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If you are turning over a new leaf on your diet for 2020, San Diego holistic nutritionist Torie Borrelli has a new book that can help. Her “Mexican Keto Cookbook” shares health-conscious recipes for Mexican cuisine, from a Probiotic Guacamole to Mexcal Lamb Barbacoa.

Borrelli doesn’t believe in counting calories or quick fixes, but instead changing eating habits. Of Italian and Mexican heritage herself, Borrelli says she chose to focus on Mexican cuisine because it’s high in healthy fats, so it adapts well to a ketogenic (high-fat, low-carb) diet.

Serves 8

Reprinted from “The Mexican Keto Cookbook” by Torie Borrelli.

1 to 1½ cups sliced sweet potato, cut in thin rounds

8 pasture-raised eggs, whisked

2 cups chopped greens (arugula, kale or spinach)

1 avocado, sliced thinly into 8 pieces

4 ounces goat cheese or Cotija cheese

¼ cup tomato or tomatillo salsa, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch pie dish or circular dish with butter or oil (such as coconut) or avocado oil spray.

Lay the sliced sweet potatoes in a thin layer in the bottom of the dish so that none of the dish is showing and a little up the sides as you would a crust. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Pour in the eggs, add the greens and then top with the avocado slices. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the middle is no longer jiggly. Top with the cheese and salsa (if using).

SEATTLE — You might not know this, but in Washington, schools don’t have to teach sex education.

State law only requires school districts to teach students about HIV and AIDS prevention every year, starting no later than the fifth grade. But after a failed attempt last year, lawmakers are again trying to make comprehensive sexual health education a mandate for all Washington public schools.

Supporters argue that the lack of a consistent, statewide set of standards for sex education means students may fill in the gaps themselves — and expose themselves to risk.

A survey of nearly 9,000 eighth-graders in 2018 found about two-thirds of them had been taught about abstinence and other ways to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Still, “we’ve seen an incredibly disturbing trend with a climb in (adolescent) STD rates in our state,” according to Laurie Dils, who oversees sex education for the state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

On Thursday, she presented the recommendations of a state work group that wants the Legislature to require all public schools to provide some form of sex education to every student — from kindergarten to 12th grade — by the 2022-23 academic year.

The proposal certainly has its opponents, including politicians and parents who wonder why elementary kids need to know about reproduction and gender identity. A legislative hearing last week highlighted some questions and concerns.

What do Washington schools currently teach about sexual health?

If local school boards choose to go beyond HIV and AIDS prevention, they must use materials that align with the state’s Healthy Youth Act — meaning the instruction needs be medically and scientifically accurate, age-appropriate and inclusive of all students.

The state does not set a specific curriculum or required content. But it does define “sexual health education” as an individual’s developing body, mind and social interactions. The definition also covers skills to build healthy and meaningful relationships, choosing healthy behaviors and understanding the influence that family, peers and the media have on sex.

In 2018, the state superintendent’s office surveyed all 295 school districts about sex education. Of the 285 that responded, 93 percent provided some instruction in at least one grade band: 65 percent in kindergarten through fifth grade, 86 percent in grades 6-8 and 75 percent in grades 9-12.

Students shared what they were taught in school on the Healthy Youth Survey: In 10th grade — as 26 percent of students reported ever having sex — nearly three-quarters had lessons on preventing pregnancy and STDs, either through abstinence or other methods. In their senior year, about 4 in 10 students were taught about abstinence or other prevention methods, and 47 percent said they ever had sex.

Why does the state superintendent’s office want all schools to teach sex education?

Because, the superintendent’s office says, evidence shows that teens face significant sexual health risks and sexual violence.

Data from the Washington State Department of Health show that, since 2014, the number of adolescents in Washington with STDs has been on the rise, with the largest increases among males. While gonorrhea rates climbed 71 percent in just four years, syphilis rates more than doubled among 15- to 19-year-olds.

And more students in the eighth and 12th grades have reported unwanted sexual contact and dating violence, according to the Healthy Youth Survey.

