January hibernation in full swing over here.

January in Chicago is the pits. There is not much daylight. Sunshine is scarce. The snow starts coming. It’s cold. The wind. And of course we are living with the pressure of a new year and a new us. (But I’m aware that’s everyone!)

Having some extra space to not have to worry about work pressures right now, I’ve developed some really lovely hibernation habits this year that I think I need to incorporate into every January/February in my life going forward, even when I’m back to work.

1. Tea time and reading. I have always been a reader. (As me about how I used to get in trouble for reading under my desk during other classes as a kid!) Unfortunately life has gotten in the way and I often lose touch with that part of myself. I’m not sure if it’s modern life, but I go through long stretches where I cannot focus on a book. I’m back into the groove, and have been reading incessantly, finding a comfort in an afternoon hour or two with a cup of tea in my bedroom and a good book.
2. Movement. This is not a new year resolution (I do not do those), but getting older makes me reprioritize the goals behind movement. It’s not losing weight, it’s gaining strength and the ability to feel strong as I age. Lifting weights, walking, and light stretching are filling my cup now, and incorporating that into my routine has been so good for me.
3. Sleep. I am in my sleep era. For years, I was an early riser, first as a runner, and then as a mom of younger kids. My kids were early risers, so was I. But guess what? At some point, your kids can fend for themselves and you can sleep past 7 a.m. And I have been. What an absolute luxury to be able to lounge in bed til 9 a.m. and feel good about it. I used to feel guilty for wasting the day by sleeping, but truly, I don’t any more. Sleep makes me feel good, so I take it when I can get it!
4. Food. Again, I don’t make new year resolutions, and the past year, I have started to fight back against the diet culture that has waged war in my brain. As is probably evident to you, I love eating, and I love cooking. It brings me joy, and nothing makes me happier than the ritual of cooking and then enjoying with my family or good friends. So I am keeping that constant this year, and continuing to plan when it works, and enjoy every bite that crosses my mouth.

And to touch on that food one, I promised last week that I would share noteworthy recipes. I have two! The Z family loves pho, and I’ve tried multiple recipes in the past few years. You already know that we love the Mark Bittman vegetarian pho, but as simple as that one is, I have one that is in the slow-cooker. Yes, this one packs all of that delicious pho flavor and comes together in less than 20 minutes. Please make this Slow-Cooker Chicken Pho.

I’ve made this one countless times, mostly with the chicken. (Hot tip if you’re making the chicken version–you can throw your chicken breasts right in there as you’re slow cooking the broth. Pull them out and shred when you’re ready to strain for serving. You’re welcome!) This was the first time I’ve made this recipe since one-fourth of my household went vegetarian, so I tried it with vegetable broth and it turned out great! (She OKed the fish sauce in it for flavor, so please don’t think I’m sneaking animal product on her unbeknownst!) I pan-fried some tofu for her and it went over really well.

We also had a fun Saturday night dinner of cheese fondue with all the fun dippables. I am a big fan of Swiss fondue with Emmentaler, Gruyère and white wine, which my family has eaten with minimal complaints, but those complains all center around the stinky cheese smell. (As you can imagine, walking by any market with a Raclette stand is torture for them too. As for me, the stinkier the better!) I tried this dupe for Melting Pot which has cheddar and beer, and it was very well received! We dipped vegetarian meatballs, little smokies, steamed broccoli, green apples, bell peppers, and a sliced baguette in this one. Seven out of eight thumbs up! (The littlest Z doesn’t love cheese, so she was kind of meh on it.)

I’ve incorporated a bit more flexibility in my planning the past month or so, mostly due to the fact that my break from work allows me that ability. I can run back to the store if I need, and in an extra effort to be frugal and avoid waste, I prioritize eating those leftovers over making a new meal if it works.

Back at it! This week’s plan.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve fallen off my usual planning a bit. This time of year is tough to stay on task, and frankly, my social life has been busy. (I’m so incredibly grateful for my friends and the people that fill my life with joy. I don’t apologize for having lots of things to do!) But I DID plan something this week, see below.

Speaking of holiday season, we had a lovely afternoon of baking with my two girls and their friends. I won’t get into my sugar cookie fail, but I have to share this wonderful recipe for Gooey Chocolate Crinkle Cookies that my ten year old and her friend made almost entirely by themselves. They were SO good, and apparently, we have to make them again for Santa. (As one of Santa’s helpers, I suppose we can make that work!)

