April 1, 2023
March’s wrath is officially over. It is a tough month; but it’s the portal to summer. To follow some highlights that cannot be sorted elsewhere… The cookie that can get me through an 8-hour day. Yardsale‘s vegan pistachio chocolate chip… Ok, this is also work-related. Because March is one of Read more…
December 22, 2022
Well, school celebrations are back! So that means I can get to baking. The last of the pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, frozen and then thawed, would be the base for some festive celebratory treats. First, a vanilla pod All ready for mixing. I love this part. All the stuff is Read more…
November 23, 2022
And just like that, it is that time of year… the first frost, a final storing of the light jacket for more insulating outwear, kids with hat head at school, the sneaking melody of holly jolly subtly sandwiched in-between the in-between. And it is time to process Halloween’s pumpkins… because Read more…
October 15, 2022
As Autumn magic feeds my spirit, some bits of it before it leaves suddenly. As it usually does… Above, some delectable autumn-inspired vegan goodies from Confectionery! in the East Village. I must say that Lagusta’s Luscious and Sweet Maresa’s have the best vegan treats in the New York area. In Read more…
September 30, 2022
Treats hand-off Apologies for tons of selfies, but it has been a while since I cared to dress well. This pistachio chocolate chip cookie from Yard Sale is a new tradition. Merry Merfolk prep Currants I always send him the morning sky. Pad Thai, all the time Fall. Blending in. Read more…
February 19, 2022
February always flies by in a flash. But here are some parts of it and things I ate before I skip town. A quick trip to Dog Day Afternoon on my prep always results in my rushing back texting colleagues to stall the students. Here, the vegan Chicago Dog. Obviously Read more…
February 11, 2022
The New York City Department of Education has implemented Vegan Fridays in its cafeterias system-wide. Though milk is served and students may request non-vegan food, I thought it worthy enough an endeavor to check out. On this Friday, chickpeas in marinara sauce (??), penne with undetermined dry herbs and roasted Read more…
December 31, 2021
School festivities were subdued than my usual. Just trying to get through this year… My awesome colleagues help! Best holiday movie: A Christmas Carol, the Alastair Sim version It comes but once a year! So I used curlers. Awesome gift from my brother Awesome gift I made for my brother Read more…
December 3, 2021
It is crazy to think that this tradition is now 12 years old! Yes, the classroom pumpkin was once again transformed into my most favorite type of cupcakes: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip with cream cheese frosting. Though this batch was for my colleagues, without which I would most certainly not have Read more…
April 27, 2021
Tempted by the occasion of National Pretzel Day, I made a batch of pretzels–the oldest snack in the world–using this very easy recipe. A bit of a neurotic, I love a recipe like this–one where active tasks are broken up with time to do the dishes. And like many, it Read more…
April 24, 2021
As the world turns, I capture it at every angle. And now that every shot has the setting of this “new normal,” I continue to archive it–tucking it neatly in its place for prosperity. Starting with a brief respite, returning to remote work briefly, and the pancake breakfasts that ensued. Read more…
March 13, 2021
It’s that time of the school year! Though I missed Pi Day in my classroom last year because of, well, you know, it was on the calendar eerily when I returned back to my classroom finally 6 months later. This year Pi Day would fall on a Sunday, so I Read more…
March 1, 2021
When I was told that school was closing and I’d be teaching remote back in November, I grabbed the essentials from the classroom–the classroom pumpkin and acorn squash that had the heart in it, part of the seasonal display table. I wasn’t going to let the pandemic mess with my Read more…
February 25, 2021
I am so happy to be back in the classroom. Trying to teach special learners remotely was next to impossible. I made more progress in one day in-person than in weeks of remote. And feeling a renewed sense of purpose, one that had been dwindling since November, I realize how Read more…
January 28, 2021
Time is marked so awkwardly now; it’s disorientating. Without its usual structures, a day is still frame. A painting made in a day. Packed in words. Empire. Holy cannoli Keep it safe. Roadside attractions. Bus view of Bayley Seton. Those clouds though. Outfit of the day. Pantone 292. Homemade Chana Read more…
January 7, 2021
As we enter 2021 still within this health crisis, still within political insanity, the Scenes continue! Freshly testing out of a quarantine, to follow are Scenes from several quarantines past, in-between negative Covid tests… the ones before seeing my family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as after my Read more…
November 25, 2020
Welcome back to my Scenes From a Quarantine series! Because 2020 said so. Convinced of this being a short-term predicament, let us continue to embrace the bizarre of this before it is buried in our collective memories. O.G. vegan: Bean curd with broccoli in garlic sauce with vegetable fried rice. Read more…
November 21, 2020
Every November I look forward to my annual chocolate chip pumpkin cupcakes… made from the classroom pumpkin and shared at a harvest celebration with my students. It would be the 11th year of my carrying out this tradition. The pumpkin sat in waiting in my classroom. So when it was Read more…
November 3, 2020
As I drove home from my birthday excursion, I found out my cousin had died suddenly–a massive heart attack at age 45. The shock has since given way to confusion and more heartache. 2020 continues to upheave. The philosophical and theological rumination that can only be born of close contact Read more…
October 26, 2020
Some final Happy New Year to Me outtakes, starting with a Zoom birthday call from my motel in Kittatinny, PA! A surprise birthday card before my departure–when your classroom paraprofessional spends her free time making you stars… β€οΈ My Mom scored some vegan cupcakes from Whole Foods for me, but Read more…
October 16, 2020
The last few weeks has felt like 6 months. But I am eating well. Luckily I have some upcoming escapes on the calendar to balance my tremendous workload. In the meantime, these signs of the time. My perfecto pancakes. Ginger garnish in the works Pan-fried till crispy. Week 2, test Read more…
October 1, 2020
And with that… It was Back to School. Like in the building. Here is a pictorial to capture this bizarre version of my return. Because hopefully this is just temporary.
September 15, 2020
I’ve learned that quarantining when you really had close contact with someone who is confirmed positive for Covid-19 is very different than sitting within a “courtesy” quarantine. This post contains scenes from my post-Utah courtesy quarantine, a brief stint of freedom after testing negative within that quarantine, returning back to Read more…
June 23, 2020
No more pencils, no more books… oh wait! We haven’t used either since March! Though I have enjoyed seeing my students’ ceilings in our Google Meets, the school year is ending on a rather anti-climactic fashion. A trip to my school to pick up some curriculum planning stuff for summer Read more…
May 30, 2020
We’re up to the 7th edition of Scenes from a Quarantine! But the outside world is getting far more active than it’s been in months. But people are stressed. It all feels kind of weird, all of this restraint. A springtime trip to the nursery is always a pick-me-up. I Read more…
