Peace and Progress in the Kitchen

The light is changing here as we shift into Autumn, and we woke to rain. New corners of the house are illuminated, new shadows cast. We’ve started into our Fall routine. This tends to be our busiest, most productive academic season. This past month as I finalized our school plans, I was also working through Jessica Fisher’s Mom’s Kitchen Survival Workshop.

Our kids’ tastes have expanded enough so that dinner isn’t a struggle every night. And my energy levels have also given me a little wiggle room. On most nights I’m not completely dragging by 6 pm. So, it felt like a good time to level up my cooking game. I’ve used and loved Jessica’s freezer cookbook for years, and her granola is in regular rotation around here when it’s not too hot to turn on the oven. This workshop gave me the opportunity to participate in 4 coaching sessions with Jessica. The woman is funny and smart and ready with suggestions.  She’s a homeschooling mama with 6 kids, so she knows what’s she’s talking about!

Here are my favorites from this month spent planning and cooking!

• Sourdough Crumpets–I started making sourdough bread last Spring, and revived my starter to make pizzas on the grill. This recipe uses up extra starter in the tastiest way! We like toasting the crumpets and adding jam for a sweet treat or cheese to make them savory.
• Oatmeal Bites–this is a wonderful version of the classic no-bake snacks. We’re making a double batch today.
• Sausage Egg Potato Bake–freezer cooking for breakfast wasn’t something I had considered before. I made 4 of these casseroles and stashed them in the freezer. The first harried morning I tried to cook them, they  hadn’t fully thawed out and needed a lot longer cooking time. But the second round was divine!
• Sausage Broccoli Quiche--I thought this would be a hit–even made an extra to freeze. Everyone ate dinner. But two people were not very enthusiastic! Jessica recommended the book French Kids Eat Everything. She also recommends offering a side that you know the picky eaters will love. So, we had corn too to make Jojo happy!
• Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner–everything cooks on one pan? Yes, please! We are having this on Wednesday to go with this Cheesy Spinach Dip that Mabel’s going to make for us. We would love to have you join us!
• Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookies–a total winner!

I’d love to hear what you do to make dinner easier!