This week:

Sunday: We did taco bowls! I made tofu tacos for me and my veggie girl and then tried out this recipe for chicken tacos for the smallest person in our house who cried when I told her I was making tofu. Again. This tofu recipe is fabulous, highly recommend. The carnivores said the chicken was good too! I made some rice and also did some sweet potatoes in the air fryer for our bowls. (Also, lots of leftovers for later in the week!)

Monday: I had a lunch that went long (really leaning into this ladies that lunch thing, unapologetically!), and so we did oven fish (both actual and plant-based) and then some frozen broccoli. It’s not exciting, but it got the job done!

Tuesday: I’m trying a new one, ALLEGEDLY The Best Potato-Leek Soup Recipe. I’ll report back. My kids aren’t wild about potatoes and if I showed them a raw leek and told them they would be consuming them, they would likely cry, so…I might be setting myself up for a painful night. However, as a mom, I am WHOLLY committed to ensuring that my kids try different things, so off we go!

Wednesday: Our busy night, so I’ll be doing quesadillas/tacos with the leftover taco stuff from Sunday.

Thursday: Another soup night, this time a White Bean Soup, which everyone loved before!

Friday: We have a birthday party/Last Night of Hannukah party to attend, and I was promised homemade matzo ball soup, so I’m not cooking!

Saturday: Our lovely neighbors are having their annual holiday soiree, so again, no cooking for me!

The week we ate all the vegetables…and leftovers.

Hope everyone that celebrated had a restful and delicious holiday. I had turkey twice (Thanksgiving plus Friendsgiving two days later), and then stuffing waffles twice. (Have you made these ever? I’m convinced it’s the best way to use the waffle iron. I’ll leave the VERY best way to make this a breakfast at the end of this post.) I believe as of today at 1:02 p.m. I have eaten my last turkey sandwich. Until 2024, big birdie!

This is what happens when you have Chef friends who make your turkey.

But yes, back to it. Back to my mostly vegetarian lifestyle, and back to planning a full week of dinners. Sort of.

This week:

Sunday: At Z’s request, Broccoli Cheese Soup. I also had time to bake this bread which was heavenly on the side. (Yes, I made the bread from scratch, and no, I’m not better than you. I just have more time right now. And I REALLY love homemade bread!)

Monday: Fried rice. Here’s the scoop on this: I used to follow a recipe, but now I just throw it together from memory. Remind me to write down how I do it. But the beauty of it is this: you can’t screw it up too much. We add edamame for all of us (but not A), and extra soy sauce for the parents.

Tuesday: Southwestern Lentils and Rice Skillet. Have I talked about this one yet? Everyone loved it, but since Zoe mostly doesn’t like rice, I just don’t bring attention to it.

Wednesday: I have plans, so it’ll be a leftover night!

Thursday: I have plans again (’tis the season), so either more leftovers or breakfast for dinner!

Friday: I’m trying out a new one. Smitten Kitchen doesn’t do me wrong, so we are trying her perfect vegetable lasagna. I’ll report back on this one!

Saturday: Finally, we get to celebrate A’s bday with her friends, and she is taking them all for a cooking class. They’ll be making homemade pasta. I hope they feed the parents. I’ll probably make a little something for the parents’ table, but I haven’t decided yet.

HOW TO SERVE THOSE STUFFING WAFFLES (breakfast edition):

Follow your waffle iron instructions, but use the leftover stuffing instead of batter. Once they are done (they take longer than a typical waffle in my opinion), top with a beautiful fried egg or two and some leftover gravy. You’re welcome.

Trying one new this week, and celebrating our first born!

For those of you who have been around since the blogs before this one, you might be shocked to learn that my Beebs is turning ten on Saturday. Two digits. I struggle to believe that I have been a parent for this long. It also seems like just yesterday? Parenting, am I right? But our almost ten year old is still a vegetarian, so I have planned yet another week of vegetarian entrees!

And, of course, we had to incorporate some birthday celebrations into the week for her!

