All posts by Nichole

blessings, Family matters

Seventeen

The past 17 years have gone by so quickly. Yesterday you were a newborn gripping my finger with your whole hand, and yesterday you were taking your first steps in our empty rooms on as we packed up to leave Missouri, and yesterday you were trying your first solid food and watching “Ferris Bueller” for the fiftieth time and singing along to “Jelly Man Kelly” and getting your black belt and making me laugh and cry with your acting and heading off to public school for the first time. And today you are 17, and soon it will be tomorrow, and before I can blink twice it’ll be next year and you’ll be off to college.

And Poppy, I am so, so proud of you. 

It has been and always will be one of the greatest privileges of my life to be your mom. What a gift you are to me.

You are everything I hoped you’d be from the first moment I looked into your wide blue eyes. You are kind. You have a tender heart. You love ferociously. You are responsible and trustworthy. You are smart, and you are wise, and you are persistent.

Now the whole world is waiting for you, my sweet potato. I can’t wait to see what you make of it.

I love you forever, kiddo.

menu plan Monday

My summer brain needs an autumnal reset

We’re less than a month from school starting, and I’m trying to remember how to do things like Make a Schedule and Wake Up at an Acceptable Hour and Plan Menus. We’ve been getting take out quite a bit lately, and I tried to focus on that last one over the weekend. Here’s what I came up with:

Monday: Thai Basil Chicken Bowls

I love Pad Grapow Gai, and this recipe looks like it’s going to deliver those flavors. I think it’s going to be a little quicker to make than others I’ve tried because it uses ground chicken instead of chicken breasts.

Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner

Rockford presents pancakes.

Wednesday: Shawarma-Spiced Chicken and Rice

We had a Hello Fresh subscription for a good part of the last year, but I put it on hold for the summer. I thought I’d be putting more thought into cooking and wouldn’t need the extra help. Ha ha, I was wrong. We’ve been eating sub sandwiches all summer. Oh well. Anyway, this is a Hello Fresh recipe that we never actually tried, but I thought it sounded good.

Thursday: Out

Poppy has been trying to get back in the habit of going to tae kwon do, but they don’t offer nearly as many classes as they did pre-pandemic. Which is totally understandable, but it makes it difficult to cook dinner on class nights. We’ll figure it out.

Friday: Out

There is no barrier to making dinner on Fridays. There is only tradition.

menu plan Monday

Looking for balance in our menu planning

Our first two meals this week are from Chrissy Teigen, which is always a good sign. We’re starting with a pretty healthy and delicious carrot soup, and we’re following that up with a decidedly unhealthy patty melt. It’s all about balance.

Monday: Carrot coconut soup

I briefly considered making our menu for the first week of 2021 all healthy and such, but then Rockford picked up Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook and said “Ooooo, patty melts” and here we are.

Tuesday: Crispy Bacon and Sweet Pickle Patty Melts

I briefly considered making our menu for the first week of 2021 all healthy and such, but then Rockford picked up Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook and said “Ooooo, patty melts” and here we are.

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner

Probably pancakes.

Thursday: Pork tenderloin

I got a Spicewalla spice set for my birthday, and there are a few blends in it I’m not familiar with so we’ve been experimenting a bit. I’m going to use the ras al hanout as a rub on the tenderloin.

Friday: Out

We’ve been doing deli sandwiches a lot on our Out Fridays lately. I’m trying to think of an alternative this week.