Watch my friend Matt’s YouTube channel, Laneylit. He writes for and reads to children. A little something for your kids and their kids. Today is Monday, and I refused to look at the news. Refused. There isn’t anything I want to see on the front page of most newspapers. Instead, I worked, visited with friends Matt and Ann, played games, and ate tacos. I am in a fabulous mood. See what a vacation from the news can do? I did hear something about the Kennedy Center and the Supreme Court, but was not motivated to do more than hear that little whisper of news. That was enough. What I want to hear is that my grandson will not be sent to the Middle East for some foolishness. Lent continues. I don’t usually give advice, but I will today. Watch your back. Get your taxes done. Check your credit report and freeze your credit. Watch a good movie or, even better, listen to some great music that is different from your usual jam. You know what you enjoy, so change it up. Make some new mental connections. Get ready for spring. If it isn’t where you are yet, it is coming. It is, I promise. Plant something. Tomatoes or peppers are good.  Check out the videos of poetry. Send a few dollars to public TV or radio. If we don’t, who will? Only 1,041 more days.

Wild Cooking Woman  3/16/26

 

 

 

 40 Days of Good Shit (a lenten discipline for cranky people)  by Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber

 

 

 

I meant to make pie today, but decided to be sensible.  I have some end-of-season apples and pears, and always a jar or two of peaches.  Maybe tomorrow. Here is the pie recipe I had in mind:

Very Easy Peach Apple Pear Cobbler

Take 2 jars of peaches (I get mine from Costco, 24 oz in a jar) and drain them, reserving the liquid

Peel 5 or 6 apples, then core and slice them. If they are organic, you don’t have to peel them, but you should. 

Peel 5 or 6 pears, Bartlett, Bosc, or whatever you have, then core and slice them. You don’t have to peel them, but it is better if you do.

Mix them in a bowl. Add about 1/2 cup brown sugar, more if you have a raging sweet tooth like me. More means up to a cup.

Add the same amount of cornstarch or tapioca flour, or all-purpose flour –  1/2 cup or so. 

If you like your pie juicy, add a little of the peach liquid (not too much, this is pie, not fruit soup) and increase the cornstarch by a heaping tablespoon.

Sprinkle with a healthy amount of cinnamon and half as much nutmeg. Mix so the powders are all over the fruit. I also add a bit of vanilla paste, or a scant teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Dice one stick of butter. Scatter it over the fruit. Get out a 9×13 pan. Preheat your oven to 350F. Put something on the bottom shelf to catch the drips, like a cookie sheet.

Spray your cooking pan with plain cooking spray, or take a paper towel and wipe the sides and bottom with butter or shortening. You want this to be easy to scoop out.

Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pan.

Here is the tricky part. I use prepared crusts from the dairy case when I’m feeling lazy. Take 1 crust for a 9-inch pie pan, sprinkle some flour on the counter, and unroll the crust. 

If you have a rolling pin, flour it and roll the crust so it is more rectangular than round. Don’t do too much work or the crust will be tough.

Slice the crust into 1-inch strips. They will not be even, and may look kind of hinky, but that’s OK. They will bake up just fine.

Make a lattice top using the strips. If you don’t have enough strips, use the other crust from the box. Cover the pie with the lattice top and bake the pie at 350 for about 50 minutes or so. Look at it and see if the filling is bubbling up. If it is browning too fast, cover the pie lightly with a sheet of foil and keep baking. You want to bake it long enough for the apples to be done, but not so long they turn into applesauce. Mine usually takes about 45-50 minutes.

I eat my pie with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream (none of this whipped topping stuff), or pouring cream i.e custard sauce. Yum, yum, and yum. BTW, you can make this in a smaller amount, if there are only 2 of you, or you know you’ll eat as much of it as you have in the house – I’m looking in the mirror here – 

 

 

A few children’s books for spring (ages 3-8ish)

Bring Me Some Apples, and I’ll Make You a Pie by Edna Lewis

Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn 

The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter by Shabazz Larkin

The Berenstain Bears’ Big Book of Science and Nature by Stan and Jan Berenstain 

The Butterfly Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta 

Rain! by Linda Ashman

Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies: Take-Along Guide by Mel Boring 

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown 

The Farmer by Mark Ludy 

Where’s Rodney? by Carmen Bogan

Hank Finds An Egg by Rebecca Dudley 

It Will Be Okay by Lysa TerKeurst 

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey 

Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee

Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler 

My Garden by Kevin Henkes 

Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer

Come On, Rain!  by Karen Hesse

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman  

Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies  

The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken

Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Cheyette Lewison  

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur 

In a Garden by Tim McCanna

Buzzing With Questions by Janice N. Harrington

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner  

We Are The Gardeners by Joanna Gaines 

Bird by Zetta Elliott

The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen  

Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney  

Alice’s Farm by Maryrose Wood   

The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem 

Water, Water by Eloise Greenfield

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a little history for you history buffs. Do you know which are the oldest cities in the USA? Go here for some clues.

• St. Augustine, Florida, was founded on September 8, 1565.
• Santa Fe, New Mexico — the oldest state capital still in existence — was officially founded in 1607, but it has actually been in existence since around 1050.
• Founded in 1610, Hampton, Virginia, is the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking settlement in the country.
• Albany, New York (1614) was originally settled as Fort Nassau by Dutch fur traders. It is the oldest city in New York.
• Newport News, Virginia: the name “Newportes Newes” first appeared in Virginia Company records as early as 1619.

