2022: Welcome to the Year that Wasn’t!

It was not the end of the pandemic. It was not the year of herd immunity. It was not smooth sailing going back to school. It was not easy at work. It was not actually all that bad.

We did do a ton of stuff. Soccer, swimming, sending the kids to camp, seeing if we could survive a cross country road trip (yes, we can!).

Here’s a little snapshot of what 2021 was:

• We all got vaccinated (and the adults got boosted)!
• We drove to Duluth, Silver Bay and Grand Marais the second the kids finished school last year (June).
• We made it back to Three Bears water park for July 4^th with my husband’s parents, sister, brother-in-law and their kids.
• We went to a bunch of weddings and saw lots of family we have not seen in a while!
• We drove out Massachusetts where we saw my parents and also took a little adult getaway to Mystic, CT.
• We went to Florida and spent a week off the mainland at Sanibel.
• We dealt with pet health issues and said goodbye to my in-laws’ dog Rylee.
• We dealt with kid issues related to school and things are much better now, though it’s a work in progress.
• We saw friends, welcomed new babies from friends, went back to concerts (Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy – all outside at Target Field, the MN Orchestra).
• We went to more parks; we have started sledding; one kid started skateboarding and wants to snowboard. The other kid is a great Lego and Minecraft builder who is reading really well. Both boys rock at math and science!

Here are some other things that happened:

I got promoted at work – twice. I still oversee COVID comms for my division and now I help out lots more with senior leadership. I really enjoy this work and I’m interested to see how we navigate next year as we enter year three of this pandemic.

My husband has also taken on more at work. I find his job very interesting since he is now focused on one account that is enormous.

We read a lot of good books in the book club I am part of, which has been a shining point throughout all of this.

I do more cooking and discovered that I can throw together a meal now based on whatever I have in the house. Whether everyone will eat it or not is dicey, but hey, trying our best over here.

I really enjoyed Don’t Look Up, Taylor Swift’s Folkore and Evermore, The Dig, Pig, the newest season of the Great British Bake-Off, and a bunch of others that I will devote to another post soon.

Bailey is good; the fish are fine (well, scratch that, one expired yesterday after being with us for almost three years); the cat, our elder statesman of the house, is hanging in there.

We hope you are well, persevering and looking forward to 2022. We hope to see you!

The Second COVID Year

Well, here we are again. How are you doing? I know, I know – it’s been more than a minute since I last wrote, but I’ve been very busy writing for my job.

But seriously, we’re still in a pandemic; we’re still facing a lot of the same issues as the last time I was here writing a blog. How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? I know I have a lot to say so let’s get started.

Coronaversy Learnings

Let’s first recap a few things I learned during 2020:

I’m not as good a teacher or tutor as I thought I would be.

I’ll never be a person who follows a recipe to the letter – even for baking.

Ricotta cheese is incredibly easy to make and the results are very rewarding.

I attended Zooms for political activism, concerts, virtual tours, educational webinars – some of the best were a star-studded Seder and many Broadway tributes.

My husband has learned to never take date night for granted!

My kids are now experts at being contrarians and playing devil’s advocate.

I got to use my bioethics training in my job and to help me mentally process a lot of what I experienced related to the pandemic.

I had many of my questions featured on a number of CNN Town Halls.

I appeared in the audience of The View on February 19^th.

I did a retro watch where on nights I had to be up or could not sleep. I would watch a show or movie I had never seen before that was regarded as a classic or popular when I was younger.

I really enjoyed Tiger King, Queen & Slim, Coming 2 America, The Chicago 7 – just to name a few.

The tragedy of what happened to George Floyd and the resulting aftermath happened not far from our city and it really made me understand more just how deep inequality, frustration, can trigger a collective psyche. (Derek Chauvin was released on bond/bail into custody to my husband’s cousin who took him up to Brainerd.)

My youngest son and I watched the Insurrection and it took me weeks to truly understand the gravity of what happened.

