What’s Cookin’ (Bonus: Recipe Links!)

It’s Sunday. The day I write and the day I cook. I aggressively try to protect these two rituals. 

To me: Food is love. Food is survival. Food is creative art. Food is budgeted. Food is reward. Food is comfort. Food is control. 

I plan menus with care, choose foods that nourish, fill, and treat. Over the years Quinn’s dietary needs, restrictions, and requests have changed widely, and expanded my cooking knowledge and range. My food restrictions have changed too. Marcus’ tastes have expanded rather than the opposite, so that’s a bonus. 

In these last two months of weirdness, cooking is about the only worthwhile home activity (outside of sleeping) that I’ve accomplished. Truth be told, I’ve leaned into it. As I said: Food is comfort. Food is control. 

So…What’s Cooking?

Sunday’s are also “Broadway List” day. Most Sunday’s Marcus and I have a cheese omelette and then he tells me his latest story, play, musical, or movie. Lately he’s been casting and creating a movie called, “The DVDmaster.” It involves a mashup of his own ideas running parallel to, then threading through, many other known stories and characters.  

Sometimes the “omelette “ is really just a fried egg with cheese. When I give it more energy, we have a fluffy and patiently created true omelette. Occasionally Marcus agrees to allowing more than cheese. This omelette I included Philly Steak sandwich leftovers.  

Another thing about my cooking, I’m the Queen of leftovers.

Because Food is creative art. Food is budgeted. 

Today, what else is cooking? 

My comfort food of choice is roast and mashed veggies.  It used to be mashed potatoes, but now it’s mashed veggies which is predominantly cauliflower, with some additional combination of carrots, onions, celery, butter, garlic, coconut cream and a little sweet potato and/or potato to hold it together.  So, That’s what’s on the menu today. Extra portions being shared with friends and family each week who are solo in this current isolation. Because, food is love. 

Also, I’ve got in the crockpot hot chocolate oatmeal. Marcus and I have been experimenting with oatmeal as dessert. Here are some links and pics of  our favorites so far: 

• Hot chocolate oatmeal 
• Carrot cake oatmeal 
• Cinnamon Roll oatmeal (delicious, but too sweet, we adjusted on remakes.) 
• And, of course, pumpkin pie oatmeal. 

In most of the recipe’s, I’ve used monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar and a little honey or maple syrup if we need extra sweetness. It’s not 100% sugar free, but not bad for a dessert with good fiber as a bonus. Especially if I use steel cut oats. Because Food is reward. And Food is survival. 

And then there’s the Pumpkin Kick…

Marcus is a big pumpkin fan and has enjoyed choosing and trying new, maybe unorthodox ways to include pumpkin. On that note, we’ve tried pumpkin chili, pumpkin hummus (5 stars for that one), pumpkin pizza, and pumpkin lasagna (which were both surprisingly (to me) good.) 

I’m no instagram food star, but I’m proud of how I’ve learned to nourish my family. In my youth, I learned how to stretch food dollars creatively. And now I’m  blessed to be able to share extra portions. 

On the budget note: there is a lovely cookbook Good and Cheap: Eat well on $4 a day. If you have the means, purchase it here. If you don’t, the author also offers it free.  

This recipe changed my whole outlook on Brussel Sprouts. 

(Oh my! So glad I reopened this book, I just found two new recipes I’ve got to try! Mmmm.)

Now I’m all ramped up to start chopping and prepping for the week ahead.

Let me know in the comments, What’s cooking at your place?  Literally or metaphorically. 🙂 This is a blog hop too, so please, tuck in!