Wednesday, June 4, 2025
It’s Wednesday and time for hodgepodge with Joyce! Let’s go!
1. What do birthdays look like in your house? How are they celebrated? Any special traditions? What about birthdays growing up?
I love a birthday or any celebration! I like to start with a surprise on the kitchen table like a donut or a card or something the person likes. I ask if they want to go out to eat or if they prefer to have me make something about a week before. In the above photo you see the BLTs Tom chose for his birthday dinner a few years ago. I ask if they want cake and what kind and I either buy it or make it depending on what they say. Tom’s birthday is next week! I need to ask him what he wants to do. Tom’s birthday and Father’s Day fall very close together! As an adult, sometimes what we do depends on the day of the week that the birthday falls on.
2. Someone is sending you a dozen roses…what color are you hoping for? Are you someone who gets accused of seeing the world through rose colored glasses? Is your accuser correct? Elaborate.
I would rather have a plant. I would rather have an interesting bouquet. Is that wrong of me? But, I did get a really beautiful peach rose bouquet from a student. Also, it doesn’t have to be a dozen. I do see the world through rose colored glasses sometimes because I am usually an optimist. I can get into a real Negative Nancy mode and no one likes that so I try to see the bright side.
3. June 4th is National Cheese Day…will you celebrate? What’s something (besides a burger) you make in the summer months that calls for cheese?
A day without cheese is like a day without the sun. I eat a string cheese every day pretty much. Sure! I will celebrate now that I know! I just bought feta for Greek bowls, I have parmesan for some pasta, and I also bought havarti for brioche grilled cheese with havarti and fig jam. We fancy!
4. ’tis the season…any weddings on your June calendar? What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say marriage?
No weddings on my June calendar, but I am looking forward to an August wedding. Our friends Beth and Bob have their first daughter getting married. Her invitation is so pretty and unique.
5. What are you most looking forward to this June?
I love June. I think our weather is just so nice. It’s cool in the mornings, it’s perfect during the day, and in the evenings it’s just divine (if it weren’t for the mosquitoes!). I also think June brings such a feeling of possibilities. I have lived my life on a school calendar for 48 years now and in June you just feel like the world is your oyster. I am hoping to have the motivation to declutter (it’s an ongoing theme with me), organize, make some spaces look better, be social, be active, and do a lot of reading and cooking.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I made a good dinner this week. Tom raved about it to Eddie Otis. He said, “this is too good to share, Eddie Otis”. I made roasted potato wedges, roasted zucchini and yellow squash, and blackened tilapia fish sandwiches with a homemade blackening seasoning and a homemade remoulade. Both were super easy. I air fried the fish in my oven on the air fryer setting.
The remoulade:
1/2 cup mayo
1 T. pickle relish
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. spicy brown mustard
a dash of dried parsley
a dash of Tabasco
a dash of sea salt or kosher salt
Thin out with water if you need to and apply the sauce to both sides of a toasted bun, baby. Both sides! Then, add a little shredded lettuce and a tomato slice before placing your fish atop.
Blackening seasoning:
Mix it all in a little bowl.
3 T. paprika
1 T. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/2 t. cayenne
You put some olive oil on your thawed fish and then you massage this mix atop. I air fried at 400 for about 12 minutes. It wasn’t too spicy.
What would you say to one of the hodgepodge questions?
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
We are the same way with birthdays here; the birthday boy (or girl!) gets to decide our dinner and dessert menu but we can’t always celebrate on the actual day. Those roses are so pretty. I love just about any gift of flowers or plant. That dinner you made looks delicious.
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Your fish sandwich sounds delicious! So does that BLT. I prefer a mixed bouquet too, but love some roses included there. It seems invitations are rarely ‘traditional’ anymore and I love the way they give you a feel for what the wedding will be like. I love pretty paper and fonts and all that so am a fan of pretty and unique invitations. Enjoy your day!
