Scattered Sundays
I feel like I’ve been going through a blogging identity crisis over the last 12 months. Please file this upcoming discussion firmly under the umbrella of “first world problems”.
Last May, Troy and I did a Whole30. And it lit a fire under my butt that renewed my love of cooking with basic whole food ingredients. So I started posting a lot of Whole30 recipes.
And they did well! You guys liked them. And that made me happy.
It may surprise you, but I truly do examine the data with every recipe that I post. I look at comments, social shares, engagement with the recipe on Facebook and Instagram, and how many emails I get about the post.
I look at alllllllllll of it. And I honor your reactions and try to make more of what you want, and less of what you don’t.
I know you want family-friendly recipes that are 1) one-pot 2) Instant Pot 3) soup (I love you. You’re my people.) 4) sheet pan meals that include mains and sides.
You all don’t want desserts from me. I know. It makes me sad (I love to bake), but for the most part, I honor it. Excluding the gluten-free brownies, I posted this week. Seriously, those brownies needed to be shared with the world.
So, combined with some food sensitivities that Troy and Jack have, I slowly moved this site to more paleo/Whole30 recipes. And it was fine and fun.
I even changed the tagline of the site to “Serving up family-friendly recipes that are mostly Whole30 and Paleo. The only thing we’re strict about is not eating boring food”.
Everyone takes food photos in the living room with a random basketball, right?
But sometimes I want to post recipes that don’t really fit that mold. Cauliflower rice is great, but sometimes I really just want regular rice! I adore baking and even have a recipe on my site called Crack Bread. I mean, c’mon.
The more I tried to just post strict “lifestyle eating” recipes, the more I felt like I was doing y’all an injustice by not staying true to why I started this blog in the first place. And that was to empower people to cook from scratch food when they didn’t think they had the ability to do it themselves.
After discussing it with my blog bestie Katie, my “yay I finally met her in real life” blogging friend Cassie, and a few others, I came to the conclusion that it’s ok to share things that don’t fit into a neat box. Frankly, to share meals that our family with the various dietary issues love eat.
Which means cheese is ok for those who eat cheese. A slice of bread with an otherwise paleo meal is awesome too if that is what makes us feel great. It is never all or nothing.
Katie very thoughtfully came up with a new tagline that I think encompasses everything I just blabbed about. And everything I really want this blog to be: “Sustainable food. Balanced Living“.
:mic drop:
Jack went on a field trip this week. As always, we were instructed to pack a 100% disposable lunch. Jack looked at all the baggies and things we had to use to make that happen and said “mom, there’s so much waste”.
That’s my boy!
We’ve been using a Yumbox for Jack’s lunch since Kindergarten. We upgraded to a bigger size about two years ago, and now Bennett uses the smaller one.
These lunchboxes are magic people. Magic. They’re bento boxes, but unlike the annoying boxes where you have lids for each compartment, this has one lid.
And in the lid, there are grooves to keep each compartment air-tight. Air-tight = you can put yogurt or applesauce in there and it won’t spill over. And even sliced apples won’t brown if left in there overnight.
Yes, they are plastic. BPA food grade plastic. They’ve held up to two boys over five years. I think that also makes them part magic.
This week I bought a few kinds of reusable silicone ziploc style bags on Amazon. I posted a photo of this brand on Instagram and you guys sent me so many direct messages asking about them!
I’m testing them out for two upcoming posts I’m working on, and I’ll let you know my thoughts when I have enough data to have opinions about them.
Can’t wait until I’ve tested these products out? Check out this post on 10 Baby Steps Anyone Can Take to Reduce Waste. There are tons of free and low-cost ideas on how to make your footprint just a tiny bit smaller.
I was going to try out a new meal planning service last week, but they never actually got back in contact with me. Rude! I try these things out so I can tell you if they’re any good. So that is a firm nope on this company from me.
I was counting on them doing the planning last week but since they ghosted me, I scrambled a bit each night. I hate that.
One of our favorite scavenged meals was a simple roasted pork loin (I used the instructions in this post from Dinner Then Dessert and used just a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder) that we served over a salad of cabbage, carrots, cilantro, cashews, and sesame dressing.
