Scattered Sundays and Meal Plan

So Bennett and I spent more time at the Apple Store this week dealing with my phone. I hate the Apple Store. I hate any store that makes me feel incredibly unhip. It’s like a sea of man buns and skinny jeans and is just a constant reminder that I am not cool. Let’s be clear, it’s not like I need someone to point out that I’m not trendy. Owning chicken-crap coated work boots seems to really drive that point home on the daily.

The outcome was not what I wanted to happen and I was frustrated. But I’m not one to pitch a public fit. However, I am someone who is totally fine with some passive aggressive little moments of “screw you”.

You know what I did. I know you do.

I set all of the ipads in the store to my website before we left.

Yeah, I did. 🙂

So, yeah. It rained a bit this week. Ducks in someone’s back yard.

Are you familiar with the concept of Hygge? It is the Scandinavian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment. Over recent years, hygge became a defining characteristic of Danish culture (per Wikipedia). With the addition of our woodstove last spring, we have been able to ramp up the Cook Family (<—-so nice to finally be able to write that!) Hygge practice.

I didn’t realize how much I have been relying on that woodstove to set the tone for my evenings. This past week we had a lot of evening activities that kept us away from the house until the kid’s bedtime. Given that the woodstove isn’t our only source of heat, it didn’t make sense to light a fire for just a few hours before our bedtime.

Not having that fire in the evening has totally thrown me off my “I get to snuggle on the surface of the sun” feeling. I’m someone who doesn’t sit still too long and will work into the night if I don’t force myself to go to bed. But sitting and watching a fire burn is so damn comforting and trance-inducing. Not zoning out and feeling cozy AF has meant my evening feels off. I don’t think I sleep as well when I’m not flame-hypnotized.

It’s also a great way to dry my jeans after they have been washed.

Hygge and Cozy AF is the name of my upcoming lifestyle of coziness book. Available soon in all pretend bookstores.

A few weeks ago Troy bought a wood splitting maul. Before that, we only had a little hatchet for splitting kindling. I have to tell you that using that maul is the freaking best. I love to chop wood. I fully get that I love to do it because I don’t have to do it. But man oh man its fun.

I was on the front porch splitting a big piece of firewood and my neighbor yelled “where is your husband? Why isn’t he doing that”? I mumbled “because it isn’t 1952” under my breath and then called out “because it is cheaper than therapy”. Cutting things in half and then burning them is so damn satisfying.

There is no need to be concerned about my mental health.

Jack had two more of his teeth pulled this week. That brings us to a total of four, and only two more to go. It wasn’t even 48 hours after his last yanking that one of his adult teeth popped through. That sucker was ready but couldn’t come down because his mouth was so flipping crowded. This time it was 24 hours before an adult tooth popped out. His x-rays look like a series of stalagmites that shifted because of an earthquake. And then a tidal wave knocked them around a bit. Don’t even mention the raging rhino that came through and destroyed them.

So, uh, I was told there would be fro yo?

Last week I told everyone I wasn’t going to be meal planning for this week. And I didn’t! And guess what? We ate like crap all week. Dinners were thrown together and definitely weren’t balanced. We barely had any vegetables and my body felt gross and sluggish. Blah. No matter how annoying I find meal planning, that 10-15 minutes means we eat so much better. Lesson learned.

I tried something this week that I previously scoffed at and chalked up as “gross”. What was this disgusting food that I turned my nose up at? Overnight oats. Cold oats? No thank you. Blah.

Turns out they are freaking delicious! I made some for Troy and me to eat on Friday and we both loved them. We independently of each other both said it tasted like no bake cookies. Usually oatmeal only keeps me full for a few hours, but I didn’t feel the need to eat until lunch. And I even saved half of the jar to have that night as dessert.

I’m going to fool around with some more flavors and then I can’t wait to share them with you.

We started a bedtime routine with Jack a few years ago and I thought that sharing it with everyone may help trigger similar questions in your own households. Jack reads in his bed until he is ready to sleep. Troy and I then go in there and we ask him three questions:

1. What was the best part of your day?
2. What was a part of your day that you wish had gone differently?
3. What are you looking forward to most about tomorrow?

We learn a lot from these answers. I find myself doing too much lecturing on some of his responses (ex: Kallen and I got in a giant fight and now we aren’t friends anymore) and it is something I work on every single night. It feels like just listening is more important than trying to impart wisdom to him. I’m trying.

Hey, so my dear friend Mary has a GoFundMe set up to pay for skin removal surgery. This badass lady has lost a whopping 140 pounds in the last two years. In addition to losing all that weight, she has become a fitness instructor teaching SPIN (Spin?), Pound, and a bunch of other things that remind me that I cannot touch my own toes.

She has completely changed her life and the future for her family and her two daughters. And she works her ass off (literally and figuratively) to help others get healthy too. She teaches fitness classes for kids with sensory issues and gives them a space to just have so much fun without stress or judgment.

When you lose the weight of an entire adult, your body reacts in certain ways. She is trying to raise the non-insurance covered portion of the surgery so that she can comfortably keep working toward her goal to be the healthiest and happiest role model for her girls and community. If you have an extra $5 in your budget this month to kick in, her GoFundMe page can be accessed here.

Ugh, I really, really, really hate what they are doing on Scandal this season. Terrible way to wrap up the series. I hope this gets cleaned up soon.

Which one of you is Keyser Soze?

This week was such a big one for me and you were all so thoughtful and sweet during my big site reveal. I so appreciate the kind words, well-wishes, and feedback. The new site was a labor of love and I’m just so dang proud of it. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Did you get a chance to read all the other posts?

How to Bake Bacon – crush the breakfast game and learn to cook a bunch of bacon at one time.

Balance is Bullshit – five things I have learned ring true in every employment situation I have ever been in.

Healthier Baked Jalapeno Poppers – so tasty, spicy, and full of flavor without all the frying and essence of regret.

Mini Asian Taco Boats in the Instant Pot – stovetop instructions included too. These delightful little appetizers are so good AND adorable. It’s like eating a gummy bear head first. But with Sriracha.

Are you watching the Super Bowl later today? Jack is kind of obsessed with football and I don’t mind it. I love the food and the commercials are entertaining. And every fiber of my being wants to see the Patriots lose. Sorry Pats fans.

Meal plan time! Back to basics here.

Monday:: Paninis and roasted Brussels sprouts. Jack has been begging for paninis and I’m also teaching my neighbor how to make No Knead Bread. It makes the best bread for paninis! Basketball practice for Jack

Tuesday:: Homemade ramen and roasted cauliflower. Jack has a basketball game.

Wednesday:: Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie over biscuits

Thursday:: a new recipe I’m working on for you and roasted broccoli. Basketball game for Jack.

Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Saturday:: Bennett’s birthday party. Hopefully this time it happens.

Sunday:: Family dinner

Smith Brother’s Farms: $19.60

Sadly photos from a 48 hour period were deleted from my phone because of an issue (hence the dreaded Apple Store visit) so my photo of milk, yogurt, butter, and buttermilk was lost to the ether.

What are you having this week?