Catching Up With The Kelnhofers -37

This week on Catching up with the Kelnhofers, I’m sharing a few more fun things about my sourdough starter journey, a super exciting new addition to the website and we’re talking all things tacos!

Lots of activity over on sweetphi.com this week! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but whenever you’re on a recipe and you scroll down, you will see some recipe suggestions with little pictures at the top, so it’s making it easier for you to find recipes!

Then, and this is the exciting thing (to me, because it’s taken a while to ‘build it’ – of course with the help of web developer professionals, but it’s still such a cool thing) there’s a new sidebar menu widget which shows you whatever category you’re in, other top recipes in that category for the month. It will get ‘better’ so to speak as there’s more data, but how neat is it?

Over the past week I must have said ‘widget’ a million times because Nick started joking about it. He came in my office when I was showing him another cool feature I’m working on for the website and I showed him, and he said ‘yeah that’s ok, but you know what’s really cool? THE WIDGET’ LOL, ok fine, message heard. Still, it’s exciting, it’s the little things, right?

New on the Blog:

Catching up with the Kelnhofers – an update on how quarantine is going in our house!
How to Have a Virtual Game Night – I love this post! It has so many fun ways to enjoy a game night with family or friends, even when you can’t see each other.
Sourdough Pierogi Recipe – an accidental recipe that I love so much
My Emotional Experience Starting a Sourdough Starter – the title says it all. This has been a journey!

You may have noticed by the new recipes on the blog – but I FINALLY made bread with my sourdough starter! My first loaf was great..the subsequent ones not so much, it’s a journey I’m on at this point. When I was trying to photograph the first loaf, the momentous occasion, Ben got up on a chair and took half the loaf and then bit right into it!!! LOL He turned his back on a chair and ate bread, lol.

What to Make:

Tacos! We’ve made tacos twice (maybe three times) in the last two weeks! We love making the best turkey tacos and use beef or ground turkey or ground chicken. Another one we love is the quick and easy chicken tacos with pineapple salsa! A few other favorite taco recipes are below:

When I told Ben we were having tacos, he wanted me to change him into his taco PJs. Also, we read Dragons Love Tacos for story time that day. It just made sense 🙂

Reader Comments:

Since we were loving tacos so much this week, it’s always nice to hear that other people are loving it too – check out this comment on my recipe for 5 ingredient chicken tacos.

“I make this all the time with salsa. Super easy and soooo good. Try it with mango salsa sometime…also amazing!”

Reader Recreations:

As people are spending more time at home, it’s been fun to see all of the recreations! This week, here is what people made:

Ok, you also need to go check out this awesome IGTV from @sarcasticcook. She made my sourdough pizza and paired it with a beer!

General Stories/Things I’m Loving:

Chef Jose Andres (who I mentioned a few weeks ago for the amazing things he’s doing) is sharing a #RecipeForThePeople via IGTV, and not only do I love the recipe he shared in this one, but I also died laughing at his daughters cringe reaction when he talks about eggplants lol, and then when he’s drinking a glass of wine he jokes that “I’m not drinking, I’m supporting local farmers”
This is the pastry roller I use for any/all dough….it’s so amazing and comes in handy all the time.

I’ve seen some pretty awesome sales. I’m going to be buying the twins some clothes from Gap (75% off) later today, they are growing so quickly and need some new jammies!
Since when did J.CREW become so size inclusive? When we put together the mom spring essentials, I noticed it. Now I have my eye on a few dresses and clothes for summer (like this maxi and I got this dress when it was 50% off last week and as soon as it arrives I can’t wait to see if I like it, because I kind of have my eye on the hot pink version, but am on the fence, I tend to just like black clothes lol).
If you’re looking for clothes a little bit on the fancier side for kids, I’d recommend Black Bear Boutique. They’re a small shop in Milwaukee and I got an outfit for each of the kids. Wow! Highest quality most beautiful cLothes ever, but a little on the pricer side. I don’t get get anything, but the shop owner was so nice and created a 10% off for SweetPhi readers using code SweetPhi.
Loving this image I found from the Instagram page for Self Magazine

For Christmas I got Nick a subscription to a tea and biscuits company from England called Honeywell Bakes they closed their kitchen and sent the most beautiful cookies letting people know. They make the most gorgeous cookies
I have this print in my office that says ‘Big things happen one day at a time.’ I made it at a class held at Bay View Printing Co. They have obviously had to cancel their classes, but they are offering some really amazing products like their personalized notebooks, I just bought one (I’m always jotting down notes so I can’t wait!)

A friend told me Birkenstocks has a plastic version – great for the beach or to wear around the house and yard when kids are playing with a water table – I know I never want my Birkenstocks to get wet, so THESE are perfect!

What I’m Reading:

I Owe You One is on my list next. It came with rave reviews from my sister as well as many others.
Just finished Dear Edward. I was reading it for a bookclub. It was very well written, and has won a bunch of awards. I don’t know, it just felt a little slow and blah to me. It was a tragic story, but it just didn’t have the same impact on me as with other emotionally charged books. Maybe I’m just drained from the world situation?
I’ve also been told this book called The Bromance Book Club is different and cute and steamy. So if you’re looking for a romance book, check this one out. It’s on my list after I Owe You One.

What I’m Watching:

This week all I had time to watch was the latest episode of Some Good News. I tell you, I CRY, like tears streaming down my face during the episodes.
Did you hear that Andrew Lloyd Webber is streaming a production of one of his musicals on YouTube every week, during coronavirus theatre closures? We watched Phantom of the Opera…my favorite musical ever (and I’ve been lucky enough to see it in person several times!). Here is where they are on YouTube.

Personal Stories:

Guaranteed, whenever I have to finish some work, one or more of the kids wakes up early and so I end up bringing them in my office.

The babies are eating new foods! I’m using my Baby Food cookbook because they are advancing so quickly and I needed ideas.

I made banana bread with my sourdough discard (recipe here) and the kids all LOVED it

Since the weather is not snowing or rain (it’s still cold) I’ve been taking Ben outside during the twins nap. We do bubbles and the easter bunny brought him a construction kinetic sand kit which he has been LOVING! It was so sunny and I was drinking my coffee…it was glaringly obvious I need more time in the sun because it was almost startling. P.S. I was wearing my Crocs, lol.

Also glaringly obvious I am very tired – babies are going through a sleep regression and teething
Ben played a drum concert to his stuffed animals, so so cute

Nick has been making a snack mix for Ben every day, he then texts his family with the contents, it’s very cute.

It was Serbian Easter this past weekend. We did an Easter celebration where everyone made something and then dropped it off at other people’s porches. Nicks dad made garlic roasted leg of lamb and one of his sisters made Gibanica which is like a phyllo dough mac and cheese type thing (here’s a recipe) and then I made Miso deviled eggs and there were Serbian cookies. Ben also made a snack mix for everyone.

My sister (who has a baby around the same age as the twins – 9 months and 3 step kids) clearly knows what’s up. She sent me Ben’s birthday gift early so he could play with it! It’s so cool, it’s this balloon car thing – best part? He can play with it by himself!!!!