Musings

We recently watched The Polar Express as a family. I remember loving the slideshow of it as a kid--the elementary school librarian would show it each year before Christmas. Our oldest daughter is four and we've had many conversations this year about Santa. As over-analyzers, Matt and I can't just go with the flow and try to convince her that Santa is real. Many talk about the "magic" of Santa, and how they don't want to ruin that for their kids. I'm not here to argue about what you should tell your kids about Santa, but I do want to share my thoughts on this "magic" business. Our daughter, like most four-year-olds, is really into pretending. She also loves watching shows and reading books. Often, she gets that hopeful sparkle in her wide eyes and asks things like, "Are superheroes real?!" or "Are unicorns real?" On a basic developmental level, she's forming an important life skill of being able to differentiate between wh

A few years ago I found a "copycat recipe" online for Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi soup (anyone else love that bottomless soup, salad, and breadstick lunch special??) and have modified it a bit each time I've made it. It's my go-to meal to take to friends with new babies because everyone raves about it and big brothers and sisters love it too!  The measurements can be adjusted a bit for your preferences, but here is how I've been making it: Ingredients: 2 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I roast them with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning blend) 6 cups chicken broth (I make it with Better Than Bouillon) 2 cups cream 1 cup celery, finely diced 1 1/2 cup carrots, finely sliced 1 cup onion, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped  1 tablespoon avocado oil 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon parsley 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound potato gnocchi* Parmesan cheese, as desired Heat up a sto