Yesterday was such a gift. I know, every single day is a gift, made by God. But yesterday went so well, so smoothly, was one of those “this is what I pictured” sort of days — and we haven’t had one of those since… well, October. I started feeling lousy, life was busier than anticipated with things and people needing our attention, and we were given a season that required flexibility and adaptability.

I’m thankful that I’ve slowly learned to not be a slave to routine & order, but I sure do love those things. I’m a homebody, a lover of living life according to a schedule. We’re not always given what we naturally love, and God’s so good to give grace during those times, but sometimes we get one of those days that’s exactly what we love — and it’s such a gift.

I woke yesterday feeling GOOD! The Daily Rhythm that I made in September, based off what works for my little brood and I, was actually followed — though it’s been ignored the last few months (when I started feeling crummy & exhausted while wondering why on earth I felt crummy & exhausted — I’m brilliant.). Together we cleaned the downstairs — rooms tidied, kids dusting, and mama vacuuming & cleaning floors. Adrian happily worked through some pages of math and Explode the Code while Ellis entertained Josephine. Piles of laundry were tackled. Christmas cards were made by little boys. Attitudes were generally happy and we worked hard which meant playtime was more enjoyable (imagine that!). And I was reminded of what gets me through the winter months: time outside and fresh food.

my little men who just love when mama “goes on an adventure” with them.

still being able to “wear” my peanut, more and more wrinkles on my face because more and more life has been lived, and a massive scarf that keeps me warm: favorite things.

tiny prettiness in life. small gifts to us. thanks, God.

 lunchtime prettiness. also small gifts.

I’m also a lover of comfort food during the cold months. Give me all the roasted vegetables, soups & bread, and stews of every sort. But for such a comfort-food-lover, I have yet to find a Beef Stew recipe that I really love. I tried a new one yesterday which I thought would be “the one” since, come on, it’s Ina’s recipe. Perhaps it was because I put the meat in the marinade mid-morning rather than the day before, or maybe it was because the stew sat in an oven I had accidentally turned off for an hour before I noticed (oops!), but it still wasn’t my favorite. It was okay, but not amazing. Anyone have a good one to share?

But what the stew lacked, I made up for with a side of my family’s favorite cornbread. I found this recipe recently on the back of a bag of a random brand of cornmeal from a discount grocery store (here’s looking at you, Save-A-Lot), and it’s quickly become a favorite. This isn’t your typical dense, on-the-dry-side cornbread. It’s more loose, moist, with a hint of sweet. I’m going to lose the recipe if I don’t write it down now since I’ll probably toss the bag once it’s empty without thinking, so here it is — for everyone to enjoy:

Honey Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1T baking powder
1t salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4t vanilla
1/4 cup honey

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until well blended. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Pout into greased 8×8 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!