One of my favorite things about having this blog is when people make my recipes. Sometimes people leave me comments telling me about their experience, including who they made the recipe for and why (like this one yesterday). Sometimes I see people make notes about my recipe on Pinterest. And sometimes, my family makes one of my recipes and then serves the finished product to me. But, no matter who you are or why you decided to try out a TCL recipe, know this – I really think that’s one of the coolest things ever. It’s always an honor to me when anyone takes the time to try out one of my recipes.

I know this may seem weird since I post recipes all the time, but I don’t ever really expect people to make any of the recipes I post. I hope for them to, but unless I see a comment about it, I just assume no one did. But here’s the thing, if I can share a recipe and even one person finds some sort of happiness or any ounce of helpfulness from it, I consider that a win. In fact, reading comments with success stories about my recipes makes me so happy. It’s like blog fuel – it keeps me going.

My sister actually did something cool recently – she adapted one of my recipes into something new. It actually happened somewhat by accident. She said she was trying to make my Green Monster Muffins, when she went to get the spinach out of the refrigerator and discovered that there was none. Doh! Apparently, my parents almost always have spinach in the house, so she assumed it would be there. When she realized it wasn’t there, she found a quick back-up – acorn squash. Not sure how the acorn squash was selected, but apparently, it worked!The result was apparently a big hit with my family, and she made them again for me to try when I was in town this past weekend.

In addition to subbing out the spinach with acorn squash, she made a couple other adjustments in types and amounts of ingredients. Plus, she changed the nut topping to slightly more streusel-like mixture. The adapted muffin was definitely a winner.

Acorn Squash Muffins with Sweet Walnut Topping {Recipe}
(by my sister, adapted from my Green Monster Muffins)

When my sister was midway through making a batch of my Green Monster muffins and realized there was no spinach in the house, she made a substitution using acorn squash instead. These delicious muffins are the result, and they offer another way to sneak a little bit of veggies into anyone’s breakfast or snack.

PS: The ingredient list looks long, but these are really easy to make. I think the most difficult part is processing the acorn squash to get it grated!

Yields: 12 muffins

*Vegan options below*

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose (unbleached) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg (or use vegan substitute, like a flaxseed egg – 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water – let sit for about 10 minutes)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 single serving applesauce (or 1/2 cup), preferably no-sugar added
• 1 cup finely grated acorn squash, no skin (about 1/2 an acorn squash processed in food processor)
• 1/4 cup milk (we used skim) (or use vegan substitute, like soy, rice, hemp milk, etc.)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (or other oil of choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Sweet Walnut Topping Ingredients (optional):

• 1 tablespoon melted butter (or use vegan substitute, like Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. Add whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk together.
3. Whisk to beat egg and sugar together till light (I did this by hand for just a couple minutes).
4. Whisk in applesauce, acorn squash, milk, canola oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
5. Pour dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture, and stir gently just to combine – careful to not over-mix.
6. Pour muffin batter into muffin tin cups – about 3/4 full each. If using walnuts topping, mix butter, brown sugar and walnuts together and evenly sprinkle walnut mixture on top of each muffin.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until centers set or a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Cool at least 10-15 minutes, or until safe to eat, before serving.

You may also like:

• Healthy {Oatlicious} Zucchini Bread/Muffins
• Mini Matcha Green Tea Banana Nut Muffins
• Summer Strawberry Muffins (with Oats & Flaxseed)

Thanks Sis. Happy baking! And thank you again to everyone who’s ever tried a TCL recipe. You guys keep me inspired to keep cooking, baking, and blogging.

***

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Thank you for reading!

I’m already ready to go back to Asheville. We had so much fun and enjoyed so many great eats! You can check out my Asheville posts by clicking here to go to the first one. Then, look for the “Next” link at the bottom of the post, after the comments, and click on that link to view the next post, etc. Or, click here to go to my last post, and check out the list of links to the others.

Now, onto the rest of my vacay week…

We headed to my family’s house after leaving Asheville. It’s about one hour away, so it seemed to make sense to stay in the area and spend Easter with them. I’m still in seek-relaxation mode, so all I really wanted to do was spend some QT with the fam, rest, and enjoy tasty eats. That was easy enough…

Dad made his famous breakfast potatoes the first morning while mom was at work.

