Celebrate good times, come on

There ain't no party like a Zoom party because a Zoom party requires a lot of planning and manners. 

Over the weekend I had my first experience with a big milestone celebration in quarantine, as my niece turned three and a good friend had a baby shower. If you're throwing Zoom parties, a big tip: Organization helps! The baby shower host had trivia games (guessing lines from popular children's books) and activities for the soon-to-be parents (diapering a doll blindfolded). It came in just over an hour, which is about the amount of time a good Zoom can go before everyone gets tired. 

For my niece's birthday, I baked her a cake in my apartment in Virginia and then FaceTimed her and my sister in Michigan so my niece could pick out the decorations and then "blow out" some candles. (To the surprise of no one who has met a toddler, she wanted a very, very purple cake with sprinkles.) She opened my gift and didn't even need prodding to say she loved it (it was an apron with a T. Rex on it, because I am a very cool aunt). 

Of course I was thinking about what a shower would have looked like with my friend's loved ones surrounding her, offering hugs and belly pats, and what it would have been like if my niece got to taste her shockingly purple cake. But I shook off the momentary sadness quickly, because I know I'm lucky to have a sweet niece and a friend with a baby and a purple cake to play with. And if we can't celebrate the good times, what's the point?

Today's recipe

We've covered the big quarantine food trend of bread baking (I will never stop), but now there's a new one emerging on social media that you may want to try (or you may want to run in the other direction): Pancake cereal. 

Yes, you read that right. Here is the lowdown from Paste BN Lifestyle reporter Rasha Ali, our resident Cool Person. 

Pancake cereal is exactly what it sounds like. Mini (and we mean really small, like quarter-sized) pancakes are cooked and poured into a bowl with additives like butter and maple syrup or butter and other pancake toppings like berries. Some people are adding milk, though that appears to be a point of contention.

Making it is pretty straightforward. 

Just take pancake batter of your choice and put it either in a squeeze bottle or a plastic bag and cut a small hole at the bottom. Then put little dollops of the pancake batter on a pan and cook how you normally would a regular pancake. Take all the thoroughly cooked mini pancakes and plop them into a bowl and add your favorite pancake toppings, whether it be chocolate syrup and bananas, whipped cream or even milk. (We won't judge.)

What other strange foods will humans up with during the pandemic? Biscuit burritos? Carrot coffee? The possibilities are endless! (Don't try those things, I just made them up.) 

If you need a foolproof pancake recipe (for pancake cereal or otherwise), this one from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of "The Food Lab," has never steered me wrong. 

Today's wellness

Among the small silver linings of the pandemic is an increased cultural focus on wellness and mental health, beyond lip service Facebook posts during awareness weeks and months. Now, as the pandemic affects our minds in unforeseen ways, new mental health resources are abundant, and that makes me happy. We all need them. 

One event aimed at promoting wellness is called "Reset Your Mindset at Home." It's a 90-minute livestream tomorrow (4 p.m. ET) from Yahoo, during which leaders, celebrities and experts "will share their insights – and their own stories – about how they approach mind and body wellness and the importance of prioritizing mental health during this uncertain time." Some of those guests will include Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Mayim Bialik and Hilaria Baldwin. 

A second event, focused on coping during your professional life, will stream May 27 at 5 p.m. ET. Watch both here. 

Today's reads

• If you, like my cinephile husband, are missing the movie theater experience right now, our friends at Reviewed.com have rounded up everything you need to make outdoor movies in your own backyard a reality this summer. 
• If you're going longer between grocery trips, you're probably worried about your produce going bad before you eat it. Here is the best way to store it. 
• Were you as obsessed with ESPN's "The Last Dance" as we were? Here's Paste BN Sports with the final word on the docu-series. 
• Sick of your current roommates or the family members you live with? Try a moonpie instead. 
• A photo of a priest using a toy water gun to spray holy water for blessings has captured the hearts and minds of the internet, as has the accompanying photoshop challenge, and it's pretty easy to see why. 

Today's pet

Need to smile? Benji can help. 

"His sweet face and unwavering desire to play and roll around in the grass have been even more of a comfort during these challenging times," says his human, Melissa Braverman of New York City. 

Nothing will stop a pup from rolling in the grass, not even a pandemic. 

That's all I've got for this Tuesday. Stay safe, stay well, and I'll be back in your inboxes Saturday morning. If you'd like your pet featured, have a coping tip or a question about the newsletter, email me at klawler@usatoday.com. And feel free to fill out our survey to help shape the direction of this newsletter. We want to do whatever will help you the most. 

All my very best,

Kelly Lawler