Friday Things #369
1. Bedtime books and snuggles are my favorite โค๏ธ๏ธ
2. Dominicโs teacher left everyone a package of cups, stickers, soil, and seeds on doorsteps last weekend since they were going to be planting seeds in class (can we take a moment to seriously praise all teachers right now?!)โฆ we planted Dominicโs last week and theyโre growing so well! The boys run downstairs every morning to see how much theyโve grown.
3. Isabelle calls her sunglasses โsassiesโ and I truly hope she never stops.
4. An unexpected consequence of not going to Target for over six weeks? We have run out of bags that we use for bathroom garbage can liners! ๐ฑ I had to break down and order small garbage can liners from Amazon, the horror!
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5. Our local grocery chain has instituted one-way arrows for aisles in the stores, so as not to have people too close together. Honestly, I hope this is something that never goes away long after the pandemic is over!
6. If youโre on the baking train during quarantine, have you tried my copycat Pizza Hut breadsticks yet? They are SPOT ON and so addicting!
7. Is there anything youโre totally craving that you havenโt been able to get while sheltering in place?
8. Iโm thinking the boys would love a snack plate meal!
9. Okay, quick TV recapโฆ weโre still watching the Michael Jordan special and weโre both loving it! This week we started watching the Waco miniseries on Netflix and oh my, itโs totally riveting. I usually work on my laptop in the evenings while we watch TV, but Iโve done close to no work because I canโt keep my eyes off the television. Incredibly well done.
10. TGIF! Hope you can have a cozy snack this weekend!
Missing Target too! Iโd recommend their โdrive upโ option if your local Target offers it. You can select that option through the Target app for any products that are usually available in store for online pickup, and then itโs contactless curbside pickup. Orders are always ready for pickup within a few hours. Itโs handy even during non-coronavirus times, but especially helpful right now!
Hi Michelle, Iโve been reading your blog and enjoying your recipes and the pix of your beautiful family, including your furry members. Apologies for not commenting sooner, but time is crazy at our house. We have guardianship of our 5 y.o. granddaughter and online learning due to Covid-19 is unbelievably time consuming! Weโre learning right along with her because the way sheโs being taught is so foreign compared to the way we learned in the 1960s & 1970s and the manner in which our children were taught in the 1980s, 1990s & 2000s.
The seed planting kits from your childrenโs teachers were a lovely idea โ could you email me the name brand of these kits, or impart the name of the website please? Iโd love to share this idea with Lexiโs kindergarten teacher.
Thank you in advance. Take care & be well! ~ McKenzie, Morgan, Trevor & Lexiโs Nana
Hi Cristina, Iโm sorry that this wonโt be much help, but the teacher put together the little packages herself โ she portioned out soil in baggies, put in plastic cups, and included a small envelope with four seeds. Youโre doing a phenomenal job! Stay healthy! :)
You have a young fashionista on your hands! I love the โsassiesโ! So cute.๐
My youngest daughter called gymnastics nymjapstics (nim-jap-sticks) when she was little and it stuck. She also called my friend Karen carrot, and Karen answers to the name still even at workย
Omgโฆmade me laugh inside with carrot. thank you. Yesterday my great niece whi is 3 sang the song from Frozen to me.Let it Go. She sang it โlet it doughโฆlet it douuuughโฆโ.๐Warmed my heart for a bit to be able to have some simple pure joy.
Love the โsassiesโ๐. ย So cute! ย Unfortunately Iโm finding that people canโt or wonโt follow the directional arrows at the supermarket now when there are less people in the store so Iโm betting they will completely ignore them when things are more โnormalโ. ย Canโt understand why people canโt do what theyโre told for the greater good. ย Iโm not missing any particular food item. ย I have flour and yeast (I donโt bake a lot) but Iโm finding specialty mushrooms are hard to find ie King Oyster. ย Since restaurants here are still doing takeout, Iโm not missing food but Iโm missing the dining out experience.
Stylinโ those Sassies! ๐ถ
I use grocery bags for trash, taking items to a friends house, car trash bag, storing winter/summer clothes, doggy poo pick up and many other uses. The reusable bags get skanky
Yes to all of this, we use the grocery bags for so much!!
Iโm completely into snack plates for lunch ever since we were with friends at their cabin in Tioga county back in January. ย We did this for lunch every day with crackers, cheese, veggies and fruit. ย It was simple, nourishing and not over-filling. ย Just enough to keep us until supper. ย I really donโt like those single direction lanes at the grocery. ย Going to the grocery has become a really ugly chore for me since this lockdown began. ย No one smiles, says hello, chats while in the check out line; itโs become so impersonal and it makes me cry just thinking about it. ย We were created to be be social beings and thatโs being taken away from us more and more as each day thereโs some other means of separation added. ย Itโs like weโre all foreigners around each other or have forgotten how to be friendly, ย just cold and impersonal. People that I have known all my life have avoided me because of these stupid government dictates. ย It crushes me to actually see this happen. Just my two cents worth of thought . . .ย
I so agree. I went to the grocery store with my Mom a couple of days ago because I finally had to. I said hello to the checker and no response. But he realized I had said something (probably couldnโt hear me too well i had a mask on my face)โฆand he was just out of itโฆso zoned out. So I asked howโs your day and we chatted a bit. It was so hot with a mask on, glasses fogged up it felt like a bad dream really. Iโm not missing many foods as much as missing โlife.โ Even good foods seem sort of blah right now. Blog is a bright spot for sure. Sassiesโฆ.so sweet. If you can, play the weatherman doing home weather and his golden enters the takeโฆ.think it was in Florida. Sweet and very funny to lift our spirits.
