sorry to disappear from blog land for a while.
things here are good, although school is just over a week in and the wedding is just less than four weeks out. yikes!!
i have needed to semi-adjust to a new schedule from summer (still working on that!) with all the busy-ness going on around here and important details to tick off lists, i haven't had much time to myself to actually sit and take care of things at home. having skipped my weekly knitting group again this week, I took tonight to do just that.
As I was sitting after a yummy salad I made, very relaxed at the kitchen table, I realized I wanted to share my recent food re-inspiration with you. I had a bit of non-frugality while shopping for wedding-related wear this past weekend, and treated myself to two practical (yes...) purchases of new cookbooks. I'm not sure I've mentioned this, but I've decided at last, after 16 months of occasional omnivory, to re-commit to a strictly vegetarian diet of no meat or fish. I was needing some new inspiration. These two books are helping!
The first book features a ton of crockpot recipes, which was something I just wasn't willing to wait around for on paperback swap any longer. I think I plan to make anything with a several hour cook time on Sundays, then just reheat the meal on Monday nights when we are tired. The second book is full of absolutely stunning food styling/photography, and I'm literally just swooning over the recipes, which use mostly pantry staples and take, as the title indicates, a very short time to come together. There are a lot of vintage linens and dishes featured! I just had to get it.
I was so happy to sit down at the kitchen table and look through these and a couple of other favorites to come up with a week or two worth of nightly menu plans. The overall theme Monday through Friday is this :: crockpot, tacos/Mexican inspired, stirfry/pasta dish, pizza (homemade most weeks, occasional outing at local pizza joint included, this usually happens on Fridays). Saturdays and Sundays are more open, maybe I'd cook a new or more involved recipe one of those days and eat leftovers the next. Usually there is prep work on Sundays to be done if I can spend the whole day at home, which I usually try to for a great deal of balance to the work week. This coming Sunday John will be away at a friend's bachelor party, and I'll be making pizza dough to freeze, chocolate truffles, homemade white bread, Monday's crockpot meal (a thai coconut curry over rice), and a tofu "tuna" salad for the week's lunches. Sounds like a lot, but really is there anything better than a quiet, peaceful day of homemade food prep in the fall? :-)
We've just started with cooler weather here in Virginia (low 70's mostly, down to 60 at night). I'm so excited to put on a cardigan once in a while. I'm still trying to knit at least an hour each night (thanks to Ginny Sheller at my "eye candy earth mama" blog link for this inspiration, it works wonders for the mind and soul). Currently working on a pretty pair of legwarmers. Reading the Percy Jackson series (third book), then the Postmistress set in the 1940's. This winter, I have grand illusions of reading the entire Little House series (have never done it) and creating a learning journal to go along with it.
So, things here are busy but good and I remain grateful for the ability to take moments for myself when I know I need them.
blessings and light to your corner of the world. be cozy!!
~k
