Monday, February 27, 2023

Well, we are down to just two more days of February. I am linking up with Sarah and Holly to recap my weekend.

My college kids started their Spring Break! Yes, it is super early, but they get done with second semester at the end of April/very beginning of May. Do you want to know why? Because they want them gone before The Kentucky Derby! One will be home the whole Spring Break, but the other will be leaving in a couple of days for a conference out of town with one of his college organizations.

I finished this:

I don’t think I really recommend it. The author’s writing style is not my favorite. Her sentences are short and simplistic. You don’t really get to know or like any of the characters. And, this is super annoying…many times throughout the book she writes, “I already told you that”. Yes, I know you already told me that. I read it.

But, like a cultural anthropologist (? – Lol!), I was fascinated by the recounting of leaving New York City to flee to Maine at the beginning of the pandemic. I also read Jodi Piccoult’s pandemic centered book called “Wish you Were Here”. The only thing these two books have in common is the pandemic, though.

I guess I am intrigued by the fact that enough time has passed to both write and publish books about this topic. As strange as this sounds, I still have so many emotions surrounding my experience being both a parent with kids affected and a teacher and this book maybe helped me process more emotions and reach more closure. I feel strongly that we did so many things incorrectly but at the same time I have empathy because we didn’t know what we didn’t know.

I started this immediately after and I love a book set in Paris that has food descriptions!

Friday after school I had done a grocery pick up because I was lazy and didn’t do one Wednesday or Thursday. I also didn’t go to a happy hour because I went out to lunch on Monday and out for fondue dinner on Wednesday. I made us Asian bowls and all four of us ate together. We had sadly finished the show Shrinking on Apple TV. All four of us really liked it. Also, I pickled my own red onions and was quite pleased with myself.

All of this was cooked on the stove top or in the air fryer. My oven comes in next week!

Saturday morning I was up bright and early because I had gone to bed at 9:30. I finished catching up on blog reading and blog comments and cleaned up many areas of the house including my closet. I got a library notification that two much anticipated books were in!

Look at the cute green St. Patrick’s Day bookshelf!

Then, I had an appointment at my favorite consignment store, Sassy Fox.

They took most of my items. I didn’t really have that much because I like most of my spring and summer things. But, it forced me to go ahead and take inventory and that is always a great thing. I brought home one new thing – a graphic tee by Prince Peter. It retails for $54 and was brand new. I got it for $18. I had been wanting a graphic tee with pink in it.

For lunch, I used the Asian bowl leftovers and added arugula. I whipped up a bit more of the Asian sauce I had made and this turned out delish!

I made Tom avocado toast and we watched Outer Banks Season 3 Episode 1. I can’t believe Tom got into it last season, but he did.

It warmed up and it was really sunny. I made an old fashioned and lit my candle and did one of my favorite things – I read outside! I started Carrie Soto.

I’m not interested in tennis at all. I couldn’t get into Daisy Jones. I liked Malibu Rising ok. I liked Evelyn Hugo ok. I really liked her earlier books, though. I don’t think I’m going to have such a rave review about this book as others have had, but I am moving quickly through it.

For dinner I made spicy chicken alfredo with bowtie and rotini pasta. I had two boxes to use up and I did. My alfredo sauce is homemade and I indulged, too.

Then, Tom and I went to a comedy show at my school that was a fundraiser put on by the alumni association. I got free tickets, so why not?

I watched some tv with my kids when we got home and Tom watched the rest of his basketball game. We finished Cunk on Earth on Netflix and it was really funny.

I made these bowls for my breakfast both weekend days. I cook mushrooms, onions, and zucchini and top with scrambled eggs and cheese.

I also made some turkey meatballs and cooked some ground beef for dinners this week. My breakfast prep is still going strong for this week in my freezer. I think it’s smarter to do two week’s worth of breakfast burritos at a time!

Anyway, it was a very low key and also a very low spend weekend for me.

What did you do?

Amy

34 thoughts on “Hello Monday – A Weekend of Books and Good Food”

  1. I’m on spring break just like your kids! 😀 But over here we call it Sports break (no spring her you know…). So I spent my weekend in a bliss, just being happy to be off work. I do have correcting to do, though…
    So I am totally with you on Taylor Jenkins Reid! I could quote you exactly on not being interested in tennis, didn’t finish Daisy Jones… It will be interesting to hear you opinion! I trust your book recommendations, The Giver of Stars is still on my mind, and I would never have found it if you didn’t recommend it!
    Happy Monday! I’m still in my pyjamas, half way through my second cup of coffee… ❤

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    1. Sports Break! Yay! Go play some sports!
      No – do not do work at home! Ha!
      Oh, thank you! So funny that we have the same taste in books. I loved Giver of Stars so much! Well, that makes me happy!
      Ahhhh the mornings when you are off are just amazing, right?

