Despite my silence on the blog, this summer has been anything but quiet. Perusing my planner, I look back over the weeks since we moved and see that we have traveled or had guests more weekends than not. That’s a good thing! And it has meant that we have been kept busy and occupied during a time of transition. But it also means that we haven’t had the chance to really dig in here yet. Last Saturday was our first real day at home in who knows how long. It was such a treat. We slept in and then took an hour to make Norwegian pancakes (think crepes), and watched cartoons while stuffing our faces. We lounged around watching more cartoons. When the itch to do something struck, I finally deep cleaned the house while Chris addressed those sneaky little corners that still had junk in them from the move. Time—we had time! Time allowed us to talk through our budget and post-moving expenses and get on the same page with our church search. Real conversation and connection were able to happen when we let the dust settle a little and stopped doing things. In fact, I intentionally didn’t set any “goals” for the day. I didn’t sit down the night before with my Post Its and write that I wanted to 1) talk about the budget 2) clean the house 3) exercise. Those things just happened anyway because they were all good things that we not only needed to do but wanted to when we didn’t feel “forced” to by the to-do list. My goal-setting, accomplisher self needed a chill pill. And when I took it, we had the most relaxing, happy Saturday—not because we didn’t do anything and lazed around but because my attitude toward accomplishing things shifted (at least for this one day…face palming myself this weekend because it’s been much more of a struggle!). So, to continue the good vibes, we spontaneously decided yesterday morning to run to a craft store and buy canvases and paint supplies. We were going to have an Art Day at home, complete with sweet tea and oatmeal coconut cookies (which we also spontaneously decided to make after watching our ALL TIME favorite show Friday night, The Great British Bake Off. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go watch it). Michael's Crafts is having a Labor Day sale on a lot of their painting supplies so we got two value packs of canvases (16 total!), 12 large tubes of acrylic paint, and various brushes for just over $50. It was a great buy, and we have tons of canvas left over, so I would highly encourage this as a date that keeps on giving. Now, let me be perfectly clear: neither of us are artists by any stretch of the imagination. Appreciate, study, and enjoy, all yes, but execute—not so much. As Chris likes to say, we each have “delusions of grandeur” when it comes to painting. Like, I think I may just be the next Rothko or Van Gough. But then I look at my canvas and realize I don’t even know how to properly blend one color into the next. This became abundantly apparent in my first piece, which I have entitled “Choppy Blue.” To be sure, I like the choppy look. But also be sure that it is there because Chris had not yet looked up a YouTube video on “How to Paint With Acrylics,” in which a kindly professor showed us that we ought to brush the canvas with water before we applied the paint. Such an “ah-ha!” moment. “Yellow Feather Sunset” was my second piece. I have such mixed feelings here. I was concentrating on blending yellow into orange, which I think I did quite well. Then some insane idea popped into my head and told me to swish gold stripes down the middle, something I regretted almost immediately. All my grand delusions of hidden genius went right out the door, and I became very despondent. I decided to mope on the bed checking Instagram and then cleaned my brushes and called it a day. Well, the paint dried and then looked decidedly less gross. So I decided I didn’t completely hate it, and that together with Choppy Blue and Chris’s “White Square” it may just look all right on the wall. At the end of the day, here’s what we turned up with. Not so bad, right? Thankful for okay art, good music and great tea while making it, and the left overs: blue splatters on our dinning room wall which remind me of a fun afternoon.