But first, I promised to report back on the Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers I planned for last week. Everyone liked them! It may have been a little spicy (thanks to the Trader Joe’s taco seasoning, which tends to be spicier than other kinds), so I added some extra corn for the kids. I also had quite a bit of the rice mixture leftover (I think I used smaller peppers), so I ate that for lunch topped with a little cheese and fried eggs. We will call that one a keeper!

We also skipped the fish sticks night, as we had plenty of leftovers, so I opted to work through those as opposed to making something new. (A key to menu planning is building in some flexibility. I hate wasting, so I like to build in leftover nights, and include some things that can hold over from week to week.)

This week:

Sunday: We did leftovers last night. Not exciting, but also, very easy.

Monday: Black bean soup! This is my favorite recipe right now, but we have some in the freezer we should use, so we will thaw that. But seriously, make that recipe, the lime crema is next level. We love it with fritos too!

Tuesday: Chickpea and Vegetable Coconut Curry. I almost always sub out the cauliflower for broccoli, it just looks prettier, and I use curry powder instead of paste. (I have kids that balk at spicy, so the powder seems to be a more subtle flavor.) This is crowd pleaser!

Wednesday: Leftovers again. Wednesdays are our busy nights, as both kids have activities, so I aim for speed/efficiency, and can’t really plan on cooking a full meal these nights.

Thursday: Trying a new one: Creamy Tomato Rigatoni. Will report back! Will likely serve with a salad.

Friday: At request, orange chicken. Yes, I buy the frozen bag, and yes, I generally plan this when I am out for the evening. For those vegetarians out there, Trader Joe’s does a good faux orange chicken that is Beebs-approved!

Saturday: The birthday night! She’s requested “real ramen,” so we are taking her out. I’ll be making her cake, however, and have never gone wrong with Smitten Kitchen’s “the ‘i want chocolate cake’ cake.” It’s really that good, and very simple too!

Can you believe it’s Thanksgiving NEXT WEEK? I won’t be normally menu planning, but I absolutely will share what I contribute to the holiday on the blog next week. Have a great week, all!

This week on the menu!

Happy November and DST! (Why are we still doing this, please tell me?!)

I write from the lightness of the day and well into my second month of my sabbatical. I’m starting to enjoy myself a bit more now (and am deep into my third podcast (Exposed) which is honestly making me reconsider reactivating my law license to fight because this story is insane), but trying to keep the routine of posting my menu plan on Mondays for those three people (YES, THREE!!! I love you so much, thank you) who have told me they enjoy it.

I owe you updates first! The Vegetarian Pho that I planned for last week was a smashing hit. I can never find star anise, so I used Chinese Five Spice Powder as a substitute and it turned out so great. The depth of flavor, especially for a vegetarian meal, was incredible. I added some tofu croutons (another Mark Bittman recipe) for protein. I’d probably think of more veggies to add to it (baby bok choy??) next time, but loved this recipe and will make again. And it looked so pretty in the pot!

This week:

Sunday: Tried a new recipe last night, but they liked it! Baked Gnocchi with broccoli was a hit. Also, I liked this one because it was simple, fast, and required only two pots: one to blanch the broccoli and gnocchi, and one to go into the oven.

Monday: Cheesy pinto beans This is another one that’s new to our family, but we are HUGE fans of the Budget Bytes recipes and site. I’ll serve with rice and perhaps corn muffins. (I realize as I write this that I started this blog in 2014 when I had one child and was a lawyer. That one child is almost TEN, and guess what, she makes those corn muffins without my help now!!!! I’m also not a lawyer anymore. What a decade!)

Tuesday: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Another new one! Will report back on how the kids like it.

Wednesday: OK, phoning it in a smidge. My kids LOVE fish sticks (or, for my vegetarian, faux fish sticks), so I am doing that, but I’ll do my own salmon bowl. I’ll throw some rice in the cooker and serve that and some more broccoli on the side.

Thursday: Girls’ dinner! J is traveling for work so I am thinking of making a board for us and having a girl dinner. Cheeses, crackers, some fruit, salami for Z, garbanzo beans for A, pickles for all of us. Sound perfect!

Friday: I’m breaking from my typical vegetarian fare and let Z pick the dinner. I’m going to make my mom’s Swedish meatballs and some buttered noodles. I googled for other recipes, but I know that my kiddos like this one, so I’ll stick with the tried and true here, even if I generally have graduated past meals with cream of mushroom soup in them. #midwestisbest, right?

