Ordinary week. The kind I treasure now — ordinary means nobody moved, nobody deployed, nobody's oven exploded. Ordinary is the luxury.
Caleb's reading has reached a level where I can no longer preview every book before he reads it. He brought home a chapter book from the school library that included the word 'damn' and read it aloud at dinner.
'Mama, what does DAMN mean?'
Ryan choked on his chicken.
'It's a word adults use when they're frustrated, baby. It's not a word for kids.'
'But the BOOK said it.'
'Books sometimes have grown-up words.'
'Can I say it?'
'No.'
'But the book—'
'No, Caleb.'
He accepted this with the philosophical grace of a child who knows he'll say it eventually and just needs to wait.
Hazel's preschool is doing a unit on 'my family.' She brought home a drawing: four people (two big, two small), a house, and a pink animal. 'That's our dog,' she said.
'We don't have a dog, Hazel.'
'We WILL have a dog.'
The Abernathy children and their phantom dog. Rex (Caleb's version) and now Pink Dog (Hazel's version). The imaginary pet is a family member at this point.
Made Mom's chicken parmesan tonight. The weeknight comfort food. Breaded, baked, served over pasta with the kind of melted mozzarella that stretches when you cut it. Ryan's favorite.
Ordinary. Damn. Pink Dog.
The luxury of nothing happening.
After a week where the biggest drama was a chapter book dropping the word “damn” at the dinner table and Hazel insisting we own a pink dog, I wanted something that felt a little indulgent without any real effort — because ordinary weeks deserve ordinary luxuries. Rosemary and Parmesan together hit that exact note: simple enough for a Tuesday, fancy enough to feel like a treat. It’s the kind of thing you make while the kids are winding down and you just... exhale.
Rosemary-Parmesan Popcorn
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels (or 1 standard bag plain microwave popcorn)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, finely crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Pop the corn. Pop kernels using your preferred method — stovetop in a lidded pot over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon oil, shaking occasionally, until popping slows. Transfer to a large bowl and remove any unpopped kernels.
- Mix the seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Dress the popcorn. Drizzle the remaining olive oil or melted butter over the warm popcorn and toss to coat evenly. This helps the seasoning stick.
- Season and toss. Sprinkle the Parmesan mixture over the popcorn in two or three additions, tossing well between each addition so the cheese distributes evenly.
- Taste and adjust. Add a pinch more salt if needed. Serve immediately while warm — the Parmesan clings best when the popcorn is fresh.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg
About the cook who shared this
Rachel Abernathy
Week 471 of Rachel’s 30-year story
· San Diego, California
Rachel is a twenty-eight-year-old Marine wife and mom of two who has moved five times in six years and learned to cook a Thanksgiving dinner with half her cookware still in boxes. She married young, survived postpartum depression, and feeds her family of four on a junior Marine's salary with a freezer full of pre-made meals and a crockpot that has never let her down. She writes for the military spouses who are cooking dinner alone in base housing and wondering if they're enough. You are.