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I think we've all had an experience of walking into a true home. The kind where you step over the threshold and feel instantly at ease; where books and papers are scattered on desks, a bowl of fruit rests in the kitchen, and a tall umbrella props in the corner of the porch. You get the feeling that this place has a life of it's own, that the house is somehow alive with a story to tell. I remember a home like this. It is on the Upper West Side, on the very edge of Central Park. Through various college and church acquaintances, some friends and I were able to visit a very old lady who was friends with Corrie ten Boom in World War II. Little notes and old photographs stuck out of the edges of a large oval mirror hung above the fireplace; a dog leash shared the bar cart with the champagne glasses; bright floral arm chairs cozied up to the stately leather chesterfield couch; newspapers crowded the dinning room table where snacks and tea cups were set out for us. It was as if I had stepped into Narnia and was having tea with Mr. Tumnus. And that's how I want my home to be: lived in, joyful, full of stories, warmth, and the many little details that take the place you live in from house to home. It's these little things--from tulips to teacups--that help cultivate a rich home life that makes people want to come on over, prop up their feet, and stay a while. But what are these little "details"? For this week's Nesting Series post I thought it would be fun to collect some of my favorite "tiny" home tips to share with everyone, courtesy of a life-long observation of my most amazing mother (and some other tremendous ladies). Thus in no particular order.... It's all in the details
Of all the daily rhythms I've come to love about our married life, meal planning and grocery-shopping top the list. It's quite the phenomenon because this certainly wasn't the case for me a few years ago. I staunchly believe that cooking is only really good or worthwhile or fun when it's done for other people, because what used to be a chore has turned into one of our favorite dates. A typical Sunday night will find us meandering around the local Shop Rite, smelling tomatoes and trying to decide if ground turkey will suffice as a cheap substitute for beef. I am the determined shopper, the knowledgeable one you might say, in charge of The List, and willing to sacrifice a few extra pennies in order to choose more quickly between Generic Can of Black Beans and Brand Name Can of Black Beans. My husband, to put it lightly, is the slowest, least decisive, most endearingly annoying grocery shopper there ever was. I accomplish about 98% of the list, leaving Chris to get 1) cheese from the deli 2) Kaiser rolls for sandwiches 3) seltzer and 4) *insert whichever exotic ingredient has struck his fancy this week* (in the past this has included anchovies, canned sardines, and strange fruit cocktails from South America). I progress through the store in a calm, rational, organized manner, weaving in and out of aisles in order; Chris darts around picking up things and happily running errands around the store for things I forgot. "Toothpaste coming up!" "Pickles and Cheerios: got it." "Did you want mixed berry or strawberry yogurt?" Without fail the entire trip takes an hour on the dot, usually involves at least one Stop in the Middle of the Store for a Debrief about our Differences in Shopping, and ends with us feeling thirsty (shopping is hard) but proud of ourselves for providing food for ourselves like adults. I don't know about you, but succeeding at the "chores" in life is very satisfying to me. It's the icing on the cake of adulthood. I like being able to say: I ate well today; I have clean clothes; I washed the dishes; my bathroom isn't a disaster; the garbage is not stinking up the kitchen because I took it out; my bed is made; I read some words that weren't work related; I went on a walk on lunch break; I read my Bible; I thought. I believe that these types of simple acts are the basis of a life well lived. A full, meaningful, purpose-driven, and others-focused life. The trash isn't just trash: it's an opportunity not to inwardly (or outwardly!) grumble at your roommate/husband/family member! I have to remind myself of this all the time. And part of the purpose of this blog is to help me--and you--remember why these little things matter so much. So, then, meal planning. What is meal planning, even, you might ask? Good question. Meal planning is the way to make cooking not awful. It makes weekdays less stressful by saving time and ultimately money. It means taking stock of your pantry and picking out meals to make ahead of time, before it's the end of the day and you JUST CAN'T. Timing I typically meal plan about once every two weeks, on a Thursday or Friday so that I can have my list ready for the weekend, when I have time to actually shop. I make a list of meals on one sheet of paper and then use these adorable free printouts (go check it out!) from Emily Ley of the Simplified Planner to make my grocery list. I use one quadrant for each major category of the store: produce, meat, pantry (anything from paper towels to bread to BBQ sauce), and dairy. How many meals to plan? I like to plan 5 to 6 meals at a time. Between left overs, the obligatory pizza delivery night, a toast and omelets night, and one or two meals out, these 6 meals will last us about two weeks. I try to mix it up with a few produce based meals and some meat heavy meals. Meals that use a lot of fresh veggies or fruit will get eaten towards the beginning of the week so that the produce doesn't go bad. Meat, noddle, or potatoes dishes get eaten later. Balance When planning meals I try to balance several factors: health, flavor, cost, and variety. I'm all for healthy meals, but