Impeachment laws need to be changed just like voting laws.

I need to become a citizen.

What are some things you learned? Did you pick up a hobby? Adopt a pandemic pup or cat or bird? Buy a Peloton or a very expensive clothes rack?! LMK in the comments. I really want to hear how you made it through 2020 and 2021.

So, these are some learnings from 2020. Next post I will recap some learnings from 2021. Then, I will address Omicron and other COVID questions that have been posed to me lately. Until then, grab a Christmas cookie, hit up your Amazon Prime account one last time, and be proud you have made it through another year.

FB Challenge: Who Can Cook Real Food?

Who likes to try and cook real food, not stuff prepackaged or in a box? (Though, tbh, I do plenty of that, too)

This list comes from a post circulating around on Facebook. I’ve added in some links to recipes and commentary, but feel free to take the list and answer it as a post in FB, on your blog, in the comments, etc.!

HAVE YOU EVER?

1. Made biscuits from scratch? Yes

2. Fried fresh okra? No

3.Made sourdough bread? No
(But during 2020 quarantine this has been all the rage. Imagine all the starter out there now.)

4. Fried chicken? Yes
(Two words: air fryer. I try to avoid vats of oil – I hate disposing of the stuff and I’ve got littles/pets running around.)

5. Made spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes? Yes
(Roasted first is even better..mmmmmm)

6. Made any kind of yeast bread? Yes
(Challah!)

7. Baked a cake from scratch? Yes

8. Made icing from scratch? Yes
(Like cream cheese)

9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veggies? Yes
(I live in the Midwest. The slow cooker is a Sunday staple.)

10. Made chili from scratch? Yes
(See above. Still trying to perfect the Bloody Mary Chili.)

11. Made a meatloaf? Yes
(Oh yes. Yum.)

12. Made scalloped potatoes? Yes
(With ham and peas)

13. Made mac/cheese from scratch? Yes
(TOTES)

14. Made a jello salad? Yes
(Again, welcome to the Midwest where cookie salad is a thing.)

15. Made peanut brittle? Yes
(Holiday time!)

16. Made fudge? Yes
(I recommend the easier method people like Nigella Lawson use – condensed milk and chocolate chips!)

17. Made cookies from scratch? Yes
(One of my favorites are these pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction.)

8. Cooked a pot of beans from dried bean? No
(But, I really should. It’s economical and supposedly very easy. Ree Drummond’s recipes look good for this.)

19. Cooked a pot of greens? Yes
(We LOVE this collard green and kale dish from the oh so cute, Molly Yeh! It is super easy and flavorful. It’s terrific with pulled pork or brisket and I eat this dish on it’s own for lunch as leftovers.)

20. Made cornbread from scratch? Yes

21. Make a pie dough from scratch? Yes

22. Cooked a whole turkey? Yes

23. Snapped green beans and cooked them? Yes

24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch? Yes

25. What’s the most people you have prepared a meal for? 18? (Dessert buffet) Whole meal? 7

26. Poached an egg? Yes
(My husband loves Eggs Benny – hollandaise in the blender is a breeze and we poach using the oven or the NordicWare cups for the microwave.)

27. Made pancakes from scratch? Yes
(My husband makes a traditional crepe/flapjack recipe from this grandma. See the cute kid enjoying some above with blueberry compote/sauce.)

28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them. Yes
ALWAYS.

29. Made fresh pasta? Yes

30. Made croissants from scratch? No

31. Made tuna salad? Yes

32. Fried fish? Yes

33. Made baked beans? Not from scratch. Doctored, spruced up out of the can, of course

34. Made ice cream from scratch? Yes

35. Made jam or jelly? Yes

36. Zested an orange or lemon? Yes

37. Made grits from scratch? Yes

38. Made an omelet? Yes

39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher? Yes

40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper? Yes

41. Made Enchiladas? Yes
(Our favorite is enchiladas suizas using rotisserie chicken, green chili sauce, Swiss cheese, flour tortillas. The crispy edges are my favorite.)

