Interlude: Snacktime #2

I often find myself getting through the day with snacks if cooking and/or eating whole meals seem totally impossible. These were my more-effort snacks on the days I wanted to at least try to do something nice for myself anyway.

I had already had a sip of this banana-dragonfruit-mango smoothie (made with soy milk, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds) when I took the photo, at which point I discovered the key to making glass straws photogenic--just take the picture when they have some smoothie in them! I was drinking my lunch on this day and had two smoothies of this size to tide me over for dinner. I was answering tons of emails and was in the zone, so I didn't want to distract myself with meal prep. For this, I used up the last of the dragonfruit in my freezer, but I'm sure I'll have some again someday.

Late one evening when I'd had who knows what to eat during the day, I rallied enough to make some chickpea salad to have with crackers and to make into a sandwich the following day. I've given you my recipe for chickpea salad before; this time I had to chop up some pickles rather than adding dill pickle relish. It worked out fine. I hadn't had chickpeas in a bizarrely long time, and it was nice.

On Christmas Day, a neighbor showed up with homemade vegan toffee, which she left on my porch and left after ringing the doorbell. It had nuts and chocolate and was absolutely perfect as a snack. I decided to photograph it as it came to me, but be assured I did not consider this whole box a snack on its own! It was several, wonderful snacks.

Happy New Year! (It's not 2021 here yet but it is in some parts of the world, so I'll go ahead and say it.) It is funny, but I honestly don't think I can remember a year when I felt more beloved--albeit so strangely in isolation! 2020 has been painful, stressful, and sad, but it has had all sorts of wonderful surprises. Like this toffee, I have experienced practically an ongoing parade of kindness I am ill-equipped to repay. And because of that, I plunge into the new year, a bit sadder, but also, a lot stronger. Here's to us. We made it. Love to you all and best wishes for a much, much better 2021.