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Friday Five: My Current Favorites for Surviving Winter

February 8, 2019 By Holly 1 Comment

It’s another wild weather day here in Minneapolis. After surviving the historic Polar Vortex of 2019 last week, it rained on Super Bowl Sunday, and we’ve since had two significant snow events. In other words, I’m a little over this winter business right now. Typically we try and escape the balmy midwest this time of year for a tropical destination. We are not traveling until later this winter so I’ve had to lean on a few little creature comforts and favorite things to get me through the dreary days! This week’s Friday Five is all about My Current Favorites for Surviving Winter.

Current Favorites for Surviving Winter…

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Filed Under: Friday Five Tagged With: Friday Five, winter

Easy Garden Vegetable Soup

September 11, 2018 By Lane 52 Comments

School has begun and the weather is getting cooler (well, here in Minneapolis anyway).  ‘Tis the time to bring out my Garden Vegetable Soup!  This pot of comfort is perfect for the chilly nights ahead (and it’s healthy!)…

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe!

Garden Vegetable Soup bowl…

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Filed Under: Soups and Stews, Vegetarian Tagged With: corn, easy weeknight dinner, Fall, getting your kids to eat vegetables, green beans, soup, sweet potato, tomatoes, vegetable soup, winter

Chicken Tortilla Soup

February 7, 2017 By Lane 4 Comments

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yep, still winter here in Minneapolis.  Although we don’t have much snow and our temperatures are well above zero (which is actually balmy for this time of year) it is definitely still winter.  And this is the time of winter that I start going just a little crazy, dreaming about sunshine and warmer weather.  I do have a vacation coming up pretty soon, but in the meantime I’m just going to have make do with this Chicken Tortilla Soup.  Light yet packed with flavor, this soup will bring you just a little piece of summer….

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Filed Under: Main Course, Soups and Stews Tagged With: avocado, Chicken, chipotle, cilantro, cotija, jalapeño, soup, spicy, summer, tortilla, winter

Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

December 19, 2016 By Lane 34 Comments

Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I love winter food.  Short ribs and mashed potatoes. Pastas and soups.  My dutch oven works overtime putting out delicious comfort foods.  But despite a temperature today of -21 (I am sadly not exaggerating about that one), I just craved salad.  But it had to be a hearty one.  One with a tangy dressing.  A salad like Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette.…

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Filed Under: Condiments, Salads Tagged With: apple, parmesan, Pear, pepitas, pomegranate, salad, vinaigrette, winter

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

January 29, 2016 By Lane 1 Comment

Chicken Wild Rice Soup verticle

What sounds better to eat on a snowy evening than Chicken Wild Rice Soup? All I have heard about this week, on social media, TV, radio, everywhere, is tales of the blizzard.  Blizzards don’t normally catch my attention since I do live in Minneapolis, where a blizzard is a pretty common winter experience.  This one, though, where the drifts were over my head in New York and they had more snow than us in Washington D. C., seeped into my subconsciousness.  Frankly, I was kind of jealous (for a few minutes), because it feels like we haven’t gotten much snow lately! So today when the flakes started coming down (much more gently here than on the East Coast), I was inspired to make one of my favorite cold weather foods.  Chicken Wild Rice Soup is one of those foods that, in my mind anyway, has it all-vegetables, protein and that always comforting cream.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup closeup

Chicken Wild Rice Soup was one of the first foods I ever cooked for my husband.  I had him over to my tiny apartment while we were dating, and I made a pot of something very loosely resembling Chicken Wild Rice Soup.  Did I mention before that when I met my husband I did not cook?  At all.  What in the world tempted me to make chicken wild rice soup?  One of the world’s great mysteries!  Sadly, my attempt was a flour-y, chunky, overcooked chicken disaster.  I’m positive I do not have enough space in a blog post to explain what went wrong, but suffice to say, it is a testament to my husband’s love for me that he choked some down (and married me anyway).

