Cooking My Books & Weekly Meal Plan

It’s time for another week of meal planning and trying to cook from my massive library to bring fun back into my kitchen.

This week’s books:

Dig In!

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Gatherings

Salt Hank

Naughty

My Harvest Kitchen

Sunday

We are having a family game day, so I’m testing a recipe I’ve been noodling over for a steak marsala crostini with pecorino to go with along with a charcuterie board. I’ll post it later of it works out. Unsure about dinner as of yet, probably a soup.

Update–the crostini experiment was FIRE and I’ll be posting the recipe shortly.

I also ended up making the Creamy Beef and Noodle Soup from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. No pictures, as I was tired. But this is a reliable recipe for a very fast dinner, and I just served it with some garlic toast from the freezer. We played the new wine-themed Clue game we found at World Market. The wine was awful, but I love a family game day when the adult kiddos are home.

Monday

I am going to play around with a pork tenderloin, and I’m either leaning toward a maple-mustard flavor profile or an apple cider situation. I plan to serve this with a French Onion Risotto from Naughty and peas.

Tuesday

Brown Butter Lemon chicken from Dig In!,  Brothy White Beans with Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic from Gatherings, and Upside Down Leek Tart from My Harvest Kitchen.

Wednesday

The French Dip from Salt Hank and just some roasted potatoes on the side.

Thursday

One Pan Chicken Marsala from Dig In! with roasted asparagus.

Friday

I’m going to make stuffed pork chops based loosely around this recipe from Sunny Anderson with a spicy cranberry glaze, roasted carrots and some kind of bread.

Check back later for reviews and updates.

Bourbon Maple Fig Glazed Pork Chops

It’s still a million degrees here in Louisiana, so I tweaked a favorite pork chop recipe to emulate Fall flavors, but one I can grill to lessen the amount of heat I produce in my kitchen this week. I’m so envious of all the cool-weather content and recipes coming across my socials. Meanwhile, the temp is resting at 97 degrees here. We haven’t seen rain in weeks, and the whole parish is under a burn ban, lest we turn into a tinderbox. So, if I can’t have Fall weather, I’ll take Fall flavors.

These pork chops are the perfect combination of savory, sweet, and smoky, and if you cook them properly, they’re juicy and tender. I paired them with a Sweet Potato and Blue Cheese Gratin and roasted green beans.

Bourbon Maple Fig Glazed Pork Cops

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 6 thick cut bone-in pork chops
Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1-1/4 cups apple juice
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup dried figs approx. 4-5 depending on size, stems removed
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

Pork Chop Prep
  1. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Sprinkle evenly over pork chops and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably up to 8.
Sauce
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add vinegar and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Add ketchup, apple juice, maple syrup, figs, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Using an immersion blender (or food processor), puree sauce until smooth. Remove 1 cup of sauce for basting the pork chops. Keep remaining sauce warm for serving alongside cooked chops.
Grill and Assembly
  1. Preheat one side of the grill to medium-high heat, and the other to low heat. Remove pork chops from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Oil the grill grates before cooking the chops.
  2. Place pork chops on the hotter side of the grill and sear the first side for approximately five minutes, or until grill marks are set. Repeat on other side of the pork chops, then move them to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chops registers 140 degrees F. Time will vary based on chop thickness and your grill.
  3. Brush both sides of pork chops with reserved sauce, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F and glaze has set.
  4. Remove chops and transfer to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let the chops rest for 7-10 minutes. Serve whole or sliced with warm sauce.
    5. You can also cook these in a cast-iron skillet. Sear chops on both sides, glaze, and finishing cooking in a 375-degree F oven until they reach temp.
    An instant-read thermometer is a kitchen essential that you can find everywhere and cheaply. My local grocery store has them for about 15 bucks. This will save you from the "is it cooked" guessing game. Pork is notoriously easy to overcook if you are cooking based on time rather than temperature.
    Sauce can be made ahead and reheated on low heat.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Though I included this in the notes, I cannot stress enough that cooking to temperature rather than time on any meat is what separates joy from disappointment. I HATED pork growing up because my mother, (rest her soul), cooked pork to death for of fear we’d all get worms. She was pretty obsessive about food safety and threw out any meat that looked at her wrong (especially “too-puffy” chicken packages). Anyway, meat is at a premium right now, and we are all stretching our grocery budgets, so it doesn’t make sense to risk a $$ cut of meat on a wing and a prayer. The thermometer is your friend.

