I can bend the pole

When I was 8 or 9 years old, I was in a huge-to-me university production of Momotaro, that Japanese folktale also known as Peach Boy. In one scene, Momotaro demonstrated his strength by bending a pole, and, thrill of thrills, I was chosen to eagerly exclaim that I, too, could bend the pole. For some [...]

Blender Applesauce

If, one afternoon, you’re feeling particularly impatient and can’t possibly wait 45 minutes or so to make applesauce on the stove top, grab this recipe. You should be inhaling fresh applesauce in about 15 minutes. Blender Applesauce What you need: 3 tart apples ¼ cup honey What you do: Peel apples. Cut each apple into [...]

Yes, I’ll take the minutes for this meeting

At the start of your next office meeting, wait and listen while everyone harrumphs and pulls out their latest gadget for playing games taking notes. Then, as harrumphlessly as you can, take out your i-Wood. Open it up, find the chalk, and smile expectantly at the friendly person in charge. So simple, even children can [...]

Mollie Katzen’s Made-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake

Remember Crazy Cake? If you gallop to the kitchen as soon as your classes are done for the day, then you could probably start inhaling this one-pan chocolate cake about an hour later. You need only one pan! The only problem I can see with this recipe is that it’s easy enough to bake and [...]

Two Two Peka

Any Topeka, Kansans out there? One of my 8-year-old boys came to class wearing a sweatshirt with “Topeka, Kansas” written on it. Always on the lookout for more personalized conversation starters, I brightly asked if he had ever been to Topeka. Instant confusion. “Been…to…Peka?” he asked. I slowed my talking and deleted excess words. “To [...]