Catching up with the Kelnhofers-82

This week on Catching up with the Kelnhofers, I’m introducing a new blog series that has been so fun (hint: I’m doing it with Nick!) and we’re talking about some great things to make with peanut butter.

You know the saying “when life gives you lemons… make lemonade*” ? Nick was joking that in our house, the saying should go “when you have a rotisserie chicken…make chicken salad!”

Not lying when I tell you this chicken salad is Nick’s favorite lunch. So whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken* from Costco I make him a batch of it.

*my kind of lemonade

**you can also make your own roasted chicken, equally as good, and lemons are involved.

Pimento cheese spread – a 5 ingredient recipe that came together based on an accidental Amazon purchase.

Weekly meal plan – a week full of recipes, plus grocery shopping list!
Salad with candied seeds and/or seeds – I posed this salad before under a silly name, so I’ve re-posted it so you can all find it and enjoy it as much as I do
Back of the box – Introducing a new series where we make recipes directly from the back of the bag or box…. and Nick does the writing! To kick off, we did Toll House chocolate chip cookies. Also, be sure to read to the bottom to learn about a giveaway on this post!

Love List – weekly finds from everyone on the SweetPhi team.
Costco Haul – what I buy at Costco and what to make with it

For a quick guacamole, we use this recipe depending on what we have on hand, we sometimes make this slightly more involved recipe. It’s a great way to get the kids to eat veggies too.

As I told you last week, my French Press broke and it was so sad. I found a coffee machine in the basement. Ben went and brought his toy coffee machine from his kitchen and it was so cute!! I made coffee creamer and then later in the week I made sourdough bread (read about my emotional experience with a sourdough starter).

It was so sunny at breakfast, Ben went to get his sunglasses (LOL) and the Frankie started sharing with Freddie – too cute (he does not share back, btw).
I’ve been making pancakes every weekend from my 5-ingredient cookbook. I’ve been adding whole wheat and either mashed up banana or sweet potato (like these banana pancakes or these sweet potato pancakes)

What to make:

This week, we’re cooking with peanut butter. I love using peanut butter (or any nut butter really) in baking. Here are a few great recipes to try this week!

Whole wheat peanut butter cookie, nutty butty peanut butter pie, Nutella peanut butter bars — Whole wheat peanut butter cookie pizza | Nutty butty freezer peanut butter pie | Peanut butter Nutella bar

Nutty buddy freezer peanut butter pie – perfect for the upcoming warmer months!
Peanut butter Nutella bars – only 5 ingredients and super easy to make!
Peanut butter banana fudge – this 5 ingredient fudge is the best alternative to a traditional chocolate option. Yum!
Whole wheat peanut butter cookie pizza – I had so much fun making this with Ben – perfect for cooking with kids in the kitchen.
Peanut butter pretzel energy bites – this 5 ingredient snack is great to grab on the go!

If you’re not sure which peanut butter recipe to start with, maybe this reader’s comment on peanut butter Nutella bars will help sway you.

“I have made these a few times now, and I just absolutely love how simple and yummy they are!”

Wow! Lots of readers are making a recreation of my recipe for baked chicken, potatoes, carrots and herbs. Yum!

I did not know you could get replacement knobs for your dutch oven. I shared how my dutch oven knob was eroding (I make sourdough at high temperatures every weekend) and bought a new one….well I could have just bought the replacement part. I also came across these fun knobs.

Replacement knobs for dutch oven — Dutch oven replacement knobs | Fun replacement knobs

Love at First – This is a modern romance novel, very cute!

Yes, And I Love You -This book just came out this week, I’m so excited about it. I had pre-ordered it and it just arrived yesterday. It’s by Roni Loren, she writes steamy novels, that are well written if that makes sense. But the steam level is usually like 5/5 – ?. Haven’t read this book yet, I’ll report back, but I’m excited.

Cookbook of the week:

The Full Plate by Ayesha Curry. I actually got this book because I love the photographer who shot this book’s work (Eva Kolenko – she shot the Skinnytaste Meal Prep Cookbook I love too, which is actually why I bought the book in the first place!)
The book is beautiful, and I can’t wait to try some of the recipes (like pancake batter shrimp, sounds interesting, right?) Oh, and there’s a fun cocktail section and I want to make each and every one of them.
I will note though that some of the ingredient lists are very long and a little more labor intensive than I think of when I think of recipes that are billed to take no longer than 30 minutes. But maybe that’s just me and I’m slower.

I have been loving looking through cookbooks with the kids – it’s fun to look at the pictures and talk about food!

Cute show for kids: Bluey There’s this cute show we found called Bluey. It’s an Australian show and is now on Disney + I think. Anyway, it’s really sweet and Nick found and got us some new hot cocoa mugs – we got an extra kid because we have the twins, lol.

Good vibes. As I mentioned in this weeks’ Love List I came across this beautiful crystal + aroma therapy oil diffuser. It’s from Modern Terrarium Bar, called a crystals + aromatherapy essential oils diffuser. I had a lovely conversation with the owner on IG and she’s offering SweetPhi readers 10% off with code DIYLOVER. (<- not sponsored and I don’t get anything, just really neat products if you’re into that sort of thing.)

Monstera plant propagation. My Monstera plant was getting out of control and kept falling over. Nick got me this plant and after a stay at a friends’ house, it’s now thriving beyond belief. So I tried propagating it and there are vases around my house with the leaves. I’ll report back in a few months.

The life changing cleaning product you need. Talking about this mop again. Ben randomly wants to mop the floor on the weekends, he calls it the ‘wiggly waggly mop’ and this thing works so well. Highly highly recommend!

Good thing for all my food photography props. Ben has a virtual music class and needed a gold, silver and bronze something…good thing I have all the food photography props.

Early mornings If the kids wake up early (usually happens) I just keep going with my morning routine, this week Ben got to do some journaling. And then the kids get their teeth brushed and we get ready for the day.

Craft time. It’s now time for spring crafts, my mother-in-law got the kids these cute chick and bunny crafts from the dollar store!

Bad haircuts. Not going to lie here, I’ve given Ben some pretty bad haircuts lately. He always moves and it’s hard to work quickly. I try. He did say “thank you mama for cutting the hair out of my eyes.” I’ll take it