Andrea Alejandra, a student at Washington State University Vancouver, told lawmakers Thursday about her experience with sexual abuse and growing up in a religious household.

“I didn’t know what boundaries were. I didn’t know how to say, ‘No,’ ” she said.

“I wish I had something like this to tell me, ‘This is your body and you have the right to protect it,’ ” Alejandra added. “I wish someone had told me at an earlier age.”

What does “comprehensive” sex education even mean?

The state superintendent’s office lists 20 different topics that it uses to define “comprehensive” sexual health education, including:

• The benefits of abstaining from sex.

• How well condoms work — or don’t — and how to obtain and use them.

• The importance of limiting the number of sexual partners.

• Sexual orientation and gender roles, identity and expression.

• The relationship between alcohol and other drug use and risky sexual behavior.

House Bill 2184 would require every public school to provide comprehensive sexual health education to each student by the 2022-23 school year. But starting in 2020-21, school districts already providing comprehensive sexual health education must include information about affirmative consent and bystander training.

Senate Bill 5395, which died during last year’s legislative session but was reintroduced this week, would hasten the requirement for statewide sex education to September 2021.

Both bills also would require schools to teach students about affirmative consent — meaning, all parties need to consciously, intentionally and voluntarily agree to engage in sexual activity.

Does the proposed legislation impede local control or the right of parents to opt their children out of sex education?

Under either bill, school districts could still choose or create their own sexual health curriculum, provided it aligns with state standards. Parents and guardians also would retain their right to opt their children out of such classes.

State Sen. Brad Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate’s education committee, voted against SB 5395 last year. A former school board member in Eastmont, he said the Legislature should defer to locally elected officials and not mandate comprehensive sex education across all 295 school districts.

“That would be a significant erosion of local control,” said Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee. “People closest to an issue are usually in the best position to make a decision for their communities, and our school districts are not arms of the state.”

Who’s for and against this proposal?

Most of the controversy centers on what would be taught in kindergarten through third grade.

In an online survey that drew more than 10,000 responses — a majority of which came from parents — the state superintendent’s office found 58 percent of respondents believe comprehensive sexual health education should not be required across grades K-12. The other 42 percent said it should be.

Last year, the Senate divided along party lines to advance SB 5395 to the House, where the legislation died.

But in the Senate’s education committee, many organizations — and some young people — testified in support of the bill: the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the state teachers union, Planned Parenthood and students from Olympia High School and Western Washington University.

On Thursday, the House education committee reserved little time for public comment on HB 2184. Many parents and students testified in support of the proposed legislation.

Others worried about exposing elementary students to sexual content.

Riel Lord drove from Camas to testify against HB 2184, arguing that one currently approved curriculum instructs students to search online for information about their body without warning them about the dangers of pornography.

“They want to teach second-graders that cats and dogs reproduce. Why do second-graders need to know that?” said Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver. “The more this becomes a conversation that we introduce this at younger grades … these decisions lead to more sex among teenagers.”

The state House has an opportunity this session to correct a mistake it made last year when it failed to approve a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.

The Senate made quick work of approving the ban Jan. 15 with the support of Sen. Annette Cleveland of Vancouver. Republicans Lynda Wilson of Vancouver and Ann Rivers of La Center opposed the bill. Interestingly, Rivers supported the plastic-bag ban in the previous session.

The ban stalled in the House during the last session after Senate approval. Even though the bill had broad support, including from the state’s grocers, it was tripped up by opposition from the American Forest & Paper Association, which makes paper bags. The organization dislikes the 8-cent fee stores would have to charge for each paper bag, fearing customers would reject their products.

We believe their fears are misplaced. Eight cents is a small price to pay for a bag that is reusable if handled sensibly. (Those who use SNAP or WIC food benefits would not be charged the bag fee.) We think most shoppers will appreciate the environmental responsibility it reflects. As The Stranger of Seattle noted Jan. 16: “Though the paper bag people don’t like the bill, the idea of banning plastic bags enjoys broad support. A new poll from the Northwest Progressive Institute found that 69 percent of Washington voters think we should ban the bags, which is … nice. It also just makes sense. Thirty-seven jurisdictions in Washington already ban plastic bags, so it’s not like this will be a big cultural shift.”