 

Cooking My Books plus Weekly Meal Plan

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After a brutally long, hot summer, I’m finally settling back into some semblance of a routine. And part of that routine involves more intentional meal planning from my large cookbook library. I was pretty uninspired in the kitchen over the last few months, and finally decided to carve out the time to pull a few books each week, take an hour to browse, and create a weekly menu that is do-able but still enticing.

Part of the impetus for this effort came from feeling fairly disenchanted with social media recipes that flood my feed; some are great, but others are untested or are more about monetized views than quality products. Viral doesn’t mean good, sometimes. I decided that letting my library sit stagnant was just silly, and I needed to stop being lazy.

So let’s hop into this week if you are looking for meal inspiration. At the end of the week, I will update this post with thoughts/reviews.

Sunday

I made Lemony White Bean Dip with Roasted Tomatoes from Everything Delish (pictured above) for happy hour. I was testing this recipe for future hosting gigs, and it was a hit. Even my skeptical husband liked it. The lemon brightens the beans and the tomatoes have the perfect pop of sweetness and texture. I am also pretty sure this doesn’t contain any dairy, so it will be a good choice when our vegan friend joins us.

For lunch, I made a brie, bacon, and blueberry grilled cheese with fresh thyme. No recipe, just used what I had on hand.

Next, I played around and made what I am calling French Onion Beef Tips with Gruyere and Crouton Breadcrumbs. I honestly made this up as I went along after chatting with a local chef about idea for the upcoming fall menu at the restaurant. I need to test it a few more times but will eventually post the recipe once I feel confident that it is exactly how I want it. The problem with a gastronomy degree and chef friends is that when an idea takes hold, I obsess until I try to create it for real.

I paired this with a spinach salad with apples, candied curry pecans, goat cheese, and a maple-Dijon vinaigrette. Also Roasted Garlic Asiago Bread from The Bread Machine Cookbook.

Monday

It’s a busy day with workers at the house, so I will be making Thanksgiving sliders. I really don’t have a recipe for this per se. I layer turkey, gouda, (maybe ham), cranberry sauce and prepared stuffing mix onto Hawaiian rolls. Then I mix up some melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon, brush this over the assembled sliders and bake at 350F until toasty and gooey. I’ll probably serve these with honey roasted carrots

Update–only got a picture of the pre-cooked sliders because the afternoon went haywire and dinner ended up being later. I made the mistake of purchasing a different brand of stuffing mix, and the preparation was more extensive than my usual Stove Top (for this recipe). I also used up the last teaspoon of some “everything bagel seasoning” in the topping in order to clear it out of my pantry.

Tuesday

I will be retesting a version of my favorite glazed grilled pork chops, and if it passes, I’ll post the recipe later this week. To go with this, I am making a Sweet Potato Gratin with Blue Cheese from the book Gather and Graze by Stephanie Izard, and roasted green beans.

Update–This was a great dinner, and my final test of the recipe was successful in my opinion. The recipe has been posted. The gratin was a success, as always and I love this recipe for its simplicity in preparation yet depth of flavor.

Wednesday

Feeling nostalgic, so I will make Chicken Divan from You Got This! (pictured above), which I will pair with French Onion Rice and biscuits with seasoned butter. The rice is the basic “stick of butter” rice all over the internet, but I only use 1/2 a stick and it works out fine.

Update–This was an easy, low-effort meal that was perfect after a stressful day.

Thursday

Chili Lime Marinated Flank Steak and Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas also from You Got This! (pictured above), along with Mexican Street Corn (just out of the can with some cheese added for topping).

Update–This meal was a hit. I loved pairing the steak with the enchiladas. Picky husband loved it as well. My only note on the enchilada recipe is that it made a lot more filling than expected. I had a bunch left over so I made burritos and froze them for lunches next week. I did make her homemade enchilada sauce, which was quick and easy using ingredients I had on hand. I think that it was worth ten extra minutes of effort because it didn’t have that “chemically” taste that I sometimes detect in canned enchilada sauce. Thus far, every recipe I’ve tried from this book has worked well for me, so I can say I this book is a keeper for my library.

Friday

Chicken Riggies from Sip & Feast (pictured above) with roasted asparagus and some type of bread in the bread machine (also from the book mentioned previously), likely a rosemary or other herby bread. Just haven’t decided yet.

