Author: alphabetresolutions

alphabetresolutions https://alphabetresolutions.wordpress.com Native Arizonan, theatre artist, Catholic. I'm a thankful mom & wife, a feminist, a recovering perfectionist, and an avid reader. Exploring new possibilities one year and one letter at a time.

Squashfest 2.0

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I promised to share a few more recipes for the huge varieties and quantities of squash we got in our CSA earlier this month so I’m back today with that…

Sadly I ran out of room on my phone for pictures during Thanksgiving and deleted the food pictures that went along with this post… ooops! I can still share these yummy recipes with you though so hopefully that makes up for it.

The focus of these recipes was on using the yellow squash we got. We shredded it all in the food processor and then I made Yellow Squash Cheddar Biscuits. They were delicious and even tasted good the next day (something I always worry about with baked goods.) They even tricked my toddler into eating the yellow squash- a vegetable which is definitely not his favorite.

33e4ac2d245008067242772c8a8c92f9848eb031784d0ecef4ef090660abefa5That left us with about half of the shredded squash and I wanted to try something a little different with it. I have a great family recipe book my mom made me as a bridal shower gift and there is a favorite holiday recipe in there for a hash brown casserole. Recently we’ve been substituting in zucchini pancakes for hash browns at breakfast so I thought we’d try out that recipe subbing in half yellow squash and keeping in half the hash browns. This casserole is definitely a winter meal- it is filling, heavy, rich, and delicious. It includes a cream of celery soup, onion, LOTS of cheese, sour cream, and of course butter. (My theme for the holiday season comes from Amy of the Little Women movie- “Isn’t butter divinity?!”) And since I don’t have any stomach for syrupy/sugary sweet things this pregnancy, I’m leaning into the rich, buttery, creamy holiday options!

Tis the season for warming meals, kind words, and getting creative. This new twist on an old recipe paid off for sure!

Abundance and Gratitude in the Midst of Distress

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I think it’s safe to say that despite it’s blessings (so thankful we are expecting another baby, so glad I’ve made new friendships and strengthened old ones, so worth it to take a big trip before the insanity of baby #2 started…) 2016 has been a ROUGH year for a lot of people. It has definitely been a rough year for my family and myself. Continue reading →

Cooking: Squash Fest

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One of my favorite things about fall is fall produce and the return of one of my favorite CSA programs (they shut down for the summer here in AZ)- we got a TON of squash varieties last weekend so we’ve been brainstorming how to use all of this zucchini, grey squash, and yellow squash. Here’s a small sampling of the recipes we’ve been trying: Continue reading →

Cultivate Kindness

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I don’t know about you, but 2016 has been rough for us. Exhausting, discouraging, full of hard work and lots of blessings too, but mostly we are looking towards 2017 and praying things feel a little less difficult. Or at least difficult in different, meaningful ways given that we have a newborn on the way… Continue reading →

C is for Cultivate

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WOW. We are somehow down to only two months in 2016. I am looking forward to cooler weather, upcoming holidays, and re-centering. This month I want to start focusing on cultivating the habits and values I hope to bring into 2017 and our growing family. I started cultivating some great routines last spring and then got majorly sidetracked after being so sick for so long and I am looking forward to trying to get back on top of them, while still knowing that I am going to be tired as I head into my third trimester and then probably even more tired the beginning of next year (though hopefully feeling better!!) Continue reading →

Meatless Monday: Protein before the Candyfest

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We made two meatless and tomato-less treats for dinner yesterday which means it hit everyone’s dietary needs all at once. We made some modifications to both the recipes to use what we already had in our pantry (because that’s the theme for the rest of the year- out with the old, before we’re ready to stock up for the new!) and while that turned out just fine with one recipe, I think I wrecked the other… LUCKILY the one that worked is packed with protein to help you (and your littles) ride out the Halloween sugar highs… Continue reading →

C is for Curried Lentils, Crockpot Cooking, and a Cast-iron Skillet

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My husband and I have a love of spicy food. This means we tend to eat a lot of ethnic food that contains a kick. Due to our location (Phoenix) and ease/price of ingredients, that often means Mexican food, but we are also huge fans of Thai and Indian food. Continue reading →

Festive Halloween Stuffed Bell Peppers

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So since becoming a single car family I spend a lot more time at home with my son instead of out at the children’s museum or zoo or even the library (though we are still frequent visitors to our local branch!), So I’ve made a conscious effort to keep things interesting for him on days that I have energy/am not feeling pretty sick. Continue reading →