Dinner Tonight

Meg

Sunday Morning Coffee: December 1, 2019

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Despite all the baking I did for Thanksgiving, none of it lasted long enough to grab a photo, so instead I snapped a pic of Will getting his hands on the scones I baked yesterday for breakfast (cheddar and chive scones that were served alongside runny eggs… delicious). We’ve had a very cozy past couple of days, mostly hankering down instead and snuggling up. It’s been a very welcome weekend of rest, and I’ve taken the time to do nothing and stay up later than usual, but I also feel like I’ve had the chance to stay on top of all the deadlines coming up in the final weeks of the semester.

Here’s what else I’ve been up to this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: November 24, 2019

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This has been the busiest, most frenetic week of the fall by far. Perhaps predictably, I got a bit sick in the middle of it all. Luckily, it’s nothing too bad, just a flurry of deadlines clustered together. This is what I signed up for, and I love, but this week was super hard. I managed to get it all done and hang out with my family, but it’s pretty obvious that there wasn’t much energy or bandwidth leftover to handle dinners (I had plans, but the execution just wasn’t happening).

Here’s what else I’ve been up to this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: November 17, 2019

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We’ve been nestling into sweaters, blankets, and warming meals this week here in Boston, in the face of very chilly temperatures (from what I hear, many places around the U.S. are doing this, too). Last week I made so many soups (too many) as a fall transitional meal, but this week (and on the weekends in particular), I’ve jumped right in to hearty baked dishes that come together pretty quickly and then spend some time in the oven.

The other thing I’ve noticed this week are a lot of articles popping up about gift lists and what to buy for others for Christmas. This feels particularly exhausting this year… the idea of hunting and racking our brains for ideas of what to buy for someone, when that’s exactly what none of us (or our planet) need: more stuff simply for the sake of more stuff. Especially for adults — if you don’t know what to get for someone who has specialized interests or tastes, it’s OK to opt out of the gift-buying frenzy. I’ve been mulling over the idea sharing some cards or something written with individually curated lists of things I think they might like: books, recipes, podcasts, TV shows.

Here’s what else I’ve been up to this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: November 10, 2019

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Suddenly we’re hurtling toward the end of the year. I had a wonderfully full yet still relaxing weekend last week. My sisters and I ran a half-marathon together, so it wasn’t all resting and taking it easy, but it still felt good (until mile 11, and the three days after the race, when everything hurt). I’ve run a few half-marathon races, but none since having the kids, so this was a big reach for me. My sister also ran her first-ever half, which is a huge deal. It was exciting to get out there and do this together. My parents even flew in to spend time with us from Halloween through race weekend. Now, I’m back into the daily routine of work, school, and kids, which also feels good.

Here’s what else I’ve been up to this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: November 3, 2019

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This week felt like the midpoint of the fall, with a collective pause in responsibilities and deadlines, a moment to catch my breath before things ramp up for November and December. I took it easy this year in planning the kids’ Halloween costumes: Will was a train conductors (with striped overalls that he’ll wear throughout the year, replacing his now-too-small pair from last year), and Charlotte wearing a flamenco dancer dress that was gifted to her by her aunt after a vacation to Spain (lucky girl!).

The timing felt great, too, because my parents flew into town to spend some time with all of us. My mom joined us for Halloween, where the weather forecast went from rainy and uncomfortable to pleasantly windy (in a spooky way). Then my dad came on Friday for the weekend, where the big event is a half marathon race my sisters and I are running later today.

It’s both restful and busy. Here’s what else I’ve been up to this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: October 27, 2019

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I took this photo while out with my sisters this weekend, and it was just begging to be the pre-Halloween snapshot. We went on a fun run 5k through Boston’s Freedom Trail, experiencing the city through the eyes of a tourist, even though I’ve lived here for years. The gravestone above is found in King’s Chapel burying ground and is said to be the inspiration for Nathanial Hawthorne’s book The Scarlet Letter. The diagonal slash in the crest looks kinda like the letter “A,” which then became the It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day: the sun was out and the fall leaves were brilliant (I posted one of my favorite shots on the @mostlybalanced account on Instagram).

Now, it’s chilly, gray, and rainy outside, and it’ll be raining for the next several days. I’ve got a lot of warm, cozy meals planned for the days ahead, but I’m also hoping there’s a break in the rain around Halloween. But I think we’ll take the kids around the neighborhood, rain or shine.

Here’s what else I’ve been up to this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: September 29, 2019

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It’s been a glorious weekend, capping off what’s been a great start to the fall. All the other food blogs I follow are commenting on the change of the seasons, the end of the month, and the new recipes and holidays that are lining up in the months ahead.

I’m posting this on the late side today, having let myself lounge in bed with the windows open and a cup of coffee, just taking my time. We were out last night at a local restaurant, with a babysitter at home with the kids. Now that they’re not the tiniest of babies anymore, it feels a bit more feasible to get out, just the two of us, even if it doesn’t happen all that often. I’m also looking forward to connecting with some old friends and their families later this afternoon. I’ll be baking something sweet to bring to the party, though TBD on exactly what that will be. Here’s hoping everyone is enjoying their weekends.

Here’s what I’ve been eating and reading this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: September 22, 2019

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The climate strike was this Friday, and I was fortunate enough to join the crowd in Boston’s city hall plaza for a bit of the day. It was great to see people showing up (and I noticed so many of the signs were on the backs of cardboard boxes rather than new, sparkly materials from a craft store… that’s good to be on brand like that)! There was a speaker I was super interested in hearing (Gina McCarthy, former administrator of the EPA), but unfortunately the crowd was so big that it was impossible to really hear anything the speakers said.

I’ve attended a number of screenings and info sessions over the past couple of weeks, and the biggest takeaway message is that it’s time to act (the window of opportunity hasn’t closed). We have to get serious about doing this, and we can do it.

Here’s what I’ve been eating and reading this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: September 15, 2019

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We’ve had our first few chilly autumn days here in Boston, and it definitely feels like fall is coming. There are a few students on campus who come from warmer weather who already broke out their coats and jackets (though that says more about their winter-weather learning curve than the cooler temps we’re actually getting).

It certainly has felt like a week of transitions, weather-wise and school-wise. I’ve been tinkering with what I’ve been prepping and planning based on schedules and pick up times. It’s been different every day of the week and even week by week, but I hope I’m finding my stride. I’ve begun experimenting a bit with overnight oatmeal recipes as a way to have enjoyable, sustaining snack options for the early part of the day.

Here’s what I’ve been eating and reading this week:

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Sunday Morning Coffee: September 8, 2019

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This week has been wild. I officially started my PhD program at Harvard (which I still can’t believe is a real sentence I get to type… which is why things feel wild). It’s thrilling to be back in school, and yet there’s an adjustment as I find my new rhythms and routines.

On top of this, Charlotte’s starting the new school year, moving out of preschool for the first time. Like so many other parents in these weird weeks around Labor Day, we’ve been scrambling to figure out what to do when the various daycares, schools, and after-school programs are off (and not all off on the same days). Not an easy thing to do when we’re both working and as I’m not fully in my own school schedule yet, but we made it. I think logistics should get easier from here: here’s hoping!

Here’s what I’ve been eating and reading this week:

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