 

 

What is the SAVE Act trying to save us from? The SAVE Act would require American citizens to present documents such as a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. Our research shows that more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents. Roughly half of Americans don’t even have a passport. Millions lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate. (more)  According to the US Department of State, a new U.S. adult passport book costs $165 ($130 application fee + $35 execution fee). Renewals cost $130. Additional costs include $35–$60 for expedited service, and ~$15 for photos. The total for a first-time applicant is typically around $165–$200, depending on photo cost and any expedited shipping fees. Is this a new poll tax?

 

 

As usual, lots of stuff is happening. Today is Pi Day. Don’t let the Middle East conflict distract you from other equally important things. There is still a partial government shutdown going on. The Epstein Files have not been fully released. Oscars are right around the corner. Have you seen the movies nominated for the Oscar for best picture? I have my fav.  Twenty more days of  Lent. Thinking seriously about working in my raised garden bed. Get your taxes done. Do NOT wait until the last minute. Support public radio and television.  Only 1,043 more days.    Kintsugi  3/14/26

 

 

Today is Pi Day, honoring the mathematical constant π (pi), which represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Have a slice of pie today and celebrate this ancient math concept.

 

 

 

A little history of the Middle East to start your visit…

 

 

Transportation Security Administration agents missed their first full paycheck yesterday amid a weekslong partial government shutdown. 

 

 

The average American eats over 25 pounds of bananas every year, but we may not for much longer.

 

 

If you call yourself a Christian, what kind of Christian are you?

 

 

Baby Lemon Impossible Pie Recipe

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt 
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

 

Process

•  Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter or nonstick spray so the pies release easily after baking. 
•  Separate the egg yolks from the whites. In a large bowl beat the yolks with softened butter, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour and a pinch of salt until combined. In another bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold one third of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest. Stir in the fresh lemon juice at the end. The batter will be thin.   
• Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three quarters full. Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove air bubbles.   
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. The pies are ready when the edges are set and golden and the centers still jiggle slightly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean. Do not overbake or the custard will lose its creamy texture. 
• Let the pies cool in the pan, then remove them carefully. Serve them plain or dust lightly with powdered sugar before enjoying.

 

 

Do you have a rescue pup? I do. Maybe you want to know more about her/his ancestry. If so, here are some sources for doggie DNA tests:

• Embark Dog DNA & Age Test Bundle 
• Wisdom Panel Premium 
• DNA My Dog

 

 

Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have effectively stopped amid attacks on vessels, pushing oil prices higher. Some experts predict gasoline may rise to $5 per gallon. I don’t see an end in sight, do you?

 

 

On March 30, 2026, we’ll be dropping our third Black Census Project: Rooted in Black Dreams, Built by Black Power — the largest national survey of Black people in America in 160 years.  We’re capturing your bold dreams about what matters most to us: our kids, our families, our paychecks, our taxes, our homes, our jobs, our safety, our joy, and our futures.  Go HERE to participate.

 

 

The problem isn’t that people are finally hearing a Christian politician talk about justice. The problem is that many of them had to hear it from a white man before they recognized it as Christianity. Listen to Jemar Tisby, PhD here.

 

 

Why are beans called the musical fruit? Because the more you eat, the more you toot! With prices rising, many of us are eating more beans. Can we reduce their toot-making power? Go here for some ideas. 

 

Something to save your quarters for…

 

I am here to tell you that ovens are serious business.  I made bread pudding, and the butter dripped over.  I didn’t notice until I put my cinnamon rolls in the oven. I put baking soda on the spill and kept baking because I only have 1 oven. The rolls were delicious. I wiped out the baking soda and left the oven overnight.  So, I thought I would use the self-cleaning feature. Wrong decision!   Between my raise-the-dead smoke detectors, the dog holding her ears, and the thick gray air, I made a promise that I will never use the self-clean setting again.  Tomorrow, off to the store for some Easy-Off. 

 

Here are 7 medications that don’t mix well with coffee. Note: I drink coffee every day. “Coffee can alter how certain medications are absorbed, metabolized, or eliminated by the body,” says Jennifer Bourgeois, Pharm.D. (more) 

 

The set of documents assembled here extends a different invitation to understanding the Revolutionary/Constitutional period. Dated from 1774 to 1798, these 26 letters, petitions, poems, essays, and declarations were authored by contemporaries of the Founders. Unlike the founding documents, these belong to people who might fall under the common 18th-century expression of “the many-headed hydra.” 

 

On my March reading table…

• On Bullshit – Harry G. Frankfurt
• Spiritual Hygiene – Iyanla Vanzant
• Atmosphere – Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Blindfold Game – Dana Stabenow
• The God of the Woods – Liz Moore
• Black AF History – Michael Harriot
• Better to Rest – Dana Stabenow
• Stolen in Death – J D Robb

 

Key Dates for the 2025 Tax Year (Filed in 2026)

 

 

Do you have someone in your life who lives alone or far away?  Are you going on vacation because you need a break from caregiving? (yes) Here are some free ways to help check on them while you’re away:

• https://buddyhelp.org/     Offers free emotional support through volunteer listeners and also provides access to professional online therapy.
• https://www.snugsafe.com/    A free app that sends daily check-in reminders. If you don’t respond, your emergency contacts are notified.
• https://checkinbee.com/     Sends daily text messages asking for a simple reply. If no response, designated contacts are notified.