42. Made Goulash? Yes

43. Made prime rib? Yes

44. Made chocolate pie from scratch? Yes

45. Made lasagna from scratch? Yes
(I make a spinach lasagna we love that are one of the few recipes I learned from my mom that we all love. Pasticho is also a huge favorite in our house.)

What else would you add to this list? Copy and paste. I would love to see your answers.

Cooking in the time of COVID-19

So, we’re all stuck at home. Lots of us have already binged Tiger King (guilty) and are watching lots of other stuff. Maybe you are reading. One thing a lot of people are doing more of is cooking since many restaurants are closed.

What have you been cooking? Are you trying recipes that you would not normally?

So far, my husband has smoked his first brisket. (It was ok. We need a take two and I think a lot more time in the smoker.) We made cast iron skillet pizza, which was great but we need to keep tweaking. We made a quarantine cake that said, ‘Stay 6ft away from the cake!’

I made corned beef and then reuben totchos, complete with a swiss cheese mornay sauce. I made matzo ball soup for the first time since yesterday was the first night of Passover! Success!!

Today, I’m going to try to make ricotta. People say it is fairly easy, but I don’t have cheesecloth and will have to improvise. I’m hopeful I can use it as a spread on matzo and maybe a few other things. We’ll see.

I also plan to whip out the ice cream maker soon.

I know braised collards/kale will happen soon. I use Molly Yeh’s recipe and man, is it good. She’s so cute.

Speaking of Passover, I made a matza lasagna last night. Eh. It was ok. I did make my mom’s charoset recipe, which is super yum and super easy.

What are you making? Any successes? Any real fails? LMK!
Hang in there. We’ll get through this. Promise.

Friday Funkiness

It’s Passover starting tonight!!! If you’re not Jewish, pardon my excitement. This is actually my favorite Jewish holiday of the year. Sure, presents are great during Hanukah (Channukah?! – everyone has their own spelling.). You can have your costumes and Purim carnivals. And, let’s be honest, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are in a league of their own, but Passover is where it is at. As the popular saying goes, it is my jam.

And speaking of which, this video is awesome. Uptown Funk telling the Passover story? Yes, please.

But, if that’s not for you, here is one that starts with the James Bond theme. And now, I have one more.

I love the seder. My parents have their own abbreviated version of the seder that is political and folky. Temples go through a more traditional version and sometimes try to modernize it. My relatives in Toronto hosted a HUGE seder and it was amazing. But, if you didn’t read in Hebrew, you got a look.

I love eating different foods for the rest of the holiday. Bring on the charoset!! I think I am going to make to matzah crack or maybe a tiramisu maztah trifle. I would love to cook some lamb, if I can find it. I have a couple of beautiful Passover cookbooks and I think this is the year to crack them open and get cookin’ with the kidlets.

And, now, I’m off to find some matzah. (Not easy where I live. 🙂 ) TGIF, folks!

 

 

Stormtrooper Tuesday

Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone, but I went out during lunch and bought my husband a Blu-ray copy of Star Wars The Force Awakens. He’s out working on a big project and has another huge one that kicks-off on Friday afternoon, which will probably take the better part of the weekend. The guy works hard and deserves this.

I remember when I was in college and Tuesday was cheap movie night. Man, did I take advantage of that. Then, Tuesday became release day for movies and music. Now, that doesn’t really apply anymore either. Musicians drop singles and albums in the middle of the night whenever and movies come out when the studio thinks it can get the most traction. Sigh.

I can’t wait to watch this again. For one thing, when we saw this on opening day in the theater I was super tired and I am sure I missed important points. Also, there were two kids sitting next to us who ate tons of noisy food and got up multiple times during the film to talk to their parents who were sitting behind us.