The pork loin was in our freezer from a recent Butcher Box order. So, while I hated not having a plan, it was nice to get creative with what we already had.
Speaking of that, have you signed up to take part in the pantry/freezer clean out challenge? It starts on June 23rd! It’s free (of course), and just a great way to make some space without spending a lot of money.
Every time we do a challenge like this we save a boatload of cash. Sign up to be part of this awesome group here:
I’ve had lots of messages on Instagram from many of you wondering about our neighbor who we’ve been taking dinners to. And, yes, we’re still doing that!
She goes into the hospital next week for heart surgery and we’re all very hopeful for a fast recovery. If you would like to keep Sandy in your thoughts or prayers, it would be great!
Our furniture box mega-fort now has lighting!
In gardening news, the strawberries from our Vertical Strawberry Planters are going gangbusters!
I get the weirdest reaction when picking strawberries and I wonder if I am the only one. Eating strawberries doesn’t bother me, but something about the leaves causes the skin on my arms to break out in a terrible and itchy rash.
It only lasts for about an hour and goes away. And I still pick strawberries because it’s totally worth it.
Raspberries from our Raspberry Supports are putting on flowers and buds. I think we’ll have our first ripe raspberry within a few weeks.
I’m dreaming of Easy Creme Brulee With Raspberry and Lemon made with our garden raspberries and eggs from our spoiled backyard hens.
Speaking of chickens, we may be adopting another three this summer! It’s a long story, but my aunt and uncle were planning on getting three new hens.
After a few untimely deaths (there was no fowl play…) with their own chickens, they decided they were kind of over being chicken parents for the moment.
We can’t raise chicks ourselves due to Troy’s allergies, so any new chickens we get have to be coop-ready and ok to be outside. Adding to our flock is really hard because no one wants to give up three-month-old chickens!
Jack’s school did a pirate musical this week and it was amazing! The kids did so well, and it was actually entertaining. One thing that almost made me cry was some of the quick speaking roles.
They had kids coming up to the stage to say a few lines and then go back to the risers to sing with the other students. After a few times of various kids coming up to speak, I realized that almost half of them were kiddos from the special ed program.
So freaking amazing and I wanted to hug the music teacher for giving those kids an opportunity that is likely not usually open to them.
This week Bennett made his first batch of Homemade Brown Sugar. But it won’t be the last I am sure. That’s right – making your own brown sugar is so easy that even an easily distracted three-year-old can do it.
Three-Year-Olds Be Bonkers
Three is the worst age for kids. It is the age that makes me want to ship my kids off and pick them up when they’re four. In this week’s episode in “three-year-olds be bonkers”, Bennett lost his mind because band-aids won’t stick to the sky.
Send help.
He is doing two sessions of week-long summer camp through preschool in June. They’re four hours a day (he usually goes two hours, three times a week) and every single person in the house is excited about this.
I know three is a horrible and tough age. I know we’ll get through this. But, honestly Troy and I are not having a lot of fun being parents at the moment. Bennett pushes everyone’s buttons and Jack knows exactly how to set him off for maximum tantrums.
Summer camp is a life-saving necessity for us all.
And, yes, the car was parked.
What I’m Listening To This Week
Duuuuuuuuude! I binged The Last Days of August in a little under two days this week. Another podcast that I love – Pop Culture Happy Hour – recommended it in a segment. I listen to all their podcast suggestions because they’re the ones who got me hooked on My Dad Wrote a Porno.
The Last Days of August is about a porn star named August who committed suicide in 2017. The podcast follows the days leading up to her death. And was it really a suicide…?
If you like To Live and Die in LA, Serial (season one), or S-Town, you’ll love The Last Days of August.
Reader Spotlight of the Week
Long-time reader Erin (and mom of a three-year-old, so you know she needs brownies) left this five-star review on our Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies. Erin was actually an official recipe tester for these brownies! Her husband is gluten-free and she was kind enough to make two batches three months ago to make sure these brownies were just right for you guys.
These are amazing! The test batch disappeared at a family gathering in minutes. People didn’t believe they were gluten-free and were blown away by the subtle almond flavor. I am so excited to make these again now that they are “official”!