Update–This was probably my least favorite dinner this week. The pasta was fine, I just thought it was kind of underwhelming. However, this was just my opinion. I’ve made several other recipes from this book that were very successful, so maybe I was just having an off night.

So, that’s the plan for the week. Check back for updates and reviews.

Hospitality and Hosting–How We Built and Nurture Community

In 2025, I was on the struggle bus both physically and mentally, but there was one goal I set for myself: host more.

I’ve seen the statement on social media many times: “Everyone wants a village, but no one wants to be a villager.” I get it. People are overtaxed, overextended, and the economy is a dumpster fire. Life is just different.

But my mom ingrained in me the magic of hospitality, and that it’s a gift you give to those you love. I remember one time, after an all-night field party, I came home with four classmates with no notice (and we were hungover and hangry). Mom simply fixed everyone a plate and offered them cake for dessert. My friends were in awe and asked to come back next week. She instilled in me that there’s always room at the table and that a welcoming home can be a balm to the soul. As I was feeling low last year, I decided to take a page out of Mom’s book and create the space that would nurture both myself and those I love.

 

So, in 2025, we started Sunday-Funday. We invited a diverse group of friends and acquaintances, created a text thread, and committed to hosting a monthly get-together. What started as a smallish gathering has grown into an event. We may have 6 guests, or we may have 25, depending on the month. And through our efforts, we’ve gotten to know new people, solidified personal connections, and overall, have created a lasting community.

Here’s how we do it:

  1.  First, we pick a theme so that I can plan a menu and cocktails. We’ve done Fiesta, Friendsgiving, “Appy” Hour, Italian Summer, Chili Kickoff, and more. I start with the main entree, then figure out the sides, desserts, and 2-4 appetizers for cocktail hour. Once the menu is set, I send it out to the group text.
  2. Next, unless it’s a special occasion like Friendsgiving, we keep it casual. Good paper plates and disposable utensils. People serve themselves and find a spot. This isn’t a formal dinner party, it’s Sunday-Funday. I still use my serving pieces and such, but the casual atmosphere helps the diverse crowd relax.
  3. A clean, well-stocked bathroom is my firm essential. Nearly every guest will use the restroom at some point, and a clean bathroom helps them feel comfortable, which is the root of hospitality. I may have thrown three loads of laundry on my bed to be folded later, but the common spaces of the house will be in order. Not perfect, just in order. Except the bathroom. That will be perfectly clean and stocked.
  4. The menu is also a time to exercise the hosting muscles. While I don’t cater to extensive preferences/diets, I try to ensure that every guest has something they can eat. For example, I know that one guest keeps somewhat Kosher, so I know that I need a couple of things that so not have pork or shellfish. I actually failed at this this week because a guest’s spouse is vegan, which I did not know, and other than crudité, there was nothing she would eat. I was so embarrassed, but now I know and have filed that away in my kitchen journal.
  5. Inevitably, a guest is going to ask, “What can I bring?” I’ve learned to have a list of a few things ready just in case because people truly want to contribute. An app, a dessert, ice, extra crackers, etc. all are easy and don’t require much. In the American South, most guests for casual gathers will ask this question, and I’ve learned to have an answer, even if it is just “yourself.”
  6. I take pictures when I can, but our gatherings are not about social media content. It’s about connecting and community. The entire point is to spend time with people and make them feel welcome. I will usually walk around and snap a few pictures but limit myself to 5-10 minutes for our group text but otherwise, I focus on remaining present.
  7. Drinks. We do our best to keep a well-stocked drink station, so people have plenty of options. Additionally, we keep bags of ice in the cooler because nothing ruins a party faster than running out of ice.

While Sunday-Funday is a monthly affair, I still try to incorporate small-scale hosting throughout the month, even if it is just inviting the neighbor over for dinner. It’s nice to unplug and connect with people over a good meal. I believe that taking the time to treat others is an incredible gift.

Mostly, I think that if you want a village, you sometimes have to just build it yourself. Happy Hosting!

2026–The Year I am Cultivating Joy

Whew. 2025 was something. Don’t get me wrong, there were some good moments.

