Kitchen Makeover in 1 Week and $200

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I know I'm not the only one who's been feeling the need to keep busy recently through home improvement projects. It can be hard to balance the need to update your space with a tight budget--but it's not impossible!

I took my kitchen from this:

to this:

in one week (home alone with the help of my 1 and 3 year old) for almost exactly $200.

Here's how that breaks down: $40 paint (Behr Marquee semi-gloss), $120 hinges and knobs, $40 this beautiful built-in cutting board to replace the gross old one from who-knows-when. I had the white that I used for the backsplash left over from another project (that you'll hear about eventually). I could have reused the old hinges and knobs if I really wanted to cut my budget (a $5 can of spray paint could help, but these were rusted and had stripped screws... gross).

And can I just tell you? I absolutely LOVE my new kitchen. I get tons of compliments on it, including the backhanded "I was skeptical when you told me you were going to paint your kitchen blue, but it looks really awesome!" 

Small batch chocolate chip cookies

Is everyone else carbo-loading their way through this lockdown? Baking is a great learning tool for my toddler, keeps us occupied for awhile, and keeps us flush with comfort foods. Can you be sad about being stuck in your house while you’re shoveling warm chocolate chip cookies into your mouth? I think not. 

The problem I always have with recipes is that I am feeding two people, and one of us is 3, so it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for us to make a batch of 40 cookies. For these cookies, I modified this recipe and ended up with a dozen cookies. It was perfect for our family!

7 tbsp butter, just melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

a pinch of salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

Beat together butter, sugars, vanilla, and vinegar. Add egg yolk and beat again. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat it. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll into balls. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown. Eat warm for best results. 

*edited to add: at room temperature, these are reminiscent of Mrs Fields chocolate chip cookies, so you really can’t go wrong when eating them. You’re welcome. 

Coconut Macaroons

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These are macarons.

This is Macron. (photo credit)

These are macaroons.

They're basically what would happen if a meringue and a coconut got it on. 

My three year old loved making them because egg whites are f*cking magical. He then loved eating them because they're light and fluffy and essentially melt in your mouth. Recipe here, followed exactly. I rarely cook from cookbooks anymore, but this one is a gem. Many of my cookies come from here, although I have found a gingerbread recipe I like better elsewhere.

Freezer enchiladas

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Let me start by saying, I felt like such a badass today! I simultaneously made dinner and prepped freezer enchiladas... with a baby! While on Corona-lockdown! 

Okay, now that that's out of the way. Freezer enchiladas. Pictures coming soon.

Shredded chicken
Enchilada sauce (I prefer green, but that's just me)
Cheese
Tortillas

Pop open your enchilada sauce. Pour a little sauce in the bottom of your pan and also mix a little bit into the chicken. Spread some chicken along the middle of a tortilla (just like you would for a burrito, but pretty much to the ends). Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Roll up like a burrito, but with the ends open. Put in saucy pan with the seam down or to the side so it won't unroll. Repeat. Once all of your enchiladas are nestled together in the pan, pour more sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese. 

For immediate consumption: bake for 15 minutes at 400° then broil for about 5 minutes to crisp up the cheese on top.

To freeze for later: wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, pushing them close to the surface of the food to remove as much air as possible. Defrost in the fridge before eating, then follow the directions above.

I usually make a batch of these in my favorite 8x8 Pyrex pan that has its very own lid (love!) to eat right away, but I REALLY needed to cook the ground beef that was in the fridge. Ya know?

4 Ingredient Broccoli Beef

This broccoli beef has become one of my go-to recipes because it's quick, easy, and delicious. My toddler loves it (minus the broccoli) and calls it sticky beef. 

Here's what you need:

a pound of ground beef
a broccoli crown
soy sauce
brown sugar

That's it. And salt and pepper for seasoning your beef, if you want to get fancy. It's also scrumptious served over sticky rice. So you're looking at a maximum of 7 ingredients if you want all the extras, which is still pretty sweet.

Thoroughly cook ground beef in a skillet. At the same time, broil broccoli florets in the oven until toasted to your desired level of brown-ness. Once the beef is cooked, mix together roughly equal amounts of soy sauce and brown sugar (err on the side of more soy sauce; I usually do about a quarter cup of each) and pour over the beef. Simmer for a couple of minutes to let the flavors combine. 

If I'm serving this over rice, I'll layer rice on the bottom, broccoli in the middle, saucy beef on top. 

Getting in touch with yourself

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I have recently been on a journey of self-discovery. To begin, I discovered that I had lost my Self somewhere around the birth of my first son, from which time on I have been 24/7 fulfilling the role of Mama with very few exceptions. I love my sons to the ends of the Earth and forever, and I have realized that that means providing them with a healthy role model. To be the best Mama, I must also be the best Me. To be the best Me, I've started seeing a therapist, but more importantly, I've started doing things for myself again. I've started coloring my hair again. I've started reading again. I've discovered an easier way to keep track of what I've been reading in an app called Goodreads.

During this weird time in our history when “social distancing” is our new normal, why not spend some quality time with yourself? If you’re not 100% happy with your relationship with yourself, there will never be a better time to get in touch with your Self than when you’re not supposed to touch anyone. Here are a few books to get you started:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. If you’re not sure where to start, but you feel like there’s something weighing on you, start here. Her premise is that if your physical space is messy, your mental space will be messy, too. She also has a show on Netflix. In a similar vein, I find watching Hoarders to be inspirational in helping me clean whenever I start to feel like my space is getting the better of me.

Best Self: Be You, Only Better by Mike Bayer. This would be another good starting point if you’re interested in becoming a better version of yourself. It’s very interactive, and I would recommend getting a good notebook if (like me) you can’t stand the thought of writing in a book. And a good pen. I’m always on the lookout for good pens; please send your favorites my way!

