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Our Weekly Cadence – 2023 September 18th-24th

Hey there, lovely readers! This is our second post of ‘Our Weekly Cadence,’ where we invite you to join us in the heart of our home. This week, like last week, we focused on versatile meals. Meal ideas post stomach bug for us need to be simple or encompass ideas to use what is already in our freezer. Initially, we concocted some quick small batch electrolyte gelatin for those of us that needed some replenishment. We also did a little baking for the week and we roasted a another batch of coffee.

Electrolyte Gelatin for Stomach Bug

First things first. We had to ease into our week with gelatin, crackers and applesauce. Gelatin is a soothing thing to have on hand to help improve digestion as well as reduce inflammation. High in protein, collagen, and amino acids, its a wonder additive. Part of our family could not keep down water during the stomach bug. Therefore, we decided to concoct some gelatin to help replenish electrolytes, provide some nourishing nutrition as well as soothe the belly.

The recipe below made a small half cup of gelatin which was all we needed. The recipe could definitely be multiplied if needed. And this recipe could also be used for fruit juice gelatin as well.

Gelatin Recipe

• 1/2 teaspoon grass fed gelatin
  • bloom with a a teaspoon of water for 2-5 min
• 1/2 cup liquid (we used electrolyte powder mixed with water)

Combine the bloomed gelatin with the liquid and heat until just boiling. Leave to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes. Next, chill in the fridge until set for at least 2 hours. When the gelatin is wiggly, you are good to consume as much of as little as you can stomach.

Weekly Meal Plan – Our Ideas Post Stomach Bug

We try to have a plan for 5-6 dinners as well as an idea for lunches and breakfasts during the week. Our lives are far from perfect, so it’s not atypical for our meals to change as the week evolves. But a plan helps us keep our cadence and rhythms going and is a good anchor for us.

While yet another virus hit us at the start of this week, it set our schedule in a bit of disarray. As a result, our meal plan has already shifted. We will rely on some leftovers and keep the rest of week simple. And of course, lot’s of crackers and apple sauce were consumed before moving on to heartier foods.

Meal Idea Tips

• Quick and easy kale and sausage pasta (10-20 minutes)
  • start cooking a pasta such as orecchiette
  • saute garlic and red pepper for a minutes, add chicken Italian sausage to brown
  • next add chopped kale and then a good splash of white wine
  • finally, add cooked pasta, splash of olive oil and Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano
• Crispy Build Your Own Tostadas (5-15 minutes)
  • fry corn tortillas or purchase and heat beans/protein (can use room temp as well)
  • set whatever toppings wanted out family style such as:
    • beans (canned/fresh, refried/whole) or whatever protein you want
    • shredded cheese
    • pickled vegetables (radishes, onions, jalapenos/fresnos)
    • cabbage/lettuce
    • salsas
  • once ready to eat, let everyone build their own by putting the tortilla down and topping with whatever topping they’d like.

Homemade Treats for The Week

We made a version of these Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars and have enjoyed them as dessert, breakfast and snacks. These oatmeal bars should last us half the week because they go fast. Per usual we altered the recipe to use half the amount of sugar and replaced some of the white flour with wheat. We also omitted the toffee and replaced it with pecans for an extra fiber, protein and nutrient boost.

Freshly Roasted Coffee for The Week

Time to try a new coffee this week! We decided to roast beans from Costa Rica Palmichal Los Santos. Degassing is almost complete with it’s magic, and already the aromas of the beans are incredible. The roasted beans are perfumed like a classic Costa Rican coffee — bright notes, yet roasty smelling at the same time. We expect almond brittle, pistachio ice cream and dark cocoa flavors. Full City was the aim this time to try to get the best of the brightness and the roasty-ness of this bean. It took us 21 minutes to achieve Full City. Super excited to brew a fresh cup tomorrow morning bright and early.

For more information on home roasting, degassing and roast levels, see our posts on how to roast coffee at home.

Until Next Time!

Next week it’s time to make more sourdough bread. Fall is coming and the market produce should be evolving. We will try to come up with some nice transitional meals to start saying goodbye to summer and hello to autumn. At least, that’s the plan for now!

And hey, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment below, sharing your thoughts/tips on weekly rituals, meal ideas post stomach bug, or any delightful moments you’d like to celebrate. After all, life is sweeter when shared with friends.

Thank you for being a part of our journey, and here’s to savoring the beauty in each week that unfolds. Until next time!