Friday, January 16, 2025

It’s Friday! I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some favorites and hopefully to make you smile at least once. How was your week? Ours was cold again, unfortunately. I got to the gym a few times and Eddie Otis and I walked but last week was definitely easier when it was mild out.

I was not lifting 67 pounds at the gym…

I did do 6 or 7 reps, though. Seriously? Can the 6 7 thing end?

I am feeding myself better and that’s a favorite.

New strategy. Yogurt as dessert. I like OIKOS Pro Vanilla. I like frozen fruit and I like to set it out to defrost so all the juice gets in the yogurt. I think I am going to add a few mini chocolate chips and put it in the freezer for after dinner, too. I currently don’t have pb powder but that would be good, too. Do you have a favorite yogurt? I tried straight up Greek and couldn’t do it.

Another new strategy – getting protein through the humble sandwich. Did you read my Tuesday post? Thank you for your comments and ideas for me! I love pickles. This is turkey, pickles, and a little bit of mayo on a light bread.

I got to the gym the morning after doing my nails and realized that I did one navy press on the night before. Oopsie.

I fixed it! All better the next day in the gym!

I think this is actually a good idea and I had already heard of version of it on the Midlife Matters podcast. You get together with friends to tackle those nagging tasks like cancelling subscriptions. Would you go to an admin night? I would have to go to an admin day or admin morning. I know myself and I can’t tackle anything like that after dinner.

Incoming ground beef photo…

I made lasagna for dinner this week and did the meat in the morning. Having the biggest element done for dinner really is a favorite for me.

I made a cake and tried a hack I had heard of – you put the cake on the lid and use the body of the container as the “new” lid.

It worked!

I have fine hair and it gets tangled so easily. This is sooo expensive but it really works. I try to use a very little amount. It smells great, too.

The best winter moisturizer made even better with a pump. Get you a pump!

I “made” a new outfit this week!

I found a brand new hat with tags at a consignment store and ordered a fisherman’s sweater from Amazon (Amazon Essentials).

I did a fun project of drying out lemon slices in the oven at 225 for 2 hours. I took mine out a bit before 2 hours. These are all the rage in cocktails right now.

Mason brought home donuts last weekend as a nice gesture.

They are square! I had the oddly shaped one telling myself it was smaller and less caloric.

A library branch near me has a demo kitchen and each month they are having a different chef do cooking demos. How cool is that? This month is the German cookbook author/chef that gave us our cooking lesson.

I finished this. It was enjoyable at times. It has lots of Iceland descriptions if you have been or want to go. It was cheesy and many elements were farfetched and not realistic. The author doesn’t have children, and I didn’t like a couple of things that she said the mom did – lol.

I started this. I love a book with a family tree in the front of the book and I love a book that toggles between present and past. This book has both of those elements.

Waiting outside Mason’s door for him to wake up. This guy is going to be so sad when Mason moves out.

I made more sugar cookie creamer this week and it’s even better. Am I never going to have to buy creamer again? This time I reduced the sugar content and did half white sugar and half brown sugar.

We had mediterranean chicken and cauliflower bowls for dinner and this is one of my favorite types of meals.

I did a really good brunch bowl where I microwaved the egg mixture in a round Pyrex dish instead of a mug. Look how cool the egg turned out. The avocado is just so good, too!

I had a library pick up this week and got this:

Laura suggested this author and I thought I would try it. I am not normally a mystery genre reader.

I saw this on a library shelf and picked it up on a whim. It has so many great sauces that I would actually make! I will be taking photos. I feel so proud of myself when I make a creamer, dressing, or dipping sauce. Do you?

I love to check out cookbooks, and this is probably Pioneer Woman’s best cookbook ever. I would make pretty much every recipe. It’s real food for real people. Now, she makes her own mayo and cream of mushroom soup and I probably wouldn’t do that, but it has things like enchiladas, alfredo, chicken cutlets, pot roast, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes.

It was so nice to run some errands without the holiday shopping crowds. I went to a super popular shopping center that has Trader Joe’s, World Market, Old Navy, and more and the parking lot was empty-ish. I went in all three places.

I wanted to see if World Market had spring stuff out – not much. Here are the latest icon glasses:

I didn’t buy any. I am sticking with my four Valentine’s ones for now.

I did buy this cute little croissant spoon rest:

I tutored my student this week at Starbuck’s. It was good. He passed his midterm and improved his grade!

A sad story and a giggle…

I get my mom’s mail forwarded to me. She received a holiday/new year newsletter from couple friends from the military that basically only corresponded through holiday cards for the last 30 years. They listed their email addresses so I thought I would let them know my mom had passed away. I wrote the email and cried while doing so. I got a nice response back and they were appreciative of the news.

