y’all, it’s the holiday season and we are BACK with our monthly recap.
but first, how are you? did you get walking pneumonia or the flu yet? how are your mornings going? are your children protesting any and all weather-appropriate gear? have they peed through their snowpants? lost every hat and mitten in less than a week?
have you done your shopping and shipping? have you gotten teacher gifts? figured out all your holiday plans? who are you going to circle back with after the new year? what are you cooking or baking? did you forget you were leaving on vacation in one week because you’re a week behind and now have to do 2394203942903480932 things in the next 5 days because you also have leave time to pack the family suitcase for a ski trip and oopsies nobody’s boots or winter stuff fits them from last year because the kids are growing like weeds and there’s too much going on right now for you to possibly keep up with every. single. fffffuckinnnnnnggggggg. thing?!!??!!!
‘tis the season, babies!
wtf did we eat?
katie: SO MANY NOODLES (our go-to recipe below)
move over soup season, it’s noodle time. mac and cheese (specifically the bunny shape) is a top requested item in my house, and it’s so easy to make - give yourself the gift of mastering cheese sauce. sneak in some veg if you wanna!
katie: milk bread rolls
i’ve made these twice for recent friendsgivings and they’re so good. add them to your holiday dinner table and thank us later.
ed: roast dinners
the humble roast dinner is absolutely crushing it in this fam. roast pork, roast chicken, roast beef, it doesn’t matter what it is, the kids are down - as long as there’s crispy roast spuds, gravy, a carrot, maybe a parsnip. stuffing and yorkshire puds a bonus. bubble and squeak is a great midweek supper.
ed: school dinner chocolate pudding
found in the excellent cookbook midweek recipes by jess elliott dennison. it’s so easy (done in 20, or even less if you microwave it) and so yummy. think: fuss-less chocolate lava cake.
wtf did we watch?
XMAS MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it’s tiiiiiiime! finally. there are so many to watch and we will happily be watching them all for the 2394230482034823094th time over the next month. katie: is 8 years old too young for die hard? ed: our four year old is definitely aspiring to be kevin from home alone.
ed: ‘that christmas’ got me a through an evening of solo parenting pretty smoothly - would recommend
katie: our kids are finally old enough partake in my favourite xmas day tradition - going to the movies! we will be celebrating in amsterdam this year (which has some really great theatres), and our plan is to check out mufasa or sonic 3.
katie: wild robot
this movie was a delight! kinda like wall-e mixed with are you my mother. i cried a lot and the kids loved it!
shrinking (apple tv)
if you’re not on this train already, you need to hop on. what a great show. ed: i repeat, great show.
wtf did we read?
katie: mrs quinn’s rise to fame
a very easy read about a septuagenarian who becomes a contestant on a baking reality show. i am zooming through it, and am eager for when it gets adapted for TV!
ed: one snowy night
these kids books are so innocent, calming and kind. they take me back to my own childhood and i’m so pleased to be reading these nick butterworth/percy the park keeper classics to the kids.
fail of the month:
katie: marbles fall under my list of banned substances, along with glitter, play-doh, kinetic sand, beads and slime. this weekend my very curious kids went digging in a closet and to their surprise & delight, found ker-plunk (a marble-based game from my childhood that I inherited from my parents during a basement clear out), which I had successfully hidden from them for years. marbles, everywhere, immediately. i wish the game had Jumanji’d them.
ed: it happened to us. we got lice/nits. while it’s not technically a fail, because they are everywhere, hear me when i say: woof. getting rid of them is a serious procedure and a huge pain in the butt. thoughts and prayers go out to all the curly haired mums, and parents of curly haired kids. pro tip: get thee a lice comb.
ok, that’s all folks! we wish you a happy holiday and will see you in the new year! you can keep up with us on instagram throughout the holiday season - we will share stories and reels and updates, when we aren’t too busy stuffing our kids into their snowpants.
xoxo,
kt & ed
cheesy pasta
with optional sneaky veggies. makes enough for dinner and leftovers.
equipment
cheese grater, measuring spoons and cups, big pot, small pot, knife, whisk, wooden spoon or spatula, colander/strainer, blender or food processor (optional).
ingredients
veg puree
1 big sweet potato or butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped
OR frozen equivalents
OR 1 pre-made sweet p/squash baby food pouch/jar
cheesy pasta
500g of your favourite pasta shape (we like squiggly noodles, short tubes or “novelty” shapes like animals, bowties, wagon wheels)
¼ cup/60 g of butter
¼ cup/30 g AP flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp miso (optional, but tasty!)
2 cups/500 ml milk
2 cups/450 g shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup/125 g/1 pouch or jar of sweet potato or squash puree (optional, but encouraged)
black pepper to taste
method
prep your veggie puree. Either go with pre-made stuff, OR boil your chopped sweet potato or squash until super soft, and blend until completely smooth. Reserve ½ cup for your cheese sauce and save the rest for later.
cook your pasta. Put a pot of salted water on to boil, and cook your pasta until it’s done, according to package directions.
while the water is heating up, prep your cheese sauce. shred the cheese, gather your ingredients. these steps will go pretty quickly.
over medium heat, melt the butter.
when it’s melted and bubbly, add your flour and optional miso to the pot and whisk together to form a roux.
when a paste has formed, slowly pour in your milk in 3 additions, whisking between each one to ensure no lumps.
continue whisking - the mixture will thicken. turn the heat down to medium/low, so it doesn’t burn. add salt, pepper & garlic powder. when the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, whisk in your cheese and then add optional veggie puree, ensuring everything is completely combined and smooth.
taste for seasoning & adjust if needed.
when the pasta is finished cooking, strain it, reserving about ¼ cup of pasta water.
now - you can either add the strained pasta directly into the cheese sauce, turn the heat up a little and let everything cook together, stirring often OR you can pour your desired amount of cheese sauce over the pasta and save leftover cheese sauce for later. either way, loosen the sauce with a splash or two of pasta water and stir until it’s all coated & glossy.
serve & enjoy.