The San Francisco Bay Area was hit by two separate rainstorms this weekend, so we elected to hunker down indoors to stay cozy and dry.
For breakfast, I made scrambled eggs…
….bacon…
….and lobbed everyone a satsuma. I’m not kidding about launching tangerines at everyone’s heads – I’m training my kids to have ninja-like reflexes. Soon, they’ll be deflecting throwing stars.
After doing the dishes, I puttered around the kitchen, bottling up homemade kombucha, while the Double-Os performed their favorite Weird Al songs in the living room. After a few weeks of experimentation, we’ve landed on our favorite flavors: apple (Big-O), cherry (me), and Fuyu persimmon (Henry). When the kombucha in the continuous brewer achieves the perfect level of tanginess, I bottle the ‘booch with a few slices of fresh or frozen fruit.
Then, I let the bottles condition in our cooler for two days before I stick them in the fridge. I’m still new to home brewing and flavoring, so I constantly find myself referring to my two favorite online resources: Kombucha Kamp and Food Renegade. My next kombucha-related project: Setting up a SCOBY hotel so I can share the yeasty, bacterial love with others.
Lunch was a simple affair: Paleo coleslaw and slider burgers.
After lunch, I grabbed a bag of apples from the fridge to make a batch of crunchy, cinnamon-dusted apple chips. I love my mother-in-law’s recipe for these treats – I’m kind of addicted to them – and I’ve been dying to make my own ever since my oven got fixed.
Mission accomplished!
Because of the dreary weather, I was determined to make a hearty, comforting dinner – but not one that would take all afternoon. As a result, I broke out my pressure cookers (yes, plural) to make short ribs and mashed fauxtatoes. For an additional vegetable side dish, I roasted a tray of broccoli in the oven.
Yep, it totally hit the spot – though using two pressure cookers mean more pots to clean.
As Christmas approaches, I’m feeling bummed out. Not because I have a ton of last-minute preparations – that’s a given – but because my vacation ends on the 26th. The day after Christmas also happens to be Lil-O’s birthday, and even though I’m not heading off to my shift at the hospital until after he goes to bed, it still bites. Plus, I’m now scheduled to work the nightshift for the next seven Christmases, as well as Lil-O’s next seven birthdays. Assuming I stay employed, I won’t have those days off again until both of my little boys are teenagers. I guess I’ll just have to make sure I savor every minute of family time before I start work on Wednesday night.
Happy holidays, everyone!
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