That is an important point. Clark County residents who shop across the Columbia River are already accustomed to the plastic bag ban that has been in effect in Portland since 2011, and went statewide in Oregon at the beginning of the year. Some local stores, such as Grocery Outlet and Chuck’s, have already taken it upon themselves to eschew single-use plastic bags in favor of paper.

This isn’t some nanny state overreach; as we’ve editorialized previously, single-use plastic bags are the biggest contributor to the growing environmental crisis of plastic pollution. According to Environment Washington’s website, plastic “poses a serious threat to whales, seals, turtles, salmon and all of Puget Sound’s wildlife. Too much of the trash comes from single-use plastic bags, which can choke, suffocate or kill thousands of whales, birds and other marine wildlife each year. We saw the effects of this last year when a beached gray whale was found in West Seattle with 20 plastic bags in its stomach. Nothing we use for a few minutes should end up in the belly of a whale.

“Yet 2 billion plastic bags are distributed annually throughout Washington state, and nationwide, less than 5 percent of plastic bags are recycled.”

Since our federal government, unlike leaders in other countries, has neglected to address plastic pollution on a national basis, it’s up to states to act. Considering how important this issue is to Washington’s environment and wildlife, it should be a no-brainer for the House to join the Senate in approving the ban on single-use plastics. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mona Das of Kent, was caught off-guard last year by the House’s failure to support her measure, but told The Stranger that she believes the past will not repeat itself this session.

We hope Das is right. The House should make right its failure last year to respect the broad support the bill enjoys and approve her measure. It’s past time to ban single-use plastic bags.

When it comes to Washington symbols, you probably can’t beat an apple for conveying state pride.

Before Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his annual State of the State address on Tuesday, his office secured hundreds of the new Cosmic Crisp variety of apples and had them distributed in the House chamber where the speech would be made. One was set aside for each senator and representative, and placed on the chair where each statewide elected official and Supreme Court justice would sit.

The new apples, developed by Washington State University, were partly a prop for a portion of his speech where he was “shining the light on how great Washington is.” Some of the people who helped develop the crisp red apple were in the gallery to wave when Inslee introduced them.

They also provided a laugh line later in the week at a news conference, when Inslee suggested the speech was at least successful enough that no one threw an apple at him. Considering the Republican criticism of the speech, it may be more accurate to say they were leery of wasting a perfectly good apple on such a long throw.

The fruit came to the governor’s office from PVM, the firm marketing the apple for WSU, state Agriculture Director Hector Castro said.

Staff made sure they were waiting in the House chamber when lawmakers and justices arrived. They had a few left over that were put in a bowl on the counter in the governor’s office for anyone who came in. Tara Lee, Inslee’s spokeswoman, said the governor’s legal office is checking to see whether it will have to report the value of all the apples, or if they can be considered just the pass-through to other legislators and other officials, who could skip reporting the value of a single apple.

But Cosmic Crisps were not the only apples of note as the Legislature opened.

Sen. Curtis King, a Republican from the apple-growing regions of Yakima, brought Inslee, new House Speaker Laurie Jinkins and some other leaders a box of Autumn Glory apples, another new variety being grown in the state. The apples are mainly grown for sale in Europe, King told reporters who happened to see him carrying a box into the speaker’s office on Opening Day.

They’re sweeter than Gala apples, another variety grown in his part of the state — or at least that was his impression when he did a taste test with a local grower, he said. But he said he hadn’t eaten a Cosmic Crisp yet, so he couldn’t compare them.

King’s box of apples came with a nice note about working together in the 2020 session, Lee said. She dodged a question of which apple tasted better, the Cosmic Crisp or the Autumn Glory.

“They’re Washington apples, so I’m sure they are all amazing,” Lee said.

