Squirrels are inadvertent urban foresters. By scattering seeds that grow into trees and plants, they help regenerate our parks and contribute to NYC’s ecosystem health. Source: Wikipedia
There’s a tree in Brooklyn I visit these days. There are so many trees on the mainland—I only remember that once I leave Rockaway. The tall oaks, London planes, and maples create a lovely canopy. There’s a whole world happening above our busy streets below.
On my last visit to the tree, I noticed a squirrel popping its head out of a perfectly sized hollow, two stories high! The busy creature was up and down the tree. On the ground, the squirrel was stuffing leaves into its mouth and transporting them up the tree. Back and forth, back and forth. I hadn’t seen anything like it before. “She must be building a nest!” I thought. And then, I remembered to pause. I recognized the beauty in this. It was a moment for me to slow down and to witness urban nature at its best.
I kept thinking about this squirrel throughout my day and I was curious to learn more. The nest I saw is known as a “drey.” They’re constructed from twigs, leaves, and sometimes an extra bit of decor (NYC Trash). These nests provide a snug treehouse to protect from elements and provide a safe space for squirrel babies. The proper name is Kit. The nest building happens now, for the arrival of the kits in early summer. Squirrels have two mating seasons and they don’t necessarily pick the same nesting tree each time.
The gestation period for these adorably mid-sized rodents varies by species but typically it’s between 28 and 44 days and mom births several blind baby bundles. I found it interesting that NYC has many species of squirrels including the flying squirrel! Others: gray squirrels (that includes the black), fox squirrels, red squirrels.
Do both male and female squirrels pitch in with nest-building and childcare? The answer is, “not really.” Female squirrels are the primary nest architects and caregivers. Moms nurture the newborns for about 8–10 weeks. The kits start to wean at 6 weeks and gradually begin to explore the tree, wandering on nearby branches. They start foraging for food during this time. Mom does not bring food back to the nest. By 12 weeks, the kits are baby acrobats. Adult squirrels can leap up to 10 feet in a single jump!
I was reminded while researching that squirrels are omnivorous, sometimes feeding on bird eggs and fledglings but they mostly eat nuts, seeds, berries and pizza. These resourceful behaviors show their impressive adaptability and unmistakable NYC vibe. And despite their reputation as “common” or a nuisance, squirrels have an important impact on our environment. They are known as “inadvertent foresters,” they collect, scatter, and bury seeds that grow into trees, shrubs and flowers, helping to regenerate our urban green spaces and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Take a minute, and look up into the trees.
For more on the beautiful little things follow meon Instagram (@theglorifiedtomato) to catch the day-to-day magic of spring bloom.
Source: nycgovparks.org, centralparknyc.org
by Paula D.
on April 16, 2025 8:43 am in Food / Recipes
Yes, you read that right. Pretzel Salad. This dish breaks all the rules – it presents as a dessert but is in fact a side, served with the main course. It’s salad reimagined yet its vintage. It’s unconventional and irresistible. It’s what you need to make for your next dinner party, potluck, Easter, Passover, and for the summer BBQs in near sight. It has a story, a vibe, and a taste that will wobble heads.
The ingredients – pretzels, strawberry, cream cheese, whip cream, butter, and… jello.
My friend, Mike “The Soap Man” Benigno of Holland Avenue Soap, Co.,—tipped me off to Pretzel Salad back in December. I get a text, “Merry Christmas! Curious in the vein of Jello arts, are you aware of Pretzel Salad? It’s that Midwest thing—my mother-in-law and her whole family are into it big time.”
I listed, “What the heck is Pretzel Salad?” on my editorial calendar.
When The Soap Man first started dating his wife, Ellen, they would go to Mike’s parents’ house in Belle Harbor for dinner. Ellen wanted to bring an impressive dish and something from her Midwestern roots to share with “The New Yorkers.” It’s a tradition and staple in her family and the Pretzel Salad recipe came by way of her Mother, Pam Colwell.
Pam and her Husband Mike moved from Illinois to Arverne recently, to be closer to their grandchildren, and to inadvertently introduce Rockaway to the Pretzel Salad.
I scheduled an interview with Mike’s mother-in-law, to learn more about the strange salad. Pam said she has been making the recipe for over 40 years and brings it to all the family gatherings. It’s a favorite.” she said. “Thanksgiving turkey, roast beef, pretty much goes with anything.” I laughed. She politely said, “You can also eat it as a dessert if you like.,” though I gathered that is not the Midwestern way.
What does it taste like? Pam paused, “It’s kind of like a strawberry cheesecake with pretzels!”
Pam’s Pretzel Salad:
Ingredients:
2, 2/3 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
8 ounce container of frozen whipped cream
6 ounce packages strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
10 ounce package of sugared, frozen strawberries
More butter for baking dish
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor, crush the pretzels to a chunky consistency. Add to a mixing bowl and mix in the melted butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar; spread mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Fold in the whipped cream.
- Spread the mixture onto the cooled crust.
- Quarter the frozen strawberries. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Let it cool for a few minutes, then stir in the frozen strawberries and allow the jello to set half way – about 45 min. Check occasionally.
- When the mixture is the consistency of egg whites, spoon over the cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate until set. Best made the day before serving.
Taste this: a crunchy, salty, buttered pretzel crust layered under a sweet, cream cheesy spread fluffed with whipped cream and topped with bouncy, sweet strawberry-infused jello. It’s an unlikely, yet perfect combination of textures and sweet and savory flavor. Not to mention, it looks adorable.
