(3/2021) March always holds two important dates for me: Daylight Savings Time, and the First Day of Spring. I am not excited when Daylight Savings Time comes into play, especially as a mother with younger children. But the first day of spring really does excite me. As the spring of 2021 comes into view, I find myself reflecting on last year’s spring.

To say that last year was very "unusual" is quite the understatement. Last spring, my family, like every family, was affected by the COVID-19 shutdown. It was sudden and unexpected. Things changed so quickly as my children’s schools closed, as our church closed, and all our plans were cancelled. Then my son and I both became sick. It turns out that we did not have the corona virus, but an assortment of other viruses and it was a few months before both of us were completely better.

During those months of cancellations and sickness, keeping our hope proved to be a challenge. We learned very quickly that many of the things that we took for granted held a lot of meaning. Our lives prior were filled with things that we enjoyed going out and doing. We missed driving to different places and exploring different stores and fun activities to do with our children. We missed attending services at our church as we participated in Great Lent and prepared for the coming of Easter. And we even missed our dentist appointments – now that is saying something!

But thankfully, it was still spring outside. Spring did not get cancelled and we could not miss it. Spring always brings hope to my mind. Although autumn and winter are probably my two favorite seasons, I still long for spring. After the long quiet of winter, I am ready for the zest that spring brings. I love seeing the trees with green gradually peaking out of their branches. I love the increased busyness of birds, squirrels, and bees. It feels like all of nature begins to embrace renewed life when spring arrives. It is as if the thing that they hoped for has arrived.

The hope of spring added joy to our family last year when things were tough. We would sit outside and enjoy reading books together. Sometimes we would buy donuts and coffee and then drive to someplace with a view and enjoy the sounds of nature. We would bring nature inside with us with beautiful flowers to decorate our at-home church. We would go for morning walks and enjoy seeing everything gradually reawaken.

Lime and Basil Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (9 inches)
• Sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche, optional

Preparation directions: Preheat oven to 325E. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in milk. Add lime zest, juice, and egg yolks; beat just until blended. Stir in basil. Pour into crust.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until center is set. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 (15-ounce) package whole milk ricotta
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Pinch of nutmeg

Preparation directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano, and nutmeg until fragrant, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

Spread 1 cup mushroom sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the spinach, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat with a second layer. Top with remaining noodles, mushroom sauce and cheeses. Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbling. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until top is browned in spots. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Lemony Spring Pea Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1lb pasta of your choice

Preparation directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Sauté the onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil until soft and translucent then add the peas and lemon zest. Pour in the cream and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon easily. Add lemon juice (start by adding half first as lemons can vary and you don't want the sauce to be too acidic) and season to taste.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water, and add the pasta to the sauce with the Parmesan. Pour in some of the reserved cooking water and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add more cooking water if necessary. You want the pasta to be creamy and glossy. Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese and lemon for squeezing.

Spring Onion and Chive Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
• 3 spring onions or scallions white and light green parts only, sliced in half lengthwise and then cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, divided

Preparation directions: Preheat the oven to 500EF (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the oven before you start preheating). Place the chives and spring onions in separate bowls and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each. Toss to coat, then season the chives and spring onions with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper; toss again. If you're using a baking stone/steel, turn the oven to Broil on high.

Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel). Drizzle the dough very lightly with olive oil and use a pastry brush to spread the oil all the way to the edges of the dough. Scatter on the spring onions, then the chives. Drizzle half of the cream evenly over top.

Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel. Remove the pizza from the oven, and immediately drizzle the remaining cream evenly over top and season with a pinch of salt. Let the pizza sit for 5 minutes or until the cream has congealed, then slice and serve.

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