On Sustainable Cooks This Week
Confessions – E’rbody’s favorite post of the month!
Pantry Essentials For the Home Cook – So many ideas for pantry essentials and pantry organizing for the home cook. Learn about the staple items that can help anyone whip up a healthy and homemade dinner for their families. And yeah, there’s some chocolate too.
Fudgy Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies – These Fudgy Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies are the best homemade brownies you’ll ever eat! So much better than a box mix, a batch of almond flour brownies are perfect for any dessert-lover. You’d never know that these double-chocolate brownies are actually gluten-free!
And a special thanks to my 10-year-old for his amazing hand modeling. He works for cheap (ipad time) and with him holding the food I can focus on keeping a steady hand while taking the photos. Plus, we have the same color skin (opaque), so it doesn’t even look off.
You can see some of his other work in: Chocolate Coconut Coffee Creamer, The Fluffiest Whole Wheat Pancakes, Homemade Sugar-Free Coffee Creamer, Healthy Apple Nachos, Blistered Shishito Peppers, and No-Churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream,
The Five Most Popular Posts This Week
We have some new players up on the leaderboard this week!
- Mojito Mocktail {Pin this recipe}
- Trader Joe’s Whole30 Shopping List {Pin this}
- Homemade Peach Ice Cream – this old post is coming out of the archives and doing well on Pinterest! {Pin this recipe}
- How to Use and Love Cast Iron – I think camping season is heating up and people are looking to go frontier days up in here! {Pin this}
- Whole30 Bacon Brands – the start of the month tends to bring an uptick to Whole30 searches. And e’rbody wants to know what bacon brands they can have on Whole30. {Pin this}
Meal Plan
Looking for someone to do the meal planning for you? I’m partnering with Real Plans to bring you personalized meal plans that fit all dietary needs. Try it yourself for free for 30 days.!
Monday:: Breakfast dinner (Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles, Whole30 Breakfast Sausage, and Make Ahead Scrambled Eggs).
Tuesday:: Steak (another Butcher Box freezer stash find), salad, and probably asparagus (because, hello spring!).
Wednesday:: The boys really want my homemade taquitos, so we’ll do those with salad and maybe a bit of rice. I use the cooking method from these Pressure Cooker Chicken Tacos but I don’t season the meat (TWSS). I cook the taquitos in a little bit of avocado oil in my cast iron skillet. So yeah they’re fried, but not “deep fried”.
Thursday:: Asian meatballs and stir-fried veggies.
Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.
Saturday:: T-Roy’s birthday! We’re going out and the brats boys are staying with my generous in-law’s.
Sunday:: Family dinner
What are you having this week?
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I’m with Katie!  I’m so glad you’re going to include non Paleo/Whole 30 recipes!  I have been a long time follower, and I love you no matter what!  Paleo/Whole 30 is not my jam, but I realize it is for a lot of people.  I love the new tagline, and I appreciate that you are willing to go with the flow!  🙂 Â
The way I see any recipe I post is that it can/should be adapted to fit your needs and tastes. So maybe I won’t put cheese on a dish, but I’ll definitely add it to my portion after giving Jack his plate. Because cheese = life!!
I just bought the I Need A New Butt book for my nephew and was trying to read it to my husband but I was laughing so hard I was crying and couldn’t get the words out! Â I’m going back to buy two or three more this week so all of the little boys in my family have a copy. Â Best book I’ve ever read!
Bennett was pretty obsessed with it at Barnes and Noble and I was laughing like a nutter when I was reading it. And the photos were so funny!!
what car seat is that you guys are using. Mine is so bulky and I like that one because it still has the harnessÂ
Keisha, it is this seat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DWBZP44?ie=UTF8&tag=thisb02-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B07DWBZP44
It’s a bit more spendy than the one we had with Jack, but research showed it had the narrowest base of any seat. It’s also a giant tank of a seat and Troy (the paranoid firefighter) loved the safety features.
We had to get one with a smaller footprint because during the school year I have three boys in the backseat. And for two years, my nephew was in a booster back there. It was a tight squeeze, but this is the only seat that we could make work!
