dinner makes me happy

There is something so grounding and so comforting about making dinner.  I've come to feel this way--supported and nourished by the process, rather than inconvenienced or annoyed--over the last year or so.  Perhaps just because I'm getting older.  And eating a home cooked meal is so bolstering to the spirits.

Here are three meals I've made lately.  The top photo is the beef-barley-mushroom-kale soup from an old issue of  3191 quarterly.  This is my favorite quick weeknight soup lately and I'm crazy about it with cornbread.  By the way, I'm loving making a less-sweet cornbread lately (maybe only a tablespoon or two of sugar in the batch).  I love the way the pure corn flavor shines through when you cut the sugar.  And it tastes fantastic with salted butter.  Yum!

The second recipe is Sweet Soy Chicken & Rice from a new cookbook, The Family Flavor.  Do you get excited about new cookbooks as I do?  I love this one for its beautiful photography and the ease of its recipes.  All the ingredients are ordinary, which I love.  And the dishes are  family friendly.  I loved this soy chicken--next time I'm going to double it.

The last recipe is from Weight Watchers--a very light lemony chicken.  I've made this twice already and have stocked the freezer with chicken breasts so I can have this any time (I love how easy it is to find organic chicken at Trader Joe's, but I have to plan ahead a little).

Up tonight:  I'm making this maple-mustard chicken from Summer Harms.  Can't wait!  It looks so yummy.  By the way, do you read Summer's blog?  She is so inspiring and positive.  I love her (and she just had a new baby, which has been fun to follow).  (Another fave recipe from Summer:  this chili).

What have you been making for dinner lately?

PS--Someone posted the recipe for "sweet soy chicken" here.
The lemon chicken recipe can be found here.
The beef-barley soup recipe isn't posted online, but here's a fun post from Stephanie about how she uses grains.

PPS--I've been doing Weight Watcher's since January and I lost 8 lbs.  So glad about that!  Now to maintain it!!