"Sometimes the solution you've been searching for is right in front of you, if only you look at the situation with different perspective."

For years now we've been hunting for the "right" pizza crust recipe. We tried about a dozen and had one that was okay, but it was a little awkward to make and still not quite right.

Then, earlier this week, I was thinking about making garlic cheesy bread, but was a little tight on time. Instead of baking the bread and then slicing it and baking it again with garlic and cheese, I rolled it out in a big sheet pan and let it rise for a bit. Then I figured since it was starting to look like pizza, why not make it more like a pizza?

We brushed it with salt water, and par-baked for 10 minutes, and then pulled it out, brushed on some homemade marinara sauce and put on some cheese and other toppings, and baked it for 12 minutes more.

​Our favorite French bread recipe has now become our favorite pizza crust recipe. It was very good - nice and chewy, with a bit of crackle from the salt water wash. The recipe is easy, too. Just five ingredients, and one of those is water. You could make up the dough the night before and keep it in the fridge if you like, and then roll it out to raise about an hour before bake time.

It was a good reminder to try looking at familiar things in new ways.

Today I found some photos of a good friend who passed away in 2024. They weren't great photos, but they were still cute. She was sitting at the kitchen table, having a bowl of chicken stew with fresh baked biscuits for supper, and our cat, Zoro, who also passed in 2024, was sitting on a chair next to her, staring at her in an attempt to get some stew.

It was a good memory of the both of them. They would often nap on the couch together when she visited. Her birthday is this week, the first one without her. I can't help but think that finding the photos was serendipitous, a reminder to remember the good times we had together.

Goal for 2025 - more time with friends.

How do you make more time for friends in your schedule? The percentage of people who think of themselves as friendless is rising. This is an area worth attention, as loneliness and social isolation can be as hard on your health as severe obesity and chain smoking. Keeping in touch with a small group of close friends increases your resilience.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

​Our favorite French bread recipe (and now pizza crust recipe). We made a single batch of dough and rolled it out to half sheet pan size (18x13). Once rolled, we let it rise until roughly doubled in size, then brushed on the salt water wash and baked for 10 minutes, then pulled it out and put on toppings, as noted above. This recipe also makes excellent French toast, or bread bowls for soup.

Are you wondering if your leftover garden seeds are any good?

​Check out this chart for a list of typical shelf life, and use the included germination test to check viability before planting time.​

When you're working on your garden planning, don't forget the edible flowers. These make wonderful companion plants in the garden, welcoming pollinators and avoiding monocultures to confuse pests. It's simply fun to eat flowers, too, especially for kids. (Or those of us who are still kids at heart.)

Other Musings - Wooly Goodness?

Back when I was studying engineering, I had the opportunity to tour power plants, including going inside a nuclear reactor that was shut down for maintenance. We were all told to wear natural fibers, as synthetic fibers were more more likely to pick up charges.

This has rolled around in my head for years, as we are surrounded by an increasing number of wireless devices and other electrosmog. It's getting harder and harder to find natural fiber clothing, plus even the blended clothing seems to feel different than it did years ago - more static-ridden, and less breathable.

Then there's the issue with microplastics getting into everything, including our bodies, where they trigger an immune response but are difficult for our bodies to remove.

This has me on the hunt for natural fiber options for clothing and bedding. That led me to studies about wool bedding improving sleep quality, and wool clothing improving skin conditions.

I've always avoided wool, as I immediately think "scratchy", but not all wool products are the same. Some are much more pleasant to wear.

I'm curious - are you a wool lover or a wool avoider? Have you tried wool bedding, and noticed any difference? Reply to this email to share your thoughts.