Scattered Sundays

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Another weekend, another soccer tournament. Which sounds exhausting, but I’m just being dramatic. It’s our second and last tournament of the 2023 summer-fall season.

Thankfully, this tournament was within daily driving distance, so I didn’t have to pack anything excessive and we didn’t have to get a hotel room. My wallet is thrilled about that.

I did get a few things before the last tournament to make my life easier. The complex we were at was HUGE, we had to move fields after every game, and Troy wasn’t able to come. So I’m really thankful that we have a wagon so I could haul everything around by myself.

We have had a 12×12 pop-up canopy for years that takes up half my trunk and is really unwieldy to haul around. I wanted something that provided shade from the sun both overhead and from the sides. I finally settled on this smaller canopy that comes with zip-on sides.

It was a HUGE hit, and the shade on the sides was so appreciated in the afternoon. Our assistant coach has a 9-month old and when her husband isn’t at games, I get to watch that little smooshy face.

My little buddy and I and a few other smaller siblings hung out in my pale people shade palace. And her dog even joined us for much of the afternoon.

The other thing that saved my bacon over the weekend was this belt bag. I’ve avoided the belt bag trend for years, but finally see the value in using them. I’m keeping my normal daily purse, but plan to use this one for tournaments, vacations, etc.

I tried multiple bags before settling on this one. The other ones weren’t big enough, didn’t have enough structure, or enough pockets, or functionally were just not working with my needs.

This one has multiple compartments with pockets and zippers, card slots so I don’t have to pack a wallet but also don’t have to worry about cash and cards falling out. It also has a handy dandy little pen slot because I’m the nerd who always has a pen on me.

And most importantly, it has a retractable key fob. I cannot stand fumbling for my keys and I listen to enough true crime that I know being able to get into your car in a flash can be important.

I know the bag can be worn around your waist, but I wear it as a cross-body bag with the purse portion in the back. If I’m in a crowded area, I switch the compartments to the front.

I stumbled onto this article on Wednesday night and it’s a really powerful read. It’s all about teachers sharing incidents with students that changed their policies. It’s an exercise in humanity, humility, and empathy.

A long-time reader, Erin, who teaches middle school, told me it’s called Culturally Responsive teaching. My mom taught at a very poor school and spent a lot of her own money on her classroom and for the kids. And part of it was just meeting the kids where they were.

I’ll never forget watching her buy snacks for her classroom and I asked why she was feeding her students. She looked at me and said “hungry kids can’t learn”. That right there was a mind-shift change for me on realizing that not every kid was afforded the privileges that I had.

In the Garden This Week

This week found Bennett picking lots and lots of blueberries. He can be out there for an hour and still, only pick about 10% of what is ripe. Picking blueberries is a full-time job in the Cook household during this time of the summer.

I’m also giving away cucumbers and zucchini at soccer practice like it is my actual job. Green beans are thriving, but then getting too big because I’ve been too busy to pick them. Whoops. The chickens are enjoying the huge pods though.

Tomatoes and burrata (Trader Joe’s has the best prices if you’re near one) are on repeat, and my heart and stomach are both full and happy.

READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Pamela, reader, and sister of the infamous Hey Nutrition Lady, left this five-star review on our Frozen Berry Cake {Pin this recipe}:

Excellent recipe, and healthy enough that it is on regular rotation for a quick breakfast for my kids. I make it the night before and it is sooooo good cold out of the fridge. I often use 100% whole wheat flour and it turns out just as good. It’s even forgiving when you forget to add the butter. Oops! 

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

We took a wee break from the “preserve all the things” posting this week, to bring you some chicken dinner recipes.

Creamy Chicken Pasta – This Creamy Chicken Pasta is a simple dinner of delicious homemade comfort food. Even better, this chicken pesto pasta makes delicious leftovers, and that makes you a meal prep legend. {Pin this recipe}

Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos – These delicious Air Fryer Taquitos are packed with tons of flavor. Baked, not fried, they are perfect for fast dinners and cook in only 9 minutes! No air fryer? You’ll also find oven-baking methods in the post. {Pin this post}

THE FIVE MOST POPULAR POSTS THIS WEEK

You can tell it is late summer when 80% of the top five posts are about preserving.