Bear graduated college a full year early and started grad school. We traveled to Scotland. I finally had plastic surgery to remove my c-section pooch and had my stomach muscles repaired after the damage from 10-pound babies. I also cooked and knit a ton, while working on my Master’s in Gastronomy program. I also hosted a dozen or so parties, which I will write about in my next post.

But it was also a year of struggle. My mental and physical health took a nosedive, and constant stress wore me down. It also didn’t help that I started 2026 with the worst cold I’ve had in years, hence the later-than-intended post. I knew something needed to change, and not in a New Year-New Me kind of way.

As such, when I sat down to think about what I want to do in the year ahead, I decided to strive to cultivate joy daily in my home. I want to romanticize small moments and let go of things and practices that no longer serve myself or my family. I also want to complete some languishing projects and approach each day with intention rather than reaction. Mostly, I want to have the mindset that being proactive in cultivating joy should be a priority, rather than happenstance.

So, how are we going to do this? Here are some fundamentals I laid out in my planner:

  • Stop waiting for special occasions. You deserve everyday joy. Light the candle, set the table, use the serving pieces, make the dinner you want on occasion rather than always trying to please others. Small things can take everyday moments from mundane to cozy comfort.
  • Continue hosting and cultivate community. I love hosting, which sometimes feels like a lost art. Hospitality is a gift to others that brings me joy and builds bridges. That is important in an era where people feel more and more disconnected.
  • Prioritize things that I know bring me joy and improve my mental health, even if it’s just a few minutes a day, like knitting, reading, using the good bath bomb, etc.
  • Cook from my cookbooks and test more recipes. I have a massive cookbook library, but come meal planning time, I have fallen into bad habits of just doing the same-old thing because I’m mentally wiped. I am now ensuring that I pick out a recipe or two from my books to try each week so that I am always learning and experimenting, thereby proving that my goblin hoard is justified. Food and cooking are my passion, so I am actively restructuring the way I meal plan so that the mental load doesn’t get maxed out all at once.
  • Personal care needs to be a priority, not an afterthought. I always feel better when I stick to wellness and skincare routines, and those have been the first to fall to the wayside in times of stress. Procrastination leads to apathy. And my kids don’t need to be reminding me to eat or take my meds, that’s for sure.
  • Reset my home one room at a time, even if this occurs in small pieces, especially my bedroom, which is a catchall for “I’ll deal with that later.” Some clutter (honestly, a lot) needs to go. The laundry room also needs attention. These unseen-to-guests spaces are haphazard and are decidedly NOT bringing me joy. Therefore, I vow to chip away at our home so that every room feels purposeful and intentional.
  • Finally finish my two biggest outstanding projects: revising and reprinting the family cookbook, and finishing Bean’s needlepoint stocking. I have resolved this every year for the past four years, and I am taking steps to make sure I succeed.

Though these seem like big goals, they share the same foundation–cultivate joy proactively and rediscover whimsy. I will be posting more this year, sharing recipes, meal plans, knitting/crafting content, honest reviews of stuff I bought with my own money, and more, so I hope you’ll come back.

Overall, despite the state of the outside world, I hope 2026 is a year where I focus on the joy within–including my home, my family, my community, and ultimately, myself.

Cookbook Round-Up–What I Liked and What I Plan On Buying Soon

I’ve been MIA for a month of Sundays because the Spring and Summer semesters kicked my proverbial booty. My studies at BU’s Gastronomy program are rigorous, and I really felt drained for a good bit of the time. However, I took the back half of summer off to rest and recharge before classes resume in September. While I do have this respite, I wanted get back to my site and share some of my favorite cookbook purchases this year, as well as a few I’m looking forward to in the Fall.

First up is You Got This! by Diane Morrisey

I was unfamiliar with this author and flipped through the text at the bookstore for about 5 minutes before I purchased a copy. This book has a ton of approachable, family-friendly recipes that are both weeknight and weekend friendly and I marked at least 20 that I wanted to try. So far, I have loved the Sausage Rigatoni, Chicken Divan, and Potato Galette. Don’t get me wrong, as a culinary student, I can project cook if needed, but this book is more realistic toward how I cook for my family on the regular. When you are responsible for the never-ending meal planning and cooking for a diverse household, not every meal can be a full-on chef-level production. I would quit this circus without realistic inspiration to get me through those Tuesday nights of existential despair. I plan on gifting a copy to my sister because I think she will love it as well.