I canโt think of anything cuter than ย 2 year old pronunciations of certain words. I love the โsassiesโ !! My now 16 year old godchild used to love to snuggle with a special โfillowโ she had.ย
Those pizza sticks remand me of a yummy table item served at a local Italian restaurantโฆgosh, I miss going there even ย more so because I canโt imagine eating out anytime soon.
As for TV, I love, love, love โZoeyโs Extrodinary Playlistโ on NBC. Episode 11, the season finale is Sunday night but honestly, it is the best โฆso so worth watching. It is funny, ย quirky, ย innovative, uplifting with great characters and fun musical productions. I cannot imagine that it wonโt be Emmy nominated. The concept is too unusual to explain here but I highly recommend finding it On Demand or at NBC.com or however and start at the first episode. I plan to sit down in the near future and binge watch the whole thing from start to finish. I have my fingers crossed it will be renewed for the fall season.
Dear Michelle,
I have been getting your blog for a number of years.
Just wanted to say that you have a beautiful Family and you seem to be an amazing Mom! ย Why doesnโt your Hubby make an appearance? ย Camera shy, lol?
You are also so adept in the kitchen. ย How do you do it all?
I am a Mom of three professional Adults and four Grandsons, one hopefully heading off to College normal time.
Best, Fran
Aww thank you so much, Fran! I mean, it may look like I โdo it allโ but I really just feel like Iโm getting by, haha! Just try to enjoy our days and fit in the work when I can :)
Iโve started watching โNadiyaโs Time to Eatโ on Netflix and itโs really good. ย Lots of time saving recipes, and of course sheโs such a charmer. (Nadiya won the Great British Baking Show a few years ago.). Also The Repair Shop which is just so interesting, gentle British TV.ย
My whole family is missing our local ice cream place. No one can make a malt like they do!!!!! Those copycat Pizza Hut breadsticks look AMAZING!!! I better add it to our baking list. HAHAHA!!!! And Isabelle calling those her โsassiesโ is so cute!!!!
I placed an order with Target.com and was so impressed with how fast I received everything. They also had great communication about the shipping process.
Waco is so good!
Iโve ordered a few times from Target.com for dry goods like cereal, snacks, baking supplies, etc. and theyโve been great, I agree!
Hi Michelle , I want to tell you, I have enjoyed watching your children grow thru my emails I receive from you each Friday. Your children are adorable, your so lucky to have them, enjoy them, as you can tell I adore children, I have two and every day is a joy with them. Love your recipes also. Thank you for sharing all of those awesome recipes. Stay safe and give your children a huge hug for me, GOD Bless ! ! !
Here in California one is lucky if we get to purchase toilet paper and paper towels, along with canned foods, canโt find lysol and clorox wipes, I have been using Lisrterine for disinfecting counters etc in my home, this was sent out for everyone, on how to use Listerine because it has 65% alcohol and that is how much you need for disinfecting your home, this was put out by John Hopkins University, this is helpful as cannot locate the other disinfecting items. P.S. counters etc smell good when I use Listerine ! ! That is a good thingโฆLOL! !
I have been sad about the fact that New York is getting rid of single use plastic bagsโฆthey have never been single use to anyone I know! I had a big stash but now that Iโm home all the time it has been slowly dwindlingโฆ
We had to buy small trash bags too! My kids were amazed that they were even available for purchase. Theyโve honestly just never seen anything other than my attempt to recycle shopping bags
We love your copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks. We do one pan with the seasoning and one pan with cinnamon and sugar. So good.
Love the cinnamon sugar spin you put on the breadsticks!
Sassies?! How adorable! ย And I really miss buying macarons. So intimidating to make. Have you done it?
Hi Katie, Iโve tried it twice and I donโt even like to eat macarons (I know, Iโm in the minority!) so the fussiness of the recipes just wasnโt worth it for me!
My daughter was in Paris about a year ago and brought macarons back for me. ย A local grocery sells macarons and while theyโre pretty good, they pale in comparison to those from Paris. ย She was supposed to go back to Paris just after Motherโs Day and macarons were going to be my present. ย So Iโd say that not all macarons are created equally. ย If you get a chance to try some from France, try them!
The food I very much dislike that everyone else seems to love is Nutella. ย Canโt stand the stuff.
My favorite snacky type meal is Le Grand Aioli. ( https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/le-grand-aioli) I cheat on the aioli and use about 1/2 cup mayonnaise to which I add a clove of garlic, grated, and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice. ย I donโt use all the ingredients, but usually cod that I pan fry, cherry or grape tomatoes, steamed green beans, and hard boiled eggs. ย Everything dipped in the aioli is great. ย