Hello and hope you had a calm weekend. I’ve been sending and receiving lots of info over the past few weeks and thought I’d start a bulletin to give you some tips that you might enjoy. Please send me suggestions and I’ll put them in the next issue.
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Horoscope:
https://astrostyle.com/horoscopes/daily/
Recipe: Secret Ingredient One-Bowl Cake (Melissa Clarke)
Start by bringing some water to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, put 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (either Dutch-processed or natural). If you want to increase the chocolate, you can also add an ounce or two of chopped bittersweet chocolate. Or throw in the last of a bag of chocolate chips.
Pour in 3/4 cup boiling liquid, and let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. The chocolate will have melted, if you used it, and the cocoa dissolved.
Whisk in 2/3 cup mayonnaise (surprise!), 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Then whisk in a teaspoon of vanilla extract, if you have it (or a dash of Bourbon or brandy or just leave it out entirely).
Finally, whisk in 1 and 1/2 cups flour (either all-purpose or cake flour), mixing vigorously to eliminate any lumps.
Pour the batter into a greased 8- or 9-inch pan (square, round, star-shaped, anything is good).
Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 40 minutes, until the top springs back when the center is lightly pressed. The deeper the pan, the longer it will take to bake through. You can frost it with cream cheese frosting or anything you have. Or a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar.
Music
Bob Dylan is a big part of my life and has been ever since. He released new music a few weeks ago which we’ll talk about next time. But here’s one of his greatest from Blonde on Blonde:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NbQkyvbw18&src=Linkfire&lId=9d27e518-0b…
Concerts today: 2
1. Willie Nelson and Friends, Come and Toke It
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/willie-nelson-420-lives…
Starts at the :20 in your time zone (3:20 Pacific, 4:20 Central, 5:20 Eastern, etc.)
2. Stephane Wrembel
Our gypsy jazz musician friend:
Django Reinhardt gypsy jazz (in French)
https://www.facebook.com/StephaneWrembel/videos/228563695060317/?notif_i…
Note: English version at 3pm today
Concert anytime: Stephen Cunniff
My brother Stephen’s most excellent concert:
https://www.facebook.com/JCFPLnj/videos/706993540094478/
Theatre
National Theatre (London): Treasure Island
You can live stream their gripping production of Treasure Island until Thursday. You’re welcome.
It’s a dark and stormy night…
https://www.youtube.com/user/ntdiscovertheatre
Plants
Farmer’s Almanac for April 20/21:
Poor planting days.
Break ground or cultivate instead.
Video of the day: “Explaining the pandemic to your past self”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms7capx4Cb8
Poem
“I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.
In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you’ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.”
Siegfried Sassoon – poet & soldier – 1886-1967
Sports: Not good
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/19/novak-djokovic-coronavirus…
Children
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9rxo-cpSMK/?igshid=1li9k9plth5e5
Beauty*
Hair color tip (my own)
Wash less. The more you wash your hair, the more your color will fade.
Use a color safe shampoo.
Wear a scarf or hat when you’re in direct sunlight to keep fading to a minimum. If you’re walking these days.
*I will try to have guest advice from the beauty and hair experts in my family next time
Easy facial: Steaming
Use what you probably have in your kitchen. Baking soda and water are all you need for a little budget-friendly deep pore cleansing with light exfoliation.
Prep/supplies:
Baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and some herbs to add to your steam.
Clean:
Mix two teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of water into a paste.
Using circular motions, massage that mixture onto your face for one minute, and then rinse to remove pore-clogging dead skin cells.
Steam:
Bring water to a boil, remove it from the heat, and add dry or fresh herbs.
If your skin is dry or sensitive, try a soothing ingredient like chamomile instead. Licorice root and mint work on all skin types.
Lean over the water basin, keeping your face about 12 inches from the water, and drape a towel over your head to create a tent.
Sit like this and steam your face for about five to 10 minutes to clear out your pores.
Dry and tone
Pat your skin dry.
Now that the dirt and impurities have been loosened from your pores, wipe it all away with a toner.
Or just use apple cider vinegar. It’s an antiseptic and an antibacterial that balances the pH of your skin.
Just mix equal parts the vinegar and filtered water, and apply the toner with a cotton pad.
Moisturize
Apply your moisturizer.
Twitterverse: Sad news in Nova Scotia
https://mobile.twitter.com/justintrudeau
Donations
I am donating to several local food pantries and will include links if you are interested. They are in desperate need.
Please send me yours and I will include them next time.
Memory
I must have had hundreds of meals at Omen over the years. When I first moved to Elizabeth Street there was only one restaurant within walking distance. Patti Smith was in the neighborhood and this is a lovely article that brings back memories for me.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/13/t-magazine/omen-restauran…

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