This is what a typical spring evening looks like for us lately.

My daughter and I spent a lot of the evening outside together. She was in her swing and playing around in the yard, and we made it part of our rhythm for the evening—going in and out between the kitchen and outside while dinner cooked. I’d stir the pot, go back out and push her in the swing, then come back in to check on the food again. It was a slow, back-and-forth kind of evening where we stayed close and everything just flowed between inside and outside.

The weather was warm in that soft Southern California way—the kind of evening where everything feels a little calmer. Hummingbirds were coming through the yard, and she kept getting excited watching them move around.

Inside, I was making a simple dinner: bolognese pasta with freshly grated Parmesan and toasted artisan bread on the side. Nothing fancy—just something warm and comforting at the end of the day.

My Simple Weeknight Bolognese

This is one of those meals that takes time, but it’s worth it because it fills the house with the best smell and always turns out rich, hearty, and comforting.

I start by finely chopping carrots, celery, and onion. I like them really small so they melt into the sauce instead of standing out.

Then I heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a pot and sweat the vegetables until they soften and become fragrant.

Once the base is ready, I season it with Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, chili flakes, and parsley.

Next comes about a pound of ground bison. I add it into the pot and cook it until it’s fully browned and combined with the vegetables.

After that, I add about two cups of water—sometimes a little more depending on texture—and a few tablespoons of beef base (I use Better Than Bouillon). I also add a bay leaf and let it all simmer.

Then it cooks slowly for about an hour so the flavors deepen and the sauce thickens into something rich and cohesive.

About 45 minutes in, I start the pasta. I salt the water well and cook it until it’s al dente.

Before draining, I always save some of the pasta water. I stir a bit of the reserved salted pasta water into the sauce—it helps everything come together and makes it silky and smooth. Then I let it simmer a little longer so it all blends.

Finally, I serve it hot with freshly grated Parmesan (the real stuff—never powdered), a little fresh parsley if I have it, and toasted artisan bread on the side. I usually grab the Tuscan-style bread from Costco—it’s simple but really good.

A Different Kind of Season

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what this next season of life is going to look like.

I’m about to fully step into being a stay-at-home mom, without the work-from-home balance I’ve been used to. And honestly, it’s going to be different.

The season I was in before felt really hard—constantly trying to split myself between work and home, never fully feeling like I was doing either one well.

This feels like a shift. A slower one.

A chance to spend more time outside with my daughter, to enjoy evenings instead of rushing through them, and to be more present in the small, ordinary moments that actually make up a life.

To be the mom I want to be. And the wife I want to show up as, too.

The Kind of Evenings I Want to Remember

Nights like this make me feel like we’re going to be okay.

Simple dinner simmering on the stove.

Playing outside together in the warm evening air.

Hummingbirds moving through the yard.

Waiting for my husband to get home.

Nothing big or dramatic—just everyday life happening quietly in the background.

But it feels like enough.

Maybe even more than enough.