After some significant snow in Eastern Washington in recent weeks, Spokane residents might have raised eyebrows at reports that Western Washington schools were out for a few days after several inches fell.

While predictions of Snowmageddon 2020 didn’t materialize in the central Puget Sound, the snow was no joke in the mountains, and Stevens Pass (between Everett and Wenatchee) was closed for nearly two days because the weight of snow was bringing down trees onto roads and highways.

At one point, the state hired a private helicopter to fly low over some forested areas near roadways so the downward rotor wash would blow snow off the branches and lighten the load.

The town of Skykomish was cut off for about three days with roads closed by snow and downed trees. Inslee took some criticism for not calling out the National Guard to rescue Skykomish from the ravages of the storm.

“We respond to local requests,” he said. “I’m not going to tell the mayor of Skykomish how to run his town.”

People who live in mountain areas are used to helping out their neighbors, he added. “I don’t think the frontier spirit of Washington has absolutely dried up and blown away.”

The Vancouver-headquartered M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust closed out the decade with a bang: It invested $66.3 million in organizations across the Northwest in 2019, the most it’s ever funded in a given year.

The long-standing trust serves nonprofits in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Vancouver, B.C., in the areas of arts and culture, scientific research, health, education and human services — the last being the most-funded sector.

Also, last year the trust passed $1 billion in cumulative charitable giving since its inception in 1975. It was founded by the estate of Melvin Jack Murdock, a philanthropist, investor and co-founder of Tektronix. Fall marked the trust’s largest individual quarter of grant-making.

There isn’t really any particular reason for the distinction, except that nonprofits brought forward a lot of great projects and programs in 2019 that the trust is in the position to fund, said Colby Reade, spokesman for the trust. The number of applications each year tends to be fairly consistent, he added, and includes a mix of familiar faces and groups who have never solicited funding from the trust before.

The most recent round of $18.7 million in grants included about $8.6 million for Washington and $1,394,000 for groups associated with Clark County.

• Columbia Land Trust was awarded $450,000 to acquire forestland around Wildboy Creek, so it can protect the forest and restore the watershed.

• The Tacoma-based NW Furniture bank received $348,000 to add staff to its Vancouver location, which opened last year.

• All God’s Children International, a Vancouver-based orphan care agency, received $268,000 to hire new staff to expand international intervention training.

• Ridgefield’s Cedar Tree Classical Christian School got $250,000 to expand its K-12 campus.

• Shared Hope International, a Vancouver-based nonprofit aimed at ending sex trafficking, was awarded $78,000 for an internship program.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with these organization that serve the diverse needs of communities across the Pacific Northwest in innovative ways,” Steve Moore, the trust’s executive director said in a news release. “As we prepare to mark our 45th year of service to Pacific Northwest communities, we are excited to continue to identify programs and projects that help ensure every individual and family in our region has the opportunity to flourish and thrive.”

What’s in store for 2020 at Murdock? Funding more projects guided by groups intimately familiar with their communities’ issues and how best to address them.

Patty Hastings: 360-735-4513; patty.hastings@columbian.com; twitter.com/pattyhastings

Christine M. Reudink, 55, Vancouver, died Jan. 19, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Dean E. Dossett, 77, Camas, died Jan. 18, 2020. Straub’s Funeral Home & Columbia River Cremation, 360-834-4563.

Dianne E. Torres, 72, Seattle, died Jan. 15, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Donna M. Garner, 80, Vancouver died Jan. 13, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Doris M. Tolley, 91, Longview, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Edith J. Levulett, 98, Vancouver, died Jan. 11, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Edmond L. Brown, 69, Vancouver, died Jan. 10, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Eileen A. Evans, 58, Kalama, died Jan. 09, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Frank J. Grobli, 80, Vancouver, died Jan. 18, 2020. Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 360-892-6060.