My mom actually ended up working two 12-hour shifts while we were there, so we decided to keep things extra low-key for Easter dinner. We had plans to cook a big turkey, but my parents forgot to take it out early enough to let it defrost. It ended up working out okay, because I think everyone was pretty tired for various reasons. Hubby and my dad ended up purchasing two already-cooked rotisserie chickens from the grocery store.

While they were out shopping, mom and I harvested almost all the leaves of this swiss chard plant from their garden.

We had a big bowl full, but I knew they’d shrink down.

I sauteed them with olive oil, garlic, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.

The Easter spread – rotisserie chicken, saffron rice, steamed green beans, sauteed swiss chard, and cranberry sauce.

The next morning, I woke up to a treat. Sis was baking. Not only was she baking (trust me, anything she makes is delish), but she was baking something extra-cool (to me, at least). She recently told me she’d adapted my Green Monster Muffin recipe to something new – Acorn Squash Muffins. These were exactly what was going in the oven as I walked downstairs to pour my morning cuppa joe.

I wish we had a way to share smells through computers, because these smelled wonderful. Fresh-baked muffins are a frequent occurrence at my parents’ house and really smell like home to me.

{The breakfast spread}

Sis wrote down her adapted recipe for me, so I’ll share it on the blog sometime if you’re interested.

And our last meal of the trip – teriyaki shrimp, zucchini with onions, steamed rice with a drizzle of soy sauce, and my sis’ famous miso soup. I really wish I had this for lunch again today!

As you can see, the food of the long weekend was stellar. As for relaxation, hubby and I watched the whole first season of Game of Thrones, plus we got to see the first episode of the new season. Sometimes there’s just nothing like totally vegging out in front of the TV. We also managed to eat BBQ at my favorite joint in town, play disc golf, sleep in, and visit my favorite G-Vegas coffee shop.

Reader question: How was your weekend? Did you celebrate Easter? Did you do anything special?

Ahh, and so we arrive at the last day of our B&B vacation in Asheville.

Catching up? Here are my previous Asheville posts:

• Asheville and the Piano Man at Vincenzo’s
• Breakfast and Books & Breadboard
• Biltmore Gardens – Spring 2012
• Jerusalem & Dobra Tea
• Visiting Biltmore & A Box of Wine
• Homegrown & French Broad Chocolate
• Grove Park Peek & The Corner Kitchen for Lunch
• Shopping & Tea Time in Downtown Asheville
• Cúrate {Spanish Tapas in Asheville}

It was a beautiful morning at the B&B. I didn’t feel like I was quite ready to go. Like I hadn’t spent as many lazy afternoons reading on the porch, lounging on the couch, or sipping wine outdoors as I wanted. But, it was time to pack up.

We headed to the front porch of the B&B for breakfast al fresco. We started with fresh watermelon.

Next, we had orange muffins.

And lastly – cranberry-nut pancakes with a mini quiche.

The quiche was like a baby version of that mile-high one I had at the other Asheville restaurant.

Sis enjoyed breakfast, but she had plans for a second. She’d heard about the French toast at Books & Breadboard and decided it was her mission to try it before we left. Since today was our last day in town, we had plans to head over to Books & Breadboard before they stopped serving breakfast at 11am.

The staff (like 5 or 6 people!) remembered us from our trip a couple days before and gave us such a warm welcome.

I had no plans of ordering another breakfast since I was still full from the first one. I just hoped to get a bite of hers. I ordered some mint tea with honey to sip on.

Sis happily ordered the French toast and shared a slice with me when it came out all propped up and gorgeously displayed on a bamboo cutting board.

I must say, I know I’ve used the word “best” a lot when I talk about this restaurant, but this really may have been the best French toast I’ve ever had. The inside wasn’t undercooked – it was nice and firm. The outside was just-crispy. But the flavor was what really won me over – orange-scented with a bite of cinnamon. I’m definitely going to try re-creating this one sometime.

I decided I should try ordering something one last time, but I just got a chicken salad sandwich on pumpernickel for the road.

Here are a couple more photos of our B&B that I snapped over the trip.

My favorite spot of the B&B was definitely this long, open porch. Gorgeous!

Hopefully, we get to return to Asheville soon to revisit some of our new, fave spots and discover others!

Have you been to Asheville? What are your must-sees (restaurants, activities, tourist sites, shops, etc.)?

Wednesday’s photos were awkward in numbers. I debated on whether I should break them into two posts or three, but 38 photos in one post seemed excessive, so three it is!

