And just like that, it is February. I dropped my son off at preschool this morning and as I am sure many parents can relate, I always feel a sense of urgency to cross off as many things as possible on my todo list before picking him up at noon. But not today. It is a chilly, beautiful sunny day here in Seattle and I am going to enjoy the view out my window and type.

January was truly restorative. Sleep was a priority, as was exercise. We spent most of our downtime at home making art...

Dad too.

And we have been cooking. A few favorites...

I mentioned this dish back in October but it worth spreading the word again if you still haven't made it.

Another one from the NYT, Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma. It is incredibly easy and flavorful. I served it with rice and the same garlic yogurt sauce from the Melissa Clark recipe above spiked with a little lemon juice.

And also this lovely lentil soup from Sarah Britton. This recipe is also included in her wonderful cookbook. I should have paid attention when she said this is her most favorite recipe she's ever posted and made it long before last week. It is truly delicious and again something incredibly easy to pull together for lunch or dinner. Worth noting, in the book version of this recipe she recommends adding a very small pour of maple syrup at the very end to balance the flavor. I did and it really makes all the difference.

My time is up. Off to pick up my little guy.