I have been really feeling an immense amount of stress & negative energy lately, and I really, really needed a day of filling my own cup.

For some, that’s shopping. For others it’s a trip to the spa. For me, it’s an uninterrupted day in my kitchen, cooking and baking to my hearts content while ignoring the outside world.

A lot of the stress comes from desperately wanting to leave my little job. I only work one day a week selling beer & wine at a little mom & pop Bodega around the corner from my home. At first it was the perfect little, short-term job while our lives shifted. I could walk to work. It’s run the same old-fashioned way as it opened in 1979 – original cash register and all. It was nice to feel like a human adult instead of just a mom & wife. It’s not that I dislike my job, but after a year working 12-hour shifts, I already feel totally burnt out there and it’s began taking a major toll on me in all the ways and caused a huge decline in my quality of life.

Anyway, being at home making home-cooked meals for my family is one of the things that brings me the most joy in life. It’s where I feel I belong. Cooking for those I care about is my biggest love language and I needed to reverse some of this negative energy into positive energy instead. So I decided to make a really cozy Fall supper for my family last night, and then all snuggle up together in front of our little fake fireplace for a family reading of Little House in the Big Woods.

It was exactly what I needed before having to be back into work in the morning.

Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough Loaf

My biggest goal of the day was to learn how to better use my William Sonoma breadmachine. I tried once, failed miserably, and gave up indefinitely. Until yesterday. I have a ton of sourdough starter discard I need to use up, so it was the perfect reason to teach myself.

I woke up early in the morning to make the first loaf: Rye Honey Oat. I did better than the first time, but, it wasn’t there yet. It had a delicious taste and an amazing crunch to the crust, but I was not satisfied with the inside.

I took a break, did the girls science lesson together with them, then began on the second Loaf so it would be ready for dinner. My husband requested Rosemary Olive Oil since it is one of our favorites, so I gave it my best shot. This time I tried a different technique and it worked SO much better.

I would like to circle back to the Rye Honey Oat using my new technique and see if it comes out better this way because that Honey Oat flavor was seriously incredible!!!

I love baking fresh bread, but it’s definitely a labor of love. Teaching myself how to use this bread machine is going to make having fresh  bread daily so much simpler, especially on days that are extra busy and I am not able to be as vigilant about proofing time.

Spicy Vegetable Soup with Homemade Noodles 

Yes, I am extra. Yes, this is the only way I will ever make any sort of noodle soup ever again because it is just way more fun, adorable, & downright delicious. No boxed noodle can compare to a fresh homemade one and no one can change my mind about this. It made me smile. It made my kids smile. It’s the only way to do things now.. there’s no going back to before. I mean seriously… how cute are these little stars?!

The Rosemary Olive Oil bread was the perfect flavor addition to the Spicy Vegetable Soup!

Sourdough Discard Ultra Fudgy Brownies

Neither my husband or I are brownie people. However, I needed to use up my sourdough discard from the week and I didn’t want to make only bread products so when I found a recipe for brownies made from discard, I was all in.

Both of us agreed that these are HANDS DOWN the best brownies we have ever eaten. They are so fudgy that you don’t even need Frosting, but what brownie isn’t better frosted, or at least powder-sugared?

Seriously though, they were perfect in every way. We are definitely going to add these to the plan for our Fall Sale that we are preparing for in homeschool! A little chocolate Frosting, topped with some fall Sprinkles will make the perfect treat to sell and aren’t overly time-consuming.

We cleaned up from our meal & put our home to bed for the night, then gathered in the living room around the faux fire. It was so cozy & put some joy and gratitude back into my heart. There is something so magical about slow & purposeful living. It’s wild to me that there are women out there who actually see this lifestyle as a “bad,” “downgrading,” or a “threat to women.” I totally disagree – serving your family is one of the greatest roles & blessings this life has to offer! There’s literally no where on earth I’d rather be than at home with my children, and there’s absolutely no one I’d rather have raising my children than me.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov