We've Got Supper

peonies & peppermint

As newly marrieds, Hawk and I are working through our conflicting work schedules, his coaching schedule, meeting friends and leisure time. Somewhere in there we have to eat. Together, preferably. If left to ourselves, our dinner variations would look like this:

Hawk: Tyson chicken nuggets, Manwich sandwiches, Palermo Pizza,& macaroni & cheese, tater tots. And gummy candy.
Jen: Egg whites, brown rice, lentil soup, Palermo Pizza, Boar'sHead Buffalo Deli Chicken slices, Muenster slices. And chocolate.


We were so blessed in receiving multiple cookbooks (thanks Mama, Wendy, Cindy!). I've already been able to pull together a few recipes from them. My favorites are those that guide me through the process of making really great stuff.

And with all the incredible cookbooks we received from the wedding, those "variations" mean travesty! 


More importantly, we want to sit down & eat together. I'd like to say that this guarantees some really deep discussion, but it doesn't. It does, however, guarantee face-to-face, uninterrupted downtime together. That face-to-face part is perhaps the most important. I've seen many a couple go ours without even looking at each other, and I'd prefer not to mimic that.


Both our families taught the importance of family mealtime. 


So I've begun cranking out some recipes from those incredible books. I've given myself a challenge, though. Because I haven't yet had the discipline to plan the meals ahead of time, I force myself to choose meals that draw from ingredients around the house. And when that doesn't fully work, I force myself to adjust the ingredients. I'd like to someday be so familiar with ingredients that I'm able to fit them together like some delicious puzzle without a strict recipe...


In the meantime, there's a helpful that sets up 5 meals a week for readers, asks you to pick which meals you want to make, and then calculates a grocery list of all those ingredients!

I'm trying out their pork tenderloin & apricot recipe sometime this week....I hope.


icj
~j

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