This is a conglomeration of the past weeks, since I didn't have time to write anything down last weekend.
What I'm Cooking
French dip sandwiches on these homemade buns. I consider myself a pretty average cook -- I can follow a recipe, but it's nothing too amazing -- but these were delicious. I used some soup bones I've had in the freezer for years (literally) to make homemade beef broth, then used the broth in the sandwich recipe. Seriously, delicious. (Yes, I said it twice.)
IKEA meatballs and mashed potatoes. Okay, I didn't so much "make" the meatballs. Last time Silas had an appointment in Minneapolis, we visited IKEA for lunch afterwards. Since Isaac couldn't come, he requested I pick up a bag of meatballs on the way out. I'm only mentioning it because I used the leftover au jus from the sandwiches above to make gravy, which I've only done twice in my life, and that turned out well, too. (I modified this recipe, making a much smaller amount and leaving out the cream entirely.) I intend to use the leftover lingonberry jam (also from IKEA) in these mega scones for breakfast sometime soon.
Breakfast cookies. We were out of our freezer stash, and now that Silas has violin group lessons early on Saturday mornings again, we need a stash of quick breakfast foods. Pretty much any time we have to leave the house before 9am, we either do waffles or cookies from the freezer. I make a lot of modifications to this recipe: white whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of prune puree and double it (it always needs more liquid), chocolate chips instead of raisins/nuts/apricots, two whole eggs and some flax instead of egg whites. It's a good base recipe that is easy to adjust to your needs.
Crockpot creamy chicken stew . . . except I didn't make it in the crockpot. A few weeks ago I did a big chicken freezer cooking batch, including two bags of this recipe. I made a lot of "crockpot dump" sort of recipes. The thing is, lately I've been super turned off by my crockpot. Everything gets the same amount of mushy and flavorless. Maybe it's pregnancy? Maybe they're bad recipes? I don't know. At any rate, I made this on the stovetop like I would a soup this time, and it was much better (in my opinion). I served these biscuits along with it . . .
. . . and then I used the rest of the biscuits to make this apple-biscuit skillet for breakfast. Thumbs up!
What We're Reading
Me: Parenting in the Pew. I skim this every few years just to make sure I'm not missing anything, and to see if there are any tips and tricks I can put back at the forefront of my mind (for myself or parents around me in church). I felt a little convicted this time around, that it's time to have my oldest listening more to the sermon and drawing fewer pictures of the solar system.
A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle, another re-read. I love her nonfiction writing. I wanted some literary "comfort food" for a plane ride two weeks ago and pulled this off the shelf at random. For whatever reason (um, God), it seemed like everything I read that week had something to do with identity. Furthermore, it came on the heels of conversations with a few different women about where and how we define our identity. I guess it's the thing I'm supposed to be thinking about right now. :)
Levi: Anne of Green Gables. After the second chapter, he told me they talk too much. I almost laughed right at him -- he may not talk all the time, but if the subject is the solar system, he never. shuts. up!
Weekly Snapshots
What I'm Cooking
French dip sandwiches on these homemade buns. I consider myself a pretty average cook -- I can follow a recipe, but it's nothing too amazing -- but these were delicious. I used some soup bones I've had in the freezer for years (literally) to make homemade beef broth, then used the broth in the sandwich recipe. Seriously, delicious. (Yes, I said it twice.)
IKEA meatballs and mashed potatoes. Okay, I didn't so much "make" the meatballs. Last time Silas had an appointment in Minneapolis, we visited IKEA for lunch afterwards. Since Isaac couldn't come, he requested I pick up a bag of meatballs on the way out. I'm only mentioning it because I used the leftover au jus from the sandwiches above to make gravy, which I've only done twice in my life, and that turned out well, too. (I modified this recipe, making a much smaller amount and leaving out the cream entirely.) I intend to use the leftover lingonberry jam (also from IKEA) in these mega scones for breakfast sometime soon.
Breakfast cookies. We were out of our freezer stash, and now that Silas has violin group lessons early on Saturday mornings again, we need a stash of quick breakfast foods. Pretty much any time we have to leave the house before 9am, we either do waffles or cookies from the freezer. I make a lot of modifications to this recipe: white whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of prune puree and double it (it always needs more liquid), chocolate chips instead of raisins/nuts/apricots, two whole eggs and some flax instead of egg whites. It's a good base recipe that is easy to adjust to your needs.
Ugly balls of cookie dough. The pan on the left we'll eat tomorrow;
the one on the right I'll flash freeze and then toss in a Ziploc bag.
Date-sweetened banana bread, because I had some dates leftover from these cookies. I've never made anything entirely sweetened with fruit before, but this banana bread did not disappoint. I was very pleasantly surprised.
Crockpot creamy chicken stew . . . except I didn't make it in the crockpot. A few weeks ago I did a big chicken freezer cooking batch, including two bags of this recipe. I made a lot of "crockpot dump" sort of recipes. The thing is, lately I've been super turned off by my crockpot. Everything gets the same amount of mushy and flavorless. Maybe it's pregnancy? Maybe they're bad recipes? I don't know. At any rate, I made this on the stovetop like I would a soup this time, and it was much better (in my opinion). I served these biscuits along with it . . .
. . . and then I used the rest of the biscuits to make this apple-biscuit skillet for breakfast. Thumbs up!
What We're Reading
Me: Parenting in the Pew. I skim this every few years just to make sure I'm not missing anything, and to see if there are any tips and tricks I can put back at the forefront of my mind (for myself or parents around me in church). I felt a little convicted this time around, that it's time to have my oldest listening more to the sermon and drawing fewer pictures of the solar system.
A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle, another re-read. I love her nonfiction writing. I wanted some literary "comfort food" for a plane ride two weeks ago and pulled this off the shelf at random. For whatever reason (um, God), it seemed like everything I read that week had something to do with identity. Furthermore, it came on the heels of conversations with a few different women about where and how we define our identity. I guess it's the thing I'm supposed to be thinking about right now. :)
Levi: Anne of Green Gables. After the second chapter, he told me they talk too much. I almost laughed right at him -- he may not talk all the time, but if the subject is the solar system, he never. shuts. up!
Weekly Snapshots
Daddy rides.
Snuggling post-nap with the boy who won't be my baby for much longer.
Levi's first soccer practice. (He's right in the middle, facing away.)
First day of BSF for these two crazies.
It's 4 am, Sunday morning. I've tossed and turned all night. I finally got up and thought I would do some reading. Your blog popped up first in my email. Your writing and transparency has inspired me for the past ( how old is Levi now?). I wanted you to know I'm praying for you, family and new baby in these next early quiet moments. For peaceful moments today. For joy filled moments. Easy going children. Special connectedness with Isaac on a busy day for him. That music feeds your soul. For a restful day. Blessings, dear young woman of God.
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you, Gailyn! Sunday mornings definitely need an extra dose of prayer (not that I'd refuse it any morning, but you know what I mean!). I was telling someone on Saturday that I'm pretty sure Satan works extra hard on Sundays to make sure that all children are extra cranky. :P But we ended up having a relatively peaceful family day of rest. Prayer works!
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