February 28, 2014

The Polar Vortex Made Me Do It

Wow, what a whirlwind this week has been. New job, new city, new commute, new… everything. It’s a good thing I’m so great at handling change!

HA! I can’t even say that with a straight face.

Regardless, I’m excited; excited at the opportunity for change and excited at the opportunity to prove [mostly to myself] that I can handle this… this being a job that makes me work harder than I’ve ever worked before; a job that forces me outside of my comfort zone; a job that is going to help me get back those crazy accounting skills I’m pretty sure are on the verge of being gone and lost forever (like the things I drop between the seat and the center console in my car — that kind of gone and lost forever). This week has been long and draining — and there will surely be plenty more of those to come — but I’m so grateful for the opportunity ahead. and excited; did I mention that I’m excited?!

Okay, dunzo with this real-life talk. I had some delicious cookies that I was planning on sharing this week, but time got away with me (per usual). Instead, I’m going to share with you the result of Mother Nature tossing a few too many polar vortexes/vortices (they’re both correct; thank you, Merriam-Webster) our way. I’ve spent the better half of the last few weeks perusing and pinning and… trying (dammit, I couldn’t think of another p-word) a whole slew of new recipes. welp, some are new and some are old — but they are deliciously appropriate for these frigid winter days. Enjoy!

This is how every Sunday morning should begin; so simple, yet so satisfying.

Obligatory “last day of work” drinks — that, and I’ve had a serious obsession with blood oranges lately. #sorryimnotsorry

I suppose a real Italian probably wouldn’t use a recipe, but I never said I was a real Italian, now did I?

This was just a brilliant discovery (that I’ve been craving every weekend for a month now).

We’ve made this for at least three of the past five Sunday dinners; don’t judge our mid-winter salmon cravings — it’s weird, I know.

I attempted these once during my week off — attempt being the key word here. I may or may not have adjusted ~~all~~ some of the measurements, and they may or may not have fallen apart in my hands. So much for “bars”… nevertheless, the flavors were phenomenal.

All day, every day. Martha Stewart, thank you for this.

I have a tendency to let applesauce go bad in my fridge (mostly because I think it’s disgusting and use it in my baking roughly once every four months)… however, these gems happened once I realized that I had [semi] fresh applesauce on hand!

A weeknight staple; too simple & delicious for actual words.

And because this is on my weekend to do list, I think you need to see it.

Here’s dreaming of warmer days ahead, friends!