Wooo! March wrapping up makes me think spring must be coming. Right? I’m pretty over the snow and I’m itching for local produce. Our chives are peeping through so let’s go! My birthday month was fun, and delicious. I redeemed a free birthday sundae just in time even though it hardly felt like ice cream weather! I’m excited for a quick Easter trip to Maine. Stay tuned for a post I prepped for your Easter leftover uses…you might need it!

My fav this month was this sausage burger with peppers and mustard. The pretzel bun makes it.

I made a 15 minute, 5 ingredient flatbread with pesto and roasted tomatoes.

Everything Bagel seasoning is sold in stores…or maybe just Trader Joe’s, but I make my own. I sprinkled it onto over easy eggs. Day. Made.

The Little One:

He’s seeming so big! Sometimes listening the first time isn’t happening, but we’re working on it. He’s still eating pretty much anything. He loved a take on these Peanut Noodles with Purple Cabbage & Edamame. Gnocchi has been a hit. We’re loving a few minutes to play outside when we get home. I’ve been totally on the dinner-prep-in-advance game so we can get out just for a few minutes. We have done a lot of play-doh and magna-tiles this month and boots crunching in the snow is his fav. We all built a snowman together during the last big storm and check on the melting process regularly. He got to spend a sleepover into a snow-day at the grandparents’ house so that was pretty exciting. We got a new kitchen table and chairs so we swapped him out of the high chair and into a booster on a real chair. Life in the crib is going strong 😉

This year’s goals: 

Year of the candle: This Salted Grapefruit one is so amazing!  I saved another birthday one for April. Stay tuned! 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: I whipped up just a few French Onion Deviled Eggs. Yum! 
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: this speedy Pesto Flatbread was a chance to take-over the train table for some natural light.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: I realized jotting them into my phone was handier and getting them into the cute journal later is the way to go. He was adorably mystified when we lost power for a half hour. 
What I’m reading:  Ordinary Grace was so-so, and I’m onto my next. 
What I’m watching: American Crime Story Gianni Versace was fascinating, though the timeline was confusing. Project Runway All-stars is wrapping up soon and I’ve loved this bunch of designers.

I had a really awesome perk of lunch provided at my last job so I’ve re-entered the lunch packing world in this new role. Plus, the little one eats more and more for lunch now so here’s a round up of our favs. My lunches always seem to be some-assembly-required. I need more ideas. What am I missing?

For me:
leftovers- especially my beloved rice bowls that are sometimes paired down when in lunch form.

Mexican-ish lunches- rice, corn, salsa, half an avocado, quesadillas are always things I look forward to mid-day. Trader Joe’s tamales & 60-second grain packs make easy-to-pack lunches.

I’ve stashed these soups as a handy back up and then pack up hummus & crackers, a biscuit, etc.

Quiche is pretty handy for a few days worth. I haven’t made one in a while, but need to!

Discovering a toaster oven in another office kitchenette was game changing for a quesadilla, panini, individual pizza etc. The key is foil since who knows what others have warmed up!

For the three-year-old:
We found these Bento-ish boxes on Amazon that have made packing lunch easier. He eats it all cold so it all gets packed together. We were surprised & impressed by the quality.

He often has leftovers of a few things…quite similar to his dinner plate.

Sandwiches of salami/turkey or cream cheese & jelly or pita with hummus or a quesadilla. Or a bunch of things maybe some leftovers, some beans, with a cheese stick or yogurt put into a pouch

Plus a veg like tomato/carrots/tomato/edamame/broccoli and fruit like apples/strawberries/blueberries/clementines etc.

He can’t have peanut butter so that is his lunch of choice on the weekends at home. Wednesday is Pizza Day at daycare and is a wonderful mid-week break from packing up.

Mr. J is on his own for lunch but has his own pizza-day from his fav food truck.

What are go-to lunches for you or for a little one? 

February felt like the last stint of true winter around here. A few warm days has me thinking spring is ahead. I’m sooo ready for more and more daylight after work! Also…the beginning of March brings my birthday! Bring on the cake!

But first, I’m fitting in all the wintry meals on my list. I made this Breakfast Inspired Risotto with bacon, white cheddar, everything bagel seasoning, and an egg. I loved this and will likely make it again asap!

#MeatlessMondays have continued and these Tomato Basil Polenta Bowls were a big hit, especially with the toddler! I cooked most of this in advance which made for an even faster weeknight meal. It’d be a great one to make for a crowd or for 1-2 servings.

I made another hot chocolate that was like a turtle candy with nutella, salted caramel, almond extract, and chopped pecans. Yum!

I have a few recipes lined up for March. Stay tuned for another deviled egg variation, another souped up hot chocolate, a smoothie, a burger, and we’ll see what else. I haven’t made too many things just to pack as lunch so maybe I’ll do that too.

The Little One:

Feb was kind of rough for getting outside. We ended up with some rain and snow. Days he can get outside are always better. He’s very into puzzles so we got some for his rewards for potty training. He really likes them! I made a crock pot chicken & dumplings dinner that he really wasn’t interested in. We didn’t make it a big deal and eventually he tried it on his own and ate enough to be dinner. Phew! I know he doesn’t love dishes where everything is cooked together but I was really proud that we didn’t prod him and he tried it, and liked it enough, when he was ready. This month he ate more eggs than usual and still loves pb&j. He’s been doing this funny thing when we start talking about breakfast that he wants meatloaf. I have no idea when he last saw it!

This year’s goals: 

Year of the candle: I got this cool geometric ceramic one. 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: I made Caprese Sliders
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: lack of daylight is rough.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: I didn’t capture too many this month. 
What I’m reading:  I read Miller’s Valley and am into my bookclub book. 
What I’m watching: All Olympics, all the time.

January brought the new year and I feel ready for 2018! More importantly, January meant our little man turned 3! I can’t believe it! We had a fun birthday party with a waffle bar! I meant to blog it and really wanted to, but being in the moment, not rushing to prep before the fam arrived, and paying attention to the birthday boy were all more important.

I’m totally into jazzed up hot chocolate. I made a Hot Chocolate with Raspberry and White Chocolate. So good. It started when NYE was just too cold for our traditional milkshakes so we went for hot chocolate with toppings. I have more ideas ahead, stay tuned!

#MeatlessMondays are a thing here for the last few months so I did a meatless Monday round up.

I was really excited to make this Cheeseburger Layer Dip, especially in time for the superbowl!

The Little One:

He’s so big! He was proud to show his new age with his fingers. He was pretty amped up during his family party and after his nap he was so much calmer and focused. We’ve been playing a lot of trains and play doh. I was glad we could capitalize on any days that weren’t too cold. Getting outside is so important. Food-wise, he was into tacos and a dinner of white bean/tomato/spinach with polenta.

This year’s goals: 

Year of the candle: Yup, mint chocolate candle for this chilly month. 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: Yes! I made 2! I made caesar deviled eggs and cheeseburger layer dip!  
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: ehh.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: Yes, I’ve noted a few amusing comments- often a “did you know that” or “I didn’t know that”
What I’m reading:  I read Necessary Lies and zoomed through it. I’m pretty far into my next one. 
What I’m watching: This is Us, the Superbowl (for the snacks), and The Amazing Race. We watched a few movies: Stronger & Battle of the Sexes.