Power Nap #121

JESS HAD HER BABY!!!! It's a....

Hey friends! I woke up to the best text message. Our beloved Jess had her baby this morning!!! A BOY!!!! “Zeb” is here and he is absolute perfection. I have looked at the above picture no less than 100 times and have attempted to smell him through the screen. Major congrats to Jess, who births her ginormous (seriously, Zeb was 9 pounds) babies at home, unmedicated. My vagina could never. Jess might be my Roman Empire. Also, how beautiful does Jess look? I am sorry I am just so very happy and teary for Jess.

I wanted to do an update on the pantry clean-out I challenged myself to this month. In short, I loved it — for two reasons. First, it was a fun way to sort of reverse meal-plan. Instead of monthly meal planning, or even planning based off of what was in the fridge, I planned whole meals around the bag of brown rice ramen we got at Costco, or the two pounds of chuck roast in the freezer. I felt inspired to cook some things I hadn’t made in a while. But also, we ate a lot of rice. Ha!

Second, I used a ton of stuff I had in the freezer — soups, chili, casseroles, shredded cheese, butter, bread/rolls… I used it all without abandon! How are you guys feeling about freezing food? I swear it is the best thing I do for myself. One day I had a single serving of homemade chicken pot pie I had frozen in a small ramekin — it tasted delicious. Another lunch, I had the most incredible (labor-intensive) pot roast I froze, complete with homemade mashed potatoes in a 2-cup Souper Cube, and it defrosted and reheated like a dream! So now I know when I make that pot roast, I can make smaller lunch portions and get even more bang for my buck.

I want to get better at how I share this info. I have a $20 guide, but are we really doing guides anymore? The info is still relevant, but I want this to translate better into my Reels and Stories. Anyways, I shall noodle on that one. Ideas welcome.

Speaking of meal planning, Caroline Chambers put out an awesome Substack where 12 readers share how they get dinner on the table. Each one was different, and I found it very insightful! There is no one right way.

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In Case You Missed It

1. I have finally figured out how to tell a toddler to crack an egg without making a mess in the process. BTW here’s the brownie recipe we were making. You know I love a Ghiradelli box mix but if you’re gonna go from scatch, these are ooey gooey delicious.

2. Athleta is having a 25% off sitewide (including sale prices!) Here’s a few highlights: I have lived in this jacket for 3 months. You’ve likely seen me wear it 50 times since November. It feels like wearing a hug and is perfectly cropped but not too cropped. If you do any sort of hiking or have kids and also carry your phone, these are the GOAT. Whenever I choose something different I end up cursing myself because I need that pocket. I have also been going to an in person pilates/yoga class a couple days a week and the transcend tank is perfect with these leggings. I love the deep V in the back. I am seriously eying a second tank in Black or Elm, and already purchased this tank in black. The Power Nap is free each week, and sponsors like Athleta help make that possible! Thanks for sponsoring this Power Nap, Athleta!

3. I bought stackable felt jewelry trays and adhesive necklace holders last year and they continue to be my saving grace in terms of an easy, inexpensive way to keep my jewelry tidy and untangled.

4. I wrote about how I’ve been doing January all wrong. Read more here:

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Quotes Nate Has Been Thinking About

• Albert Einstein credited all his major discoveries to music.

• Several hundred years ago, after 17th-century British Bible commentator Matthew Henry was mugged, he wrote the following in his journal: “Let me be thankful: first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took all I had, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

• On underrated inventions: “When the late Singaporean premier Lee Kuan Yew was asked for the secret of his nation’s rapid rise from doldrums to dynamism during the second half of the 20th century, he had two answers. First: multi-ethnic tolerance in a diverse society. Second: air conditioning.”

• “Almost everything is downstream of integrity.” - Scott Sumner

• None of our proudest achievements have come without effort: “Look at all the farms,” a child says to her grandmother in the seat behind me on a summer flight. “Yes,” she replies. “And what work it took!” - David McCullough, History Matters

• Dickens great admonition to all writers: “Make me see!”

• “Affliction is a good man’s shining time.” - Edward Young

• Two thoughts from Peter Wohlleben “Every walk in the forest is like taking a shower in oxygen.” and “There are more life forms in a handful of forest soil than there are people on the planet.”

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Snow Soup: Perfection in a Bowl

From Kate: So many of y’all got to meet Hannah on the book tour — she’s been on the NTK team since last December and helped us with the book launch & book tour and continues to be a massive help with all things NTK, especially as Jess is about to go on Maternity Leave. She’s based in Charlotte, NC and actually went to school with Jess! (Kate, Jess, and Hannah are all Tarheels!!)

Hey y’all - Hannah here! If you’re looking for a light and healthy soup…just keep scrolling LOL.

BUT if you’re looking for delicious warm indulgent hearty goodness-in-a-bowl, may I introduce you to what my family calls ‘Snow Soup’. I don’t even remember how it started, but several years ago we started making this every time it snowed and it just stuck! It’s the perfect thing to keep simmering on the stove while you play outside in the snow (or .0005 inches of ice if you’re in NC like me). It hits the spot every time.

There’s something so magical to me about the small, weird, everyday traditions that you slowly create as a family over the years, even if that tradition is just loaded baked potato soup on snow days. I hope that these are the tiny things that my kids will pass on to their families when they’re parents, or roll their eyes about when they’re teenagers. Until then, snow soup will be on on the stove in our house!

This is the recipe we use — I love that it’s one pot and reheats really well. If it’s a bit thick the next day, just add a dash of milk to get the perfect consistency.

Check out all of the cozy crockpot meals on Naptime Kitchen for more cold-weather recipe ideas if you’re stuck inside again this weekend!

Kate here—Speaking of soup, I made Bella’s Taco Soup for a group of friends last week and was reminded just how good it is! Bella is my aunt (Berta’s sister) and ever since the first time I tried this soup I asked her if I could share the recipe with you all. Since 2018, it’s been a fan favorite, and for good reason. It’s easy, fast, and the ranch seasoning really set it apart. I am grabbing the ingredients to make another batch this weekend.

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Beat on Repeat

(Obvi this was written prior to this morning) Jess here! This song has been blasting in my house, especially on the cusp of labor. It’s such a beautiful reminder of Jesus’ promises in scripture…He is our Daily Bread, and in Him, I lack nothing. If you’re in a season of doubt, anxiety, or waiting play this one on the speaker and dance with your kids in the living room. You’ll feel better I promise. (Any other mamas out there have babies that like to cook way past their due dates or just me 😆?).

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Thanks for reading!! Until next week,

Kate, Nate, Jess, Hannah, and Molly

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