If you’re catching up, here are my previous Asheville posts:

• Asheville and the Piano Man at Vincenzo’s
• Breakfast and Books & Breadboard
• Biltmore Gardens – Spring 2012
• Jerusalem & Dobra Tea
• Visiting Biltmore & A Box of Wine
• Homegrown & French Broad Chocolate

We had another tasty breakfast at the B&B, starting with a baked apple topped with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and cinnamon. I’m going to have to try re-create this one for the blog sometime – it was really good!

Here’s hubby trying to swipe all of the blueberry muffins.

And we had tomato quiche for the main event with sausage and potato. It was a great, filling start to the day.

My dad really wanted to see the Grove Park Inn, so we took a quick trip over for a peek.

Grove Park reminded me of a mountain-themed Disney resort. It was huge and had tons of themed decorations around.

Mom really wanted to take us to the terrace to check out the view.

She had a dinner here once after a work conference and remembered how gorgeous the view was. Just look at it!

Dad gave us pennies to make wishes into the waterfalls and pools behind the main building.

I had considered staying at the Grove Park Inn when I was researching places for Asheville, and though it was pet-friendly, I was looking for something a little smaller and personable. Has anyone stayed here? I bet it’s really nice!

After our trip to Grove Park, we headed to Biltmore Village for lunch.

Of all the places I researched and had heard about when I asked others for recommendations, The Corner Kitchen came up over and over again. I was really excited to try it.

The inside was small-ish, but very bright, open, and airy. It was very refreshing.

I liked the fresh flowers on the table.

Hubby had the crab and corn chowder and shared a bite. It was really good (as was the biscuit, which I also got to taste).

I had the chicken pot pie. Probably not the best choice for lunch (pot pie makes me think dinner for some reason), but I really wanted to try it, and I knew we wouldn’t have time to go back for dinner this trip.

The filling was really, really creamy and had a slight orange tinge to it. My dad thought maybe it was from tomatoes? I thought it was really tasty, as was the side salad that came with it.

Sis had the sorbet with blueberries. I got to try a bite of this one, too, and it was really good and had an excellent after-taste that was almost better than the original bite!

Overall, I really liked The Corner Kitchen. I’d definitely like to come back here for dinner next time we’re in town…and possibly for lunch to try their lavender chicken salad. That one sounded really interesting. Oh, and they do a souffle dessert, but it’s only available at dinner – I’d really like to try that sometime, too!

After lunch, I headed out to downtown Asheville with my sister for shopping. More on that next time!

Reader question: have you been to Asheville before? Where did you stay and would you recommend it? Has anyone out there tried the Grove Park Inn?

Catching up? I’m blogging about my vacation to Asheville, NC, and here are some of the posts so far:

• Asheville and the Piano Man at Vincenzo’s
• Breakfast and Books & Breadboard
• Biltmore Gardens – Spring 2012
• Jerusalem & Dobra Tea

I’ll return to recipe blogging next week, so if the vacation/life posts aren’t your thing, check back then.

Tuesday began at the B&B.

Since we had so many people, we enjoyed breakfast inside.

We had fresh fruit, cranberry muffins…

…and an egg souffle-type thing that reminded me a bit of one of my egg bakes with Canadian bacon and a croissant.

After breakfast, we relaxed at the B&B for a bit and then headed over to the Biltmore house to see the inside of the house (since we saw the gardens yesterday).

{Alphie?}

Dad wanted to go on the architect’s tour, which wasn’t available for another hour and a half after we got there. So, we decided to go ahead and have lunch. We had originally planned to have lunch outside of Biltmore, but since we were already there, we decided to stay.

We ended up going to the Stable Cafe at Biltmore, which was right next to the house. I’d read about the place on Yelp and heard that it was pretty good, but touristy. It was definitely touristy, reminding me a bit of Disney.

Sis and I had cheeseburgers, which were made with grass-fed Angus beef from the Biltmore house.

We had to wait about 30 minutes for our table, and the environment was a bit crowded and loud for me, but considering the convenience of it all, it was a good choice. Our waitress took great care of us, ensuring my dad’s entree was expedited since he was the one who had to make a tour. She was also really friendly and made sure we always had what we needed. Even though the place was touristy, our food was really good. Dad really liked his chicken salad sandwich, and Sis and I enjoyed our burgers. I can see why people recommend going to Books & Breadboard (which we loved and really is just next to the Biltmore entrance/exit), but since it can take awhile getting in and out of Biltmore (parking, plus a shuttle or 5 minute-ish walk to the house, plus the winding road in and out), the Stables are a good choice, too.

