We’ve been cooking a lot. Not that that should be a surprise. It’s 18 meals a day, and 12 snacks around here. We do takeout once a week. It’s a relief. The kids have gotten more adventurous in their eating, but it’s not all fun and games. The most exciting thing is our CSA has started again and we get a gigantic box of veggies on Saturdays again until October or December (depending on if we sign up for the fall). I’ve also started following Smitten Kitchen, Dinner a Love Story, and NYTimes Cooking on Instagram. That’s filling up my feed with food pictures, but it’s kind of fun. Definitely the power of suggestion is getting to me! I really want to try making yogurt flatbreads. That’s the goal for this week.
Anyway, here’s a food round up for you.
On Sunday last week, we decided to go all in on Samin Nosrat’s The Big Lasagna bake on the New York Times and Instagram Live. We made sauce. Made béchamel. Made noodles! It was a huge undertaking, but we gave the boys a lego for May the Fourth (Force) and set out to make it. It was so good that I dreamed about it Sunday night.
Perhaps it doesn’t look like much here, but each kid had a second serving, and they all declared it the best lasagne they’d ever had. I would like to make it again (Boys ask, “Will it take all day again?” Answer, no) and enjoy it one small serving at a time. It’s so rich! While we were eating, Samin came online to eat lasagna, talk with everyone, and answer questions. That was pretty cool to feel like thousands of people were eating lasagna with us that night.
For dessert we had Smitten Kitchen’s Almond Rhubarb Picnic Bars. They were amazing! On my CSA group text there’s been a lively discussion of all the things we plan to do with our rhubarb. We live for it! And most of our recipes are homages to our favorite Smitten Kitchen!
We’d only finished the big lasagna when it was time for another food based holiday. Cinco de Mayo found us with homemade guac and salsa, a batch of enchiladas, and strawberry daiquiris. We all gorged ourselves. The boys crowned the dish the Big Enchilada to go with the Big Lasagna. Then they had smoothie pops for dessert and popcorn for their nature documentary night. We watched about the Lost Sharks along the archipelago where the Mutiny on the HMS Bounty crew settled. Did you know their descendants still live there?
My friend shared this recipe, that uses beets and their greens. It’s a farro, walnut, and feta salad. So delicious. I didn’t get a picture of my successful attempt at a kale salad, but it used pecans, blue cheese, apples, and radishes. It’s so nice to have an abundance of greens to eat! I’m sure I’ll be sick of them in a few weeks, but right now, it’s refreshing.
Before you worry that we’ve gone too healthy around here:
After a lunch of quesadillas, oranges, and salsa, the boys dug into a mix of Flamin’ hot and regular cheetos. They were pretty orange afterward!
Harlan and Porter needed a reset the other day, and I sent them out to water my plants with “blue water” aka Miracle Gro. My dad started the tradition, and they worked very hard. I could tell the cilantro had a jolt from it! We got a huge thunderstorm afterwards, so I think the plants are well watered. It might freeze this week, though. In May!
Academic Leigh Speaking 
I love following along with your lives! We miss you terribly. Along with Smitten Kitchen, Dinner a love story & NY times, (all of which I follow!), another great ‘healthy’ blog that I follow is … https://www.thehealthymaven.com. Check it out. I think you’ll love what she posts. xxDenise
Cool! Thanks! We miss you too!