weekend things

Don’t get too excited.

It’s just seltzer.

I don’t normally dress up my bubbly water, but whatever it takes for me to drink water in the first place is what we’re going for here.

I’m like a cactus.

This is Cranberry Clementine seltzer garnished with blood orange and mint.

I’ve discovered a new collection of flavors; Ginger Apple, Blackberry Bergamot & Ruby Red Grapefruit. I think there was Coconut Crème too… all unsweetened.

Interesting, right?

It actually makes me want to hydrate.

My kitchen table.

And what it looks like… everyday.

Muffins. Nothing new in this house.

But, I will tell you how fed up I am with the outrageous price of school snacks.

I make a bunch of stuff at home to offset the cost.

And then I fall off the wagon.

Why?

Because it disappears faster than I can make it!

It’s like getting your tax refund: hello and goodbye.

How does one keep up with this pace? Wait until they’re teenagers- I’m going to have to buy a cow!

So, I revert back to the grocery store. For convenience. And the cycle repeats.

Then I figured something out…

Using my banana bread recipe, I pre-mixed all the dry ingredients and packed them into bags. I used my mini vac-pack machine. Ziploc bags would work too or if you’re feeling Pinteresty, go for the mason jars. On the back of each packet, I listed the wet ingredients and the baking temperature.

Homemade muffin mix.

Now, I can make muffins faster the my coffee brews. It’s all natural for a fraction of the price.

So get this-

These are Frost Kissed Artichokes.

Have you heard of such a thing?

I wasn’t going to buy them because they looked weird.

But Dillon, my charming 5 year old, is suddenly an artichoke connoisseur. He requests them everyday as an after school snack (what?!).

I couldn’t say no.

According to the label, these artichokes are totally fine. The cold temperatures cause the outer leaves to turn brown and flaky, but once cooked, they transform into beautiful green artichokes. Their flavor is said to be more intensified. I haven’t made them yet, but when I do it will be a very interesting experience. We like to dunk the leaves in vinaigrette…

Jamie Oliver once talked about his Cavolo Nero (black kale) and how delicious it was after the frost.

Now I get it.

There’s always bread.

This weekend was filled with more baking as it has become an essential part of my routine. I’ve been experimenting with whole grains, herbs and different salts. I’ve also been playing around with a new baking vessel; enamel roasters. After hearing about my friend Celia’s success, my mom got me a set for my birthday. These roasters are much lighter than a Dutch oven, yet effectively maintain the heat and moisture within the pot.

So far, so good.

It’s funny, because my sourdough disappears just as fast as the kids’ snacks.

But I never complain about baking bread.

PS- thank you to all that entered the sourdough consult giveaway. The winners will be selected soon!

That was our weekend! How was yours?