Even with being back to full-time coaching, starting the semester, and generally readjusting to life at home, January still managed to hold lots of creative kitchen time. I love cooking and baking. I love the actual act of making food, I love the meaning we derive from food, but I also love the care aspect of food. Nothing makes me feel more capable than when there's a fridge full of good leftovers for lunch, or dinner in the slow cooker ready to go after a late night of coaching. I love the coziness of it all; it's a hug to my little family and a hug to myself. Anyway, here's what I've been making:
The weekend we got home from FL, I made this pie from last year's Joy the Baker holiday magazine to bring to my parent's for family Christmas. Her recipe calls for pears; I used apples instead. Someone remind me next year to buy all the cranberries and keep them in the freezer, it's really not fair that they're only out for the holidays. She uses tapioca granules in this recipe and it lends such a cool flavor and texture.
The same night we got home (after that horrible drive) I made this creamy chicken stew from Budget Bytes. We are a Budget Bytes home....I make at least one of her recipes every week. This was perfect, comforting, and exactly the welcome home we needed. Will definitely make again soon.
On a random Tuesday afternoon before heading to the rink, I made two quiches. Quiches are probably my favorite thing to make ahead for dinner. I baked both in the afternoon, the pie shaped one was for dinner that night and then the square one went in the freezer. This quiche managed to be the most like my mom's: lots of bacon, frozen spinach, and cheddar.
Another thing we've made almost every three days so far has been applesauce!!! This is probably my favorite winter make. We make it in the Instant Pot and roughly use this recipe, but the amounts change every time and I'm convinced you can't ruin it. It has no added sugar, just apples and cinnamon. We eat the applesauce hot on it's own, with oatmeal, and on yogurt and cottage cheese. We've even been using it to substitute eggs in baking. I've got Chris hooked on it.
Full disclosure: I didn't make this cornbread (Chris did) and I obvi didn't grow the grapefruit. But! I have rediscovered eating grapefruit for breakfast, with just a sprinkle of brown sugar. And grilled cornbread muffins with jam win every. single. time.
And okay, one make of the non-kitchen variety. I'm still working (slowly, and definitely not diligently) on the cross-stitch kit I got from Elise Joy. I LOVE it, the kit is so well put together and fun. It's a Christmas scene of trees and other decor on shelves, and I bought her next one in the series "Flowers on Shelves" as well. Once I finish this tree, I think I'm going to put this away until next holiday season, and start working on the flowers one. Overall I am loving cross-stitch! This may be a craft happy I actually keep up with.
Other things keeping me creating this month have been work and the wedding! I am running an artistry movement class at a local figure skating club and loving it. It's 30-minutes a week of whatever I want to do; we've been doing lots of edge class style stuff, learning combos, and learning different forms of energy. I'm also choreographing a short program for Colonial FSC's Theater on Ice team which has been a literal dream come true. I'm loving it and can't wait to show you! The wedding is also taking a lot of creative energy, but I've been enjoying it overall. I'll save details for another post. :)
A large part of my goals for 2022 were centered around tending to myself as a whole person, including my creative self. And to properly "tend" that creative self, it's not just about doing the thing, it's about practicing the thing. I am trying to channel more experimental playtime into my every day: taking time on the ice to experiment, letting myself make bad first drafts, just starting, trying new hobbies, doing things I'm bad at. This is where we learn!!
Happy Friday! xoxo