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Luckily, fast forward 20 years since our “dating” days, and I think I now have this one down.  I poach my chicken so it does not get dry or overcooked.  I use homemade stock (you surely can use store bought and I promise it will still be good, but if you have homemade stock-this is the place to use it!).  I use the traditional Minnesota wild rice.  And, although almonds may seem like a strange addition to a soup, I can attest to the fact that they are the loveliest addition, think crunch and flavor all in one bite.  So, if the snow is falling in your area, or you are in need of a comfort food, try this one.

Print

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

A creamy, vegetable packed bowl of comfort!
Course Soup
Author Lane Patten

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 8 cups chicken stock I used homemade, store bought would work equally well, divided
  • 2 cups of cooked wild rice
  • 1 1/2 pound chicken tenders or chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
  • 1 cup of slivered almonds
  • 3 1/2 Tablespoons cooking sherry
  • 2 cups half-and-half

Instructions

  1. To Poach Chicken: Place chicken tenders (or chicken breasts) in a saucepan with 2 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
  2. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
  3. Allow to cool.
  4. Chop chicken to be used in soup.
  5. To Make Soup: Melt butter in a dutch oven or large stock pot.
  6. Stir in the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 7-10 minutes or until soft.
  7. Add the flour and stir until mixed in.
  8. Slowly add 6 cups of chicken stock, stir continuously while adding.
  9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
  10. Add the rice, chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, almonds and sherry.
  11. Add the half-and-half.
  12. Simmer for 1-2 hours until all flavors have melded.
  13. Serve and enjoy!
  14. Note: If reheating, you may need to add a small amount of stock to thin the soup, it does thicken upon cooling.

 

Filed Under: Soups and Stews Tagged With: almonds, blizzard, Chicken, comfort food, soup, wild rice, winter

A Fabulous Winter Salad

December 20, 2015 By Lane 8 Comments

Need to bring a winter salad to a gathering?  This Winter Salad will brighten anyone’s table!

Pomegranate Salad offset

Recently, I was asked to bring a salad for a dinner at a friend’s house.  The morning of the event, I still did not know what I was going to bring.  To me, salad is a summer-ish food and despite my deep love for all things salad, I just had a mental block.  While looking for a good winter salad option I stumbled upon Melissa D’Arabian’s Pomegranate, Squash and Apple salad from her cookbook Supermarket Healthy.  (To be honest, I stumbled upon two of her fabulous salads, but the other salad is a topic for another post!)  …

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Filed Under: Salads, Vegetarian Tagged With: apple, pomegranate, salad, squash, vegetarian, winter

With Two Spoons

We are Lane & Holly, the creators of With Two Spoons. We are friends, coworkers, mamas, and home cooks. Our belief is that community is built around the table. Come along as we share our kitchen adventures.

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My little is turning TEN today! He adores the sho My little is turning TEN today!  He adores the show @nailedit and can talk fondant and buttercream like a pro.  I was really late planning his cake this year (and I do NOT do cakes), so I was so grateful when @aforgetfulbaker agreed to make a cake for me. 

⭐️Look at this beauty!! ⭐️

His other love, Minecraft, is perfectly displayed on this amazing cake 🎂 !  I can’t wait until he sees it, he’s going to be so excited!

And as for @aforgetfulbaker? Thank you a million times! It’s perfect! Friends, If you’re in the Twin Cities, check out this gem! 

#minecraft #fondant #happybirthday #buttercream #bakedfromscratch #aforgetfulbaker #supportsmallbusiness #locallymade
Happy February! . . My new favorite winter treat: Happy February!
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My new favorite winter treat: Sumo oranges!  Have you tried these? Easy to peel, so sweet and juicy.  As we slide into citrus season and the Minnesota winter seems to drag on forever, grab one of these beauties.  You won’t be sorry. 
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#sumo #sumocitrus #citrus #februrary #snacks #WithTwoSpoons #juicy #fruit
Today is a new day. We have bridges to build, dis Today is a new day.  We have bridges to build, diseases to fight, and people to raise up. We have work to do.  Let’s get to it, we have all of the power to make our world a better place. 

