Sunday Supper: Easy Hamburger Stroganoff

Hey, friends! Welcome back to another weekly edition of Sunday Supper! Each week this little space gives me the opportunity to share with you about the things that happened in my world and to share some delicious recipes (and maybe a little encouragement, too) for the week ahead.

Let me start by saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the folks along the gulf coast who are facing Hurricane Ida right now. This storm looks like a beast and I just pray for the safety of so many who are in this storm’s path. Y’all, please be smart and stay safe!

This week was filled to the brim for us, but the highlight was seeing Jack on the field for his first football game! While he didn’t even make it onto the field and the game didn’t end like we had hoped, he was so excited and grateful to be a part of that team. He was all smiles after the game. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen him so committed to something before. It makes a dad’s heart swell pretty big!

It’s been a busy week over at the Chinaberry House! The roof is going on the house and they’re wrapping up framing the upper floor on the test kitchen. It’s all starting to look more and more like a house! If we can get the weather to cool off a bit, I want to do a live video over there to be able to walk y’all through the space, but it’s just been stiflingly miserable lately.

As we’re still working to adjust to the new schedule with school being back in session, I’m opting for quick and easy recipes this week – and my Easy Hamburger Stroganoff is just that. It’s one of those recipes that often gets overlooked on the blog, but is so, so good! It’s also so, so easy – which makes it perfect for those crazy weeknights!

As a quick and easy side, I’m sharing my Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad. It’s the perfect dish to whip up and snack on throughout the week, too. It’s tangy, tart, and super fresh!

And while the dessert I’m sharing this week, my Ultimate Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, isn’t exactly quick and easy, they are worth every bit of extra effort that goes into them. They’re a fun project for Sunday afternoon that gives you a sweet snack for the week. If you’re looking for big, thick, chewy, gooey cookies loaded with chocolate chips, this is the recipe for you!

And as usual, I’m sharing a recipe that stopped me mid-scroll this week. These Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping from Mandy over at South Your Mouth got me to drooling the minute I saw them. I’m a sucker for anything with a streusel topping and the thought of something being described as banana bread with a streusel topping and a vanilla cream icing drizzle has me all in!

As we look to the week ahead, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that we live in a world that is a dark, negative, and often frightening place right now. It’s impossible to turn on the tv or scroll through social media and not be reminded of that. I often get so overwhelmed that I just have to step away from all media altogether – just to get a reprieve. It just becomes too much.

I want to do something. I want to help. But while I realize I can’t effect real change on the big stuff, I work really hard to at least start with the small stuff. It’s that whole, “be a light” thing.

Reflect kindness in your interactions. Smile at folks you pass. Give people grace when they need it – even if they don’t deserve it. Be grateful. Hold the door for the person behind you. Tell a stranger to have a good day.

These things seem so simple and basic, but they are (at least for me) a great way to show kindness and compassion to others. And while I hope these actions help and inspire others, I know that these things help me too. When you create kindness and positivity, you’ll find that it comes back. And we’ve all got to start somewhere… so why not start with kindness.