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Birthdays look different now with my girls living out of town, but I love still making them special. That dinner looks delicious! We love a fancy cheese here too, but I’m with you, I eat a string cheese every day. Enjoy your day!!
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I got to decide the restaurant for my birthday last night – so yup we do the same!
Your weather in June sounds perfect to me. I love a cool morning! It’s just hot here all day and all night.
That wedding invitation is so pretty!
xo,
Kellyann
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Yay! So much pressure! I have a hard time deciding!
Yeah, I can’t do a FL summer.
It is!
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So sweet of your student- I love peach roses! Your dinner sounds fabulous-thanks for sharing a recipe!
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It really touched me. I have got to stop using that term! Thank you!
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I wholeheartedly agree about the rose question~ I would prefer a plant or an interesting something else. Roses aren’t my favorite at all, but honestly, any flowers would be nice. I should buy some for myself soon! That dinner picture looks fabulous! I need to try this soon. I love fish, and fish sandwiches are a great idea!
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I think you should get yourself a twice a month bouquet for summer. Mine last more than a week.
The hardest part of this recipe is thawing your frozen fish.
I put mine in a bowl of cold water in the sink for a couple hours. Gonna make fish tacos next!
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It sounds like you are fantastic at making people feel special on their birthday!
I like June too, the weather is just right! Good luck with the decluttering.
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I hope so! I try!
It really is a nice month!
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Lots of yumminess here! Everything you’ve made recently sounds and looks really good. I’m not even a teacher but I feel a bit of the same way about June. It’s nice to know that I CAN’T work even if I wanted to :). Totes agree with you about cheese! Have a great day!
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Thanks!
I bet that feels good that you CAN’T sub! I get that!
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We do birthdays in much the same way, but we’re not often together as a family for birthdays any more. Your fancy grilled cheese sounds amazing! I used to refer to grilled cheese by the French name Croque Monsieur because that made it sound like fancy French cuisine, but I love grilled cheese by any name! Have a great week!
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I know! It’s sad!
Oh I should call it that!
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Just wanted to congratulate you on retirement!!! ❤️Looking forward to your retirement blogs!
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Thank you Susan! We will see where it takes the blog!
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Love the cheese quote! I agree for reals.
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Right? Cheese makes everything better.
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For Valentine’s Day, I’ve started making whatever the kids and Trav want for dinner. Just a fun way — and a hodgepodge way – to eat and celebrate the day. I love all the flowers…very sweet of Tom. Trav is definitely the optimist in our relationship haha but I’m not negative…practical, I guess, is how I should have described myself. The world is your oyster now!
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That is so sweet! I love that tradition – the meal doesn’t have to go together! Thank you. I am the more positive and Tom is more like you.
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It’s kind of nice to just have a random assortment of what others want. I think one person in a partnership should be a little more practical/jaded 🤣but I’m thankful for Trav’s easy going nature and optimism
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I love that dark invitation. Anything “different” _ I love for weddings. Break with tradition! (to an extent mind you LOL)
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I agree – but it is still classy. It fits the venue, too, as it is at Yew Dell Gardens.
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I am unashamed to say we use our air fryer every single day. Best investment ever.
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So true! I used mine each day, too. Then, it died from overuse, I guess. Now I use the airfryer feature on my high tech new oven.
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I’m with you on getting a plant instead of a bouquet. I finally have rose bushes (my maiden name was Rose), and I’m hoping to add one more bush this summer. I love cheese and want to try baking some with some kind of jelly and crackers. That sounds delicious to me! Enjoy this first week of retirement!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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Right? Although right now I feel like I can’t take on another plant. Oh, that’s lovely! I would rather have live rose bushes outside.
Oh, hot pepper jelly and pimento cheese – I think there’s a recipe somewhere out there. You also can’t go wrong with Crescent roll dough, raspberry jam, and brie. It’s like a dessert!
Thank you!
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Enjoyed your answers. Both of those sandwiches look amazing!
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