Cooking after baby

Well it certainly has been awhile since I posted-Yikes!  We now have a 6 week old baby girl who is absolutely amazing. Between being at the end of my pregnancy in the summer heat and having a baby who keeps us very busy, I truly had not cooked in forever!  We were also lucky enough to have tons of meals cooked and delivered by our wonderful family and friends, so I didn't even need to cook 😊

This weekend I decided it was time to get back in the kitchen!  I was debating throwing a crock pot meal together, but my husband was off and home to help with the baby so I figured I'd do something a little more involved,.  I still needed a recipe that allowed for plenty of downtime to feed our little one, etc. 

I chose to make my Beef Barley Soup and it was the perfect choice!  
 

This recipe allowed me to cut and prep my "mirepoix" of carrots, celery and onion when I had a chance during the early afternoon.  After a feed, about 2.5 hours before we planned to eat, I jumped in and seared the beef, garlic and veggies.  The next step was to simmer for 1.5 hours- plenty of time for some laundry and another feed or two!  The final piece was to add in the barley, salt and pepper that I had measured out beforehand so my husband could add it, as I was mid feed.  Finally we just let it simmer for another 40 minutes- you guessed it more feeding for my hungry chick!  An added bonus with this recipe is that when it's done it stays hot for quite some time, in case you also have a little one who senses it's time for mom and dad to eat and loses her mind!! 
 

I'm excited to be getting back in the Kunkel Kitchen, it feels great to be up and cooking again!