It must be spring because there was a rattlesnake in the back yard (again). I think it’s the fourth one in four years. It was a baby (the most dangerous kind) and the gardener found it, right under my peach tree. He was pulling weeds with no gloves on so I scolded him and gave him a pair of my thick gloves. When I looked out the window a few minutes later, they were in his back pocket. Oh well, he has never been bitten so I guess I won’t worry about it. But now I’m afraid to go outside. I’m staying in to bake cookies.

Dear Jenny,

Do you have any tricks for under-eye bags?  I’ve had them for years and have tried everything but nothing seems to work.  Please help! – Anne D.

Dear Anne,

I know they say that placing cucumbers, raw potato slices, or tea bags, etc. on the eyes can help but that doesn’t seem practical because you have to stop what you’re doing, lie down, etc., plus I’m not sure those things even work. If you’ve had this for a long time, one thing to realize is that it can just be hereditary or it could also be caused by allergies, either known or possibly some you are not aware of. And the cause could be dietary. So the first thing I would do is look at your salt intake. If you start reading labels you may be shocked to see how much salt is in so many foods, like canned products and microwave popcorn, and certainly restaurant food. If you can seriously cut down your salt, which makes the body retain fluids, you may see a difference. A healthy diet with lots of fresh fruit & vegetables can only help, avoiding too much sugar and caffeine (so soft drinks are out). Also, try not sleeping on your side or stomach. I hope this helps – let me know.

Jenny

It’s Easter Sunday and there was a big earthquake in Baja, not too far from here although I didn’t feel a thing. Denis and I were driving at the time because I wanted to go to the mall. I hadn’t been to the Westside Pavillion for a long time and thought it would be fun, as long as parking wasn’t too crazy. Well, we found parking… lots of parking. It was closed. Since when do the malls close for Easter? It’s not a national holiday. So we decided to go the the mall in Beverly Hills. It’s not a Jewish holiday so this one must be open. We got there and parking was not a problem. Neither was shopping because everything there was closed too, except the Gap, which was jammed because everybody else thought the mall was open. Once the shopping momentum starts, it’s hard to stop. I got 2 hoodies marked down from 39.99 to 14.99, both fluorescent colors to be visible when I go walking. Tonight I made oatmeal cookies and cinnamon raisin bread. Denis got me a chocolate Easter bunny and I ate some of that too. I need to learn restraint. I’ll walk it all off tomorrow, in my fluorescent fifteen dollar hoodie.

It’s April Fools Day and I always wonder how that got started. Do you suppose some guy was trying to impress a woman: “I’ve got a private jet waiting to take you to Paris for lunch. Join me in a drink?” And she says, “Do I get to ride to the airport in that Ford Fiesta I saw you pull up in?” Guy says, “I was kidding!!! There’s no jet. It’s April 1st and that’s April Fools Day in my country. It’s what we do. Gotcha! Now, how about that drink?”

So this guy has a monkey. He dresses the monkey in an apron with pockets. He teaches it to put out its monkey-hand and take whatever is handed to him and put it in its apron pocket. That includes dollar bills. This guy is making a fortune! We went to the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica yesterday and this was one of the street performers. People were lining up to give this monkey a dollar! They waited with cameras and couldn’t give their money away fast enough just for a photo of the monkey taking their money. Imagine the thought process leading to this: “Let’s see… I have no marketable skills, I don’t really want to work anyway, so how can I get people to just give me money?” He’s a genius. I don’t have a picture to share, but I still have my dollar.

My new “Cooking Q&A” column is up and running. And I posted some new Mystery Photos.

I’m working on some website changes in preparation for my next cookbook. In the next few days I’ll be starting a “Cooking Q&A”column to answer anyone’s questions. I’ve been cooking for almost 40 years and my goal is to encourage more people to cook at home and eat healthy food. Once the column is up and running, my new blog will be next!

They didn’t use my “headline” last night on the Tonight Show. I thought it was really funny. It was a rental ad on Craigslist, the 10th one down on the list: “Nice Condom for Rental.” (maybe it’s too good and they’re holding it for sweeps!)

Vicki writes…
Dear Jenny,
My daughter is 14 years old and I know I’m not supposed to pry but I looked in her room and found a note she either wrote or got that ended with, “Let’s get high.” Well I’m no dummy and I know she must be smoking pot. But here’s what I’m confused about. If I confront her, she’ll know I was snooping. What’s even worse is that I did some drugs in my past (not any more!) so how can I tell her not to do it when I did? Please help.

My response…
Dear Vicki,
Whatever you did in your past, don’t let it keep you from being the best parent you can be. Your daughter doesn’t need to know you were snooping which, by the way I don’t see as a problem. Why not sit her down to have “the talk” about sex, drugs, and boys, etc. You don’t have to confront her or tell her you found the note, just make it part of a larger conversation. If she knows about your past, focus on the negative impact that drugs had on you. Tell her it’s a different world today with a lot more dangers than when you were a teenager. You know that’s true. It’s tougher than ever to be a parent and I know it’s not easy but you can do this. Find your own way to advise her about boys, sex, and drugs. It’s your job to give her the best direction you can and keep that little voice of yours in her head. And the next time she’s confronted with a risky situation, let’s hope your voice is the loudest one she hears.
Jenny

It was a beautiful day so Denis and I went to the zoo. Of course, I brought my camera and found this meerkat posing just for me.