Well, I’ve made it through yet another weekend without washing my floors. I might be the worst housewife ever — I think I should do a post about that one right there… in my defense though, they were washed last Monday when I couldn’t stand it anymore. It’s a good thing I can butter up my husband with delicious meals, such as Sunday morning french toast — his food coma is more than he can bear and doesn’t say too much about the floors.
This morning before church, I indulged in a little OIAJ action. Actually, I was more or less missing how my peanut butter jar is far from empty. I wanted to be like all the cool kids — so I pulled out a mason jar. I’m in love with using these for breakfast now I think. Prepare to see more of this in the future.
Pumpkin oat layer, apple layer, pumpkin oat layer, apple layer.
All topped with cranberries, peanut butter, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Honestly, you cannot go wrong… until they’re all gone.
I’ve been getting really sad when my meals are over lately — perhaps that’s a good sign. They’re so good I just can’t stand to see them go?
After church today, I was already starving. I had an avocado in my possession just begging to be turned into delicious guacamole & the leftover roasted red pepper from last night’s Panini (click here… you won’t be disappointed).
And since I have the largest amount of brussels sprouts I’ve ever had in my possession at one time, I decided to steam up a few of them as well.
Blogging behind the scenes:
This afternoon, I began to mentally prepare for our evening ahead. Well, I also baked a few of Jenna’s scones for dinner biscuits. These were honestly so good. I adapted them a little bit to fit the gluten free/corn free mold. I used about 1 cup flour (instead of 2/3 cup), used 1/3 tsp baking soda (instead of 1 tsp. baking powder) and veganized them using almond milk and Earth Balance.
While I was making these, I was thinking about how everyone has that one meal that reminds them of their childhood. That one meal that could bring back floods of memories of years gone by. You can imagine the smells, the sounds, and fellowship that went along with that particular meal. For me, that meal that makes me nostalgic is my mom’s vegetarian chili.
For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making this chili without fail every fall and winter. When I was younger, I was the only child that would eat the chili — my brother and sister refused and ate Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese (blue box, anyone?). I was never a picky eater, in fact, I would eat just about everything anyone put on my plate. For the majority of my childhood, my mom worked from home, and even when she went back to work full time as a realtor, she could still make her own schedule. On days where she made the chili, she had been home all afternoon letting it simmer on the stovetop. When I would get home from school, the fragrance of this chili would flow through the house the second I opened the door. I used to sneak into the kitchen when no one was around and steal samples (particularly of the baby red potatoes) to hold me over until dinner time.
Needless to say, when my mom invited everyone over for a family dinner tonight, I jumped at the opportunity to request this meal.
In fact, I would even bring biscuits if she made the chili.
It was even better than I remembered — nothing beats your childhood comfort food. And those biscuits you’re wondering about? I want to eat one every day for the rest of my life.
And, let’s be perfectly honest here — no trip to Mom and Dad’s is complete unless you come home with something. My mom is probably the most generous person I know, and hopefully someday having kids does the same for me. I can now thank my mom for chicken breasts (which will last the Husband months), honeycrisp apples (because she read about how I can’t bear to pay for them anymore) and a roll of paper towels (sorry Mom, but I grabbed them on the way out as the garage door almost killed me 
).
In fact, I think I’m going to go grab one of those honeycrisps right now — and perhaps attach a couple moistened paper towels to my feet to clean the floors. I’m glad we don’t have blinds on our front window — I like to give the neighbors something to talk about.
Question: What food/meal brings back memories for you? Do you have a specific comfort food from your childhood?
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Great minds think alike! I made french toast this morning as well, but it did have a little added twist. You should check it out, I am sure you would love it. My favorite childhood meal was my grandmother’ s chicken & dumplings. No one can make them like she did. Unfortunately she is no longer with us:( Therefore, we can only savor the memories of that meal.
