It's Mother's Day weekend, the traditional start to gardening season and a great time to catch up on what we're supposed to do with yard waste.

Why it matters: When organic material like yard waste goes to the landfill instead of getting composted, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas that traps 80 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide does.

The intrigue: Last month, Lincoln Square reader David S. told us that he bagged up his yard waste for composting and requested a pickup through 311, following the directions we had laid out in our newsletter.

• But after waiting for the Streets and Sanitation Department (DSS) to collect it, he was shocked to see a worker toss the yard waste in with his regular garbage.

What he's saying: "When I asked the sanitation worker why he did that, he replied that the city no longer has a program for picking up yard waste due to staffing shortages and that any yard waste is simply collected and commingled with the regular trash pickup," he told Axios.

Be smart: It's illegal for the city to send yard waste to the landfill.

The other side: In response to our inquiries, 40th Ward staffer Deirdre O'Connor said she called the ward superintendent and asked if his workers knew they were supposed to collect garbage and yard waste separately.

• "He told me they were aware, but acknowledged that mistakes occasionally did occur," she told Axios.
• Department of Streets and Sanitation spokeswoman Mimi Simon also assures us that city's yard waste program has not been canceled.

Yes, but: The department is short on staff.

• Simon says DSS "is working to hire approximately 40 additional full-time positions in the coming months." That's after already hiring 90 workers this year, she says.

The big picture: DSS Commissioner Cole Stallard doesn't want folks to get discouraged about composting. "We don't want people to sit there and go, 'they're short [staffed] so they're not gonna compost it anyways, so why participate,'" he tells Axios.

• "We're trying to get these composting numbers up, just like we're trying to get recycling numbers to tick up to 11% versus the dismal 9%," he says, referring to the city's notoriously low rate of recycled trash.

What's ahead: The new crop of younger City Council members gives Stallard hope for the city's green future.

• "We're taking steps to be better with composting programs in five or six community gardens," he says. "And all these aldermen I talk to have a passion for recycling and composting."
• "I think this younger group is going to help push us to that next level. … We know that we can do better."

Here are some of the past week's most popular stories:

🚰 Our look at why Illinois may have the nation's second-worst lead problem definitely got your attention, while we looked into what is taking the city so long to remove and replace water pipes.

🎤 You also enjoyed reading about Chicago comedians sounding off about the Hollywood writers strike, which enters its third week.

🌭 There were a lot of newsy reports this week, but the most popular story in the newsletter was Monica's story on the 75th anniversary of Superdawg.

🎮 Finally, Friday's feature on video game developer Josh Tsui was a must-read.

What we're watching: Tomorrow, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson will be inaugurated at Credit Union 1 Arena (formerly UIC Pavilion).

👋 Hey, it's Monica, and last Sunday I told you about an easy cornmeal strawberry cake to try to master in time for Mother's Day.

Yes, but: Some of you may be waking up this morning thinking, "Doh! I totally forgot to make something nice for the mom in my life."

• And remember this day can be about honoring any mom you want.

The fix: We've got you covered with two easy breakfast/dessert pizzas that you can make in about 20 minutes with a few ingredients — including a new product from a beloved institution.

Backstory: Last month, Chicago-based Home Run Inn Pizza started selling its famous crust separately in a product called Nothing But Crust at local Jewel stores ($9.99 for a 2-pack).

• And while most of you already know this sturdy, crispy, "butter crust" undergirds a great savory pizza, you may not know how well it works for sweet treats. Hint: really well.

The pizzas: We couldn't choose between an apple pie pizza and a strawberry Nutella pizza, so we did half and half, loosely following recipes from the Home Run Inn site.

The recipe: Remove the crust from the packaging, and bake in a preheated 425° oven for 15 minutes or until it achieves your desired crispiness and coloring.

• Let it cool slightly, and add desired toppings of apples cooked in cinnamon or Nutella with heart-shaped strawberries.
• Cut it in party/tavern-style squares and enjoy.

Thought bubble: I can't believe how easy this was to make and how well the savory crust works with the toppings.

• I served mine with sliced raw apple and whipped cream for extra deliciousness.