Last week, I tried to write the weekly menu, but with the terrorist attacks in Israel, it was hard to focus on anything else. Writing a post, any post, last week felt trivial in the midst of the hour by hour news that was coming in over the weekend, so I focused on other things. I showed up for my kids, of course, but everything else was challenging. If you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen the stories shared.
This week - focus is still challenging. My grief and prayers are centered on the victims of the attacks in Israel and their families. A week in, the interviews and stories coming out of the region are heartbreaking (and occasionally inspiring). However, as a wife and mother (and a food blogger), I have an obligation to be a light in my home and in my community, and there is precious little I can do to directly assist at this point. We all have to eat, and the process of taking ingredients and cooking or baking something up in our homes can not only be therapeutic (there was some time spent baking this week!), but also be a source of comfort to our own loved ones. There's a reason the phrase "comfort food" exists and saying "the kitchen is the heart of the home" is so inviting.
This week, I invite you to make your home a haven for your family. That doesn't have to mean fancy meals or desserts. It could literally be opening up a box of funfetti cake mix and baking a cake with your kids. Or having a good smelling candle going while you read to your kids. Or enjoying a really delightful PB&J sandwich on the floor of your living room for a picnic dinner. (Why is PB&J so good anyway?)
Here's what's on the menu this week:
One Pot Country Lentil Soup
Your pantry can come to your rescue again with this easy, hearty, super tasty, and crazy healthy one pot country lentil soup!
Baked Italian Sausage Penne
This recipe for baked Italian sausage penne is one of the most tried and true in our home kitchen! We've been making it for years - its simple, warm flavors and heartiness make us happy when it's cold and rainy out!
Barbecue Chicken Wraps
Craving one of Red's excellent BBQ chicken wraps, but lack the cash or time to get one? Solution!
Trainwreck Crock Pot Taco Salad
"Trainwreck" crock pot taco salad is simple, inexpensive, easily customizable, and incredibly tasty! It will please your family, or a crowd of almost any size!
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
For us, these easy Chicken Enchiladas are classic, one of few recipes we still make from our first year of marriage...you’ll be hooked, too!
Drop Biscuits
Buttery and flaky, these easy drop biscuits are not only quick to make but compliment just about any meal, too.
Spiced Apple Cider Pancakes with Maple Bourbon Syrup
Warm up your autumn weekends with spiced apple cider pancakes, and to really take them over the top, whip up a little maple bourbon syrup!
Grown Up Hot Chocolate
Feeling like you've outgrown your average hot cocoa? Make yourself some grown up hot chocolate from scratch with cocoa, vanilla, salt, milk, and cream!
If you're in need of other meal ideas, I'm particularly fond of the picnic dinner idea and invite you to browse through my sandwiches Pinterest board. You might find something there that sounds like fun to eat. Pair it with some chips and carbonated drinks from Trader Joe's and you've got something kind of fun to look forward to one night.
Have a good week everyone!
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