And if you didn’t see @amandascgorman recite her poem at the inauguration yesterday, what are you waiting for?  She was an amazing bright light and her words were so eloquent and heartfelt.  So inspiring! 
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#newday #amandagorman #poetry #future #closethedivide #healthenation #futurefirst
{NEW BLOG POST} It’s been a tough year and I fee {NEW BLOG POST} It’s been a tough year and I feel like not everyone understands the heavy burden we as healthcare workers are carrying. 
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For anyone that has some interest in my own perspective as an emergency medicine physician, head on over to the blog and get my take. 
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As an added bonus many of my friends and colleagues (of all job descriptions) sent me photos of themselves in their PPE.  As one non-healthcare worker said “all of those photos are so impactful”.
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Hopefully with the vaccine now here, we’re headed towards brighter days...but obviously this depends on the buy in of a public that is getting used to being so deeply divided. 
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May this upcoming year -2021 -bring us back together again. In more ways than one!
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https://withtwospoons.com/from-the-frontline-life-as-an-emergency-physician-during-a-pandemic/

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#2021 #SoMeDocs #physician #healthcare #pandemic #bettertogether #blogpost #coronaviruspandemic #covid_19
Pandemic Lesson #6- Time. . . This was one was the Pandemic Lesson #6- Time.
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This was one was the hardest lesson for me to learn.  I had prided myself on my jam packed schedule and had normalized “busyness” to the point of exhaustion. 
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All of the sudden we went on lockdown and there was nowhere I could go let alone had to go.  At first I filled up that time up with zoom bookclubs and zoom happy hours, but as the days went on I learned to see that time for the gift it was. 
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My kids didn’t need to be anywhere.  My husband didn’t need to be anywhere.  I didn’t need to be anywhere.  I could just be. 
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Turns out that taking that time isn’t self indulgent- it’s self preserving.  Took a pandemic for me to figure that out. 
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Sure I miss real gatherings and hanging out with people.  But in the future I won’t go back to having a jam packed calendar with no room to breathe. 
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I’ve planted my feet firmly on the ground and learned to take my time.  To just be.
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#pandemic #time #WithTwoSpoons #chucks #feetonthefloor #feetontheground #giftoftime #lessons #justbe #minneapolis
Pandemic Lesson #5- Equality (and the attention dr Pandemic Lesson #5- Equality (and the attention drawn to inequality). 
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I will readily admit this photo does not display all that I wanted it to.  But I will say if you had arrived at the Emergency Department of my Level 1 Trauma Center on this specific day, this is the amazing badass all-female physician team that would have saved your life. (Competently and with great compassion)
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We ladies are lucky to work for an organization with pay transparency, amazing camaraderie, and pay equality whether you are white or black, male or female, gay or straight.  So many are still not afforded that simple provision. 
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We all lived through the horror of George Floyd’s murder in what was practically our backyards.  We bore witness to a city torn apart with grief and fear. We cried together and tried to mend the broken hearts and spirits of our friends and patients of color.  We have so far to go. 
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Although we still have so much work to do, I’m here to say we’ll keep working until we get there. May we all get to live in a world where equality is more than a pipe dream. Where you are judged for your heart and soul and actions not the color of your skin or your gender or your sexual preference. 
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I thank every one of you who is different from me in any way.  You are the ones who make life rich, who keep me learning, who add so much to the kaleidoscope of our world.  We all belong.  How boring life would be if we all were the same. 
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I pledge to keep fighting until everyone has opportunity.  And if there is a way I can better do that, by all means, let me know.  I’ll start by acknowledging inequality is absolutely still a problem we all need to confront.  Join me in confronting inequality head on. 2021 we’re coming for you. 
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#equality #diversity #privledge #inclusion #inclusionmatters #badass #genderequality #mamadocs #SoMeDocs #socialjustice #opportunity #minneapolis #bethesolution #standup #northstrong
Pandemic Lesson #4- Books! . . I have always been Pandemic Lesson #4- Books!
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I have always been a book addict.  A lifelong reader.  I get a ton of pleasure out of losing myself in a good book.  This year more than ever, in a year where we couldn’t travel, and escaping seems necessary, books were a constant source of comfort. 
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I took some of my unused travel budget and joined @bookofthemonth club and got myself a long overdue @audible account.  Not to mention placing holds on LIbby to reserve all of the ebooks through the library.  I couldn’t get enough books! 
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Behold the wonder of the book!  What was your favorite book of 2020? 
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(Mine is in the comments along with my runner up...)
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#bookstagram #whatshouldireadnext #booklover #bookofthemonth #audible #withtwospoons #goodreads #withtwospoonsreads #books #library #libby #kindle #bookclub
