• Cart
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Ina
    • Journals
    • Hurley House
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Cart
  • Hospitality
    • Cooking
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Celebrate
    • Basics
  • Lovely Living
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
    • Small Business
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Hurley House
    • Ina
    • Journals
  • Shop
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Party
    • Table
  • Learn
  • Blog
  • About
  • Events
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

  • Hospitality
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Cooking
    • Basics
    • Celebrate
  • Lovely Living
    • At Home
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Gifting
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
    • Small Business
    • Travel
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Events
  • Learn
  • Shop
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Party
    • Table
  • About

Ina In A Year: Week 42

July 24, 2019 · In: Chronicles, Ina

WHAT HAPPENED

After a week in Africa, my husband and two older children returned. Hurley House reopened after our summer break, and we got the store up and moving again. Then, at the end of the week, my husband and son left for a sixteen-day Boy Scout hiking trip. The massive amounts of travel this summer were something we both signed up for, but the staying home part is hard. The girls and I have fun together, but nothing is quite the same when Timm is gone.

The other large shift that happened this week is that I officially took all of the Ina In A Year cooking home. For a lot of reasons, I am no longer cooking these meals at Hurley House. Primarily, my role in the business does not require me to be in the kitchen, thanks to our new Kitchen Manager Rachel, and so I have more flexibility. But secondarily, and more in line with where my heart is leading me lately, I am wanting to get better at creating space in my own home. Cooking at home is something I love, and yet I have lost that part of myself in the storm of starting a business. I want that to change, and the best way to learn something is to start doing it.

I am cooking dinner most nights at home, visiting the grocery store more frequently, reacquainting myself with the routine of making homemade meals from my home kitchen. It feels like a luxury to get to live this way, if even for a season. The unexpected result is how easy the cooking feels at home.

 

WHAT I COOKED

Salmon & Guacamole Sandwiches, Foolproof
Fiesta Corn & Avocado Salad, Cooking for Jeffery
Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Make It Ahead
Mustard-Marinated Flank Steak, Foolproof
Creamy Cheddar Grits, Back to Basics
Garlic & Herb Tomatoes, At Home
Strawberry Tarts, Barefoot in Paris
Mustard Chicken Salad, How Easy Is That?
Zucchini Vichyssoise, Barefoot in Paris
Pesto Pea Salad, At Home
Pecan Sandies, Foolproof
Balsamic Roasted Beef, How Easy Is That?
Snap Peas with Pancetta, How Easy Is That?
Tomatoes & Burrata, Make It Ahead
Birthday Sheet Cake, Family Style
Hot Smoked Salmon, Foolproof
Fresh Dill Sauce, Foolproof
Crusty Basmati Rice, Foolproof
Prunes in Armagnac, Foolproof
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Frosting, Foolproof
Vanilla Armagnac Ice Cream, Foolproof
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies, How Easy Is That?

WHAT I LEARNED

For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I am going to make a blanket statement about this week’s recipes. All of them (with the exception of the Strawberry Tarts) are amazing and worth cooking. For the sake of the blog post, I am going to pick four to talk about, but I want to highly recommend everything you see in the list above. So many winners!!!!

MUSTARD MARINATED FLANK STEAK.
I happened to make this with the Creamy Cheddar Grits and the Garlic and Herb Tomatoes, and now this menu is solidified in my repertoire. The flank steak can be marinated overnight, but I forgot, and just did the best I could. It comes together so quickly, it is a candidate for weeknight cooking. I served it sliced on top of the cheese grits with the tomatoes on the side, and the whole thing worked so perfectly. I was scraping my plate to get every bite.

ZUCCHINI VICHYSSOISE.
This is a potato leek zucchini soup that can be served hot or cold (I chose hot), and I think the best review of this recipe comes from the lips of my eleven-year-old daughter, Norah. “I always get excited about soup, but usually I end up being disappointed. This soup lived up to my expectations.” It’s true. This soup has something special about it. I did use homemade chicken stock, which is always a game changer, but I think it is the combination of leeks and the time spent cooking them until they are soft and sweet that really gives this layers of flavor. I will be making this again.

PASTA PEA SALAD.
If you’re familiar with Ina’s Pasta Pesto Pea Salad, then you get the idea. This version is very pared down, making it a cinch to throw together. Spinach, pesto, parmesan, peas. Do not make your own pesto. That’s unnecessary in a world where there are so many store-bought versions that are ideal (my favorite comes from Central Market). I served this alongside the Mustard Chicken Salad (please promise you’ll try this too), and it was blowing my mind. I ate the combination for lunch all week.

VANILLA ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM.
Warning. You will need to enjoy the boozy brandy flavor of armagnac in order to love this ice cream. But if you do, this recipe is your new favorite. This ice cream is not a custard base, but rather a flavored cream that is frozen. This makes is fast and easy to throw together. I kept mine in the freezer for a couple of weeks, and treated myself to a spoonful after dinner for several days in a row. The alcohol keeps the cream from freezing solid, and I found it particularly satisfying and grown up. My kids hated it and told me it tasted like cough syrup. I feel like this is an appropriate response to kids and alcohol.