also don't want to sink $10 into 3 organic apples. As mentioned above, ground turkey is a money saver, but I so much more prefer the flavor of beef. And while it's easy to get stuck in rut with what you know, switch it up! I'm always trying to find new recipes. Variety is the spice of life, right? Resources So where to look for meal ideas? A few posts back I highlighted the Mad Hungry cookbooks, which are a staple in this house. If you are looking for simple, basic, delicious, fail-proof recipes, this is your book. When I don't have quite as much time my favorite go-to websites are Allrecipes and DamnDelicious. On both sites you can search for healthy, quick, easy options. There are also lots of crock pot and one-dish recipes. Be realistic Because honestly, there just isn't time sometimes. Be realistic about the types of meals you pick! Don't over do it or be too ambitious. If you choose 5 out of 5 gourmet, out of your comfort zone meals chances are you won't end of cooking many nights. Here's an example of a typical Svendsen menu: 1-2 large soup or noddle based dishes (spaghetti) with lots of left overs 1 nice meat-oriented meal (like steak or meatballs with a vegetable side) 1 hearty salad with bread 1-2 easy, quick meals: examples: chicken tacos, homemade pizza, chili, stir fry, etc. Shopping and Eating Smart Generally good advice that I try to follow: 1. Pick meals with leftovers! Yay for happy work-day lunches! 2. Shop the sales and change the plan if necessary to accommodate a great deal. 3. Buy basics in large quantities: regardless of the meals I have planned for the week I stock up on things like butter, bread, chicken and ground beef (which I freeze), eggs, spices, and, of course, chocolate chips. The In-Between Trip While my typical 5-6 meals shopping trip usually lasts two weeks, that's just counting dinners. In between these "major" shopping trips we always have a the basic run for bread, eggs, milk, etc. So what? When all is said and done, meal planning is meant to help take stress out of your life, allowing you to eat better meals more regularly for so much cheaper than going out. If I don't have ingredients I know will make a meal I'm probably going to shrug my shoulders and buy a burger out. With just a little time, you can make a real difference in your weekly routine. And who knows? Maybe you'll end up loving it. So here's to happier and more effective nesting! If you know me at all, you know that one of my favorite things to do is eat. Thankfully, I've also learned to love cooking over the past few years. What started as a chore has become a great creative outlet and fun thing to do with my hubby after long days at work. After not eating yummy things in college because I didn't know how to make them, I decided one day that I would just learn. There is such a freedom in being confident in the kitchen! I am no where near as accomplished as I could be or hope to become, but at least feeling confident substituting ingredients or having intuition about how long something should cook, simmer, or bake for is a place to start. I'm always looking around for new recipes and inspiration and thought I'd share some of our tried and true favorites witih you. I have made these dozens of times and love the flavor, consistent great results, and ability to create my own take on each recipe. Plus, they are easy as can be and completely delicious. 1. Spanish Rice. If you haven't bought the Mad Hungry cookbook, go do it right now. I'm serious. Most of our meals come from this amazing, easy to read guide by Martha Stewart's Food Director, Lucinda Scala Quinn. Spanish Rice is the perfect one dish meal: hearty and homey. 2. Chili. Another favorite from Mad Hungry, we love the kick of this chili. I usually skip the first step (making your own chili paste) to save time and instead dice up extra pickled jalapeños to add spice. 3. BLT Chopped Salad. This is a new discovery and it has changed our view of salad forever. With bacon, feta, avacado, and cherry tomotos, this salad will not leave you feeling hungry. Plus, a homemade lime vinegrete takes it the extra mile. 4. Sloppy Joes. A little juvenile, but supper quick and supper yummy. I usually pair with mashed or candied sweet potatoes, or baby red roasted potatoes. The Joy of Cooking is a great resource for simple how-to's like, well, how to make the perfect mashed potatos. I use it as my kitchen goggle. It has a great index which you can use to look up questions from how to cut a pineapple to how to cook a duck. 5. Quiche Lorraine. This is a total indulgence recipe for those ever-special Saturday morning brunches. Thanks to my darling friend, Carol Anne, for finding and sharing! It's truely one of the best quiches I've ever had. 6. Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas. Easy Mexican: does it get any better? These are a great week-day dinner. Pair with fresh guacamole or chips and salsa. 7. Tikki Masala. Do you love Indian food? I've got you covered. This recipe from Mad Hungry: Cravings (Quinn's second cookbook, a guide to how to make the things you crave most) gives you a perfect resturant style tikki masala that you can make at home. Prep is minimal and the cook time isn't too long--you just have to buy a lot of spices before hand! I might add that Mad Hungry has a blog with a full recipe index! I couldn't find the recipes mentioned above--as they are part of the print edition books--but there are so many others to check out. Let me know your favorite recipes, week-day cooking tips, or more in the comments. Happy Tuesday cooking! |
Authorwife to a med student and mama to three under three, seeking the joyful and learning to live by faith. Find me on Instagram and Pinterest or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you!
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