My goodness was this a pretty dinner.

It is my birthday week, which always seems like such a funny expression to me. Yet by the time you see all of those who are important to you it generally takes a week, or longer. My girlfriend Catherine likes to squeeze a whole month out of her birthday. Rightfully so, she has many that love her and want to celebrate her.

But this week in late August was my turn and all I really wanted to do was stay in a cook her and I a pretty dinner. It’s quite rare I can pull off a meal like this in my home, (no one would eat it) so it did feel a bit special and selfish. Which I think is exactly OK to feel during your birthday week. Right? Maybe?

Friends. This roasted bruschetta salmon came together so easily. Rub some spices on the salmon and roast away, all the while prepping a super easy summery bruschetta to top. The lemon slices and balsamic glaze make it special, and eating it with one of your closest girlfriends in the entire world? Well that makes it over the top special.

Enjoy!

ROASTED BRUSCHETTA SALMON
Recipe from CookathomeMom

INGREDIENTS FOR SALMON:

2 lbs salmon
1/2 lemon, sliced
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Balsamic glaze, for topping

INGREDIENTS FOR BRUSCHETTA:

1.5 pints cherry tomatoes
small bunch of basil
1/4 red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS balsamic vinegar

DIRECITONS:

Preheat your broiler. Mix all the salmon spices together. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and rub with olive oil and spices. Cook under the broiler for about 3 minutes (this sears the salmon). Remove from oven and switch oven temp to 300. Put salmon back in, with lemon slices, and cook for 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, make the bruschetta. Simmer the oil in a saute pan over medium low heat. Saute the garlic until fragrant. Mix with chopped up tomatoes, basil, red onion, salt, and balsamic vinegar.

Once salmon is done, top with bruschetta and drizzle on some balsamic glaze. More fresh basil works nicely here too.

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So hi.

I’m back.

Slowly, that is. 

If you follow me on Instagram (thank you!) you know I sort of took an abrupt break yet have been getting back in the game lately, which feels great. I love this space so much and the chance to be creative in the kitchen is most definitely a place my heart needs to be. Sometimes change happens faster than words and until the right words can be said we are going to focus on words for this four hour bolognese sauce because, my goodness. It’s a topic worthy of discussion.

Yep. I said four hours. Because good things take time.

Don’t let it intimidate you though, it’s not an active four hours. You basically get everything in the pot…minimal, fresh ingredients. And then just let it hang and do it’s thing for a chunk of the day. The only requirement is you babysit it a little bit by giving it a stir here and there. Which I did between laundry, pool time, and basketball try outs. Easy enough.

The end result is a slow cooked, deep flavored, hearty pasta sauce that is simply tossed with some fresh or dried pasta, any shape you fancy. Don’t forget the parmesan and fresh parsley on top, it’s just the finish your bowl needs.

Enjoy!

FOUR HOUR BOLOGNESE
Recipe adapted from Marcella Hanzan

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
½ cup chopped onion
⅔ cup chopped celery
⅔ cup chopped carrot
1 lbs pound ground beef chuck (or you can use 1 part pork to 2 parts beef, I used all beef)
salt & pepper
1 cup whole milk
Whole nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine, I used a mix of white and red
1 ½ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, broken up by hand, with their juice
1 lbs pasta, whatever kind you prefer
parmesan and parsley, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well and let them soften.

Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork or wooden spoon, stir well. Cook until the beef has lost its red color.

Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. This will take a little time. Add a tiny grating — about 1/8 teaspoon — of nutmeg, and stir.

Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well.

When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the smallest of simmers, with just a little bubble breaking the sauce here and there. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time.

While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it may possibly begin to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary. (I never needed to do this). At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.

Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley on top.

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Gosh summer cooking can be so beautiful. The simplicity of it all. You really just need a homegrown tomato and everything else sort of falls into place, doesn’t it?

I was having a bit of an overwhelming week. I don’t use that word much at all in my life, but I’m trying to be better about acknowledging my emotions. And things are a little crazy right now. But it’s ok, it’s ok. Because it’s summer. And my boys are healthy. And there are beautiful home grown summer tomatoes given to me by a dear friend. (Thank you, Julie!)

Yes, yes. Things are going to be just fine.

Until then I’m keeping dinner as simple as can be, with a little comfort on the side. I don’t know what is more comforting in the dead of summer than some crusty Italian bread slathered with mayo, melty cheese, and sliced tomatoes. Yes. Instantly calm and happy with this on my plate.

Bring on the rest of summer! I’m so ready for you. Tomatoes and beyond…

SUMMER SANDWICHES
Recipe from A Life From Scatch

INGREDIENTS:

Crusty bread, whatever kind you prefer. We leaned Italian.
TBS or so of mayo for each piece of bread
Slice of provolone or two for each piece of bread
Slice of prosciutto or two for each piece of bread
Basil
Sliced tomato
Olive oil
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 425. Line up your bread and slather on some mayo (or you can use olive oil here if this just goes against your religion). Top with cheese and prosciutto. Toast in the oven for five minutes or so, until melty and slightly golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with basil, tomato, and a drizzle of olive oil. Finish with salt and pepper and enjoy!

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I often get asked the question, ‘how do you do it all?’ This always comes as a bit of a surprise to me. I don’t really think anything I’m accomplishing is all that grand. Clean(ish) home, kids organized and where they need to be on time, dinner on the table. I expect all of this of myself. And for my family.  I often catch myself saying, ‘well my kids are at easier ages’ or ‘they are in school/camps, etc’ so I have the time to get everything in order. And yet, my days ran as such even when they were little babies. Maybe not as smoothly, but close enough.