But then I read their newsletter, and it made me giggle so much. They talked about how their daughter was visiting but their son in law couldn’t come along because someone had to watch their Harris Hawk. I looked it up and it’s literally a hawk – bird they are talking about. That got me thinking about hawk sitters. It also got me thinking about excuses not to visit the in laws. You know Tom is my soulmate when he came home and also thought it was hilarious and said he wished he knew that was an option to get out of an in-law visit.

Anyone want to see the anime version of Eddie Otis? No?

Look at the anime version of my floor and rug.

Does this cheer anyone up?

I think it’s a little too early to start the count down or we will feel that we are forever counting down!

Tell me a favorite of yours this week!

Amy

42 thoughts on “Friday Favorites”

  1. So many great things! The 6 7 weights? Hysterical! Pioneer Woman is one of my faves- let me know if you try any of those recipes. Your Greek bowls look amazing-need that recipe!

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    1. Thank you! This is a good down to earth cookbook. I linked the recipe on my Tuesday post if you want to go back. I think I could find a more flavorful one. It was ok but I have made better.

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  2. That is funny about the hawk sitting! Ha!

    You got some great books and I know you’ll enjoy making the sauces. So very cool that your library is having cooking demos – what a great idea!

    EO is so sweet, waiting outside Mason’s door like that – oh the love! I remember Sophie being in bed with the boys and we’d go in and she’d look up at us like – hey all is good here, you people move on and leave us alone!

    Have a great weekend!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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  3. I do feel proud of myself when I make a homemade sauce or dressing from scratch. I dislike many aspects of adulting as much as the next person. But getting together socially to do mundane admin tasks makes me shudder. I’m too much of an introvert to even think about getting together to cancel subscriptions. But whatever works for others… Too funny about the hawk sitting as an excuse. It sounds like the inlaws bought it?? Have a great weekend!

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    1. I know – it does seem really personal to do admin. I think it’s probably more of a young person mindset to do that together!
      The hawk thing really made me laugh!
      You too!

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  4. The hawk thing does remind me of how non-dog people HATE it when you use your dogs to get out of things so I began using my kids to get out of things all the time and that’s perfectly fine but there’s not that much of a difference when you really think about it.

    I am in the market for the heart glasses just because Sutton would love them.

    If you haven’t read them, all of Beatriz Williams’ books are like that, back and forth between past and present and I’ve loved them all! A Hundred Summers is my favorite. Oh and Our Woman in Moscow.

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    1. Ha – so funny, right? Tom used to say he wouldn’t go anywhere where his dog wasn’t welcome when we had our first dog together – Archie.
      They are quite heavy for her fyi. Well, I don’t know her strength, of course!
      I have read a few Beatriz Williams but I don’t think I have read those. Thank you! There were some far fetched things in the book I just read but I enjoyed it.

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  6. Love that spring reminder… as it is all of 19 here today… of course we’ve had snow beyond the first day of spring before too so it really doesn’t mean much in real life but the IDEA of spring sure does help a lot. I tend to go one step further than you and make the entire lasagna in the morning then put it in the fridge all assembled and ready to bake at dinner time. I try to do as much food prep in the morning as I possibly can because by 4 or 5 I no longer feel like doing much of anything.

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    1. I know! Those flowers look so appealing! I am so cold! It is 27 here but feels like 15. I might go to that Cuban place for lunch to pretend I’m warm! I thought about doing the whole thing but I didn’t. I should have!

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  7. This is a great post! I have so many things I want to comment on, so I’ll try to keep it brief. First, I wish I loved Greek yogurt, but I don’t. I don’t mind it with fruit on the bottom, though, and was able to literally choke down a container at lunch on Wednesday. My friend Sarah was watching me and thought I was crazy. I love the icon glasses and want two; where did you find the Valentine ones? Inquiring minds need to know. You can text me, if you want! I’m getting out today for errands and lunch since I feel fine. The picture of EO in anime made me smile. The details are amazing! Happy Friday, friend!

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  8. I am still doing well with sticking to a low sugar diet. I love making a pb chocolate banana smoothie. I use frozen banana, a few spoonfuls of no fat no sugar greek yogurt, about a tablespoon of cocoa powder, pb powder, flax seeds and milk. The sweetness comes from the bananas. It satisfies a sweet craving! I also love sugar free Russell Stovers!

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  9. All the 6 7 references :). Reading your blog is a favorite of mine! I love that you have such a good rhythm of retirement. I loved reading all of this and I chuckled at your ground beef photo warning. I hope you have a great weekend!

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  10. Your yoghurt dessert sounds good and the sandwich too. Getting together with friends to sort out admin sounds like a great ideas, especially since they might see things you might miss.
    For years I always thought ground beef was something new that I have never tried, it was only probably last year I realised it is what we call mince. hahaha
    I love the look of that hat and sweater and how strange to get square doughnuts!
    Aww! That is a sweet story about your mom’s friends. Having to look after the hawk is a great excuse to get out of visiting. hehehe

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    1. Thank you! Sometimes we overcomplicate it. That’s what I thought about the admin. Ground/mince – I think mince sounds nicer. Thank you! Yes, square donuts are strange here, too.
      I chuckled over the hawk thing!