I used to work in a nursery (the garden type) and I got reactions like that working with the bulbs.  (It was awesome, I HATED working with them anyway and the store was a nursery/craft place  -crafts are my thing-  so I was always shuttled off to the craft section during spring and fall bulb season!)
You know that Sandy is supposed to ditch salt now, right?  My selfish wish may come true.  The one where I suggested that you challenge yourself to not use salt.  Solely so *I* can have more good recipes to use!!  🙂  I am serious though.  Salt+ heart patient = bad, bad, BAD.
I love, love LOVE that you have not gotten rid of the box yet! Â My FB memeories the other had included the box I left for my girls -who were old enough to stay home alone for two nights while Dad and I went to Niagara Falls- I made a whole FB album out of the ‘coffee shop’ that they turned it into! Â and it was much smaller than Bennett’s box.
I don’t remember three being that bad, Â but maybe girls are different? Â I DO remember saying that my oldest never went through the ‘terrible two” phase but four was twice as bad! Â Bandaids only stick to the shy if you are pasting it onto a picture, sadly. Â But, I doubt the sky has any real need for a bandaid at the same time. Â So that is good!
I don’t agree with bashing people online, but maybe we should know what company gets a firm nope from you? Â Others who want these services might benefit from knowing who ghosted you. Â Just my thought. Â
And, finally, I agree with everything Jess said. Â Just in case you are keeping track of things like that too.
I’ve never planted bulbs before, but I wonder if I would have the same reaction! Bodies and nature are weird and interesting for sure.
Yep, I know about the salt. She’s been low sodium for years and I confirmed that with her before taking food over.
I remember you telling me about the coffee shop box! Boxes are THE BEST! The funny thing is the fort is in the “playroom” where we have like $32,918 worth of toys they have been gifted. And they play with the box.
I felt like I had mentioned that box before, when I was typing that….. 😀Â
I left you a message about some reusable silicone containers that I had just bought that I was super excited to try out. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5VXPP7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, I was excited about the fact that they sit in your cup holder of the car and stay open for easy snacking while on road trips… disappointing. They sit in the cup holder good and stay open so they are easy to snack from but they don’t stay closed. opening your ice chest to find spilled crackers is not fun .
I remember that! I’m so bummed they didn’t work out for you. If you don’t need something plastic, I bet an extra large jam canning jar might work well. They’re like 12 oz and tall. Or even an 8 oz.
Honestly I have been looking at your site less as Paleo, whole 30 and IP are not the types of inspiration I am looking for. However, I really enjoy your writing style and so I find I skim the post and skip the recipe. This is why I love the Confessions posts. I would prefer to see what is currently bringing you joy, and aggravation, in the kitchen and garden in an honest way, not limited in scope. Peppermint bark, chicken gnocchi soup and cinnamon rolls have been the family favorites from your site. All of them have been gifted to others who needed a bit of happiness and in that way your blog has been a tangible good. Families who needed happiness received it wrapped up in your food. Keep posting everything and worry less about fitting a label. Except the snark, stay true to the snark 🙂
Just a quick note that all my instant pot recipes ALSO have stovetop or crockpot instructions in them (often both!). I never want someone to not be able to make a recipe due to lack of kitchen equipment.
I love that you love sharing food with others (I say food is my love language) and I’m honored that I’ve had a small part in that sharing journey!
The snark stays. Forever. It’s like the Goonies – we never say die.
I love the new tagline! I’m trying to eat a bit healthier and more whole foods so your recipes have been a godsend but, not going to lie, if I had an ice cream machine I’d be all about those ice cream recipes right now! It’s so hard to put yourself in a dietary box like that, barring any severe medical need for a very restrictive diet, everyone needs to have a little fun!
I love your new-new tagline. Part of cooking creativity is looking at a recipe and figuring out how to adjust it to suit your own personal needs. Â And sometimes you needs desserts in your life.Â
Interested to hear about the research with silicone bags
My son gets the same reaction when he’s near tomato plants. But he can eat tomatoes just fine. I get hives from being near green bean plants (and sadly, eating them is dicey), so it’s not uncommon for leaves of a plant to cause reactions in some people.