A well run home has always been a priority for myself over the years, and I have been better at acknowledging what I do as accomplishments. Being a stay at home mom, well, you can get a little lost. It can be hard to feel productive. Does laundry count? Endless dishes? Beds made? Diapers changed? Yes. Yes. Yes. and Yes. It all counts. Just as tasks or goals are met at work, tasks met in the home are just. as. important. Your time matters. Your chores matter. Your home matters. 

So what are my tricks. What keeps the day moving smoothly around here and also makes me feel proud at how I choose to allocate my time. Being reflective of these things can help sort where you may need to shift around ideas or priorities. I can honestly say, with my list below, most days I end incredibly content. Do hiccups occur? My goodness, of course. Everything can’t be planned or scheduled. But having sort of a guideline established for what needs to happen for yourself in order to feel like you’ve had a great day is a wonderful place to start. 

1. Say no more than you say yes. Social plans and obligations can creep up on me more than I’d prefer. I find that I feel much more filled up when I commit to plans that are meaningful with small groups that include people in my inner circle. Everything else just sort of feels like nonsense to me. This has taken me some time to perfect of course, and there is a layer of guilt that can go into all of this. But remind yourself that YOU choose your obligations and commitments. Be in control here. 
2. I spend at least ten minutes a day with my planner. This helps me focus on what I need to accomplish day by day, obligations (birthdays, events, etc) that are coming up that I may need to plan a gift and card for, the general schedule for the day, calls I may need to make, and so on and so forth. When I can get all of these mundane tasks and appointments out of my head and into my planner it frees up space in my mind that helps be more present throughout my day with my kids.
3. Get a workout in, preferably in the morning. I have never compromised on this one, even when the kids were little. Since Beckett would not do gym day care (it was a beyond epic scene) my answer for a few years with him were long hilly walks in the stroller. Now that he’s way more independent (we got there!) I am able to go on a run alone or get to my Orange Theory class which has been life changing for me in more ways than I can say. I feel like I can conquer the world after a workout, and that’s a great way to set the tone for the day ahead.
4. Have dinner planned. This comes from a deep desire of needing to provide and feed my family. It keeps me calm knowing I have all the ingredients I need in the fridge to make everyone a great meal at the end of the day. 
5. Talk to my mom or a really close friend. I am not one to chat on the phone that much, at all. But I do find that I feel great checking in with my mom or one friend a day just to make a connection outside of the social media/texting world. Actual conversations are great and fill me up.
6. Have blank space for what matters most. This can very from person to person. For me, being able to bring a meal to a friend who is sick or sad, hanging out with my favorite preschooler Eden, making plans to host a nice dinner for friends. All these things fill me up and I never want my schedule to be so full that I forget how important these things are to me. If I have to rearrange something a bit for what matters, I’m more than happy to do so.
7. Laundry everyday! Washed, dried, folded, and put away. An incredibly simple way to feel productive around the home. It’s not a little thing. It’s providing and loving your family.
8. Punctuality is everything. It goes against every single fiber in my body to be late. I can’t stand the message it sends: my time is more important than yours. I take this to the extreme. In my town, we have a freight train line that runs through quite frequently. When I need to go through town I 100% plan that I am going to hit a freight train every. single. time. It’s just how I operate. If I’m ever late, the guilt hangs with me. I rather just avoid that feeling all together.
9. A tidy home! Aside from our play room (disaster), the home is picked up daily. Counters wipes, trash removed, dishes put away, and so on and so forth. I can’t focus in mess.
10. Time to work on A Life From Scratch. This is my own personal space, and I love it! Having a long block of writing time is pretty rare for me. Most days I am just winging it here and there, but keeping up with it as best as I can is a wonderful creative outlet for me. The longer writing blocks are a major bonus and something I cherish. 
11. Plan and complete small organizational projects around the home. It’s never ending, right? Just when you finish one project your little one has grown a foot and nothing fits in his closet. Time to redo that, yet again. I’ve found if you plan small projects it really helps things run more smoothly overall. I like to set goals for two projects a month. Nothing overwhelming, but having a ‘deadline’ increases the chance of it actually happening.
12. An on time bedtime, both for the kids and myself. Sleep is beyond important in our home. I like to clock in around eight hours and make that a priority for myself all nights that I am able. Th absolute best way to prep for the next day ahead.

So there you have it. Items that help me accomplish a day that I can feel proud of. Now, it’s time to get a load of laundry going…

C

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Happy Friday friends!

Let’s end on the week with something sweet, shall we? These sunny lemon bars are the perfect treat to carry us into the weekend. Light, bright, and full of zesty lemon flavor. Perfect high note to end your summer gathering.

Major bonus that they couldn’t be easier to throw together. Promise. Few ingredients to make your crust, bake, few ingredients to make the filling, pour on top and bake some more. End with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top and you’ve got yourself a perfectly bright summer treat.

Bake some for yourself, share with a friend, or bring to your next bbq. These work oh so lovely for any occasion and are just plain delicious and refreshing on a warm sunny day.

Get some going this weekend if you can. They are oh so worth it!

SUNNY LEMON BARS
Recipe from Trisha Yearwood

INGREDINTS FOR CRUST:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLIING:

4 large eggs
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pan, melt the butter. Mix the flour and confectioners sugar in a bowl and add the melted butter, mixing until a dough forms together. Press the mixture firmly into a 9- by 13- by 2-inch pan. Bake the crust for 25 minutes.

For the filling: While the crust is baking, with an electric mixer, combine the eggs, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Add the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. Sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

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