We were on vacation last week, and came back to find big changes in the garden!  Given that my last post was on the garden as well, it’s pretty fun to see the changes from just nine days ago …

The garden is going beautifully strong.  The cool weather and constant rain early on has made our lettuces and kales grow like crazy, and now that the sun has peeked through at least a couple of times, we’ve got flowers and blossoms coming out, too!

We had a huge harvest of a particularly bitter and strong type of broccoli raab called di rapa novantina broccoli this week. I cut and gave away a whole bunch of it, but also used a lot myself with this recipe that cuts the bitterness of raab with, basically, fat.

As you know, I’m currently designing our kids’ bathroom. There is pretty much an endless amount of money you could spend on a bath remodel, given that plumbing, fixtures and tile are all involved! However, there are also really great more budget options that don’t look “budget.” To that end, I’ve put together three different price point options for finishes, as well as combinations of some of my favorites …

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Last week I posted about the possibility of doing a ‘wet room’ in our kids’ bath reno, with a freestanding tub inside a shower enclosure. My main areas of concern were would a small tub be comfy, and how much a wet room would add to costs. Then during the week two things happened. First, I went to a bath showroom and actually sat in the tubs that would fit our space. Second, I got the contractor and cabinetry quote for our kitchen and bath re-do.   Getting that quote explains why I didn’t post again last week, because I was in a sadness spiral of how much a renovation costs.

I’ve come up with a few options and moodboards for the kids’ bathroom (with my terrible photoshop skills). There are some things I know I want …

Our overwintered kale has already bolted, leaving us with flowers and buds on every single plant. This is what happens when it’s so rainy and cold we aren’t harvesting and giving away a ton! While bolting can cause leaves to be less tender and more bitter, the good news is that the kale flowers, buds and stems are actually really tasty – very similar to a broccoli raab! It’s also been such a delayed spring here in New England that the kale leaves are still tender. So by luck, we’ve got the best of both worlds … here are three ways the kale stems and buds are great to eat …

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Currently I’m working on the floor plan for our kids’ bathroom. Personally, I’m not into tubs. Give me a walk-in shower any day – or even better, a steam shower! However, given that this bathroom is just outside the rooms that I think any homeowner will use for kids’ bedrooms (we do), a bathtub seems like it will be a necessary evil. To that end, I’m trying to see if we can manage a ‘wet room’ where the tub sits inside a shower enclosure, like the inspiration shot above. I would LOVE advice from anyone who has used a small-ish tub regarding comfort, or anyone who has an acrylic standalone tub – not sure if there are any drawbacks!

This is two recipes in one: Mexican slaw or Asian slaw. Same ingredients, but different seasonings make it the perfect topper for Mexican dishes or Asian dishes! For example, I made this batch “Mexican style” last night to top off tacos, and it was amazing. It’s such a nice, fresh way to lighten up Mexican food, which can tend toward the heavy. It also works really well on top of spicy grilled fish or fish tacos. Then last week, I made this exact same slaw to top off Japanese rice! Asian style, this crisps up pretty much any dish you can think of. I adore it as a side to Thai-style whole grilled fish, and have even used it on Chinese noodle dishes, ramen and stir fry.

So what I’m saying is that this is some flexible, delicious stuff. And as someone who cannot stand your classic cole slaw, that’s saying something coming from me. The big trick with this? No mayo, all freshness …

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Okay, okay, admittedly this could also be headlined “trends I hate and don’t want to see anymore,” and that would probably be more honest. As someone who often claims I don’t discriminate on the basis of style (since I generally think almost anything can shine in the right place), this all may seem a bit out of left field. Maybe it’s because I had two toddlers screaming at me all morning and their grouchiness is contagious? I don’t know, but what I do know is that even when I’m in a good mood, these trends make me angry and/or sad.