By: Katherine Sasser · In: Chronicles, Ina

you’ll also love

Chapter Five: Waiting
Ina In A Year: Week 31
Ina In A Year: Week 33

Join the List

Stay up to date & receive the latest posts in your inbox.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Next Post >

Why Hurley House Exists

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured Posts

Amazon Finds, Volume 2

Pantry Refresh

Hurley House Favorites

Latest on Instagram


Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart. W
Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart.  Wobbling ankles, pinched toes, and a hobbling gait tend to make us look less than elegant when we don our favorite pair.​​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog I am talking about how to walk in heels, as well as a strategy I use to make the process easier, a true marker of success, and an amazing product I have recently discovered that makes it as comfortable as possible.

If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone,
If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone, the best practice is to choose something from their registry.​​​​​​​​​
However, if you're looking for a little extra something to add, or if you've already selected an item from their registry and want to do more, tender wedding gifts are the way to go.

Tender wedding gifts are sentimental items infused with meaning and future rewards, and today on the blog I am sharing a few of my favorite ideas.

Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel re
Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel refreshed and ready for a new season? I’ve got three projects that you can tackle in an afternoon. Big results. Minimal effort.

If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's
If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's post on how to register is for you! ​​​​​​​​​
This post isn't a generic guide or a list of suggested items.  Instead, I am sharing my very strong opinions on how to approach registering so that you serve the needs of  your wedding guests while also filling your home with items you want.

When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know
When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know about it, and Summersalt is one of those brands. ​​​​​​​​​
I have owned the one-shoulder swimsuit and the striped maxi dress for over a year, and they are still performing well and exceeding my expectations.

And if you're looking for a body-positive brand that highlights the beauty of real people...check out their catalog.  It's inspiring.

Today on the blog, a cute lineup of a few of my Summersalt favorites!

Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations.
Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations.  Barely a recipe and more a list of ingredients in suggested proportions, Cucumber Feta Salsa is cold, crunchy, fresh, salty, and sharp while being a cinch to throw together.  It satisfies in a way that makes me want to add it to every menu.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The recipe (if we're calling it that) is on the blog!


Load More...



Follow on Instagram


Browse by Category

Hi, I'm Katherine

Hi, I'm Katherine
hello!

I share lifestyle content through the lens of hospitality. If you are interested in learning about the beauty that creating space can bring, you've come to the right place!

Read More

Connect

Recent Posts

Get Dressed First 06.10.23

Amazon Finds, Volume 2

Archives

Follow Along

@katherinesasser

Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart. W Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart.  Wobbling ankles, pinched toes, and a hobbling gait tend to make us look less than elegant when we don our favorite pair.​​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog I am talking about how to walk in heels, as well as a strategy I use to make the process easier, a true marker of success, and an amazing product I have recently discovered that makes it as comfortable as possible.
If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone, If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone, the best practice is to choose something from their registry.​​​​​​​​​
However, if you're looking for a little extra something to add, or if you've already selected an item from their registry and want to do more, tender wedding gifts are the way to go.

Tender wedding gifts are sentimental items infused with meaning and future rewards, and today on the blog I am sharing a few of my favorite ideas.
Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel re Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel refreshed and ready for a new season? I’ve got three projects that you can tackle in an afternoon. Big results. Minimal effort.
If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's post on how to register is for you! ​​​​​​​​​
This post isn't a generic guide or a list of suggested items.  Instead, I am sharing my very strong opinions on how to approach registering so that you serve the needs of  your wedding guests while also filling your home with items you want.
When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know about it, and Summersalt is one of those brands. ​​​​​​​​​
I have owned the one-shoulder swimsuit and the striped maxi dress for over a year, and they are still performing well and exceeding my expectations.

And if you're looking for a body-positive brand that highlights the beauty of real people...check out their catalog.  It's inspiring.

Today on the blog, a cute lineup of a few of my Summersalt favorites!
Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations. Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations.  Barely a recipe and more a list of ingredients in suggested proportions, Cucumber Feta Salsa is cold, crunchy, fresh, salty, and sharp while being a cinch to throw together.  It satisfies in a way that makes me want to add it to every menu.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The recipe (if we're calling it that) is on the blog!
Today I am sharing the books I have read lately... Today I am sharing the books I have read lately...and they span the genres from personal memoir, beach fiction, serious fiction, and non-fiction. ​​​​​​​​​
My favorite from this batch?  The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab.  Seriously amazing.
I recently hosted my staff for dinner in my home, I recently hosted my staff for dinner in my home, and my number one goal was to do as little cooking as possible so that I could be fully present.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Today on the blog I am sharing my (mostly) store-bought menu, and if you're hosting a crowd this season, I hope you can find some inspiration for your table!

Copyright © 2023 ·