empty nest

A few observations today:

I am utterly and thoroughly sick of Covid.

I am sick of working at my dining room table.  Too close to snacks and I see my computer all the time.

I miss traveling.

I miss eating out.

I miss dinner parties.

I miss my kids.  

But, I confess, I also love the empty nest.  It's so weird and yet so awesome.

We had one round of this empty nest gig previously.  Corey left for South Korea on February 16th, while Dylan was midway through his freshman year.  Dylan came home for spring break on March 6th and..... Covid.   So the nest was empty for approximately three weeks.  Don't get me wrong, it was great to have Dylan around again, but we were all so cognizant that home was not where he is meant to be at this stage in his life, and we were anxious that he be able to return to UIUC in August. Which he did. 

U of I has been exemplary in how it has handled Covid.  It is truly leading the nation in testing and protocol and communications at a large university.   I am so proud and impressed!  So Dylan's  in Champaign-Urbana and Corey is in Korea and Noah is in Asheville and here we are.  We are WAY WAY more together than usual - both working from home - so the transition was like empty nest on steroids, but it's been nice.

One thing I realize is that I suck at shopping for two.  Yes, there is a huge snack problem and with both of us here 24/7 there is a lot of food still being consumed.  But I have realized that I still love to cook, even if it's just for the two of us.  That's where we started I guess!  I cook, he cleans.  Plus the in-between twenty-four years of babies, high chairs, bottles, sippy cups, plastic plates, booster chairs, school lunches, family dinners planned around activities, first off to college, then second out the door then third, and then boom:  here we are. 

It's been a gorgeous fall so far.  Last week I made a couple of my favorites, on our first cool  nights.  Enjoy!

Kale and Sausage Soup

Heat up some olive oil (2Tbs or so)

chop one large onion and saute it with a couple cloves minced garlic until onion is tender, about 7 minutes.

Wash and very thinly slice 1 lb of potatoes. 

Add them to the sauteed onion/garlic mixture and saute an additional five minutes on med/high heat, until potatoes are slightly soft.

 

 Add six cups of broth or stock or water, a couple teaspoons of salt (if using water), 

cover and simmer 20 minutes.

 

Take an immersion blender and dunk and blend a bit.  Not too much - I like the potatoes a little chunky.

Meanwhile, wash a bunch of kale and trim out the center vein, then turn sideways and chop into strips

Then take a package of fully cooked sausage - can be kielbasa or chicken or vegan variety - and slice into thin rounds.

Add the kale and the sausage to the soup and cook until both are heated through and the kale is slightly wilted -about five minutes.  That's it!  So good.

Serve it with some crusty bread and you've got a delicious fall meal.

 Mexican Quinoa Stew  (Vegan)

I'm obsessed with this one, always have the ingredients on hand and it's super hearty and yummy.  

Heat up a couple Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil and saute:

1 lg chopped onion

3 chopped celery stalks

3-4 chopped carrots

a couple tsp minced garlic 

2 seeded and chopped jalapeno peppers (leave the seeds in if you like it hotter.)

 Add:

• 3 ½ cups water
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cup quinoa (dry/uncooked)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (for extra heat, optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the quinoa is tender.

Serve with any extras you have around:  extra chopped cilantro, small wedges of lime, diced avocado, crumbled tortilla chips.

 

Last but not least, this morning I was bemoaning the fact that we have nothing sweet in the house.  Yes, it was 8:30am but I really wanted something with my coffee and I was SOL.  So I made something.  Weirdly awesome and kind of strange, but they pack a protein punch and satisfy the sweet tooth, all without oil or butter!

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup rolled oats 
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup milk any kind you like
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips   
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper so that you have some overhanging the sides like "handles," then lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.

With an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter, honey, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and evenly combined, about 3 minutes. Beat in the salt.

 

Sprinkle the cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda over the top. 

 

Then, sprinkle on the flour and oats. Beat until combined and the batter comes together With the mixer running on low speed, drizzle in the milk and continue beating until incorporated. The batter will be very thick. With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

Once dough is well combined, scrape it into the prepared baking dish, then press the top to make it even. Bake for 16-19 minutes, until the bars are lightly golden and just set. Do not over bake! Allow to cool completely, remove from the pan using the parchment paper overhang, then slice.