Autumn in NOLA

At last, we have modestly autumnal weather. Our back doors and windows are flung open, the boys are shirtless, playing Legos at the kitchen table. The Prof is paying bills, I’m writing briefs.  All together in a happy jumble. (Don’t worry, I’m sure some sibling will spark a fight with some other sibling shortly and destroy the peace, but for now I’ll enjoy that they’re getting along.)

I wrote that paragraph yesterday. I was interrupted by something, and never came back to it. Also, it warmed up to blazing hot again, which really irritated me. After a fairly decent start to the Saturday, I was irritable most of the day. Partly weather, partly some Mean Girls stuff at work, partly a somewhat poorly planned day peppered with short obligations spaced just far enough apart that I felt like I spent most of the day waiting for the next short thing. No flow. The Prof was gone much of the day for his annual Mardi Gras Krewe kickoff party, which was totally fine but it meant I had to take all three boys to Costco with me, which was a crowded, chaotic nightmare. They did not listen at all, it was seriously so crowded we could barely move, and I hadn’t made a list beforehand which made it sort of distracting and lots of backtracking to get things I’d forgotten. At one point, Liam ran full speed ahead with a giant cart full of stuff, right over Craig’s leg. Craig started screaming, Jack whacked Liam on the arm as a punishment (NOT OK, kid), and then Liam sat down and started crying, and Jack began defending his unwelcomed and inappropriate disciplining of his brother. We were quite the spectacle. Fun times.

Anyhow. I did run three miles in the evening, which was still too hot but helped with the grumpiness, and I got a good night’s sleep. Today should be better. I do have to finish a brief today, and ferry children to various birthday parties, and of course church in the morning. I also planned to make some of the week’s meals. How many hours are there in a day?

I am excited about this week’s meals. It should cool down somewhat, and for me fall is my favorite season of the year for cooking. While spring and summer are for fresh, crisp vegetables and stone fruit, it’s often too hot to feel like eating and thinking up dishes is a bit of a challenge. But fall and wintertime means slow simmered soups, pot pie and chili, chicken thighs crisped in the pan, bubbling casseroles, winter greens like chard and collards, biscuits and warm French bread.

So this week’s meals will be along those lines. I stocked up on meat and staples at Costco yesterday, as we’d sort of emptied out the cupboards and freezer recently. Back in the saddle:

• Pioneer Woman’s pan roasted chicken thighs, asparagus, and couscous
• Sweet and sour chicken with rice and broccolini
• BBQ rubbed pork chops with cheese grits
• Coconut curry salmon and rice, asparagus on the side
• Bat and pumpkin shaped ravioli and pesto – Costco had these and who knows how they taste, but in honor of October . . .
• Chili con carne. I don’t usually make the jalapeno cheddar shortcakes – they’re good, but kind of labor intensive.

Happy first day of October . . .