Next is an older book I stumbled across, Recipe Revival by the editors of Southern Living.

I really enjoyed this retrospective and the updated ways in which they have been refreshed for modern cooks. I also found a ton of recipes in this book that I want to make, and as with the previous text, they are very accessible for home cooks like me who are tasked with the never-ending cycle of meal planning and cooking. Plenty of weeknight and party fare, with menus for inspiration. I picked this up at the secondhand book shop on the cheap and am very glad I did.

The two social media cookbook darlings of the Spring publishing season were By Heart by Hailey Catalano, and The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook by Merideth Hayden.

I purchased both and found several recipes I enjoyed, such as the meatballs in By Heart, and the Shake and Bake Chicken with Hot Honey Tomatoes, and the Balsamic Short Ribes in Wishbone. I think both texts have a mix of accessible and delicious recipes, but they also contain some more fussy options that have a series of elements that push them to weekend/date night cooking for me. However, as I admitted, my time and attention has been taxed with writing and cooking for classes, so I think my perspective is more about my current life season than the recipes themselves. I would flip through both because people in my social media feed are loving these books.

As for cookbooks I am looking forward to during the Fall publishing season, my first pic is My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom.

Ivy is a Southern Living contributor, test kitchen participant, and is pretty much their main social media content creator. Based on recipes I’ve seen (and cooked) from her articles and videos, I feel like this one is going to be good. Her style of cooking definitely aligns with mine. As soon as I heard she was publishing, I pre-ordered.

Next is Let’s Party by Dan Pelosi.

I enjoyed Dan’s first book, and as a now writer for NYT Food, he’s been putting out some great recipes consistently. I love collecting books about entertaining/gatherings, so even if I was not familiar with his content, I probably would have picked this one up anyway. We host a huge Sunday gathering monthly for friends (think 25-30), so I am always looking for fresh, festive ideas. I think this one has potential, and his energy is infectious.

Finally, I am looking forward to Good Things by Samin Nosrat.

 

Both Samin’s first book and her Netflix series were required reading/viewing in a couple of my courses in the past year. Her experience, encompassing knowledge, and commitment to rigorous recipe testing have made me a huge fan. This text description has me wanting to try everything listed, and I believe this will be a bestseller within the first week of publishing. Again, preordered because I am that excited.

So that’s what I’ve been noodling over as I come up with new areas to stack cookbooks. But that’s a problem for another day, because my library is my pride and joy, and Fall is prime time for new texts. If you have an upcoming book that you are eyeballing, or a cautionary tale about an absolute dud in your library, let me know. I want to try as many new recipes as I can before I am back to the scholastic grind for my final year.

**As always, my blog is not monetized in any way and the links posted are NOT affiliates, they are simply for your convenience. If you see any ads on my site, they come from WordPress, not me. Any reviews/opinions you see are of products I purchased with my own money. I’m just a busy mom/student and not that cool.**

2025 Knitting/Fiber Art Goals, WIPs, and More.

Well, I survived the holiday season and I have a little bit of time before I’m back to the hectic pace of grad school 2.0. While my first year was incredibly fulfilling, it was also challenging because we just crammed so much into the year. Lots of travel, heathen milestones (college graduation!), back-to-back holidays, and we capped off the year with G-Man’s ear surgery (more on that another day).

While I do have a small respite, I want to focus not necessarily on resolutions, but rather on some creative goals for this year to keep a better life balance. I have a stash full of yarn and fiber that need attention and big knitting/spinning plans for the year ahead. So, let’s dive in and talk about them.

Main Goals

  1. Finish my husband’s Storm Sweater, which I have worked on for the past few months. I have been knitting this in Red Stag Fibre’s Yorkshire DK in a lovely oatmeal-ish color, which I picked up at DFW Fiber Fest this year. I am in love with this yarn because it highlights the stitch definition of this pattern like crazy and it’s a pleasure to knit with (no itchy moments so far).
  2. Next, I also picked up additional Red Stag Yorkshire Dk in a blue-gray color to use as a main color in the Sea Glass Cardigan, so that is also at the top of my list. I have a TON of yarn from abandoned MKALs and I think this project will be just the stash-buster I need to clear out some languishing skeins.
  3. I VOW to start and finish the Field Sweater, so help me. I purchased yarn for this project from The Surburban Stitcher a couple of years ago, in my favorite Pewter colorway. I also, unfortunately, get distracted by the new and shiny patterns but I need to go back and power through this project. I know I will love it; I just need to reject the instinct to think “SQUIRREL!” when I see the next “new thing.”
  4.  I will definitely be knitting another Doodle Cowl from Pacific Knit Co. She vended at DFW Fiber Fest this year, and I ended up preordering the book (now out), bought several decks, and a yarn kit. Seeing her samples in public was ridiculously inspirational, and the endless customization made me excited throughout the process of my first cowl. It is also a good stash-busting model, so if you are looking for ideas, start there for sure.Jamie Lomax Pacific Knit Co Doodle Book – botanical yarn
  5.  My brother-from-another-mother gifted me a certificate to Wool & Co. for the holiday, and I promptly ordered yarn for both the Songbird Mittens and the Porcelain Sweater (yes, social media dug in its claws into me and I was influenced. I regret nothing).
  6.  Spin all the fiber in my stash and knit at least one accessory from it. This is a loose plan, as I am a baby spinner and am apt to avoid the wheel when I get frustrated or discouraged. But, I have some BEAUTIFUL fiber in my stash, including a bat that ___ custom blended for me at DFW. I need to create more accountability for myself on my spinning, because that wheel was an investment.
  7.  Knit some type of summer tee or vest. This fall/early winter has been unseasonably warm this year, and I’m fed up with not being able to show off my knits. I think it’s time to focus a little more on usability than “Oooohhhh I want to knit that!”

Bonus Goals

  1.  Some colorwork socks by Stone Knits. Her patterns are so flipping cute. I was originally thinking a cat design, but she also has cute garden-inspired projects, including a happy carrot waiting to be harvested that looks like pure joy to me.Amazon.com: Joyful Colorwork Socks: 25 New Knitting Patterns for Fun ...
  2. Sigh, I still have a DEEP STASH kit for the Comfort Fade Cardi. I really need to suck it up and knit this one. I still love the look of the pattern, but I think I am worried about the yardage in the kit not being enough and additional yarn probably no longer exists. I just need to dig it out and do the math on it to see if it’s going to work.
  3.  Exercise the same restraint I did last year when attending fiber fests or travelling. I now have a dedicated craft journal where I keep a running list of project ideas with their yarn requirements. I stuck mostly to that last year and kept impulse purchases to a minimum.
  4. Finally, finish Bean’s needlepoint stocking…hopefully.

So, that’s what’s on deck for now. What project has you feeling inspired lately?

More Thanksgiving Tips for Successful Hosting

It’s the final countdown to Thanksgiving, and I thought I’d do a round-up of past posts that may be helpful in getting you through the week. As someone who regularly hosts 20-plus guests, I’ve refined the holiday prep and aftermath into a well-oiled machine. They cover my planner layout, what I wish I knew when I first started hosting, leftover ideas and more. I know hosting can seem a but overwhelming, but it’s all about breaking the week up into manageable chunks.

Thanksgiving Tips—What I Wish I Knew Way Back When | Bayou-Mama

My Thanksgiving Planner—Obsessive But Efficient | Bayou-Mama

Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas…Because It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint | Bayou-Mama

The Hateful Corona and More Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe Ideas | Bayou-Mama

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole (a.k.a My Thanksgiving Must-Have Side Dish) | Bayou-Mama

In addition to the previous posts here are some more game-changers I’ve found that take some of the lighten the load:

  • Grocery delivery! This saves me so much time, it’s 100 percent worth it. If you don’t want to pay the fee, you can do a free trial of Walmart Plus or other delivery services and then cancel if needed. But the hours I get back by not navigating crowded stores and lines, loading and unloading bags to the car, etc. gives me more time for other preparation.
  • Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. These were life-changing for me because trying to peel and boil potatoes on Thanksgiving morning filled me with irrational rage and stress. Now, the potato people get their potatoes and I no longer resent said potatoes.
  • Using digital assistants (Alexa for me) to set reminders and timers. When everyone is coming at me at once all week, I hit information overload pretty quickly. Being able to just tell Alexa to remind me about something later keeps me on track, and the reminders go straight to my phone and watch. Additionally, I can add things to the last-minute shopping trip the boys will take for ice and any forgotten or missing items.
  • Inevitably, one or more guests will ask what they can bring, and I often freeze in the moment and draw a blank. Now, I try to think ahead of small/easy items to request from the guests that refuse to come empty-handed, like wine, jelly for the biscuits/rolls, ice, or an extra kid-friendly dessert (cookies/brownies) since a lot of the little ones aren’t really enthusiastic about pie.
  • My Bluetooth thermometer ensures I never overcook the turkey by getting distracted. I take it out at 157-160 degrees F, because it will come up to full temp as it rests from carry-over cooking.