The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking. I read this a couple of months ago. Here’s my five-star review from Goodreads: “Both enjoyable and inspiring, but not for anyone who is easily offended by strong language. It read like a casual conversation with a good friend who is as interested in science as I am. This book reminded me why I wanted to pursue happiness research!” 

I will try to keep this list updated as I continue my journey back to my Self. You can also find me on Goodreads by searching for Bonnie Spear. What are some of your favorite inspirational books?

Our Favorite Fudgy Brownies

Lately, my three year old and I have been baking these brownies every week or two. They're *expletive* amazing when eaten warm, and they also freeze beautifully. Pro tip: you can microwave them out of the freezer and they're still just as good. 

Is there anything sexier than the swirls on the top of an uncooked brownie? I think not.

We modified this recipe.

1 stick of butter, melted

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 heaping cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 handful chocolate chips

Whisk together butter, oil and sugar for about a minute. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk for another minute. Add flour and cocoa powder and whisk until just combined. Whisk in chocolate chips, or sprinkle on top if you forget to whisk them in. Pour into greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until just set. 

Finally, cut into pieces and allow your three year old to choose his brownie. *insert eye roll here*

End of the World Baking

I really wish the coronavirus had hit during better weather. If it had, I would be taking my kiddos hiking every day and spending lots of time outside playing, having fun, and swearing at mosquitos (nobody's perfect). Unfortunately, we've had rain consistently for about the last week, and are expecting a combination of rain and snow and an absence of sunshine for about the next two weeks. This is not weather I want to be hiking in, especially with two small boys. But it's also not a viral climate I want to be taking my munchkins to the movies or mall or trampoline park in (basically the only places that haven't announced yet that they're closing). Which means we're stuck at home roughly 24/7 with just each other and the dog for company. Which means lots of baking. And crafts. And television. And more baking.

So far, we've made end of the world brownies.

Spicy cookies (aka gingerbread, if you're not 3).

Pumpkin muffins.

And we made a Target run to pick up new games, craft stuff, and more baking supplies.

Not to mention all the extra effort we've been putting in to dinners...

Overthinking

Yesterday, I finished reading a book titled Don't Overthink It. In it, author Anne Bogel shares a story about overthinking whether or not to buy flowers at Trader Joe's (and ultimately regretting her decision not to). Today, I was planning a trip to a different grocery store, but found myself instead at Trader Joe's because my son LOVES that they have baby carts that he can push himself (which is literally the cutest thing ever). 

Right inside the door, I stopped to look at the flowers. I ultimately decided not to buy any because I didn't love the selection they had, even though I do love having fresh cut flowers to brighten up my dreary kitchen. We finished our shopping, and an employee came up to us as we were checking out and offered us free daffodils. I have trouble accepting things for free, so I asked why they were giving away the daffodils. She said the flowers were opening and wouldn't last long and they wanted to "brighten people's day." At which point I realized that I needed to stop overthinking the situation, say thanks for the daffodils, appreciate the kick in the butt from the Universe, and decide not to overthink buying flowers in the future. 

Creamy Pumpkin Spaghetti Sauce

You know how sometimes you need to eat something that feels like a warm hug? This is one of those times. Our weather forecast is rain, snow, and thunderstorms for the indefinite future, and I'm someone who jokes (but also not really joking) about being solar powered. One of my warm hug meals is spaghetti with this deceptively simple pumpkin cream sauce. It's a perfect sauce for chilly fall or winter weather, and as much as I love traditional pasta sauces, sometimes you need to mix things up a bit, you know?

Hence, this sauce, adapted from Budget Bytes. All amounts are estimated because measuring is overrated and because taste is subjective.

Saute 1 tsp minced garlic in 1 tsp olive oil for a minute. Add 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, 3 dashes smoked paprika, 1 dash cinnamon, 1 dash nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk it all together and simmer until you're just about ready to serve, then add 1/8 cup (2 tbsp) cream and whisk again. Serve over spaghetti and top with parmesan cheese, and let the comforting flavors embrace you in their warmth.

Sore Throat Cinnamon Milk

When you have a sore throat, this hot beverage is so soothing and delicious. Grab your favorite coffee mug and pour about a tablespoon of honey into it. Next, sprinkle in about a quarter teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger. Then fill ‘er up with milk and microwave until hot (about a minute and a half). Stir, sip, and feel the goodness soothe your throat. 

Not only is the warmth soothing, but the added ingredients all have healing benefits, too. Honey contains antioxidants and has been shown to reduce coughing. Cinnamon contains antioxidants and can reduce inflammation. Ginger can reduce inflammation and fight bacteria. And they’re all delicious; how great is that?!

Happy New Year, Now Go Clean Your Freezer

When I went to my freezer today to pull out something for dinner, I discovered every meal prepper’s enemy: freezer burn. I also took a good, hard look at the sweet potato fries that had fallen from their package into the corner of the freezer many moons ago and realized that I’d put off cleaning my freezer for long enough. I pulled everything out and KonMari-ed the ziplock baggies of meat and produce. I wiped out all the mystery gunk before putting the winners back in (categorized by type of food and level of preparedness, and of course my trusty ice cream maker). I even rinsed the crumbs off of my ice packs and gave them the place of honor in the door for easy access. The whole process took about 20 minutes and made me feel so much more positive about the prospect of keeping my family well fed. It’s something I can’t recommend enough. Especially if you resolved to do anything food related this New Year’s. Clean your freezer, take stock of what you have, and get rid of anything that has outlasted its shelf life. It will help.