Pandemic Lesson #3: Nature’s Beauty... . With al Pandemic Lesson #3: Nature’s Beauty...
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With all of this at home time this year, I had time to look around at what nature could do.  Snow on the trees, vegetables in my garden, flowers in my backyard, apples on my trees, amazing sunsets over the water at my cabin.  Nature is awe-inducing when you stop to look. 
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I bought this little Christmas cactus at @shopbachmans while doing errands around Thanksgiving time.  I wanted something close to my bed that I could look at every day when I woke up -to remember the everyday beauty in the world. 
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Because despite all of the horror of 2020 (and there has been tons) there is also a lot of beauty- especially when you stop to look for it. 
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Where do you find nature’s beauty in your everyday life? 
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#nature #beauty #backyard #garden #christmas #cactus #flowers #beautyallaroundus #minneapolis #cabinlife #lookaroundyou #sunset
Pandemic Lesson #2-FRIENDS. . . When you find fri Pandemic Lesson #2-FRIENDS. 
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When you find friends like these you hold tight and you don’t let go.  Find the ones who will will celebrate your triumphs and will hold you up when you fall. Who feel your wins and losses as deeply as you do.  And if you haven’t found them yet, they are out there, keep looking. 
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Call, text, write your friends.  Remind them how much you love them.  Do it today.  Do it right now. 
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This isn’t our whole crew, but If I was headed to jail, @hollyanja and Kelly would be right beside me and we’d be calling @claresercombe to get us out.  And that my friends is love right there. 
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May we all find good trouble together in 2021. (And I’ve tagged a bunch more of you lovelies that weren’t in this photo! Love you all! And I hope to add lots more in 2021!)
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(PS- we aren’t masked because this was taken in 2019 before the pandemic)...
#goodtrouble #besties #friends #friendship #OITF #supperclub #holdthemclose #friendsforever
Pandemic Lesson #1: Family They can be annoying, i Pandemic Lesson #1: Family
They can be annoying, infuriating, and maddening, but people, family is everything. 
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Make sure you remind your family today that you love them. 
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Yes, we’re sitting on a couch outside of our house.  Some of us in our pajamas. Don’t ask.  The truth is stranger than fiction.
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#family #2020 #pandemic #tellthemyoulovethem #familylife #minnesota #merrychristmas #thetiesthatbind
Many of you know 2020 has been hard for me (and fo Many of you know 2020 has been hard for me (and for just about everyone else out there!). It has been a beat down of a year in healthcare and a heart wrenching soul crushing year as an emergency physician.  I’ve struggled to find ways to find some peace amongst all of the sadness. 
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Writing has helped me process some of what I’ve seen and endured.  It has helped me to get beyond my normal coping skill of saying “everything is fine” and being more realistic with my thoughts and emotions. I have now done Morning Page journaling for over 6 weeks without missing a day.  On the days I work at 6a I get up at 4a.  There is something soothing about the process of journaling that fills me and helps give me the strength to go back again. 
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In the next few days I’m going to highlight some things I’ve learned.  Although we are anxious to throw out 2020 (so, so anxious), there are parts of 2020 we shouldn’t forget. 
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Stay tuned. 
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#vulnerability #strength #2020 #healthcare #lightattheendofthetunnel #theartistsway #morningpages #journaling
What a great night! Through a partnership with @n What a great night!  Through a partnership with @nuancecommunications and MNACEP we were able to hang out with @gavinkaysen for the evening.  Not only were the salmon crepe cakes amazing (as was my @parallelwines Cabernet Sauvignon), the connections forged by bringing people into the kitchen and around the table (even virtually) is what gives me the most joy. 
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Hang in there everyone.  We’ll get back to the real table just as soon as we can.  And @gavinkaysen that clinking of the glasses will be music to all of us! 
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#gkathome #gavinkaysen #beatburnout #forgingconnections #aroundthetable #inthekitchen #resilience #cookingclass
Thanks to EMDOCS Chefs (yep, that’s a group) for Thanks to EMDOCS Chefs (yep, that’s a group) for cluing me into this amazing General Tso’s Tofu recipe by @minimalistbaker.  Lunch today is fantastic! 
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#Mamadoc #emdoc #generaltso #tofu #minneapolis #somedocs #vegetarian #inspired
It didn’t look the same with only 4 of us around It didn’t look the same with only 4 of us around the table.  But I’m grateful we’re all healthy as is our extended family. I’m grateful we have food to eat and a warm house to live in.  I’m grateful for friends who have reached out today, a beautiful Christmas tree that went up, and a lot of time to write today.  I’m grateful for a zoom call with my family and even though we can’t be together, we can share a little cheer.
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It may not be the same, but it’s still pretty darn wonderful. 
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone, from our families to yours!
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#gratitude #thanksgiving #happythanksgivng #family #different #familymeal #withtwospoons
Anyone else stress baking like crazy right now?? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I can’t stop making these Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Donuts 🍩

