Sunday

Crockpot braised sage chicken with vegetables (recipe in the comments)
Harvest grains
Braised brussel sprouts

Hot tea
Peppermint bark
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This was going to be the welcome home dinner for M when we thought he was returning this evening. I love using my crockpot to make celebratory meals. The prep is usually easy and you do it early in the day so dinner itself feels effortless. I know that crockpots seem stuffy, but I think they're a modern marvel. This is a pretty traditional chicken pot au feu type recipe, but we most often use our crockpot for vegetarian stews and soups, which brings the appliance into the modern era. It's wonderful to prepare in the morning (or, more often for us, the night before) and know dinner will be waiting for you. Also, slow cooking by it's nature lowers the amount of fat necessary in a recipe, typically leaving you with very healthy dishes. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, celery, garlic, sage
Time: 20 minutes to prep, 8 hours to cook
Make ahead: That's the idea :)

Reaction
J: "This is my favorite ultra-traditional meal we've made in years! Watch out beef Daube, crockpot braised sage chicken with vegetables is sneaking up on you!"
M: "Just like Mama used to make...if your mama was fancy and French!"