Finding Balance and Joy

Sunday, March 8, 2026

March 8 – International Women’s Day

Image: https://x.com/Sheri_Fink/status/1368961672652619781

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.”

~ Mark Anthony

Monday, March 2, 2026

Funny and Strange Signs

Source (and more!): https://www.aol.com/77-signs-strange-deserve-double-230102124.html / Photos: Funny and strange Signs

Monday, February 23, 2026

Korean Street Toast

Greetings all!

What are you having for lunch? How about this Korean-inspired street toast?

Image and recipe from Chef John

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/282477/korean-street-toast/

Chef John's description is drool-worthy: “A slightly sweet, super savory vegetable and egg patty is sandwiched with smoky ham, melty Cheddar, and a ridiculous amount of mayo and ketchup between two slices of crispy, buttered bread. You'll eat almost a whole serving of vegetables and barely even notice!”

Ingredients

1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
⅓ cup julienned or grated carrot
1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper or Korean chile flakes
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 thick slices white bread
½ teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
2 thin slices smoked ham
1 slice mild Cheddar or American cheese
1 tablespoon ketchup, or to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise, or to taste

Instructions

Mix cabbage, carrot, green onion, salt, pepper, and cayenne with your hands in a bowl until soft, about 30 seconds. Mix in eggs with a fork until thoroughly combined.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bread slices and flip a few times to make sure both sides are coated with butter. Grill bread until beautifully toasted, golden brown, and a little crispy on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage mixture; cook and simultaneously mix by using the edge of a spatula to chop down on the surface while pushing the edges up and over the top. As the mixture starts to hold its shape, form it into a rectangle that's about twice as long as it is wide. Split the rectangle in half into two square patties; continue to cook until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side.
Stack patties on top of one another onto one slice of toast and sprinkle with sugar.
Place ham slices into the hot skillet; cook over medium heat until sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.
Flip and top with Cheddar slice; cook until melted, about 1 minute.
Place ham and cheese on top of patties; top with ketchup, mayonnaise, and remaining slice of toast. Cut in half and serve.

Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it!

Monday, February 16, 2026

Little Pockets of Time in the Kitchen

Greetings all!

This weekend, a friend of mine and I were chatting about what we do to keep our homes tidy. I shared the “lazy” cleaning strategy that I read about a while back and since then implemented quite successfully. This is where “done” is better than “perfect” - and by the way, this works in so many areas of our life!

I then dug out an email from Chef Joel from Homemade, in which he shared his “5-minute rule” to save time in the kitchen:

"This might seem basic, and maybe it’s obvious to you, but you can save a ton of time in the kitchen by cleaning as you go. I really think this is something everyone knows… but that very few home cooks actually do. You get swept up in the whisking over here, then the pouring over there, then, “Oh no, the butter’s browning!” at the stove. Before you know it, you have a trail on your countertops that looks like a tornado came through.

Image: https://deepai.org/

Here’s my timesaving trick: Find the pockets in the recipe to clean.

Before you start cooking, do a quick scan through the recipe steps for anything that takes longer than 5 minutes to cook (hence the “5-Minute Rule”).

When something takes less than 5 minutes to cook (like frying an egg, sautéing some onions, or boiling small potatoes, etc.), I want my full attention on what's happening in the pan.

When something takes more than 5 minutes to cook, instead of picking up your phone or standing around and waiting, start cleaning. This means putting jars of spices back where they belong, wrapping up pieces of meat that you aren't using, and maybe even doing a quick load of dishes.

We know this is super obvious, but it is the #1 reason why people are slowed down in the kitchen. Find those little pockets of time and make them count.”

What did you think? Drop me a line and tell me what your timesaver tips are!

Monday, February 9, 2026

Poem of the Week: The Secret Day

The Secret Day

My yesterday has gone, has gone and left me tired,
And now tomorrow comes and beats upon the door;
So I have built To-day, the day that I desired,
Lest joy come not again, lest peace return no more,
Lest comfort come no more.

So I have built To-day, a proud and perfect day,
And I have built the towers of cliffs upon the sands;
The foxgloves and the gorse I planted on my way;
The thyme, the velvet thyme, grew up beneath my hands,
Grew pink beneath my hands.

So I have built To-day, more precious than a dream;
And I have painted peace upon the sky above;
And I have made immense and misty seas that seem
More kind to me than life, more fair to me than love —
More beautiful than love.

And I have built a house — a house upon the brink
Of high and twisted cliffs; the sea’s low singing fills it;
And there my Secret Friend abides, and there I think
I’ll hide my heart away before tomorrow kills it
A cold tomorrow kills it.

Yes, I have built To-day, a wall against To-morrow,
So let To-morrow knock — I shall not be afraid,
For none shall give me death, and none shall give me sorrow,
And none shall spoil this darling day that I have made.
No storm shall stir my sea. No night but mine shall shade
This day that I have made.

~ Stella Benson

Sources: