What is this {pretty, happy, funny, real} you speak of?
~ {pretty, happy, funny, real} ~
Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Do you ever cook with farro? I only discovered it recently, but we are in love. Lately I like to cook a big pot in broth (thereby upping the protein quotient and the tastiness at the same time) at the beginning of the week, then add various veggies and proteins (almost always leftovers) to it to make tasty lunches.
This one is a leftover pork chop sliced, leftover roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes (I cook them a bunch at a time to have on hand), and green onions. Everything was done beforehand (because lunchtime generally means at least one boy is asleep, perhaps even both, and I’ve got things to do, projects to dive into, books to read, naps to take!), so I just put it all on the plate and tossed a little vinegar and olive oil on. And then took a picture.
A few weeks ago the sun was shining, the grass was green, and I put my baby on a blanket, gave my toddler a shovel, hung up my laundry, and puttered in my garden.
(We have a constant struggle over how high things should be hung, since the height range of the adults in the house is a good sixteen inches. When the Quack was hanging my clothesline for me, I asked him to please make sure I’d be able to reach it! I think we can agree that I was worrying for naught.)
The previous tenants of our rental house had a nice big garden out back. In fact, when I moved in back in October I got a few veggies out of it, even though the house had been vacant for a couple of months! So we just had a little bit of weed-fighting and sprucing up to do. So lucky!
Since then we’ve had weeks and weeks and probably even MONTHS and AGES of dreary days. Toss in a week-long sickness for Freddie, the kind where he’s contagious so we can’t go out, and he feels poorly enough to be cranky but not enough to stay on the couch, and I am feeling the cabin fever. It’s supposed to be nice here in May!
So today after naps were over we had a little trip to the hardware store for paint and seeds. I have two dressers, a small bookcase, and a high chair to paint. I’ll show you how we progress on that. The high chair is high priority!
As for the seeds…if the sun ever shines again we’ll be ready for it!
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Wow – I am so impressed that you take the time to make a nice lunch for yourself!! That is such a healthy habit on so many levels! I am inspired to do something besides eat raw baby carrots and peanut butter out of the jar.
Anne, my lunch is often more like that! But if I take the time at the beginning of the week to make sure something is in the fridge, it helps my afternoons so much!
I used to cook farro a lot, especially during summertime when I could combine it with all sorts of vegetables, especially tomatoes and zucchini. The children liked it and usually ate it as a side dish. I have read in a book about Saint Hildegard von Bingen that farro was very appreciated during the Middle Ages and that the saint, who knew a lot about plants, considered it very healthy.
I have read that about Saint Hildegard as well! I will have to try a tomato-zucchini combo. Sounds tasty!
Oh that baby face in the swing…so cute! I think I will try farro now that I’ve seen that plate of lovely food! Yum. Also love your blue dishes in the hutch.
Alas, I had such a short time this spring between when the nice weather started and when the baby figured out how to crawl off a blanket and chow down on clover. =) A couple of tense rescues from her choking out clover flowers, and I’m back to carrying the Ikea high chair around the yard and popping her in when I need two hands. (Nevertheless, the diapers tell the story of what she is still able to obtain and ingest. Whoa! My first daughter was nowhere near this determined or adventurous.)
Ugh, this rain! It is killing me and the children have lost their minds. I’m all for letting kids play in the muck but I’m not for overseeing multiple baths/showers each day and the inevitable bathroom clean up that involves. I clean bathrooms on Mondays 😊
I only have one baby and I do not do nearly as much as you! Kudos!! And your farro reminds me of an article in Cooking Light a while ago where they made all these hearty grain salads. They looked so good… The only one I remember had leftover chicken and goat cheese and cherries; I think another had avocado and bacon. I love a big batch of grain salad for weekday lunches! We eat them cool or room temp. Now I want to break out of my quinoa rut. I do Caeser dressing and hard boiled eggs or Greek style (lemon juice, kalamatas, cukes, tomatoes & feta).
Well. Caitlin, you’ll notice that I listed the things I NEED to do, not things I’ve done. :) I like your salad ideas!
Your farro salads are such an inspiration. I keep wanting to do that in order to set up myself up for healthy lunches. May I ask how long you find that the cooked grains last? Also, what a cutie-pie in the swing! There’s nothing like babies in swings, is there?
Thanks, Sarah!
So far I’ve kept the grains in the fridge for maybe 4-5 days without issue.
Awwwwwww, your little guys are so cute and are getting so big! Looks like they really enjoy the swings!
I found out about farro through a recipe similar to this one: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/mediterranean-farro-salad-recipe/ … Only difference is I use fresh bell pepper, fresh tomato, and basil instead of fire roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and parsley …. Also I add kalamata olives. It is so good! Serve by itself or with lemon chicken, hummus, and tzaziki. And it keeps well in the fridge for days, perfect for a quick lunch. =)