1.// So, yes, it’s a bit more mid-August than end-of-July. July was kind of a blur, and included a week where Jay was out of town for work. I deserved two of those little ice cream cones each night he was gone, because reasons, and also they’re way easier to eat while pacing the downstairs wearing a baby in the carrier than a bowl of ice cream is. They’re from Trader Joe’s!
2.// Check out this post from Little Sugar Snaps: 20 Clever Ways to Cut Your Food Waste. I’m especially intrigued by kale stem pesto! I threw away a lot kale stems making this salad all spring. And yep, there’s a Bet On Dinner recipe on there. :o)
3.// I just read “The Fault In Our Stars” and really liked it (click the book to see it on Amazon).
4.// I made this whole wheat stir-and-pour bread from Heavenly Homemakers to avoid going to the grocery store one day and it was The Easiest Thing Ever. It’s even easier than Crusty No-Knead Bread! This is basically a 5 ingredient, 100% whole wheat batter that you mix, let sit for half an hour, then pour into a pan and bake. Way easier than going to the store with this crew, and…homemade bread. It’s definitely worth a try! (I used instant yeast since it’s what I had.)
5.// Jay shared this quote with me recently: “A good plan is better than a perfect plan.” It seems to apply to my whole life these days as I try to finagle some routine out of summer days with 3 kids: age 4 and 3/4 (gotta count those quarters), just turned 2, and 7 weeks at the writing of this post. Getting out of the house to do anything: there is no perfect plan for this. Getting back into the routine of cooking dinner: also not going to be perfect. Wanting a “perfect plan” holds me back from action so many times! Exercise? Blogging? Having people over? I need to plan to make these things happen, but I can’t hold out for the perfect scenario. Right now, I’m using the Bible app on my phone to read through the Bible in a year. A perfect plan would be getting up early each morning (well-rested, of course) and studying with a notebook and a pen and no interruptions…but this is a good plan. Grace, grace, grace – from the Lord, for myself, for my girls…this is what I need.
Love, love, love those tiny ice cream cones!!!!
And yes, a good plan is better than a great plan. You aren’t alone there, my friend!! 🙂
Christen, they were giving the ice cream cones as samples one day in the store (umm, best sample ever?!?) and I have had a hard time resisting them ever since! It seems like such good built-in portion control… ;o)
Love that quote!!! Especially since perfect plans are the most easily RUINED (or maybe, changes in plans just ruin ME? I’m working on that.). Can’t wait to try that bread!!!
Yep. Perfect plans that fall apart are the WORST. Let me know what you think of the bread!
Cannot wait to try this bread recipe! We literally went through a loaf of bread in a little over a day the other day (maybe bc we had pb&j for both lunch and dinner, and Micah has a new toast obsession ????), and so I have to find a cheaper bread option! Thanks for sharing!
You’ll have to let me know what you think! I liked it best as a dinner side and it made good toast, too. It wasn’t my favorite for sandwiches, but you can’t beat it for being SUPER easy!!
Just reading this now, but love it! Miss you so much. Thanks for the bread recipe-I will need to try this one soon as we eat a lot of bread and toast in our home. I am currently plowing through those horrible-for-you but oh-so-good classic ice cream sandwiches from the grocery store with chocolate cookies on each side and not-so-real-ice-cream in the middle during nap times. I cannot believe you did the newborn days with a third without Jay around; even with your mom next door-no fun! Props to you.
And a good plan-trying to have those these days because perfect plans left about 3 months ago. Grace, grace, grace. I need to receive it open handed each day and give it (not sure which is needed more).
Let me know how you guys like the bread! I would say it’s not the *best* homemade bread I’ve ever made, but 1000% the easiest. ;o) And I agree – I need to give AND receive grace more freely, joyfully, and openly. Miss you lots, friend! Also: now I only want an ice cream sandwich. It’s been WAY TOO LONG since I had one of those@@