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      1. The idea is that you should do winter sports… When the kids were younger we skated and skiied, but now we go to the movies and eat at restaurants instead…! 😀
        I normally don’t stay in school for correcting and admin, I prefer to go home…
        LOVE the break mornings! When is your break?

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      2. Love that! Movie going can be a sport!
        I try to get all my work done at work by going in almost an hour early. I just can focus better at work.
        I have so long until break! March 31!

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  6. I really enjoyed Carrie Soto but loved the second half more when more relationship things kicked in. All your meals look delish! It is crazy to think college kids are already having spring break . Lucky them 😆 i hope you have a great week

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      1. They just confirmed we don’t have school on 3/17 (it’s a makeup day for us sometimes) and that day off is very much needed since apparently it’s never going to snow 🫠

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      2. Oh, wonderful! I wish we built the days in like that and got a freebie if we don’t need it. So smart! You can make your Irish meal now! I was just thinking about looking that up and planning to make it soon-ish.

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  7. You accomplished a lot this weekend, too! I’m glad someone had sunny weather this weekend…ours is already looking better for next week, so I’m glad about that. We’ve had tons of rain lately! Your dinners and breakfasts looked yummy! I know it feels good having those things done for the week. I didn’t get around to that, but our dinners are easy this week, so they won’t take too long to prep after work. One is going in the crock pot this morning before I leave. Have a great day, my friend!

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    1. It was very low key! I will wish sunshine for you! I do like rain, but it gets old! Thank you! I enjoy cooking more on the weekend and I also enjoy easy dinners during the week. I am much more satisfied with my own food than restaurant food lately!

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  8. Those Asian balls look really good and we just love turkey meatballs in our house! I didn’t think all the episodes of Shrinking have come out yet, it looks like there are a couple more. It’s so good! That’s crazy about getting the kids out of Dodge before the Kentucky Derby. I guess it’s smart on the colleges part.

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  10. TJR’s best books are the ones about regular people. :/ I haven’t really liked the last few at all. I think Evelyn Hugo was a blatant rip off of Elizabeth Taylor’s life, to tell you the truth.

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  11. You have been making some really good looking meals. I also enjoy how you make cocktails for yourself at home. I hadn’t poured myself a glass of wine at home since last year! so I did have a glass with our homemade pizza on Saturday night. Now that Lenten season is upon us, Friday nights will be fish or grilled cheese and tomato soup. We watched Ant Man Quantamania on Saturday. Tony treated all his employees and their families and rented a theatre and gave everyone gift cards for snacks. We had close to 100 people there and it was fun. It’s really not my type of movie but it had some funny parts. We also saw Jesus Revolution on Sunday and we both loved it. Kelsey Grammar is very good in it. We head to the beach house this Wednesday for 5 days and I am very happy about that. I am also reading Colleen Hoovers new book Heart Bones. It’s a goodie. I liked Carrie Soto but I read thru it fast skipping alot of the tennis jargon …..Have a great week!

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    1. Thank you! I love making cocktails at home, but I feel that I haven’t done much of that lately! I have been having more wine and seltzer. Wow – that’s crazy! I need to make the pizza soon but my last two batches of dough turned grey! That scared me.
      A few nice gesture for Tony to do for his employees!
      I want to see Revolution I think!
      I haven’t heard of Heart Bones but I like her books.
      I didn’t even think of skipping the tennis jargon. I guess I have learned a lot about tennis, too?
      You too!

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  12. We have 13 more school days until Spring Break! It starts on 3/20, but Friday, 3/17 is a teacher work day to do grades. I’m going to have my grades done so I can use comp time for that day. My electronic grade book is messed up; our data processor made some changes to period 6 without understanding how to do it, and there are some problems. I haven’t been able to enter grades in period 6 in weeks! IT is supposed to fix it, but I have to go through someone at my school; we’re not allowed to talk directly to the school district’s IT Dept. Like the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, lol. It was supposedly fixed, but in reality, IT did nothing at all! I love seeing your meals. They look so good! I make overnight oats and eat them slightly heated up with fresh fruit, ideally raspberries, on top. My younger son has spring break the week before mine, but both sons are coming to visit this weekend! I’m limping toward spring break, summoning every drop of patience I can find! Have a great week!

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    1. Oh wow! That’s early! But, much needed, I’m sure! So smart to have yours done. I can’t believe that about your grade program.
      I need to try overnight oats. I am trying to eat more oatmeal this year, but I just love my eggs so much.
      Yay for your kids coming! You too!

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  14. Pingback: Friday Favorites – Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

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