The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 5

September 8, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 7 Arts & Entertainment OFFSHORE CALENDAR Bringing life to your space: Easy indoor plants for beginning gardeners LGBTQ+ Mindfulness session September 9 | 6:00 p.m. Keeping It Fresh: Humpday Comedy September 9 | 8:00 p.m. Fashion Illustration: Virtual Masterclass with Gladys Perint Palmer September 10 | 1:30 p.m. Free virtual tour of Grand Canyon National Park September 10 | 3:00 p.m. Baking with Our Buds - open house live cooking September 10 | 7:00 p.m. A Walk In The Park: an artist’s journey September 11 | 8:00 p.m. Harry Styles: The tour at home (part ii) September 11 | 10:30 p.m. Gentle yoga for terrible times with Joyce Wu September 12 | 6:00 p.m. The Terrible Zoom Date: Get Matched With Strangers in Front of An Audience September 12 | 9:30 p.m. By: Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor Decorating your space is a great way to feel more comfortable in it. Plants can brighten up your room and clear out the air -- and you don’t need to be an expert gardener to take care of them. There are many low maintenance plants that can thrive in the residence halls. Just be sure to do your research to ensure you can properly take care -- and if necessary, dispose -- of your plants. Cacti and succulents Cacti and succulents are good starting points for people just getting into indoor gardening. They are low maintenance and can go for long periods of time without water. So, if you forget to water them every once in a while, they will be alright. Succulents and cacti should be kept in a well-lit area; a windowsill is the perfect place for them. Water them lightly once their soil is dry, usually about once a week depending on the time of the year. Succulents come in a variety of colors and shapes and can add a nice pop of color to your dorm room. Spider plants, snake plants and bamboo palms Spider plants, snake plants and bamboo palms are great air purifiers and do a great job of getting rid of odors. Different from succulents and cacti, spider and snake plants and bamboo palms do much better when not in direct sunlight. This gives you more options for decorating around your dorm instead of just on your windowsill. Bamboo palms can grow to be very large, so regularly clipping them will be necessary after a while. Bamboo palms require a good supply of water, but make sure to look out for root rot and dead fronds. Tap water can lead to more browning; rainwater or filtered water is much preferred for these plants. Spider plants require good drainage, so it would be best to double pot or add drainage rocks to your soil. If you have cats, be aware that they will try to eat spider plants, and while not toxic to them, it can make them sick. Snake plants are extremely low maintenance and can be left for weeks without any water. Peace lilies and bromeliads Many species of flowering plants thrive indoors and require very little maintenance. Peace lilies do not require direct light and are very forgiving to over or under-watering. This makes them a great plant for novice dorm gardeners. They give off a light scent, but it is not overpowering. While bromeliads may look strange, they produce beautiful flowers. They do not require much water and can absorb water through their leaves. Similar to succulents and cacti, bromeliads thrive in bright light spaces and are well suited for a windowsill. Get your potato fix ¼ cup butter ¾ cup buttermilk Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Directions 1. In a saucepan, cook potatoes in salted boiling water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Then, drain. 2. Mash the potatoes with the butter. 3. With an electric mixer, reduce the mixture to a puree with the buttermilk. 4. Add salt and pepper to liking. September is recognized as National Potato Month, and given potatoes are delicious in so many ways, here are some ways to incorporate potatoes into your day every day this month. Breakfast potatoes We’ve all enjoyed our share of potatoes for breakfast, whether they be in the form of hashbrowns, home fries or in our omelets. Here’s how you can enjoy some hashbrowns from the comfort of your own home. Hash browns Ingredients: 3 medium potatoes Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Directions 1. Wash and do not peel the potatoes. 2. Microwave on high for 2 ½minutes. 3. Fill a bowl with iced water. When potatoes are done microwaving, drop them into the ice water and cut them lengthwise in half to quicken cooling. 4. When cool enough to handle, shred each half without peeling. 5. Place shredded potatoes in a skillet sprayed with vegetable spray and cook over medium heat until well browned. 6. Flip and repeat. 7. Add salt and pepper to liking. Lunch potatoes Potatoes are good at any point in the day. While some people think potato-centric dishes are on the heavier side, here’s a recipe for a potato soup that will leave you satisfied and with room for dinner. Potato soup Ingredients: 3 ½ cups medium potatoes ⅓ cup celery ⅓ cup onion 1 cup carrots 3 ¼ cup chicken broth 5 tbsp butter 5 tbsp flour 2 cups milk 2 cups cheddar cheese Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Directions 1. Dice all vegetable ingredients. 2. Combine potatoes, celery, carrots, onion and broth in a pot and bring to boil. 3. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender. 4. Stir in salt and pepper, to taste. 5. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. 6.Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick. 7. Slowly stir in milk, avoiding lumps to form. 8. Turn up to medium heat and continue to stir for 4-5 minutes until thick. 9. Add in cheese and stir until melted. Dinner potatoes Mashed potatoes are a staple comfort food we can enjoy any day. Having potatoes for dinner not only fills you up, but also offers many health benefits, like improved brain health, digestion and even sleep, as stated by NDTV Food. Mashed potatoes Ingredients: 6 medium potatoes By: Flor Ana Mireles Copy Editor PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM E. COWAN A lovely array of plants on the window sill PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM S. GALLUS Fried hash browns on a pan