After lunch ended, we came outside to see it was raining. We all ran to the house and went on tours to wait out the rain. Dad really loved the architect’s tour, which I’d love to do next time I visit.

After a quick shopping trip, we decided to head to Antler Hill for more Biltmore fun.

{Shuttle line}

We went to the place I was most interested in visiting – the winery. We went on a tour.

{Clock tower}

{WIP – wine in process}

And the tour ended in my favorite room – the tasting room.

Here you sampled some of the popular Biltmore wines (premium wines being available for tasting for a price in another room). I really liked how they gave you a list so you can add remarks and check the ones you wanted to buy.

I sampled several of the whites and reds and discussed favorites with hubby so we could decide which to purchase. I warned him that I wanted to leave Biltmore with a box of wine.

The last time I came here, I was a broke college student and couldn’t afford any of the wine (a friend even bought my ticket). I remember watching the people load up their cars on their way out with boxes full of delicious Biltmore wine (I remember really loving them when I sampled them the first time). So, I promised myself the next time I went, I’d leave with a box.

Voila!

Okay, one box is for my parents and one box is for hubby and me. Still, mission accomplished!

Reader question: What is your favorite wine or who is your favorite wine maker?

Cheers from Asheville! We’re winding down from our first full day of fun here at the bed and breakfast. I think I took a few too many photos (I’m having so much fun with my new camera!), so I’m going to try to break our activities up into a couple posts per day.

Catching up? You can check out my first post from our Asheville trip by clicking here {Vincenzo’s & the piano man}.

Today started with our first ever bed and breakfast meal. Check out our amazing and relaxing view. Can’t you just hear the birds chirping?

We started with coffee, water, juice, and fresh fruit.

For the main event, we had french toast, which was topped with a sprinkling of sliced almonds, coconut, and a slice of bacon…plus whipped cream on the side. The french toast was nice and custard-y.

After breakfast, hubby and I headed back to our room to relax and wait for the arrival of my family. We’ve done a big family vacation with hubby’s family the last few years, so it seemed like a good idea to spend a couple days of our Asheville vacay with mine.

My family arrived ravenous, so we quickly headed out to one of the restaurants I researched that I was really anxious to try and thought my family would enjoy – Books & Breadboard.

The restaurant is combined with an independent book store.

My book worm dad was in his element.

I managed to find a couple good reads for hubby and I.

After perusing the bookstore for a bit, it was back to the restaurant area.

I had the mixed berry mimosa with muddled fresh berries to drink.

Our entrees were beautifully presented…on breadboards. Dad had the smoked trout sandwich with a pickle, Terra chips, and Deco Slaw.

I was torn between the turkey sandwich, chicken salad, and the quiche of the day, so I asked the waitress which she suggested. She said their quiche was the best around, and that was a sure-fire bet.

So, I had to try it, of course. Do you see it in this photo? It was a BIG slice…and why they call it “mile-high.”

Our waitress said the quiche was light and fluffy. She was right…about the quiche being the best around and being light and fluffy. It was both…and delish! I’m a big quiche fan.

Here’s a quick pic of Sis’s lunch – the ham sandwich with the mustard on the side.

And since we were sitting close to the dessert display, we had to order a little bit to taste.

Dad really wanted to try the carrot cake, especially after our waitress said this was the best carrot cake around. I was skeptical since they already had the best quiche, but she was right about this one, too! I really did think this was one of the best carrot cakes I’ve had. Not only that, but my dad, who is an experienced carrot-cake eater, proclaimed this to be the best he’s ever had. We really liked how they kept the texture of the fruits and nuts a bit on the chunkier side.

Sis really wanted to try the chocolate bread pudding, and she was not disappointed. I tried a bite of this one, too, and it was good…but not as good as the carrot cake. Though, I’m not sure Sis would agree. She was in love with the bread pudding.

Books & Breadboard was amazing! I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re ever in Asheville. It’s right next to the entrance to the Biltmore House, so it’s pretty conveniently located. But location aside, the food is great, they support local artisans & local food, and the people who work there are super friendly. It’s a must-see!

Up next – our trip to the Biltmore Gardens.

