Waiting on a long returns line in Target, I watched an interesting dynamic. Two friends are standing in front of me. Blonde Hair says to Brown Hair: “I really want to get a cake stand.”

“Go for it, we’ll be here forever,” Brown Hair responds.

Blonde Hair leaves the line. Ten minutes later she returns, arms full of a walnut wood cake stand, a faint but proud smile on her face.

“Good job, I approve,” Brown Hair says smugly.

I got stuck on the approval piece. Blonde Hair hadn’t asked Brown Hair for approval. She hadn’t even asked her for an opinion! What made Brown Hair feel she had to dispense it? Maybe Blonde Hair was proud that she was able to make a choice without asking her friend for advice.

I’m using a lot of creative license, but I wonder if Brown Hair is so used to having her opinion asked that she felt it was inconceivable that her friend wasn’t interested. Maybe her role of opinion giving has become part of who she is, and she needs it for her own self-worth. Maybe Brown Hair has her own insecurities, yet she’s able to make fast decisions and she rides a lot on that.

All of these speculations are irrelevant because I probably won’t ever see these people again, but when you’re on line in Target, it’s a great time to people-watch.

The Pesach prep season is about to unfold, with lots of interpersonal dynamics and often accompanying pressure. If we have a decent handle on what’s driving the people around us, we won’t write off a questionable comment so quickly. It may feel like a luxury to stop and speculate, but hey, there are plenty of hours of Pesach cleaning ahead in which to do it!

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com

Popcorn on the Cob

We love trying something new and different, and when I heard about this concept I had to try it. It’s a dried cob of corn that gets placed in a paper bag and popped in the microwave, on the cob itself. Most of the popcorn falls into the bag, but some popcorn get left on the cob, and according to my kids it’s really fun to eat it right off the cob.

Dry Spell

Baking recipes often call for mixing together the dry ingredients in a bowl before adding them to the sugar and oil mixture. I love skipping steps, so I skip the step of combining the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Instead, when I add the dry ingredients, I add the flour with the baking powder/soda and combine it with a fork to make sure it’s fully combined while it’s sitting on top of the sugar/oil mixture. Then I mix the flour into the liquid. No need for an extra bowl!

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 834)