Saturday: Leaving this as a TBD and will do whatever sounds good!

Hope you all take some time to crunch a leaf or two and appreciate these crispish fall temperatures. I’m about due for my second walk of the day! ‘Til next week!

(As an aside, I’m contemplating doing a separate post along how I do my menu planning and grocery shopping. I love it so much, but I know some people don’t really enjoy it so much, so perhaps some tips might help you?)

Halloweek Planning

Our Halloween tradition since buying this house has been to host a small pre/post trick-or-treating party. I generally make something to throw in the slow-cooker and we have a little something before and after the goodies have been gotten!

Of course, middle of the week Halloween bodes horribly for kids and their schedules, but we will not let that deter us!

This week:

Sunday: Tortilla Español (I use the recipe from the Cook This, Not That cookbook, which has some surprisingly good recipes. I appreciate that they are generally quick and easy and relatively healthy.) I do confess that I used double the olive oil this time and it was worth it. I also had to do some pan con tomate. I used this recipe loosely, but I used my blender to blend up a pint of mini tomatoes with a heavy dash of salt and some olive oil. That plus some ciabatta bread was perfect.

Monday: Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (This is a house favorite. I’ve been making it for years!)

Tuesday: Halloween! I will be making chili (I don’t use a recipe, I just kind of do my own thing, but maybe I can share how I do it?) and baked mac n cheese.

Wednesday: Leftovers! I’m heading out to a concert with some friends, so the fam will eat what’s in the fridge.

Thursday: Trying out Mark Bittman‘s vegetarian pho. Wish us luck! I’ll report back next week.

Friday: We are grabbing dinner at the Mexican restaurant down the street. It’s a fundraiser for the kids’ school, so a no-brainer to end the week! (Remember, by Friday I’m lazy!)

Saturday: I’m thinking some sort of pasta. Will report back. (I’m a little bit more lax now that I’m enjoying my sabbatical, so sometimes I come up with stuff on the fly!)

Happy Halloween!

Ahem…is this thing on?

It’s been awhile, my friends. Almost a decade. It took another baby, a career pivot, then another, then deciding on a career break to get me back here. Here I am. Still on my same ish. Planning. Cooking. Did I mention I MOVED? (The kitchen is still small.) Wait, did I mention that I’m not even a lawyer anymore? Does this blog title even make sense?

It’s me, unfiltered, drinking a “Life Event” wined on my wonderful porch two days into my sabbatical!

But, it’s the job loss thing that has me back here. I have time on my hands. Those kiddos are in school all day, I’m allowing myself a little break, and here I am…menu planning. Kids need to eat, I suppose.

Another new life update? Beebs has become a vegetarian. I’ve always dabbled (meatless Monday anyone?), but this is a new challenge. I basically cook almost entirely vegetarian now, so I’m constantly looking for new veggie-friendly recipes. Let me be honest, friends, there have been A LOT of misses. Still, we persist. I feel grateful that she decided to go vegetarian during soup season. (Who else is here for midwestern fall food likes soups and chilis?)

Since I have this time on my hands, I figured I’d dust off this old blog and start sharing my meal plans with you all. (All one of you. Maybe my mom still follows? Shoot, she has a new email address, maybe not.) Screaming the meal plans into the void it is!

This week:

Sunday: Comforting Tuscan White Bean Chickpea Soup (I cheated and bought a bread, but for posterity sake, make this bread to go with any of your soups this fall. It’s tops and so easy.)

Monday: Slow-Cooker Tofu Butter Chicken I loved this one. Kids thought it was maybe a bit spicy. But slow cooker? Yes please. Served with rice and some of that great mini naan bread you can get from Aldi.

Tuesday: Tacos are still the theme…probably doing some taco bowls with faux taco meat, rice, sweet potatoes, and quesadillas for the kids.

Wednesday: Leftovers! Also known as if it’s in the fridge, it’s fair game.

Thursday: Mark Bittman’s Braised Lentils. We find a ton of recipes in his How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook. I highly recommend. They are not the most simple recipes, but the flavors are incredible.

Friday: By this time of the week, I’m lazy. Pizza it is. Or leftovers.

Saturday: I didn’t get that far. Check back next week!

Nice to be back, my friends. I’ve missed you!