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  11. The hawk situation really got me. Not only the excuse itself, but the fact that they would mention it in their newsletter. Greek yogurt isn’t my thing either, but I do like the Dannon Light + Fit brand. And only 80 calories, eat one before heading to the gym. Thrilling content here. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Me too! We must have the same sense of humor. Why mention it? So odd. That is a good yogurt. I have tried it. I think I liked marshmallow flavor like a dessert. My content is always very exciting!

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  12. I can’t wait to see what sauces you might make. I want to love Greek yogurt, but just am not a big fan. I like “old school” yogurt like Yoplait which really isn’t very healthy. What kind of bread do you like? I had been getting sourdough from the HEB bakery section. Delicious, but that is the problem! It is so tempting to have a piece of toast or grilled cheese. I’m looking for a lower calorie option. Hope you have a good weekend.

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    1. I can handle Greek yogurt in a sauce but same. It’s got a weird taste. I bought white Healthy Life. It’s boring and basic but tastes good in a sandwich. I can get in trouble with a good loaf of bread so I have been restricting myself.
      I also like to put things in a La Banderita tortilla and they taste great in my opinion. Let me know if you try either of those options.

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      1. So interesting – I just looked the bread up online for my various grocery stores and we don’t have that available in my area!

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    1. That’s so cute! I think I saw the croissant dish in the background of your World Market foto? I saw it somewhere? I’m pretty impressed by my homemade creamer. I bet I could keep tweaking it. It has almond and vanilla extract, half and half and heavy cream – bet I could leave the heavy cream out.

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  14. I swear by OIKOS Greek 20 grams of protein vanilla yogurt. The consistency is perfect. I sometimes eat it with frozen blueberries, sometimes with cashews. I’m not picky when it comes to breakfast and lunch. Do you brown your hamburger in anything special? I just hate the mess in a skillet and usually use a big pot.

    I had a pretty fantastic week. I had an All docents meeting on Monday followed by lunch with my new docent friend who is quickly becoming a best friend. Then, Tuesday, I had training and a core meeting on Contemporary Art. The synapses are firing in this brain of mine.

    Jack crawls back into (but on top of) the bed after his breakfast while I’m reading. He likes that the electric blanket is on for his belly! I think it’s his favorite time of year because he gets me all to himself and lots of ear scratching. He’s not big on belly scratches, though. Those icon glasses are really neat, but I still haven’t unpacked my hobnail glasses as I need to rearrange cabinets.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. Just got a big tub of it! It’s not cheap! I don’t do nuts but I like frozen fruit in it or I like it just plain. I do not do anything special with my beef but I do like it in small pieces and not big chunks so I do that with a wooden spoon. I also let it drain on paper towels.
      What a fun experience the docent thing has become!
      Sweet boy – I think EO might get hot with a heated blanket. He runs hot. He loves a belly rub.
      Do you have a bar cart where you could put the glasses?

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  15. I tried your mug egg recipe earlier this week and it was so creamy and delicious! I paired it with an arugula salad and it was perfect! I’ve never thought of a pump for my moisturizer – what a fabulous idea! Have a great weekend!

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    1. Doesn’t it turn out great? Now try a round Pyrex – same method but the egg comes out round to have more surface area.
      The Cerave came with the pump on it! Isn’t that great!

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  16. I am WEEKS behind in blog reading and have missed A LOT!! Make your own creamer?? I’m going to have to keep reading backwards to find out about that. I bought Ree’s cookbook for my daughter for Christmas and she said she loves it – I think I’d like to have that “sauce” one on hand – might order that one. Thank you for showing me those glasses at World Market – I have a birthday friends dinner coming up and the birthday girl this month loves frogs so I’m going to see if our store has those for her :).

    Great post, great catching up with you – will scroll back through to see what other goodness I missed!

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    1. Girl – I put out a lot of important content! Lol – just kidding.
      The Pioneer cookbook is very down to earth.
      You can also google copycat sauces.. The Chuy’s jalapeno ranch one is good!
      The frog glasses would be perfect for her gift!
      Thank you!

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  18. I smiled way more than once reading your post! I can’t do Greek yoghurt by itself, but it tastes good with honey and frozen berries. I melt the berries in the microwave first because otherwise my teeth hurt (old lady problems). It will be four years in March since my mum died, and just last week I got her bank statement. Gosh, it hit me right in the stomach when I got it out of the mailbox. She has a zero balance, but I can’t bring myself to go and close the account yet. I did love your story about the hawk sitting and what your husband said!

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    1. Aww that is so sweet to hear! I didn’t try adding honey yet. I agree – the berries can be so cold. Aww – I still remember your post when she passed. It really hits you at odd times. I have reminders of my mom all over the house.
      I thought the hawk thing was funny!

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