Super simple and slightly healthier than your usual donut, this recipe is perfect for a lazy Saturday morning.
Find the recipe link in our profile or at www.withtwospoons.com

#withtwospoons #newrecipe #fall #homecook #easyrecipe #foodblog #itsfallyall #donuts #applecinnamon #baking #cookingwithkids
Dinner tonight...Chicken Piccata. . . Because the Dinner tonight...Chicken Piccata. 
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Because there is something g so delicious about lemon and capers cooked in white wine and butter! 
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Bon appetit! 
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#dinnertime #dinnertonight
No matter what your political beliefs, it is way p No matter what your political beliefs, it is way past due for women to have a seat at this table.  Today is the day ladies.  We have arrived. 
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Congratulations @kamalaharris , I could not be more thrilled for you, for us, and for our daughters. 
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#womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #vicepresident #glassshatters #whitehouse #2020 
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Disclaimer: this is my not my artwork.  I cannot find the owner to give credit.  If it’s yours please dm, I’d love to give you credit!
My favorite squash- Delicata!! . . For me this wa My favorite squash- Delicata!! 
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For me this was a unexpectedly fabulous 2020 find.  I planted it in my garden not even knowing what it looked like (I had to look it up as it started to grow), let alone tasted like!  It has quickly risen to the top of my squash hierarchy (Come  on, I know you have a squash hierarchy too!) due to the fact that it’s not only simple but easy to prepare! 
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This roasted delicata is headed into a salad- with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, tortilla strips, pepitas snd cilantro avocado dressing.  YUM!
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What is your favorite squash?
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#squash #withtwospoons #homecook #frommygarden #eattherainbow #eatyourveggies #roastedveggies #yum
We can do hard things folks. The numbers have be We can do hard things folks. 

The numbers have been going up, and I know we’re all tired of this Corona living.  But now is the time to mask up and keep your guard up.  I guarantee you don’t want to spend any of your time with me in the ER. (And I need to keep my kids in school for what little time they get to be there!!!)

We can do hard things. 

(plus-my Fauci mask may be the cutest thing ever.  Thanks to @lisasheppardpearson for keeping me safe in style)

#fauci #maskup #maskupmn #staysafe #fashiongram #instagood #mdh #cdc #coronalife
Anyone else love making their own homemade Instant Anyone else love making their own homemade Instant Pot yogurt?  It’s so easy! I make it every few weeks and store it in mason jars.  I always keep it plain since my favorite is deciding what toppings to put on it!  Today’s toppings?  Lime curd and blueberries!
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#instantpotrecipes #instantpot #limecurd #minneapolis #cabinlife #easybreakfast #easyrecipes #blueberry #topit #thefeedfeed #WithTwoSpoons
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