its shiny offerings neatly aligned on the shelves. Another day it looks like a home invasion gone wrong. Very wrong.

Enough of that.

My #6 suggestion is to actually try something that has momentarily sparked your interest. You know the one. When you were thinking, “How cool! Best thing ever!” Only to forget about it two seconds later as you scroll down the screen.

Doesn’t have to be a big deal. Something simple.

Like when I shared (a while ago) my attempt at ripening an avocado in the oven. I have always had a love-hate relationship with them and was determined to beat the little non-native suckers into submission. Because I felt like Goldilocks every time I had one in my hand. Too hard. Too soft. Oops, I waited a minute and now it’s brown and rotten. When an article about bucking Mother Nature and hastening the aging process caught my eye I was so ready. Totally willing to manipulate the little green orb.

Didn’t work. Wrapped the avocado up, snug as a bug, with aluminum foil, baked it and eagerly waited for the results. Well, the fruit definitely softened but there was also a funky, metallic taste that came along with it. FAIL. Let’s chalk up that little experiment as a big no-go.

But here is a small success. I viewed this kitchen life hack in a video on more than one occasion. Always thought it looked great. And always forgot about it two seconds later. LOL. My friend, Stacy, recently posted it again so I thought, “Why not give it a try?”

This one is a winner. Great for spinach, parsley and mint with their long stems. Don’t forget-mojito season is just around the corner! This would work for anything with long, thin stems. Except for wine glasses.

Just push the stem through the small hole in the colander and grab the end. The stem pulls out easily, beheading in the process, with only the perfect leaves remaining in the colander.

Would using a knife be quicker? Sure. But this is a calming, easy chore. Even little kids can help in the kitchen without the possibility of an emergency room visit.

So the next time something new/interesting to try catches your eye jot yourself a little note. This will ensure you don’t forget! Then make it happen. Could be a dismal failure or a resounding success.

Either way, at least, you tried!

Stay safe and keep practicing safety measures!

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Look Twice

As I walked through the park in Delhi a few months ago I kept my eyes and ears open. I was soaking up the sights. You’ve seen my photos so you know there’s a lot going on in India.

Ran into this guy. I now know it’s an Ibis. I had heard the word but never actually saw one.

I then spied what appeared to be common stepping stones. I look closer because I see writing on some of them.

It’s a white man’s world. I wonder who wrote that.

I kept moving.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw this little guy peeking out of a tree.

Too cute.

I then strolled around the herb garden. Pat myself on the back when I recognize the herbs without reading the signs. But I see this sign.

Oh, I know this. I know mint. Yep, that looked quite familiar. I had, at one time, thought that mint would be a welcome addition to our first garden. Many years ago. I was wrong. It is totally invasive with its little runners.

Helpful hint. If you want to plant mint in your garden make sure it is in the pot when you put it in the soil. The roots will be contained and not creeping into your neighbor’s yard.

I look closer because I still like mint. I’m not holding the invasiveness against it.

But it doesn’t look like mint. It looks an awful lot like another herb I may or may not have been familiar with back in the day. I showed my friend this photo and asked her what she thought it looked like. She, without blinking an eye, said, “Marijuana.”

Hmmmm. That’s interesting.

Anyway, sometimes you just have to look twice.

 

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