All According to Plan

Last week's no-plan plan was a success.  Some of the items on the list got made, others didn't.  Some of the items made were eaten, others weren't.  There was take-out and home-cooked.  There are two batches of carrot soup in the freezer for future meals.  

Sometimes having, and sticking to, a plan makes getting food on the table less stressful.  Sometimes it's more relaxing to figure it out as you go.  And sometimes you have to plan not to plan in order to maintain kitchen calm.

Chosen

I considered sharing a photo taken while snowshoeing a couple of years ago.  It was lovely with its calming blues and greys.  

But today I'm craving sunshine, so I'll save towering trees, snowy trails and overcast skies for another time.  Today, let's recall brighter times.

Determined

It is possible that these spring flowers were intentionally planted. I'd rather believe they are volunteers that are determined to thrive in spite of the landscaping tie dropped on their heads.

Not

Two similar containers in the fridge.  One contains my lunch.  Guess which one I brought to work?  

Something About Marvin 3

Marvin drools when he is relaxed and content.  Apparently this is quite common, though we had never experienced it with other cats.  We thought he had dental problems!

Marvin actually drools a lot, so I guess he is a happy cat.  Which is a good thing - except for all the cat drool.  

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Happy Groundhog Day!

From an out-of-province friend's email earlier today:

"Take heart ---- the Marmot Recovery Foundation, when  asked if Van Island Violet would make a prediction, said that a hibernating marmot is unlikely to see her shadow. Ergo, an early spring."

I live on Vancouver Island, and I had never heard of Van Island Violet and her weather predicting powers, so I thought I'd look into it.  I wish I hadn't, as I found this article, which states she did, in fact, see her shadow.  Ugh.  More winter.

Still, it sounds like this is good news for our marmots. I suppose I can't begrudge them a longer winter if it will help with their survival.  Vancouver Island Marmots are a critically endangered species.  I can always buy some spring at the grocery store if winter gets overwhelming.

New Board. No Plan

This week we are going with a no-plan plan.  What we have are meal suggestions based on what is in the house.  Why?  Well, I've been sick, and I've likely passed along my germs to Hubby.  I suspect that neither of us is going to feel like cooking this week, and, when we do, we likely won't know what we want to eat ahead of time.

I'm relying heavily on a cookbook I got from the library.  "The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs" is full of quick easy recipes, and, as it's by America's Test Kitchen, I'm assuming they are reliable as well.  I've pre-made both soups, and the quick tastes I had were quite good considering the simplicity of the recipes.  

Soup, grilled cheese (in the form of quesadillas), eggs, one-pot meals, items from the freezer and take-out.  Easy, comforting food to get us through what I expect will be a long week.

(*Note:  I don't get anything for the links above.  They're there for your information.  Hope you find them useful.)