So, if you are hosting this year, I hope you’ve got your game-plan together, but remember, hosting is about hospitality and as long as you go into the week with that in mind, everything else just taking it one step at a time.

Holy Crapadoodle, It’s Been a Hot Minute

 

This year has flown by and I cannot believe it’s almost Thanksgiving. When I decided to go back to school, I did not realize how all-consuming this adventure was going to be. When I haven’t been studying or writing, I’ve been cooking constantly for my pastry class.

When I haven’t been hard a work, I managed to squeeze in some knitting.

 

 


Now that I’m feeling more confident, hopefully life can slow down a little bit.

Fiber Festivals, Finished Knits, and a New Adventure

It’s been a hot minute y’all and I feel like I am still catching my breath. So, let’s jump right into it.

This fall, Bean, the Husband, and I attended two fiber festivals, and had a blast both times. First, we went to DFW fiber fest where Bean and I took a dyeing class and a punch needle class:

 

Then we spent the rest of the weekend shopping, hanging out with other fiber artists, and getting inspiration for future knits. DFW is my absolute favorite fiber fest. The people are great, the classes excellent, and the entire vibe is joyful. If you’ve been on the fence about going, I highly recommend it. One of the board members even gifted Bean market cash to spend for representing young fiber artists. Everyone we meet there is so supportive and encouraging.

In October, we went to Rhinebeck, AKA New York Sheep and Wool.

This was one of my bucket-list fiber adventures. Small-town New York in fall was picturesque, especially since we have no “real” fall here in north Louisiana. We got to see the livestock, met some new vendors, and took in the frenzy of arguably the most popular fiber fest in the US. While we had fun, honestly, I prefer DFW by far. This festival was SOOOOO crowded, the lines endless, and good luck getting into a popular vendor booth. It almost felt like being in a mosh pit at times as we were shuffled around through the crowds. We enjoyed exploring, good food and being together, but I think that trip is a one-and-done for us. So, if you have FOMO from seeing all the cool pictures on Instagram, I promise it’s not quite as “awesome” as you might think.

On to finished knits:

Pattern: Aurora Cabin Shawl (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Qing Fiber High Twist in the Canyon colorway, Suburban Stitcher Single Sock in the River’s Edge, Nudie Patootie, and Predictability colorways, and Madeline Tosh Merino Light in the Moorland colorway.

Needles: US 4

Notes and Mods: No changes to this one. I love it, but I’m definitely off the shawls for a while. They start deceptively fast, then just get slower and slower. As always, however, Stephen West’s patterns are well-written and creative.

Pattern: Sea Glass Hat (available for free)

Yarn: Jems Luxe Fibers Luxe Sock in the Texas Wildflowers Colorway and Three Irish Girls Adorn Luxe in the Kraken colorway.

Needles: US 3 & 5

Notes and Mods: I knit this as a two-color so it appears to be vertical stripes.

Pattern: Swirled Peace (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Moreno Light in Betty Draper’s Blues

Needles: US 5 & 6

Notes and Mods: I went up a needle size compared to the pattern which I totally regret. This ended up way too big. The black yarn is something unlabeled I found in my stash. Overall, great pattern, I just executed it poorly.

Pattern: Ranuculus

Yarn: Suburban Stitcher Merino DK in the Pewter colorway

Needles: US 8 & 10

Notes and Mods: I love this yarn and the color. This was the fastest sweater I have ever knit. I’m glad I looked at other projects because the pattern has the most hideous pictures of the sample. She loves it.

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Looking forward to this year, my plate feels pretty full. I have tons of fiber arts goals I want to accomplish, a couple of big trips planned, and will continue to recover after some illness and injuries (that damn Halloween Bouncy House). But the big news is that I’m going back to school!!! I was accepted to Boston University to work on a Masters in Gastronomy. I’m so freaking stoked, I can’t even tell you. So stay tuned for more foodie and fiber adventures to come.