This edition of recent eats feels a bit underwhelming but I really enjoyed all of the home-cooked meals…even if most are in bowls and somewhat repetitive.

I am working really hard to find a better strategy for cooking meals on the nights that Finn is with me. I find that I have these grand plans in my head for what I’m going to cook and what dinner time will look like. Then, the day gets so busy and Finn gets to the point of tired/hungry before I can execute my plans and I end up with more formulaic/short-cut meals for both of us rather than the recipes and “real meals” that I want to cook.

When I do cook the “real meals” it usually pays off. When we eat together, Finn will try things he won’t eat otherwise and he just loves to eat dinner with me. This is a huge focus area for me. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Let me just say that it is very weird to go from someone who cooked almost every night and very rarely ate leftovers pre-baby to where I am now as a toddler mom. I have a whole new lens and appreciation for eating and cooking as a mom.

So…here’s what I’ve been eating over the last week.

BREAKFAST

Scrambled eggs and a toasted Dave’s Killer Bread Rockin’ Grains English Muffin. I buttered the English muffin and put cream cheese on it and then ate most of the eggs on top of it. Sumo mandarin on the side.

Pumpkin bread, scrambled eggs and tiny mandarins. Can’t get enough of all things mandarins right now. Keep reading for pumpkin bread details.

LUNCH

Salad with a spinach and arugula blend, Trader Joe’s Melodious Blend, feta, kalamata olives, avocado, pepitas, hearts of palm and caesar dressing.

Another salad with the same greens blend, hearts of palm, a can of Blue Harbor salmon, Trader Joe’s Melodious Blend, pepitas, feta and dried cranberries.

One more salad with the same greens, a pouch of Blue Harbor tuna, hearts of palm, pepitas, dried cranberries, avocado, feta and a homemade honey balsamic dressing.

DINNER

Spaghetti and buttered sourdough. This is one of Finn’s favorite dinners and a fun one for us to eat together. Here is my favorite spaghetti sauce recipe. It freezes beautifully.

I am on a big sautéed green cabbage kick right now. I’ll share my recipe/method soon! This was a bowl with rice topped with melted shredded Mexican blend cheese, roasted chicken sausage, carrots, mushrooms and parsnips, cabbage and hummus.

Pizza night! Frozen spinach and feta pizza from ALDI. I added pepperoni to it.

And served it with steamed green beans. This was an exceptionally good frozen pizza if you can find it at your local ALDI!

Blackened salmon over a quinoa/rice pilaf with steamed broccoli. I had this at the hotel on Friday night when I was traveling for teacher training. It was super salty but otherwise okay.

I made this at 9p on Sunday night when I got home from teacher training. Steamed basmati rice cooked in coconut oil and topped with shredded Mexican blend cheese with a Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger, sautéed spinach, sautéed hearts of palm, half an avocado, hummus and hot sauce. I sliced and sautéed the hearts of palm just long enough to heat them through because I didn’t want them cold on my salad. They were great warm!

ETC.

A friend posted this pumpkin bread recipe from Bon Appetit on Instagram and I was baking it within a few days. It was spicy and delicious and used fresh ginger! I liked it but have MANY ideas for tweaks to make it a little better so I’ll try to give those a test-run soon so that I can share with you.

Teacher training weekend sweet treats. Blackberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting + chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting. Love Little Cake!

QUESTIONS

How do you manage working, momming and preparing home-cooked dinners? 

Are you pumpkin fall-only, pumpkin if it’s cold/fall/winter or pumpkin all year long?