Scattered Sundays

On Tuesday, this handsome dude turns 14. It happened in a flash and at the same time, it also has somehow been the slowest 14 years in the history of the world.

For anyone out there with a challenging young kiddo, I think there needs to be an “it gets better” campaign.

I wish I had done a lot of things differently when he was younger. I wish I had given us both a lot more grace than I did.

We did a lot of things wrong, but I hope he looks back and remembers that we always loved him and were/are his biggest cheerleaders. I constantly tell my boys that I would fight a bear for them. And then I mention I hope if it comes to that, it will be a gummy bear.

Jack has become a kid with the biggest squishy heart with a somewhat stern exterior. He works hard and expects others to, but he is also the first one to check on a friend or teammate who is hurt or having a bad day.

Last week a kid was being a punk to Bennett and Jack said he was going to handle it. He said “nobody messes with my brother…except me”. He’s kind and also very self-aware in that regard. 🙂

Teens get a bad rap but this kiddo has a good solid head on his shoulders. I credit Jack, but also a huge percentage of his generation for being kind, open-minded, and unwilling to tolerate hate and bigotry.

People love to dunk on teens and middle schoolers, but, my friends, I’m here to tell you that the kids are alright. This generation suffers zero fools and they’re going to change our world for the better.

Jack and his peers are truly the definition of lead, follow, or get out of the way. I can’t wait to see what this incredible young man does next.

About 96% of the stuff that happens with the blog is things that nobody notices or can see. It’s the boring backend work that can be mind-numbing that takes up most of my time. Which is fine. None of us ever think about our home internet or electricity until it doesn’t work.

If you think of a website like a car, you know that you purchase the car “as is”. And then, you can add things to it with aftermarket add-ons like tinted windows, nice floor mats, etc. In the tech world, these add-ons are called plugins. Plugins essentially don’t make the site work, but they do add some flair.

One of the plugins that I pay for is the piece of tech that makes my recipes printable. I’ve been blogging long enough to remember when I just typed the recipe directly into the post and then would get emails from people complaining that it was taking 2 pages of paper to print them. My bad.

To date, the coolest feature of my recipe card plugin has been the ability to add the ingredient measurements directly under the directions in the recipe card. This prevents the constant scroll back and forth from instructions to ingredients. Everyone loves this – I didn’t create it but I do thank the tech people who did.

Well, my friends, the creator of the plugin has added a super cool new feature called “cook mode”! By toggling cook mode to “on” in the recipe card, the recipe/screen of your device will not go dark while you are on my recipe. No more touching your screens with dirty hands trying to keep the recipe visible!

On the downside, for whatever reason, this doesn’t work on iphones yet. It does work on Androids, and computer screens, so you do have options. Fun tech fact: bloggers make more money when you view our sites on computers vs. phones. Not 100% sure why, but this is standard across all ad networks.

For those who celebrate Passover, let me wish you an early happy Passover! I feel very out of my element on Passover food. But, in terms of recipes, I only have one that (I think) is appropriate for a Passover Seder, and that’s my Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup.

I’m definitely more comfortable with Easter recipes, and as we are hosting our family Easter celebration (combined with Jack’s 14th family birthday party), I’m going to share some of our favorite Easter dishes.

For Easter dinner I can highly recommend:

• Asparagus Casserole
• Instant Pot Ham
• Sage Sausage Stuffing
• Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
• Stuffing Biscuits
• Vegan Gravy
• Greek Yogurt Deviled Eggs
• Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
• Boursin Mashed Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Green Beans
• Jalapeño Popper Cheeseball
• Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
• Hasselback Roasted Beets
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes With Wasabi
• Baked Brie With Roasted Garlic

As to what to do with holiday leftovers, let me recommend:

• Greek Yogurt Egg Salad
• Ham Pasta
• Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
• Ham and Swiss Quiche
• How to Freeze Mashed Potatoes
• How to Freeze Quiche

For what seems like the 50,817th time in recent years, we heard the horrible news from Nashville this week. I’m out of things to say.

All of my friends and family who are teachers are TIRED. They’re tired of being disrespected, they’re tired of being pawns in political battles, they’re tired of being the scapegoats for all that ails society, and they’re tired of not being trusted to choose books for children but are somehow responsible enough to be armed. They are TIRED.

This week our district had student/parent teacher conferences. Bennett’s teacher is out on maternity leave and we met his new long-term sub. I knew that she had been a teacher at his school a few years before but had retired.

As we were talking, we realize that she had done her student teaching at the school where my mom had taught. She had known my mom but didn’t know she had passed away.

The night of the conferences, I forwarded her an email that I had sent his teacher at the start of the year. It went over his PFAFA and also Bennett’s constant leg cramps. And in the email, I mentioned it was nice to meet her and what a small world this was that we were connected through my mom.

And this is what she sent me the next day:

My educator friends, I know things are so hard right now and you’re tired to your very core. But I want to remind you that you matter. You matter to the kids, the families, and even your colleagues. I see you. And I thank you.

READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Long-time reader, Tina, left this five-star review on our Air Fryer Cabbage {Pin this recipe}:

I did the skillet version of this (because my kids made the air-fryer tray a mess today and I didn’t want to clean it, they’ll clean it when they do dishes). I loved it. I let it go 5 minutes covered and then 5 more uncovered to try to get it a bit more crispy…and it was a bit more crispy, but I want to try it in the fryer next time for more crisp! Don’t forget the salt at the end, that MAKES it.

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels – This baked ham and cheese pinwheels recipe is perfect for a party or even a speedy weeknight meal. Learn how to make ham and cheese puff pastry for a great appetizer, lunch, or dinner. {Pin this recipe}

Artichoke Salad – This delicious Artichoke Salad is a healthy and simple recipe that is the perfect make-ahead side dish. Canned artichokes, feta, tomatoes, and fresh herbs pair beautifully with a flavorful marinade. {Pin this recipe}

Confessions – everyone’s favorite silly post of the month.

MEAL PLAN

Monday:: Scavenger night. The boys will be with my inlaws during the day and Jack has soccer practice that night.

Tuesday:: TBD, Jack might have friends spend the night or we might reschedule it until after spring break. We’re waiting on Bennett’s baseball game schedule to be finalized before deciding.

Wednesday:: Troy is making dinner and we’ll be excited to eat it!

Thursday:: Pasta and veggies.

Friday:: Grilled cheese and veggies.

Saturday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Sunday:: Easter leftovers! Troy and I will still be full at dinner, but my children will be starving because despite a veritable feast of food, they will have likely only consumed 1-2 rolls that day. And birthday cake.