According to Farmers’ Almanac, the strawberry pretzel salad was first introduced in “The Joys of Jell-O,” a cookbook published by General Foods in 1963. But some strongly believe its origins trace back to inventive German immigrants. It is said the recipe can be found in the “Brentwood Civic Club Cookbook” dated 1960, credited to second-generation German immigrant Gerry Fanz Sullivan. And Southerners, claim it too? Clearly a congealed masterpiece of this caliber would spark country-wide origin debate.
For more vintage recipes and jello art, visit theglorifiedtomato.com and follow Paula’s jello journey on IG: @theglorifiedtomato.
Source
by Paula D.
on February 25, 2025 6:23 am in Food
Juicy roasted tomatoes, zesty green tapenade, and creamy ricotta.
It’s been a while since I shared a solid recipe post. Last week, I whipped up this Italian treat to perfectly accompany the wonderful sourdough from Rockaway Bread I’ve been buying weekly. Plus, I realized I was not eating enough olives. Ingesting them promotes a sense of inner peace. (the olive branch effect).
This Mediterranean dish is versatile, serving as an appetizer or a satisfying main course. I highly recommend using high-quality olive oil to elevate the flavors. And as always, I’ll push my fav, Colavita — some things are worth your hard-earned shekels.
Ingredients:
(Serves 2, 4 as Appetizer)
For The Green Tapenade:
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1 tbsp. capers (not heaping)
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
A healthy pinch of pecorino romano
Black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
For The Tomatoes:
12 Campari tomatoes (or whichever looks ripe), quartered
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of basil flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
The Other Stuff:
15 oz container of Polly-O Ricotta
Rockaway Bread
Directions:
- Take the ricotta out of the fridge ahead of time. The cheese should be at room temperature for serving.
- Quarter the tomatoes. If you buy a different variety, cut them to about 1 inch. Heat the oil in a pan on the stovetop and drop in the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and basil flakes. Cook on high for 3min. Add the balsamic and then reduce the heat. Cook until the tomatoes break down, about 8 min.
- Prepare the olive tapenade by combining all the ingredients in a food processor. Let this mixture sit for at least a half hour so the flavors infuse. The longer the better. You can make this in advance.
- Plate the meal. Place the ricotta in the center of a serving dish and top with the olive tapenade letting some of the oil drip on the ricotta. Arrange the tomatoes around the ricotta in three sections, and fill in the remaining spaces with bread. Have fun with plating—it’s a creative thing!
by Paula D.
on February 25, 2025 6:19 am in Food
Non-organic: $0.70 to $1.00 per lb. Organic bananas: $1.00 and $1.30 per lb. About five bananas.
We were in Puerto Rico and needed to eat something before a 3-hour session at Wilderness. We thought the roadside stand was a smoothie shack, but it turned out to be a fruit stand, and the only eat-on-the-go fruit there was bananas.
Before surfing, you don’t want to eat a lot, but you need something—especially for a long session with drift and chest-high waves.
Can we eat more than one banana?
I love bananas so much, but my whole life I was told—or at least thought—that you can only eat one banana a day because bananas will “back you up.” I started to wonder, is this even true or is it a wives’ tale? It’s strange—I never thought to look it up until this moment on the dusty road at 7 a.m. in Puerto Rico. I wanted that second banana so badly.
The answer: you can eat two bananas a day! Unripe bananas can cause digestive issues and constipation because they contain more starch and are harder to digest, although there are no studies that say bananas cause constipation. All these years??! Very ripe bananas, on the other hand, can actually help relieve constipation because they contain a good amount of soluble fiber, which absorbs water in your gut and softens stools, making them easier to pass. The takeaway: bananas may improve or worsen constipation depending on their level of ripeness. Fascinating.
Remember though, a balanced diet is best, so don’t go bananas with the bananas now that you can eat more than one a day.
Another banana-related thing—I’m not sure if it’s just me or many of us—but the dilemma of buying organic bananas vs. non-organic ones seems more stressful than making other organic choices. I’ve had to be really “thrifty” the past few years. So I’m in tune with this. And maybe it’s because, in Key Food, the side-by-side display with the big price sign screams, “Which matters more: your financial wellness or your physical wellness.”
Organic means that food is grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms. All those things are bad, so it appears we should always opt for organic. It also seems unfair that there is a price point on our health based on economics. Non-organic bananas range from $0.70 to $1.00 per pound (about five bananas), and organic bananas cost $1.00 and $1.30 per pound. Take it for what it’s worth…
Other interesting facts about bananas:
- The word “banana” comes from the Arabic word “banan”, which means “finger”… checks.
- Surf fuel: bananas are a great pre-workout snack because they’re high in potassium, which helps nerve and muscle function.
- On Nov. 8, 2024, during a media preview at Sotheby’s, a banana duct-taped to a wall, titled “Comedian” was displayed and auctioned off—selling for $6.2M after six minutes of bidding to a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, which turned it into a viral sensation. The buyer eventually ate the banana in Hong Kong.
- Bananas were first imported to the U.S. in the 1870s. At the first World’s Fair (1876), bananas wrapped in tin foil were sold for ten cents each to curious shoppers (good price). Within a few years, they became a common street food.
- Banana peels are exceptionally slippery due to their low-friction surface—a phenomenon that earned researcher scientists an Ig Nobel Prize in Physics. So yeah, bananas are slippery, don’t find yourself with one foot on the banana peel.
Source: healthline.com, todayifoundout.com, nbcnews.com
