Another week has been spent RICEing my knees (rest, ice, compress, elevate) and they are both slowly getting better. I can tell a big improvement when descending staircases and I am very relieved both knees are healing. The right knee is slightly more tender than the left, but I will be back on the treadmill soon. I checked a major item off my to-do list this week, when I filed our taxes. Hallelujah! I was planning on doing them over Spring Break but was able to get them done early. Speaking of Spring Break, it is approaching very quickly and J.T. and I both cannot wait! Last year we went to Washington but this year we are home bound. I am really looking forward to simply spending time at home. The majority of our life is spent at work, so I love lazy days spent doing little projects around our apartment. I already have my Spring Break to-do list going and our menu plan mapped out. I am looking forward to trying many new recipes that I am not brave enough to attempt during the week.
A little project that J.T. and I did last weekend was work on hanging my new spice rack. This wooden shelf was made by my grandfather. About a month ago, we were cleaning out his attic and stumbled upon it. I immediately envisioned all my spices fitting on it perfectly. They are alphabetical (of course!) and so easy to access. The blue willow tea cups on the top shelf belonged to my grandmother. I love having a piece of Mama Jean and Granddaddy Ed in my kitchen. Please ignore the terrible phone picture.
Sunday
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Green Beans
- Jam Cake
Monday
- Quinoa Pea Soup
- Cornbread Muffins
Tuesday
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Peas
Wednesday
- Hummus Sandwiches
- Roasted Carrots
Thursday
- Spinach Sausage Polenta Squares (new recipe from Whole Grain Mornings)
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Friday
Recently, I have fallen head over heels for my newest cookbook addition,
Whole Grain Mornings. If you don’t have
it, go buy it because it makes breakfast and breakfast foods magical no matter
what time of day you eat them. I have challenged
myself to try or create one new recipe a week, and this week I decided to try
Baked Pumpkin Risotto. Yes, I realize
fall has come and gone, but I could eat pumpkin any time of year. Megan Gordon, the cookbook author and blogger
of A Sweet Spoonful, recommends eating this dish the day it is made. However, I made this dish the night before it
was to be served, and reheated it in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. I also added an extra ½ cup of water on top
before heating, so it wouldn’t dry out. It
was absolutely delicious and I served it alongside mini meatloaves. This is the busy girl’s version of a balanced
meal, with only two dishes: Protein = Meatloaf,
Vegetable = Pumpkin, Starch = Brown Rice.
I pulled the mini meatloaves from the freezer the night before. When I arrived home from work, I popped both
the meatloaves and pumpkin risotto into the oven to reheat side by side. No fuss and a satisfying home cooked meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil, plus additional
for greasing
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups long grain brown rice
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 teaspoons grey celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon
ginger
- 2 ¾ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Directions
- Heat the
coconut oil in a medium-sized skillet, over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally,
until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
- Fill a medium
sized saucepan 2/3 full with water.
Bring the water to a boil. Then add the rice, cover, and simmer over low
heat for 15 minutes. Drain.
- Preheat the
oven to 375 degrees and grease a large (13 x 9 inch) baking dish with coconut oil. In a medium
sized bowl, stir together the pumpkin, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, caramelized onions, and drained rice.
Transfer this mixture to the prepared casserole dish and smooth out
in one even layer.
- Heat the
chicken stock, water, and almond milk over medium-high heat, until it
barely begins to boil. Pour
directly into the casserole dish over the rice. Do not stir. Bake for 40 minutes uncovered. Let sit for 15 minutes before
serving. Stir. Serves 8.
