Freezable Breakfast Burritos.

I haven't really cooked in 6 months.

This pregnancy really did me in. I spent the first three months sick, and the following three months busy. And annoyed with cooking. The desire to nourish my family absolutely vanished. And that's really abnormal for me, because I usually find that a simple waltz through Williams Sonoma can cure me of any culinary-related boredom or ailment. But not this time, friends.

Well, since returning home after our month-long stint in New York, I was suddenly struck with the eagerness to bake muffins. And soup. And stew. And then I saw my friend Liz's instagram post about making her family breakfast burritos in bulk and freezing them and I was re-bitten by the cooking bug. I should make everything in bulk AND FREEZE IT.

I know that's not, like, a new idea. But the idea came at just the right time. And let me just say, my boys are really really happy that I'm back in the kitchen.

We played around with this recipe and came up with our own preferred ingredients. And it's so easy and wonderful to have a delicious, nourishing breakfast that is ready as early as you are. Because I don't know about you, but over here we are up at 6 and I wake up voraciously famished. The recipe + method are below!

Ingredients:
- 1 package Aidell's Chicken + Apple Sausage, diced
- 12 eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 package frozen hash browns
- 12 flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese
- Salt + pepper to taste
- Olive oil
* wax or parchment paper
* large, freezer-safe zip-top bags

Method:
1. Heat up diced sausage and diced onion in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan, just to keep things from sticking. Cook until everything is heated through and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl, set aside. Keep the skillet heated over medium, add a bit more olive oil.

2. Crack and whisk the 12 eggs in a large mixing bowl, adding salt and pepper to your preference. Add the eggs to the heated skillet and stir until cooked. Transfer to a clean mixing bowl, set aside.

3.  Heat the hash browns in the same skillet, according to the instructions on the package. Set aside into a third mixing bowl.

4. Heat the tortillas on a dampened paper towel for 10-15 seconds, or until warm and malleable.

5. To compile the burritos, create an assembly line with the ingredients. Take one tortilla and add 1/3 cup size of scrambled eggs, followed by the sausage/onion mixture, the hash browns and finally sprinkle with cheese. Tuck the outer edges in first, then roll the tortilla (it will fold over in thirds). Place the tortilla seam-side down on wax paper, and completely roll and wrap the burrito with the paper.

6. Repeat this method until you run out of ingredients!

7. Place the wrapped burritos in large, freezer-safe zip-top bags. Store in the freezer and remove as needed. This recipe should make you about 12 burritos.

A few notes on these burritos:
- It helps to have a buddy with the assembly line. Stevie and I compiled these in about 15-20 minutes after all the ingredients were cooked, and it really helped to have him wrap and roll the burritos after I added all the ingredients.

- When you're ready to eat, you can throw the burrito in the microwave (take off the wax paper first!) and heat for 1-3 minutes. It helps to use the "defrost" setting on your microwave, if you have one.

- If can you remember to remove the burritos from your freezer the night before you want to eat them, they will defrost beautifully in the refrigerator and heat more evenly when you do microwave them in the morning. So if you can remember, make sure to pull them out of the freezer the night before!

- You can serve these with salsa if you like, although I find that I like them just the way the are.

- I doubled this recipe and we had breakfast for a few weeks that I didn't have to think about preparing. It was simply bliss.

Let me know if you try these out, friends! Happy cooking + freezing + and eating a blissful breakfast!

Happening Lately.

// 1. Bedtime is equating to sleep time these days. HALLELUJAH HANDS. // 2. Sweet Auburn Barbeque in the Highlands. Rad spot, less rad parking. // 3. 4 hawks in the sky. Oh wait. Those are vultures. // 4. Our little family out and about this weekend. Happy 1st birthday to baby Ethan! Everett has friends yall. //

Happening Lately.

The new year is a little less new these days. There has been an attempt in our household for a bit of grounding, refreshing and re-focus. Probably like many of you, my little family is grasping for our center of gravity and licking our lips in anticipation of Spring. I know, we have a while to go. But we live in Georgia this year! Which means spring is coming sooner for us than it has in years! Our stints in Boston and New York really left a freezer-burn kind of scar on our hearts in terms of the monumentally blistery winters. I will gleefully accept a pass this year and prematurely skip on into the sunshine, if the groundhog allows such a frivolous delight. BRING IT, LITTLE HEDGEHOG.

