The Best Laid Plans
Dear Lore,
Remember when we decided to start a blog about food, friendship, faith, and finances? And it would serve as an extra measure of accountability for us? Remember when we were going to start it at the very beginning of the new year? Remember when that was the week when all my plans went to hell in a hand basket? Yeah. I remember, too.
Mostly it was a good week. But Tuesday? Tuesday was nuts. Hollis and I went grocery shopping, and rather than having a list I had ideas, which always seems like a good idea, but generally ends up costing a lot more than it should. This week was no exception. Along with costing a little extra (but they had boneless lamb loin on sale!), it also cost us extra time. I left the lights on in Scott's car, and by the time we got out of the store the battery was dead. Thank God New Seasons had a jump box. Hollis and I were on the road within about ten minutes. We drove around for awhile so the battery could charge. Seems like a fun adventure, right? WRONG. Really it was me driving around, getting hangry, with Hollis screaming in the back seat because he was tired and the sun was in his eyes. Finally I drove us to Burgerville (fast food, I know.) where I got fries and a chocolate hazelnut shake (worth it), and the sun finally left his poor baby blues alone. I found us a quiet street and let the car idle while I ate my food, plus some from the groceries that spilled all over the floor, and Hollis finally fell asleep in the back seat.
As much as I wish we'd started this week all impressive and on time with amazing photos and award winning recipes, this feels a lot more real. My life isn't amazing photos, well, sometimes it is, but mostly it's normal life photos--cute baby with a messy kitchen or a living room sorely in need of vacuuming in the background. You know. I know you know.
With all of that craziness happening just on Tuesday, I'm glad to say the rest of the week was a little more mellow. My mom was here on Wednesday, and that allowed me to get some good time in the kitchen. Rather than a roast of some kind, which has been our main meal for the past few weeks, I was able to make some delicious chicken pot pie a la the Silver Palate cookbook. It's my favorite. I didn't get everything I needed (remember when I said that just having ideas never works out quite as well as I think it will?), but I was able to make some pretty delicious substitutions, and it came out all right. It was Scott's first time having it, and he and I decided it needs to be on our table again soon.
We said we'd write about salads this week, and just like you and Nate we are loving our kale salads. I long for bowls full of crisp, fresh butter lettuce and peppery arugula, but eating in season has become more and more important to us. Plus, the longing for the greens makes the eating of them all the more delicious when their season comes around.
Our staple kale salad is either green or red kale leaves torn into bite size pieces, massaged with lots of olive, avocado, or toasted sesame oil. Then we drizzle balsamic or coconut aminos over the top and sprinkle on some nutritional yeast. If we're up for it, we shave carrots, chop toasted nuts, sprinkle some pickled red onion, or crumble some cheese over the top. I wish I could say I had a picture of our kale salad, but I was too enamored with the pot pie to remember to snap a picture of the salad solo. The above is a picture of our table the night after the grocery store disaster. In all honesty this is the first time we ate dinner at our table and not on the couch in longer than I can remember.