Friday | Spring Is Closer

Good morning, friends. Last week I worried that spring would never actually arrive, but I’m happy to report that it might get here after all. Earlier this week was perfect for getting outside and investigating the flowers, despite being on the cool side. Yesterday brought some scattered showers while today’s rain is forecasted to be steadier – April showers are here as if on cue. I’ve stayed busy outside this week and look what all I’ve found.

Our dryer broke last week so I’ve been line drying everything. The biggest benefit of hanging clothes out on the line at 6:30? The sunrise! We have the best view and I took full advantage of it. Two other positive sides to line drying right now:

+ Everything smells amazing. No joke.
+ I put the laundry away as it dries, so it’s done for the day by mid-afternoon. No big basket of clothes waiting for me to fold at the end of the day means I can put my feet up just a little bit earlier!

I can also combine laundry hanging with my early morning chicken chores, which has been enjoyable. Lots of extra work, but rewarding.

And things are starting to look up in the flower department. Look at those hyacinth! And the crocuses! I didn’t get a picture, but one of the hyacinths actually started blooming yesterday. It’s still in the early stages, but I hope to get a better photo this weekend.

We were relieved to find the mint returning. I know people warn that mint takes over everything and claim that it’s easy to grow, but we haven’t had much luck with it. We tried growing it on the south side of the house last year and it seems to be doing better there. Wish me luck for homemade mint tea and mint juleps this summer! (I’m a total bourbon girl.)

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On a slightly different note, I swatched for my next sweater. This is for the DRK Everyday Sweater (Ravelry link) and is in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. The swatch is just what I was looking for – just the teeniest bit under gauge. I’m knitting a size that might be a smidge larger than I want it to be, so I wanted my gauge to be a little on the low side. I hope my gamble works out… but I think this is a forgiving sweater even if it doesn’t. And as Elizabeth Zimmermann would remind me, “Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises.”

I started the collar last night and am just over halfway finished with it. Tonight’s plan: start rewatching the second season of All Creatures Great and Small and knit, knit, knit. I’m looking forward to sharing my progress with all of you on Wednesday.

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IN THE KITCHEN:

I share what we eat each week because, 1) I’m the worst at meal planning and execution and I try to build in some gentle accountability for myself; 2) I hope that by sharing what we’re eating, then you’ll feel a little bit better about yourself; and 3) maybe one of these meals will fill a slot on your own meal planning calendar.

We desperately need a proper trip to the grocery store, but it’s been really hard to fit in this week. So we’ve dashed in for simple things like rotisserie chicken and ground beef, but have scraped the freezer and cabinets dry to make it through.

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Matthew made a tater tot casserole. A lot of recipes include cream of mushroom soup (which sounds even more amazing to me), but he’s not a fan so it was simple: ground beef cooked up like sloppy joes, put it into a baking dish, layer with some cheddar cheese, and top with frozen tater tots. Bake until the tots are crispy, add some more cheese to the top, and put it under the broiler until you get an extra crisp. Good enough, right?

Monday: I made a dinner of spaghetti + frozen meatballs + homemade garlic bread. The bread disappeared in a heartbeat! I made it in our bread machine and followed the directions for Herb Bread, but subbed their suggested herbs with 2 TBS garlic powder and 2 TBS Italian seasoning. I’m going to try raw garlic next time!

Tuesday: Fish sticks + the rest of the tater tots from the weekend.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken + mashed potatoes (instant) + salad.

Thursday: Simple Sesame Noodles. Always a hit.

Friday (today!): We’re in a real bind now and will likely order pizza.

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This has been another difficult news week – so much has been painful to witness. But I want to take a minute to share my joy about Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. It’s been an honor to learn about her life and witness her success. Despite the complete wackiness she had to endure during her confirmation hearings, I loved listening to her speak about her passion for the law. I think it’s fun to listen to scholars explain the process of their work (maybe I’m the only one?) and I was dreamy eyed about attending law school myself. (And then I thought of all of the debating and realized that I would probably develop an ulcer from the whole thing.) I was so happy to see that it’s all official and she’s ready to take her place on the Supreme Court!

And a fond farewell to Justice Breyer. This is exactly my reaction whenever anyone puts me on the spot, too:

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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, full of exactly what you need. Please – stay safe and cozy!