Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

This week was one of those weeks that feels like a lot happened, but then you realize that not a lot did. I caught up with some old friends, spent time with my boyfriend, and started a couple writing projects. But overall, it was pretty low key.

It also rained a lot so it put a damper on some of the things I wanted to do. I was going to go strawberry picking at Eckert’s in Illinois today because I’ve been dying to make strawberry shortcake and jam. But then I saw on their website yesterday that they had to close the patches due to inclement weather and crowds. The next batch of strawberries should be ready this week so I’ll wait until next weekend to go.

I’ve also had to slow down lately due to my injury, but luckily I’m on the mend. I went on a couple short walks this week including to the park in DeMun, one of my favorite places in St. Louis (see the above picture). It’s particularly beautiful at sunset when not a lot of people are still there and the light shines through the tree branches. I snapped this picture as I was sitting on a bench eating a snow cone with my boyfriend.

I’m anxious to get back to some of my normal spring and summer activities such as hiking and biking, but I’ll get there soon. In the meantime I’m trying to enjoy a slower pace and find more beauty in everyday life. It’s easy to think that it doesn’t exist, or that the only way to find it is by driving an hour or two to the country. I’m convinced that the more you look in your day-to-day environment, the more you’ll find it.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

A group in California is testing out a program that provides healthy daily meals to chronically ill, low-income people to improve their health. The Ceres Community Project gives meals to people on the state’s version of Medicaid so they don’t have to worry about cooking for themselves or finding food. Other studies of similar programs have shown that this correlates with lower medical expenses and better health outcomes. I think that this is a program the entire country should get behind. Read more about it in this story in The New York Times.

I loved this story in Chicago Magazine about a French author taking a road trip through Illinois. Novelist Camille Bordas went from Chicago to the southern tip of Illinois, jotting down her impressions of small towns and inns along the way. It made me want to visit some of those places more, especially towns that are close to St. Louis. You can read more about her trip here.

I’m generally pretty satisfied with the St. Louis dining scene but occasionally, I long for D.C. pizza or Chicago’s Greek food. I know every city has its strengths and weaknesses in food but it’s good to occasionally evaluate and see what could be improved. My editor at St. Louis Magazine asked me and some other writers to weigh in with a “wish list” of what we’d like to see in the St. Louis food scene. Check out our recommendations.

Speaking of the St. Louis dining scene… My friend Josh Charles just took over the kitchen at Winslow’s Home, a popular eatery and farm market in University City, Missouri. I stopped by for brunch yesterday with my aunt and everything was delicious. I got the potato, leek, mozzarella quiche pictured below, and a mixed berry crostata that brought tears to my eyes.

I’ve been on a snow cone kick lately. Last week I went to How Sweet Is This, a tiny candy shop in DeMun, with my sister and my boyfriend and then just with my boyfriend. I’d highly recommend the Tiger’s Blood, which sounds disgusting but it’s actually really good. It’s a mix of berries and coconut. It’s also sugar free but it doesn’t taste like it.

Even though I didn’t get to go strawberry picking, I’m still excited about Eckert’s strawberry promotion. The farm teamed up with a bunch of St. Louis restaurants to offer strawberry-themed dishes. You can read more about who is participating in this article in Feast Magazine.

Last but certainly not least, I snuck out of work a few minutes early on Friday to see “RBG.” The documentary chronicles the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of our country’s most influential judges. I’m a big fan of RBG (yes, I own a Notorious RBG shirt) and this documentary did not disappoint. I’d highly recommend it. Check out the trailer here.

Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started.