What's Good This Week

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So this just happened:

My every other year or so dramatic chop off, and hardly so dramatic this time around, although I'm contemplating going back to have the back chopped into a bit more of a graduated bob as it isn't quiiiiite what I asked for.

I had a ton of new growth after post-pregnancy hair loss, so the ends were getting thin and scraggly and it was just time for a chop. I've been contemplating this for a couple of months, and although our hair salons (among other things) have remained open as usual, going in for a hair cut was a bit out of my personal comfort zone until now.

Obviously there's no shaking the hairdresser's hand anymore, and she was running a bit behind as there's now more cleaning required between clients. They had a no talking rule during the shampoo, but otherwise it was a pretty normal experience and nice to go and do something for myself.

I also had dinner with friends this weekend for the first time in probably three months, and that was freaking glorious. There was no hugging (I don't even like hugs and I miss hugging!) and we spread ourselves out to provide enough distance between each other at the table, but other than that it was a much needed night of wine and takeout and belly laughing that was long overdue.

It was nice to get a break from the three males that I live with, spend some time with the ladies, and soak up some at-a-distance human contact.

It was a long weekend here and I did a whole bunch of cooking with Niko. First up, we made "everything cookies" which were a riff on the Trail Mix Cookies from this cookbook, where I essentially dumped in everything that needed using up in the cupboard.

We tossed in some old crusty vegan marshmallows I had at the back of the cupboard, a mix of Smarties and M&M's I had on hand from decorating birthday cakes, some chopped up Toblerone bar, roasted peanuts which I think were from Christmas baking, and the last of a bag of golden raisins. They turned out really well!

Niko had been bugging me to see how the pasta rollers for my Kitchen Aid Mixer work, so on Saturday we made a batch of fresh homemade spinach fettuccini for the whole fam. He helped me mix the dough together (I use my food processor for spinach pasta dough to get it chopped extra fine) and then after I showed him the ropes he did all of the rolling.

There were a few quality control issues towards the end that made me take some deep breaths, but it all turned out great, and I mean, how many four-year-olds do you know who make fresh pasta from scratch?!

When cooking with my kids I try to pre-measure as much stuff as possible because they will mess up that part 100% of the time. But then I try to let them do all of the mixing, testing, and taste test as much as is reasonable (Niko will taste every ingredient, including butter and flour, and lots and lots of dough).

It may mean extra clean up for me at the end, but it gets them away from the ipad, helps them learn about food, and is pretty fun for everyone involved. And while I may not make a batch of Everything Cookies for myself, I sure do enjoy eating them when the kids help make them.

Niko had been bugging us about getting him a skateboard for a couple of months. He'd try and fashion himself skateboards out of lego, boxes with wheels, or whatever else he could find, so it was pretty clear he was serious about wanting one.

A couple of weeks ago Paul finally ordered a couple of skateboards online, one for Niko and one for himself. Now every afternoon and every weekend is spent at the playground behind our apartment, which has a little skate park attached to it.

We took advantage of the long weekend to venture out to some bigger parks out of our neighbourhood, and threw the skateboards into the back of the bike chariot so we could bring them with us. Niko did a great job trying out some more advanced skate parks, even spending a bit of time in a mini bowl and a kid's half pipe.

I finally found him a helmet that fits his weird head without tipping over, and it also looks great. I can't find a link to the helmet we got, but the brand is Nutcase and their youth helmets are called Little Nutty.

Niko's head is SO HARD to find helmets for, because it's super wide and has a lopsided part due to him being an excellent sleeper as a baby and getting a pretty bad flat head. You can't tell now that he has hair, but finding a helmet that will actually fit him and protect his head has been a real challenge. I'm relieved to have finally found one that works!

Last week I finished reading Untamed and then promptly downloaded the audiobook because I just didn't feel done with it.

Man oh man, this book has rocked my world. I had pretty high expectations of it since I've been following her story since her previous book Love Warrior came out, and it did not disappoint.

I found the first parts of the book to be a bit slow (because my expectations were so high) but on the second pass, listening to the author read it, I'm picking up a lot more. If you identify as a woman and / or as a mother, I highly highly recommend this book.

Also, this podcast episode with Brené Brown interviewing Glennon Doyle is so amazing I think it's no exaggeration when I say I've listened to it ten times thus far and I'm not sure I'm done yet.

ON HEY NUTRITION LADY THIS WEEK

We started the week off with these crisp, sweet, and salty Air Fryer Carrots. No air fryer? No problem! I've got oven roasting instructions as well for these honey roasted carrots with dukkah.

And next up, continuing on my plan for internet mung bean domination, we've got a ridiculously good Spicy Mung Bean Salad. It's got honey roasted carrots (yep, those carrots), pan-fried halloumi, and a fiery dressing that brings it home. So, so, so good.

WHAT’S TRENDING ON HNL

Yeah, yeah, we all know that Mung Bean and Coconut Curry is in number one. So let’s look at what else is trending.

1. Chia Fresca. Topping the charts again!

2. Turmeric Latte Mix. Yes. Again. It's that good.

3. Peanut Butter Oat Bars. Wishing I had some of these right now.

4. Indonesian Black Rice Pudding. So easy in the Instant Pot!

5. Red Lentil Dal. Mmmmm. So good.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Jehanne left the following comment and 5-star review on my Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie recipe:

I made this today, and it’s a definite winner. The only major changes I made were swapping adzuki beans for the black beans, and chia seeds for the hemp. The flavor is akin to chocolate banana bread, which I love–I’m sure to be making this again!

Love the idea of using adzuki beans here for that natural sweetness!