Besides gigantic bar crawls, things have been a bit crazy for me. My current work project, which I’ve been working on for the last 3 years, is coming to a close. i have two weeks left…well, one and a half weeks at this point. It’s time to clean out my desk, pack up, and take things back to the consulting company office. I’ve been getting a little sentimental looking through all my old documents, but I’m looking forward to moving on to something new. It would be a lot better if I knew for sure what exactly was next, but I’m hoping to find out more solid details soon. In the meantime, I will focus on the next week and a half.

I’m working on enjoying the ability to WFH since that may not be possible with the next gig. One of my favorite parts of being able to WFH is enjoying better breakfasts since I don’t lose time in commuting (or putting on “real” clothes).

Recently, I combined some of that leftover Rosemary Garlic Farro with Chickpeas with one of my favorite breakfasts – the Individual Egg Bake. They actually went together quite well and made for a hearty and filling breakfast. And did I mention this is my favorite multi-tasking breakfast? Yup, I can get a lot accomplished in the almost 20 minutes it takes for this to bake.

Individual Farro Egg Bake

Don’t let the word “bake” throw you off. This recipe is actually pretty fast, and it’s actually better for busy people than scrambled or fried eggs. Why? Because you don’t have to get tied to the stove while this cooks. Just mix and bake and multi-task away while the oven does the heavy-lifting. Sub in any other leftover farro, rice, or other grain pilaf…whatever you have on hand!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 16-19 minutes
Total Time: 21-24 minutes

Ingredients (multiply by each serving for multiples):

• non-stick spray
• 1 cage free or farm fresh egg
• 1 tablespoon frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 teaspoon milk
• pinch of salt
• a bit of fresh-ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons leftover cooked farro (I used leftovers from this yummy recipe)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray individual casserole dish(es) with non-stick spray.
2. Combine egg, spinach, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk together. Add farro and stir to combine.
3. Evenly distribute egg mixture to individual casserole dish(es). Bake until edges are golden brown and egg is set in the middle, about 16-19 minutes (depending oven temperature, etc.). Note: I used a toothpick to check doneness, sort of like you would for cake.
4. Remove from oven and let sit for a couple minutes till it’s safe to eat. Enjoy!

Looks like I’ll be back to more grab and go breakfasts soon. I’ll probably end up either taking them to the office or just storing them there to begin with. My favorites – yogurt and granola, cereal and soy milk, and toast with almond butter.

What are your favorite grab and go breakfasts?

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Hubby and I had a pretty low key weekend, which was great for me. I’m in serious need of more down time. We pretty much just relaxed, took care of a few things around the house, and enjoyed some good eats. We did get the chance to make it out to a neat exhibition in town – Mummies of the World. I’ve watched a couple historical shows on mummies recently, so it was interesting to see in person.

Anywho, I made something fun this weekend and wanted to share with you guys…

A Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Mmm…

I realize it’s a bit late in the season (or completely past the season…whatevs), but timing hasn’t always been one of my strong points. I had a can of pumpkin I didn’t want taking up space in my pantry till next fall, so I decided to go ahead and open it for some everyday eats.

I based the smoothie on my Blueberry Pie Smoothie with a couple simple ingredient swaps. Pumpkin was obviously the star ingredient, but I also added one of my favorite, staple smoothie ingredients – banana. I think bananas give smoothies a nice texture and add natural sweetness, so I like to include them in most smoothies I make.

Hello beta-carotene!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Here’s a great way to use leftover (and healthful) canned pumpkin. I did a play on my Blueberry Pie Smoothie with a new flavor profile. You could add canned pumpkin to any ole smoothie, but paired with oats, cinnamon, and vanilla, you get a more pie-like flavor, which is way more fun.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vanilla almond milk (or other non-dairy or dairy milk), sweetened (or use unsweetened milk, dairy or non-dairy – just also add a drop of vanilla and your sweetener of choice, to taste) – see notes above
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pumpkin (this will yield a light pumpkin flavor – add more to taste)
• 2 ice cubes
• dash-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste (or sub pumpkin pie spice)

Directions:

1. Combine milk and oats in a medium bowl/pyrex and let rest in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
2. Combine milk/oat mixture, banana, pumpkin, ice cubes, and cinnamon in a blender. Blend till ingredients are combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes, or until smoothie reaches your desired consistency.
3. Enjoy!