I have lots of different comfort foods that bring back memories…all are linked to various occasions, parties etc. When I was little, for my birthday supper, I would always request that my Mom make me sausage, mashed potatoes and creamed corn…probably the most random meal for a little person to request, but I loved it.
When I came home from Korea last winter she made this for me…it was quite fun to enjoy it again.
Hey girl! oh my gosh i used to LOVE blue box mac n cheese! that def takes me back to my childhood! and my mom used to make chicken and rice a LOT! and obviously- PB and J’s do! and PB and J and nanner sandwiches! oh how fun it was to be a kid
One of my favorite comfort foods is eggplant parm. My mom’s recipe is so good and cheesy and delicious. Makes me all warm and happy
Mmmm all of your pictures look amazing & you make having food intolerances look easy! I especially liked the pictures of your breakfast
Chili was a big childhood food for me too…my mom always made a HUGE batch and we’d eat it for a week, topped with tons of cheddar cheese!! So good!
A big breakfast on the weekend reminds me of my favorite meals growing up!
Chili brings me back, too. Since we always had it in the crock pot, it was a Saturday morning thing for me. I’d wake up on a crisp morning and could already smell it cooking throughout the entire house!
Chicken marsala takes me back. I love my mother’s version. Pork chops also take me back to childhood, and not in a good way.
My mom makes this amazing oriental salad that makes me think of high school. I don’t make it very often, mostly because I can’t make it as good as she can.
Your brussels sprouts pictures are super motivating. I have some hanging out in my fridge right now and I think I might need to include them in tonight’s dinner….
You know, I think you’re onto something with the whole wet paper towels on your feet to clean the floor. I kind of want to grab a towel and test that out.. haha.
We actually have a few childhood meals but since most of them contained meat and my sister and I no longer eat it, those meals don’t really make an appearance anymore. It kind of makes me sad but I guess it just means I need to veganize them! Some of the meals were chili, stroganoff, tacos, caramel dumplings, crepes (which I definitely already veganized!), and probably a few more that I can’t remember.
I always come back to school with some containers of my mom’s home cooked meals
Who doesn’t? Her chicken pot pie was definitely one of my childhood favorites!
I think the meal that takes me back to childhood is either homemade chili as well or homemade soups. I can remember smelling the soup simmering on the stove with a big loaf of crusty bread!
I use my mason jars for everything. Breakfast, drinks, soup and storage. They are perfect and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes!
It’s amazing how a good meal can make my husband forget about an unclean house.
I love the oat combo! Looks really good. My favorite comfort food is definitely stuffing. I love love LOVE it! : )
Well, first I’d like to say thank-you for posting about chili (it’s what I had been planning for tonight!). Seeing the pictures makes me want to eat some right now. I bet your mom has her’s perfected (something I’m working on lol).
I loved my dad’s homemade perogies and mashed potatoes when I was younger (all the bad things I was able to eat when the ol’ metabolism could keep up)!
And more recently, we just had Canadian Thanksgiving, which made me miss Grandma’s turkey and stuffing! (we moved out west and they were gone this year traveling anyways - so no dinner!)
And if you’re a bad housewife, then I must be a terrible one…you don’t want to see my kitchen floor…way overdue for cleaning!
Your mom’s chili looks awesome! Moms always make the best comfort foods.
Mine is my mom’s minnestrone soup served with her homemade tea biscuits. I ask for that meal every time I go home.
Haha I can definitely relate to being sad when my meals are over! I think I would be happy if I could just eat all day long.
I always loved my mom’s homemade chili which she would make in the fall or winter once or twice. Deelish! I need to veganize the recipe now so I can have it again, i was actually thinking about it the other day!
you crack me up!!! your very cool now that you’ve eaten out of a mason jar! lol..and cleaned your floors with wet paper towels. your salad looks superb! and your moms chili looks great too. my fave food my mom makes is probably roast or meatloaf. ..she makes good turkey at thanksgiving too!
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