Things to do this week: Your best garden bounty
This week we have the new wedding etiquette, recipes for your backyard garden haul and what’s opening back up in Philly.
How to summer better. We just launched our everything-you-need-for-summer page. It’s got our best advice, how-tos, events, activities and guides for this unusual summer; it’s everything you need to know about making the most of the season and doing it safely: inquirer.com/summer. Bookmark it: We’re adding more stories every week. Do you have a summer story idea you’d like to see there? Drop us a line, anytime.
This week we have the new wedding etiquette, recipes for your backyard garden haul and what’s opening back up in Philly.
Stay healthy, stay safe, and, as much as possible, it’s still a good idea to stay home.
Your reopening questions, answered:
How can I hire a babysitter during the pandemic? by Grace Dickinson
How does outdoor dining work now? by Nick Vadala
How does the green phase work if you’re high risk? by Grace Dickinson
How dangerous are public bathrooms? by Elizabeth Wellington
» SEARCH OUR FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered
Plan this
We’ve got the best events this week, including a drive-in concert, live DJs from Johnny Brendas, a virtual ice cream fest and more: inquirer.com/calendar.
Our kids calendar is updated every Sunday with ways to keep the kids occupied while you work: inquirer.com/kidscalendar.
Know this
If you were planning to get married this summer, you’ve probably had to make some serious concessions between your dream wedding and the reality. But when you have to change plans, how do you handle it with your guests? Erin McCarthy walks through the new wedding etiquette:
The rules: In Pennsylvania, indoor gatherings of more than 25 people are prohibited, though up to 250 people may gather outside (Philadelphia’s restrictions are more stringent). Masks should be worn indoors and whenever social distancing is not possible outdoors. In New Jersey, as many as 500 people can gather outdoors and 100 people, or 25% of a building’s capacity, can gather inside.
Uninviting people: “A polite way would be a phone call,” said Jacquelyn Youst, an etiquette expert and owner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Protocol. “Either do it personally on a phone call or in a card in the mail.” She suggests couples tells uninvited guests that “they look forward to celebrating with them in other ways.”
Gifts: If you’re uninvited to a wedding, Youst says she still would send something within two months of the wedding. “I would give something,” she said, “but maybe something not as significant.”
Got an invite? If you’re invited to a wedding but don’t feel comfortable attending, simply RSVP no. If your RSVP is already in, Youst said, tell the couple as soon as possible and be honest but polite. The bride and groom should understand and respect your decision and comfort level regarding the virus.
» READ MORE: How to (kindly) uninvite people from your wedding and other etiquette tips amid the coronavirus
Get out and do this
Philly’s museums and attractions are slowly opening back up, with a lot of obvious changes. So if you want to see art right now, or go to a museum or even the zoo, how does it work? Grace Dickinson has your ultimate resource on what you can do right now and how: what’s open, how you get tickets and what precautious, and restrictions, each place is doing to keep visitors safe.
» READ MORE: What’s open right now? Museums and attractions open in and around Philadelphia
Eat this
If you planted vegetables, this is the time (or it’s coming soon) when you’re like “How can I possibly eat all of these zucchini?” Grace Dickinson found some great recipes for your backyard bumper crop, and some tips to freeze it, so you can get that excellent taste of summer all year long:
Some produce freezes better than others: Avoid veggies with high moisture content, like cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce, and radishes. Veggies like sweet corn, peas, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, squash, spinach, kale, and collards all freeze well.
Blanch veg first: Blanching deactivates enzymes in produce that cause loss of nutrients, as well as color and flavor changes. To blanch, remove any parts you wouldn’t usually eat, like stems, roots, bruises, seeds, and the outer peel (if usually peeled). Place in a large pot of boiling water. Most veggies only need two to three minutes. (Onions, peppers, and fruit usually don’t need blanching.)
Freeze on a baking sheet: To prevent clumping, arrange produce individually on a baking sheet (particularly useful for delicate items like raspberries), and freeze on the sheet before transferring to a container.
For more tips on freezing, and recipes for tomatoes, squash and eggplant, check out Grace’s full piece.
» READ MORE: Recipes for abundant summer produce, including tomatoes, eggplant and squash