On a related note, this past weekend we watched The Good Dinosaur for family movie night. I have to say everyone loved it. The animation is stunning (especially how they depict water) and the story is very sweet. While I was out at Target today, I was lucky enough to come across Good Dinosaur shirts for the boys on clearance. You better believe I snatched those up right away.

This weekend we might watch The Peanuts Movie since the tot has been asking for that one and we all love the Peanuts. We’ll probably order pizza and bake a dessert. Our first family movie night was a couple of months ago and we watched Frozen. It was the first time we had seen it and I can understand the hype. [As an aside, I went to Hebrew school with Josh Gad. SUPER funny kid and even better from being in the first production of Book of Mormon to The Intern to everything else he has appeared in. Plus, his kids are very cute.] We’ve also watched 101 Dalmations, the old version, which still holds up today.

I’m really enjoying these movie nights. The tot sits in one of my husband’s gaming chairs that folds up and is just the right size for him. He can concentrate pretty well and if he does get bored, we have a playroom that opens up right into our media room. Although he has already watched some of the Harry Potter films, (I also watched them a ton with both kids when they were first born and I was glued to the couch nursing and recovering) I can’t wait to introduce him to that magical world (and eventually take him to the actual Harry Potter world in Orlando)!

Until then, it’s raining again today, so we’re going to cuddle up tonight, eat ham and cheese french toast casserole (I used leftover Hawaiian rolls and thin sliced swiss), watch the finale of The People vs. O.J. Simpson, and maybe watch some of the Force Awakens. Either way, we’ll have something good to eat and good to watch.

Just Another Manic Monday

There are some people who love Mondays and some people who loathe them. I think I actually fall into the former camp, believe it or not.

I look forward to Mondays because it gives me a chance to be productive. I find that if I get a lot accomplished at the beginning of the week then I have a better chance of feeling better about the rest of the week. Also, I won’t lie, it’s a nice change of pace after being with the kiddies and the pets all weekend.

Sunday Supper

Last night I made two-ingredient shredded chicken. I thawed some chicken breasts in the fridge overnight and then threw them in the slow cooker with a jar of medium heat citrus pineapple salsa I got on clearance at Target and cost me less than a dollar. After four hours on high, I shredded the chicken and added a few tablespoons of cream because I thought the chicken might be a little spicy for the tot. (Plus, he can use the calories.)

Everyone loved it. My husband made tacos. The three year old and I made burrito bowls with soft flour tortillas. We added toppings of cheese, sour cream, and avocado. (My husband also used hot sauce and a chipotle salsa he likes.) Even the baby ate a big helping of everything and ended up with it all over him, which he was quite pleased about.

And just for your viewing pleasure, a few pics of my older kid from a while back in a chef hat my mom (his bubby) made for him.

Grocery shopping

Let’see, what to use

Smiley Chef B!

Back to Monday

I also now have leftovers for the week, which is always a good thing.

Tonight, we are having steaks, roasted asparagus, and baked garlic Parmesan potato coins. I’m not a big extravagant meal planner. I usually buy whatever I see on sale or in season and come up with meals based on that. The other meals for the week are made of left-overs from those meals or putting something together from the pantry or freezer.

I’m also not one of those people who lays out my kids clothes or my own clothes for the week. I look at the weather report in the morning and go from there.

One thing I do almost always do on Sunday is go through and set all the shows I want to record on the DVR. Priorities, right?!

So, here is hoping you have a productive week. I know so far today I’ve gotten a fair amount done.

 

 

Dinner Cravings

When I was pregnant I didn’t have any cravings. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. I waited and waited and waited throughout both pregnancies for them to come, but alas, never happened.

But, I do get cravings from time to time. And for the past few days I have been craving enchiladas. Now, I didn’t grow up eating Mexican food, despite living in Florida. It just wasn’t popular back then and my parents didn’t eat it. The closest I came to Mexican was Chili’s and that doesn’t count.

