Violet Sky

As I’m looking at what we ate in November, I’m realizing that I did not make a single dinner that I had not made before. Something to think about for December, though we’re now 12 days into it and the year is clearly getting away from me. On the plus side, I made challah for the second time (the first was a disaster) and it turned out great, so at least I have one new recipe to share this month.

New Recipes

Challah bread – I can’t remember what recipe I used for challah the last time I made it, so I googled one yet again. I’ve made a fair amount of recipes from The Kitchn and this one was great, as well. The six strand braid also turned out way better than I thought it would, even though I had to watch the same braid tutorials over and over, pausing as I went.

Revisited Recipes

Cajun shrimp étouffée – I generally prefer to make the shrimp gumbo that has a similar flavor profile to this, but it’s been a long time since I made the étouffée and I was happy that I did, because it takes a little less time than the gumbo and is just as good.

Vietnamese coconut caramel chicken – I cannot even begin to express what a disaster this meal was. I’ve made the recipe before and I know it’s good, but every part of this turned out poorly and I apologized to my family for making it after I had a taste. My husband did talk me off the ledge of deleting the recipe from our recipe list entirely, at least, but it’ll be a while before I try it again.

Easy lasagna soup – I’ve had this one on the list for almost 10 years now, and it’s a hit with the kids. Fast and easy, and fairly low calorie depending on how you dress it up.

Brats, beets, and potatoes – I don’t know if this is necessarily a recipe, but it’s one that gets requested by my family during the winter and I’m always happy to oblige it because it’s so easy. I use whatever large leafy greens Winco has available (this time, it was Swiss chard) and always buy golden beets, because I love golden beets.