Gary A. Jones, 73, Vancouver, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Gloria J. Prescott, 74, Vancouver, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

James W. Baker, 82, Vancouver, died Jan. 4, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Jeffrey M. Messinger, 60, Vancouver, died Jan. 17, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Kenneth R. Konopski, 71, Longview, died Jan. 15, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Margaret E. Generaux, 92, Vancouver, died Jan. 19, 2020. Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 360-892-6060.

Mary Jo Olson, 86, Battle Ground, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Mary “Alexine” Schweizer, 94, Vancouver, died Jan. 17, 2020. Hamilton-Mylan Funeral Home, 360-694-2537.

Nick M. Thomas, 78, Vancouver, died Jan. 19, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Ninamosha Winscott, 58, Vancouver, died Jan. 7, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Norma L. Heffern, 77, Vancouver, died Jan. 19, 2020. Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 360-892-6060.

Peggy S. Felger, 72, Vancouver, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Robert J. Steffen, 65, Vancouver, died Jan. 14, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Rose Therese Showacy, 102, Vancouver, died Jan. 17, 2020. Hamilton-Mylan Funeral Home, 360-694-2537.

Rosetta J. Melton, 64, Vancouver, died Jan. 18, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Ryan A. Berg, 40, Myrtle Point, Ore., died Jan. 12, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Sally L. Vargas, 72, Vancouver, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Stephen J. Ouellette, 71, Vancouver, died Jan. 16, 2020. All County Cremation and Burial Services, 360-718-7948.

Talana K. Major, 57, Vancouver, died Jan. 19, 2020. Cascadia Cremation & Burial Services, 360-213-2060.

Theodore Dorn Jr., 93, Vancouver, died Jan. 18, 2020. Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 360-892-6060.

Van Thi Nguyen, 96, Vancouver, died Jan. 19, 2020. Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 360-892-6060.

Black-eyed peas are a Southern staple, especially on New Year’s Day, when cooks combine them with rice for Hoppin’ John. Eat them for good luck, if you’re into that sort of thing.

These little legumes are staples in plenty of other cultures’ diets, too, all year round. I love Nigerian-style stewed black-eyed peas (often served with fried plantains), the lobia masala of north India and the Caribbean black-eyed-pea fritters called accra.

Such dishes can take some time to make. But in her new book, “Indian in 7,” Monisha Bharadwaj shows the beauty of a much simpler approach, combining canned black-eyed peas with tomatoes, mushrooms and spices.

I particularly appreciate the way she treats those mushrooms. When you cut them into thicker pieces and briefly cook them later in the process, they stay nice and juicy.

Best of all, the dish has a depth of flavor that tastes as though it took hours, not minutes.

Active: 25 minutes | Total: 25 minutes. 4 servings

This Indian dish is wonderfully fragrant from all the vibrant spices and aromatic vegetables. Serve with rice or couscous. Make Ahead: The dish can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

One (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes

1 tablespoon sunflower or other neutral vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons cold water

One (14-ounce) can no-salt-added black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

12 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, washed, patted dry and thickly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the whole tomatoes to a medium bowl, leaving the extra juices and liquid behind (reserve it for another use). Snip the tomatoes into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors or crush them with your hands.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they start to darken, about 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds. Stir in the chili powder, turmeric and garam masala, cook for a few seconds, then pour in the water and cook until it evaporates and the oil separates, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, black-eyed peas, mushrooms and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the flavors have melded and the mixture has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and, if you’d like, use a wooden spoon to mash some of the peas to thicken the sauce. Serve hot.

Nutrition | Calories: 100; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 310 mg; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 5 g; Protein: 4 g.

(Adapted from “Indian in 7,” by Monisha Bharadwaj. Kyle, 2019.)

Support the Ridgefield bond. Voting “no” will not change anything. It will not stop 1,760 additional students from coming. It will not change the schools from being overcrowded. Voting “no” will not solve anything, nor change anything for the better.

On the other hand, voting “yes” may not solve your immediate concerns, but it will solve the current problem of overcrowding in our schools. Voting “yes” is the only one that solves the immediate problem. Voting “yes” is the right thing to do. I invite you to join me in voting “yes” for the 2020 school bond.