Today I’m taking you along for a full day of food as a stay at home mom of five—realistic, cozy, and honestly just what works in a busy homeschool home. I started my morning by getting sourdough cinnamon rolls into the oven (I mixed the dough the night before), and even though they weren’t for breakfast, they were definitely the fun little treat we had after lunch. I usually do a simple glaze, but this time I made a cream cheese frosting—yes, it was a little clumpy because I skipped the immersion blender, but we’re eating at home and I know they taste delicious. For breakfast, I kept it easy with a smoothie because I’d already been in the kitchen a lot. I blended water, a splash of half and half, cottage cheese, frozen strawberries, and my powders (whey protein isolate, collagen, and creatine). Lunch was a simple “snacky” spread—almonds, cucumbers, crackers, cheese and kubasa, boiled eggs, yogurt, plus a small leftover bowl of chicken, black bean, sweet potato, and quinoa soup. Dinner was my longtime favorite beef stew in the Instant Pot/slow cooker style. I don’t follow the recipe perfectly (I use chicken broth instead of beef broth and I skip the tomato paste), and I always add lots of garlic. I thickened it at the end with broth + flour and added peas, then served it with toasted sourdough—such a hearty winter meal.