We got pummeled by another winter storm at the end of the week, a wintry mix of heavy, wet snow turning in to rain late on Saturday. With energy low and in the mood, we decided to hunker down at my parents’ house south of the city. Charlotte always loves seeing her grandparents, and we always appreciate the extra pairs of eyes to help with the baby wrangling. It’s been cold, and the week’s menu includes several comfort food choices, pastas, and roasted vegetables, reflecting the desire to turn the oven on but keep things low key. Today, the weather warmed, and we took a walk to stretch our legs, enjoy the sun and emerging spring temps.
Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:
A relatively breezy, easy read, geared toward a younger audience. I picked up the book as it explores issues of identity, family and community, and sexuality, especially as young adults struggle with these life themes while transitioning out of their high school years. I really liked how the narrative explored these themes in a compact, condensed way, and I feel it would be accessible to high school or college students as a resource to feel less isolated (this is a theme I see a lot in my adolescent and young adult clients in my practice, and I’m always on the lookout for books to recommend). And while it was geared toward the young adult audience, it wasn’t in any way limiting to an older audience. The characters weren’t narrow, the story and themes don’t time out with age.
Here’s what I’ve been cooking this week (in case you need inspiration):
Sunday: White bean and kielbasa sausage skillet
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Pan-seared pork chops, egg noodles with parmesan, roasted vegetables
Wednesday: Spaghetti, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes with roasted asparagus
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Cereal, milk, fruit (so exhausted and not feeling well…dinner plans got scraped. Also, I went to a conference, and the lunch they served was salmon, which was the original game plan for tonight.)
Saturday: Farfalle carbonara with peas, bacon, and asparagus