So, last night, I made enchiladas. I even microwaved the chicken breasts to cook them and that actually worked. I still prefer using rotisserie chicken, but I had just bought a big pack of chicken breasts and we froze all but two of them. So, I cooked those two and used two cans of medium green enchilada sauce. I also made them suizas style, which is to say that I used swiss cheese in the filling and topping. My favorite part of enchiladas are the parts that don’t get doused in sauce and become crispy.

Mmmmm. It’s not the prettiest looking dish, but it does make great leftovers for lunch the next day.

Of course, I already had other leftovers to bring to lunch today so I’ll probably bring them tomorrow. I’m also on episode 3 of season 2 of The West Wing. Plus, we are catching up on The People vs. O.J. Simpson at night after the kids go to bed. I’m pretty sure the tot watched last night because we found him sleeping in the loft that looks over our great room. He also came into our room at around 4 this morning with his giant elephant stuffed animal that he had been using as a pillow and then made two more trips to bring in blankets.

He did fall back asleep right away and this morning he cuddled up to me and told me he had a great weekend. Love that kid.

Instead of a White Christmas, a White Easter?!

Well, it snowed again yesterday. And not just snow, but our area got 10 inches, while just north where I work got very little.

I left work early to avoid driving through the snow during rush hour, which was a smart move. On the way home, I started to see people spinning out, getting stuck in the ditch, and sliding all over. Later, I let my husband pick the kids up from daycare because if the cul de sac is not plowed, I get stuck.

For dinner, I made soup and sandwich, a favorite in our household. Chicken broth with tortellini (two kinds, cheese and pesto.) The baby had spring risotto leftovers, which he loved. My husband and tot had ham and cheese ‘sammiches’, while I had the last of the left-over corned beef from what I made on Saturday. It was delicious.

Meanwhile, we watched the snow fall. Our tot informed us that he would have to shovel. (My husband used the snowblower later after he went to bed.)

And when I mean we watched the snow fall, I do mean everyone. The cat stood by looking concerned, the dog bounded through it later.

In other news, we made hamentashen, which were great. We also finished House of Cards and I must say I really liked this season. Now, I still need to watch the finale of Top Chef and catch-up on The People vs. O.J. Simpson. So much TV, so little time. What are you watching? 

Happy hump day!

Yesterday, I talked about spring cooking. I did make spring risotto and it turned out great!

And right now, it’s snowing again! Gosh darnit. But, in brighter news, I am on season 1, episode 13 of my West Wing re-watch. It’s just as good as the first ten times. AND, the first podcast of West Wing Weekly came out today. I might listen when I get home. I also have to rewatch episode 12 of House of Cards tonight since I drifted off last night trying to watch that.

I’m starting to plan spring and summer activities. This weekend the kids will go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Easter festivities. I finished buying stuff for their Easter baskets last week and I think they will like them.

On Sunday, I hope to take them to their first Purim carnival. I contacted a temple nearby after I saw they are having a Star Wars themed carnival. The executive director could not have been nicer. He answered every question thoroughly and encouraged us to come to the carnival, etc. I’ve also been contacted by other staff and members extending invitations. And then, yesterday while I was making dinner, someone dropped off a box from the temple that had fruit, treats, and hamentashen inside.

I miss the sense of community that comes from being part of a temple. I think it might be time to join one since I now have a family and my kids are getting to the age where Hebrew school should be started.

I remember when I first moved here I wanted to go to high holy day services. One of the biggest shuls provided me with complimentary tickets and we ran into Al Franken on our way in. My husband was super excited. Now, that synagogue wants an outrageous amount for tickets and membership. We’ve gone to a different temple for the past couple of years for high holy days. I like them a lot as well so we’ll see what happens this weekend. It’s weird to shop for a religious institution, but you have to feel comfortable and I don’t want to go somewhere and feel awkward.

Do you belong to a church or temple? Is it the same one you went to as a kid? If not, how did you choose it?