These beef-and-veggie bowls are the evolution of a bulgogi bowl recipe I found online forever ago, and incorporate quick-pickled vegetables and soy sauce sweetened with brown sugar and ginger - it's a CRAZY flavorful dish - and so incredibly quick to make - and we've had this one in the rotation all summer long. *Important note before I continue: This is not an authentic Korean bulgogi recipe; it's simply a beef-and-veggie bowl spruced up with flavors inspired by the real thing.*

Curious about Korean food? This site run by a Korean mom has fantastic recipes to try at home.

Before we get to the recipe, here's a little hack I've been using, especially now that we're back to school: I keep a constant stockpile of assorted types of VeeTee rice on hand and use it to stretch out chicken, fish and beef dishes for lunch or dinner the next day. My kids are legit obsessed with VeeTee because 1) it's rice, and rice = always good, and 2) they can make it themselves in the microwave in just two minutes with zero fuss and mess. For this recipe I used Veetee Thai Jasmine rice, but I also usually have a whole bunch of Basmati and Wholegrain & Quinoa in my cabinets.

K and I have been each taking one kid a night each week for "special time." Which means the photo above is of my son and I spending a full night together, cooking and watching Thor Ragnarok and reading. It's lovely.

I am craving Thai food in a big, big way these days. Pad See Ew, specifically - it's one of my favorite dishes on the planet. But there's only one Thai restaurant nearby(ish) to me, and nearby(ish) means a 15 minute drive each way, and I do not have that kind of time (or, frankly, the funds for the volume of Pad See Ew that I would really like to eat; my kids consume SO MUCH FOOD that every time I get takeout the bill hovers around $60, nope nope nope).

But! I have discovered that this particular dish is quite replicate-able at home, thanks to my lovely friend Skyler Bouchard of Dining With Skyler, whose recipes are some of my all-time Internet favorites (besides the fact that she's adorable and just so much fun to follow on IG).

There are some things I would never make myself, because to do so would be ridiculous when I could just go get said thing from a local proprietor who would obviously be more skilled at said making than...me.

Donuts.

Bagels.

Time to get cozy

Yesterday, while I was journeying back into the country with my parents, my wonderful friend went to the store to pick up some basics for the kids and me (I'm self-quarantining for 14 days because I just flew internationally, so am hoping to avoid grocery stores for the duration). Alas, those basics were - as you know - in ludicrously short supply.

Milk? Nope - but there was one lonely container of chocolate milk! And now it is mine.