Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. It truly feels like autumn here- we’ve had rain off and on all weekend and much cooler temperatures. Now that it’s October 1st I’m ready for all the fall baking. I love being in the kitchen year-round, but especially during autumn! Matthew is heading out of town tomorrow for a week-long work trip and we were talking about how maybe it’s the longest he’s been away during our whole marriage, definitely for each of the kids too. I’m so thankful that we get to spend as much time together as a family as we do, that six days seems like a long time, but it doesn’t mean we’ll miss him any less. I’m trying to plan some fun things with the children to help ease their missing Dada pain. So far, I have some yummy meals planned and sleepovers with the big kids. Maybe I’ll throw in a hot cocoa outing too! I joke with Matthew that he’s the favorite but he really is. He’s such an incredible Dad and all three of those kids, including Beatrice feel his love always. During Matthw’s last work trip, 10-month-old Baby Bea was saying “Dada Dada” at nighttime because she was noticing his absence.
WHAT WE ATE
I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.
MONDAY- Rotisserie Chicken Salad– this salad is so good! It’s our second time making it and a hit each time!
TUESDAY- Sizzling Beef Bulgogi Tacos – this was such a nice change from our normal Mexican taco night. So flavorful and easy! I especially loved the iceberg slaw.
WEDNESDAY- BBQ Meatballs and Greek Salad from Simply Symon Suppers – the meatballs were ok. Not blow it out of the park amazing but they got the job done. Maybe I should have added more bbq sauce on mine. The Greek salad on the other hand was amazing and so authentic tasting. I couldn’t find the recipe online anywhere but I’ll see if I can write it out for next week. It’s all the normal players: tomato, cucumber, feta, but just classically delicious!
THURSDAY- Grilled Salmon Steaks with Bok Choy and Mustard Sauce – this was so incredibly delicious that I made a mental note to write down the mustard sauce recipe. It was amazing! I’m very excited to cook more from this cookbook now after having two very delicious meals!
FRIDAY- Neighbor PotLuck – we are blessed with the best neighbors! We had tacos, guac, corn salad, broccoli salad, and I made Mexican rice and beans.
SATURDAY- Cacio e Pepe– always trying new versions which is silly because it’s the simplest recipe ever but we liked this one a lot.
SUNDAY- Cast-Iron Smash Burgers with Fries – It’s October 1st but we still love our burger nights. Not ready to let these go just yet.
I also made this Creamy Gnocchi Soup for a friend who just had a baby, and also these Brown Butter Apple Blondie Bars. I snuck a few and they were delicious!
In honor of fall, and the start of October, I made a sourdough pumpkin loaf. I made one last year and I think they’re just too cute with the cinnamon stick sticking in as the stem. The kids ate it with apple butter for a snack yesterday.
WHAT I WORE
I got bangs this week which I’m getting used to. I think I need about 1/4″ cut on them but once they’re right I think I’ll like them a lot! I just think I needed a little change and bangs feel fun for right now. (If you’re postpartum you’ve probably done the same, or thought about it!)
I have a few sweaters from Ralph Lauren that I’ve owned and worn for several years that feel just as good as new. I don’t think I can say that about a lot of brands, but I really can about RL. The quality is so good that they hold up.
My short trench coat from Everlane has been a favorite for years (remember it here?). I love their long versions too.
SALES TO NOTE
Abercrombie– 20% off in the app with code APP20
American Eagle– 30% off 4 items, 25% off 3 items and 20% off 2 items
LOFT– 20% off new arrivals
Ulta– 50% off best sellers!
J.Crew- 30% off fall styles!
Mango– 30% off everything when spending $220. Use code EXTRA30
ON MY MIND
As I mentioned, this week will be a little different with Matthew gone. We’re going to keep busy when we can and I’m going to try to make a bunch of easy recipes. My best friend shared Caro Chambers with me and she is a recipe developer with young kids of her own. She has a Substack with lots of recipes and ones specific for those crunch-time dinner periods where you just need to get food on the table. I have several of her recipes planned that I’m excited to try out. They not only look easy but delicious as well!
Because I have a lot of fall desserts I want to make I’m trying to stay organized. Each week I’m allowing myself to bake one treat and one dessert. My hope is that I can really narrow down the things I want to make without going overboard. Treats are aimed at being healthier snacks for the kids, and the dessert is a DESSERT. One day, when I have some more time, I’ll share more of my baking adventures because it really is my favorite thing.
Matthew and I were able to get out for a sushi date yesterday which was so nice! We made a New Year’s Resolution to go on monthly dates and we’ve been so good minus a few months when my mother-in-law/babysitter extraordinaire was out of town. It’s always so nice for us to have time together just the two of us, where we can complete a conversation without interruptions and it doesn’t take 5 minutes to get in and out of the car with car seats and such. We both were like, “Yeah I still really like you!” lol We definitely miss our dating days and are so thankful to have those special memories from our early marriage days. 
I hope you all have a lovely first week of October!
xox
