what's good around the web

The last week was a bit of a doozy, as is evidenced by this end of March post coming on the 4th of April. And as is also evidenced by the above photo, which yes, is of my child about to ram a pair of scissors into his mouth while sitting on top of a precariously high table and in front of tired and stressed colleagues who not only had to endure me bringing my one-year-old to the office for two days last week while we were on a massive deadline, but also had to endure me taking pictures of him while I should have been working and while he was busy finding all the danger. I think the look on my colleague's face says it all.

When in doubt, donate

Since it is nutrition month, my donation for March is to the World Food Program. The WFP is the leading humanitarian organization working to fight hunger worldwide by delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.

Despite international efforts to address food insecurity, around 108 million people in the world were severely food insecure in 2016, a dramatic increase compared with 80 million in 2015. This year, the demand for humanitarian and resilience building assistance will further escalate as four countries are at risk of famine: South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and northeast Nigeria. Other countries that require massive levels of assistance because of widespread food insecurity are Iraq, Syria (including refugees in neighbouring countries) Malawi and Zimbabwe. In the absence of immediate and substantive action not only to save people’s lives, but also to pull them back from the brink of famine, the food security situation in these countries will continue to worsen in coming months. If you've got any room in your budget for donations, I implore you to consider the WFP now.

the muffin myth, in other places

On Hello Glow I shared a guide to good fats you should be eating. All the good stuff in moderation, as usual!

a little bit delicious

I caught up with my friend Ceri while she was visiting Stockholm this week. We met four or five years ago at a food blogger conference and have stayed in touch all these years via our blogs and Instagram. Ain't the internet great?! Anyways, inspired by her trip, she made a vegan version of the ubiquitous Swedish Chokladbollar, a classic fika treat. I'm looking forward to giving her recipe a try!

I've mentioned here before the story of Lindsay and Bjork from Pinch of Yum, who tragically lost their son earlier this year, born at just 24 weeks. Like many others, I'm sure, I wondered how Lindsay would ever get back to posting recipes, but, slowly, surely, she found a way. Their new series, feeding a broken heart, is all about the food you make to share with those in need, and I love it. I made this Spicy Carrot Soup (on the stove top, I don't have an Instant Pot) for dinner over the weekend and it was one of the best soups I've made in a long time. Super simple, velvety smooth, just the right amount of spice, and stick-to-yer-ribs satisfying.

Lastly, I love this idea for a Devilled Egg Bar! It would be the perfect choose-your-own-adventure thing for an Easter brunch or lunch.

 

1.  Have you heard of banana milk?!

2. Willpower is a dangerous, old idea that needs to be scrapped.

3. Love this idea: an app that teaches children about how their dinner affects the planet.

4. And on the subject of kids, here's how to get your kids eating well and avoid eating disorders.

5. If you've been around these parts for a while you know I'm a champion of the size does not equal health movement. This is a compelling argument for removing BMI as an assessment tool for whether nor not an individual has the "disease" of obesity.

6. The DNA test as horoscope - inside the growing world of lifestyle genetics tests.

7. As if I needed more reason to love legumes: Legumes linked to lower diabetes risk.

8. In our race to eat less carbs and more protein, we've forgotten about fiber. But it's so important!

9. Is 'local' synonymous with better?

10. Would you wait an extra 25 seconds at a vending machine for an unhealthy snack? These vending machines are nudging people towards healthier choices.