Our life lately:

1. SLEEP.

People. We have been sleeping. THERE HAS BEEN SLEEP IN THIS HOME. It's been a long road (almost 6 months) of gently nudging my child into the direction of a peaceful state of rest. I haven't been shy about it. I haven't modestly pretended like I have it all together, as if we have nailed this whole "having a baby"-thing. I have not had it together. I have not slept well in over a year (pregnancy can do a great job robbing you of that, too.) I've read the books and tried the methods. And I have been pretty vocal in asking, nay, begging for help. Some of your suggestions have worked. For like 3 days. And then things would change again. But I am happy to announce that for the month of January, my son has sifted into a much more manageable sleeping routine at night (still working on the daily naps situation, more about that below.) But these days, we are putting him down to bed between 7-7:30 pm, and he sleeps until about 3:30 am. Halle-LU-jah. I change him and feed him then, and then he's up again at 6:30 am. That's usually when I whisper to him about the wonders of dreaming and MORE sleep and I prod him into another mini-slumber, always attempting to inch him past the 7:30 am mark. Sometimes it works. But the point is, this routine. Is SO doable. I mean, we aren't in the sleeping-through-the-night phase, but we are close. Closer. We are ballparkin' it. Thanks to everyone who willingly shared their stories and encouraged me - you have no idea how valuable your kindness was during a time that can only be described as the dark night of my soul.

2. Getting Out. 

You know what happens when you get sleep? You feel normal again. I'm not saying that I feel normal yet (or that I expect I ever will! What is "normal" anyway?), but I'm starting to feel normal-ish again. I have the urge to leave my house. Do things. Eat meals in exotic places. Like Panera. You know, that kind of thing. I even ventured to Atlanta the other day and enjoyed

a tasty birthday lunch

celebrating my girl Tricia. That's right. Stella is getting her groove back.

3. My Goals.

My birdwatching is going very well, thank you for asking. I learned this week that all the hawks I've been thinking I've been seeing... well, a lot of them are turkey vultures. Womp womp. They walk like a hawk and talk like a hawk, but hawk they are not. They are a vulture. Yuck. The angle of the wingspan and finger-like feathers are a dead give away, so now I can spot the difference in the sky! And we still have our one close, personal hawk friend who frequents the back yard and sits on the brick fence. He'd rad. I've named him Moonhawk, for the gloriously Moonstone-colored feathers that warm his broad chest. He is most welcome here. Also, other than the bird watching, I've been *attempting* to meal prep a bit more so we eat healthier.

This gal inspires me. And last week I worked out 5 times! This week... well, I'm currently sipping coffee and eating a breakfast cookie. Yes. Breakfast cookies are a thing. Moving on.

4. Normalizing Routine?

I'm going to say two normal words that equate to one valiantly mysterious phrase: baby + schedule. This has been my Everest as of late. What in the world. How in the heck. WHAT IS A BABY SCHEDULE. How to get a child to nap on a schedule? I've started to notice ebbs and flows in Everett's sleeping urges, but it's not consistent enough to follow on a daily basis. And the thing is... I want this schedule more for me. Yes, the selfish truth is just that. If he could stick to a plan, I could get a few things done around here! I mean, when am I supposed to clean? Shower? Blog?! MAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES. I've started asking moms about their schedule, but it all seems so cryptic. Share your secrets, women! There are people in the world (cough*me*cough) who need to glean from your treasured knowledge and experience!

Fun Around the Web.

Just a few fun things I had to share because they made me smile this week.

This cop jamming out with his sassy bad self to "Shake it Off". I can't stop giggling.

I am still infatuated with Designlovefest's Dress Your Tech posts. It's like a free present every month! I won't stop sharing these with you because they are just so indulgent.

I feel like a lady again because I bought this organic lip glaze and it's super, ultra pink. I feel like I should smack my bubble gum and twirl my hair. Girl alert.

Also, have you entered my giveaway in partnership with Turbans for Tots? We are giving away this adorable Sibling Set, which is for a boy and girl, consisting of a bow tie (for him) and a hair bow headband (for her) - this Turbans for Tots stuff is so cute! You can enter the giveaway here up to three times and the winner will be announced and contacted next week. Share with your friends and deck out the littles of your life!

Love to you all.