I’m not so great at growing artichokes. My neighbor gave me some of his and they were really tiny and tender. So now I buy the smallest I can find at the store. They cook faster too and there is less waste. With my method I boil then broil. I used Trader Joe’s newish fermented garlic and it’s delicious. And doesn’t it look pretty?
BROILED ARTICHOKES 4 artichokes, small olive oil pink Himalayan salt, fine cracked peppercorn black garlic, Trader Joe’s ground fermented
Yield: 2-4 servings
Directions: I use my veggie steamer pot. Fill it with water, cover, and let it come to a boil. Wash and then cut off a little bit of the top and bottom of the artichokes. Because the artichokes are so tiny, boil them for 25 minutes. Let them cool. Slice the artichokes in half, length wise. Use a spoon to clean out the stickers. Place artichokes inside up in a class pan. I now have an oil sprayer and it works great for this part. Spray the artichokes and then season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Broil on low for 20 minutes or until golden brown on tips. Serve with Vegenaise or Miyoko’s butter. Artichokes are great with a salad or gluten-free garlic bread.
Baby artichokes and Trader Joe’s black garlic. Pic by M.C.
Happy Vegan!
Recipe from blog of melissacrismon.com
Copyright 2023 Melissa Crismon
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Single guy selling juicer on Craigslist. Pic by M.C.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed how many interesting ads there are online during these “uncertain times.” I was looking for a juicer for a family member and I found a funny ad on Craigslist San Diego.
The title reads—Electric juicer – Be healthy now! – $20 (Carlsbad)
“I am a single, health oriented, guy, 49, educated (doctorate) and I don’t have a girlfriend anymore to share my absolutely fantastic vegetable smoothies. The electric juicer is still here, but I probably won’t find a girlfriend during the pandemic so the electric juicer is for sale- works like new and wasn’t used much. If you have a great suggestion related to meeting single people during the pandemic, you’ll get 10 percent off on the juicer. I’m tall, have blue eyes, and am a compassionate person. Don’t delay. Request this juicer today. Only 20 dollars”
I had a good chuckle reading his ad. He has a sense of humor. Every time I read the ad I emphasize the word fantastic. Being able to make your significant other laugh is very important in life. It’s really at the top of the list when it comes to finding a mate. Looks can fade. Money can run dry. But if you have a sense of humor . . . I know Renaissance Man has made me laugh many times when I have been angry or sad.
He’s health oriented. My single girlfriend showed me a photo on her phone of a man with whom her friend tried to hook her up. She zoomed on his teeth. She was so disgusted and had no interest in the man. Clean teeth are important and save on dental bills in the long run.
He lives in Carlsbad. Who doesn’t love San Diego and the beaches? He’s probably not poor living in a pristine beach town.
And he’s not cheap. He’s selling a Champion juicer for $20! They sell for over $300. And Champion is American made. They would be the only truly American made juicer.
He has a doctorate. He’s intelligent. I found punctuation issues in his ad, but that happens. He’s obviously very hurt by the loss of companionship.
How does he find a girlfriend in the pandemic? I know people have been seeing each other on rooftops. Well, he’s in Carlsbad. It’s not a big city. And quite frankly, Carlsbad isn’t the friendliest place. You would think he could meet women at the beach. No. Sorry. Trust me. Only creepy, old men approach women on the beach.
But then you have to ask yourself why did his girlfriend leave him? My voice teacher, who lives in the area, has a doctorate from USC. Actually, I think she’s single again, but she’s older. Anyway, when she was dating she was really frustrated with the men in San Diego. She said they weren’t sophisticated. I noticed, men in San Diego don’t want to grow up. They don’t want to work. They want to surf all day. For example, we used to go to a church where the pastor would literally write his sermon on Saturday. He said he wrote his sermons the day before church and we saw him surfing every morning. He would even recycle his sermons. I digress.
I don’t think he’s being conceited by saying he makes a fantastic smoothie. The one issue I detect is he might be needy. In a perfect world, a couple should both adore each other, but are independent of each other too. It’s good to have your time apart.
And he did forget to take a photo of the juicer. Does he even have a juicer? I wonder if he’s lying. Or he’s not thinking straight because he’s lonely? I want to know. Somebody (a single lady) contact tall, blue-eyed guy and let me know.
Oh yeah, how do you meet single people during a pandemic? A lot of online classes have popped up and they’re not just worldwide. Libraries are hosting online book clubs and writing classes via Zoom for their particular town.
I’m really liking the idea of “facetime” dating. It forces men to be creative and drop off food at the door. It also takes off the pressure of being physical, which could actually create sexual tension. Couples are forced to get to know each other since all they can really do is talk.
My suggestion is try some Stay-In-Place Reading, Writing, or Dating. Or you could have a romance author write about you. We love a great hook and hook up. Oh and we love a HEA-Happily Ever After.
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