You may also enjoy:

• Blueberry Pie Smoothie
• Figgy Green Monster Smoothie (tastes like cake batter!)
• Healthy Cookies ‘N Cream Smoothie

Reader question: Do you only eat pumpkin in one season or all year long?

Lately, I’ve been uninspired to get out of bed in the morning. Why? I’m going to be honest with you. Work is kicking my a$$ and stressing me out big time. And if you’re in the same boat, I have a breakfast idea that may help make you ready to take on the day.

I normally don’t like talking about work on my blog, but you know what? If any of my co-workers were actually reading this, I think they’d be nodding their head and saying, “I hear ya, girl! Me too!” Our current work environment is very stressful and picking up stream. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel when our current project gets released in just a few short weeks. And then, we can all be normal again.

So, what do you do when you aren’t quite ready to face the day? Find something to help get you going. May I present…

Nutella Swirl Oatmeal!

This is really so simple to make.

Here’s my Non-Recipe:

Just make your choice of oatmeal (I like stove top, and the bowl pictured is made with pumpkin). Take however much Nutella you feel like eating (I used 1 tablespoon), and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the Nutella until it becomes soft and easy to pour (15-30 seconds should do it). Use two spoons to scoop and pour the Nutella into a swirl design (or carefully pour the Nutella straight from the bowl). Top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy.

I’m really loving this idea of finding a reason to get out of bed when you’re otherwise uninspired. I think I’ll have to brainstorm some more ideas like this one!

Reader question: What tricks do you use to start the day when you’re not feeling so ready for it? What’s your get-out-of-bed inspiration?

I woke up at my parent’s house to this awesomeness…

a handwritten note from my mom. She woke up before 5 am this morning to get ready for work and still prepared a pot of coffee for the family. I didn’t care as much about the coffee, but I did love the note. She used to write us notes all the time growing up, and I miss them.

Mom got some samples of the new Starbucks Blonde coffee, so we had that with breakfast.

Sis woke up in the mood for cooking. She made us waffles using the waffle iron she got for Christmas two year ago.

She found a special recipe online for extra-fluffy waffles. The trick is whipping egg whites and then folding them into the rest of the waffle batter. From the looks of the waffles, I think she’s onto something.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had from-scratch waffles. Actually, I don’t think I’ve had them since the last time Sis made them.

I asked my dad to tell me about his early life again over breakfast. He’s told us the stories hundreds of times over the years, but they never get old. I guess part of the reason is because I never really knew my grandparents, and they’ve all passed, so I like to get to know them through my parent’s stories. And every time dad tells a story, I learn another gem of information. For example, recently, I learned that my grandmother’s favorite color was light turquoise (like TCL-blue!) and that she studied fashion design at the Moore College of Art & Design. She even designed and sewed her own clothing. I wish she was around still so we could have sewing sessions together and talk fashion.

***

My sister decide to make lunch for us, too.

She made ginger-soy chicken with rice and one of her specialities…

Miso soup {with onions and potatoes}.

It was all delicious, and I ended up eating too much. But, I did save room for dessert.

My sister {who actually hates most vegetables} has recently fallen in love with winter squash. She made us roasted acorn squash with maple syrup and butter for dessert.

I know it sounds a little odd, but it was actually good and made for a great dessert. I told her she could save any leftovers to make a squash oatmeal for breakfast like this one I made awhile ago. Sounds weird, tastes great!

***

As for all that menu planning talk from yesterday…interestingly enough, hubby suggested we work on a meal plan on our car ride home. I don’t think he actually read yesterday’s blog post, but maybe he did. Either way, I agreed it was a good idea, so we worked on a draft on our way home.

I don’t love it, but it’s a start. I’ve realized that sometimes I don’t menu plan because I don’t think I’ll do a good enough job…so, I just do nothing at all. But, I suppose a so-so menu plan is better than none at all, right? Plus, perhaps menu planning is like most things – it gets better with practice? I like to think so.

What are your menu/meal planning tips? I loved the one Jackie left the other day saying to use categories or themes. My family (mom, dad, sis) actually likes to do that when they menu plan, and it definitely seems like a great idea. And reader Dione suggested having lazy/easy dinners and freezing batches of food. Hubby and I were actually just talking today about how we used to eat easier meals back in the day and that we should start doing so again. And I’m a big believer in freezing food – especially soup! Any other ideas, guys? Share your meal planning tips in a comment.