Friday Things
1. How was your Thanksgiving holiday? Tell me what fabulous things you ate! We had an awesome day at home with lots of family, a massive turkey and more desserts than we could possibly consume; which is to say, we had an absolutely fantastic holiday. I spent most of my time after dinner on the couch, with my feet up, because that’s what pregnant people are supposed to do, right?!
2. Thanksgiving prep did not go off without incident, however. I almost ruined Thanksgiving. Seriously. True story – I take my garbage disposal for granted. I throw a lot of stuff down there. Full disclosure: my husband has warned me multiple times not to put potato peels down the garbage disposal. I keep doing it because I’ve always done it and I’ve never had a problem. Well, on the night before Thanksgiving, it finally became a problem. My mom had spent all day at my house helping me prep for Thursday and around 6pm the kitchen sink totally clogged. My father-in-law made a 50-minute drive to try to fix it, saying that this was his third Thanksgiving in a row trying to fix a clogged garbage disposal. Long story short(er), he was not able to fix it and said the clog was too far down and we’d need to call a plumber.
Nothing like setting your alarm for Thanksgiving morning to let the Roto-Rooter plumber in and praying that it will get fixed and you’ll actually have access to a kitchen sink on Thanksgiving. Luckily, he was able to get it in working order in less than an hour, and said that Thanksgiving is their busiest day of the year; he had 6 more service calls after us – all clogged kitchen sinks. Oops. In case you’re a garbage disposal abuser like me, here is an article on what NOT to put down the garbage disposal.
3. While we’re still on the topic of Thanksgiving, did you do any Black Friday shopping? My mom braved the mall, but I stayed firmly planted on my couch the entire day and ate leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and pecan pie. We did, however, shop online for new health insurance which is very, well, grown-up and boring.
4. A few nights ago, we caught a “behind the scenes” type of show on REM, which included a snippet of the band playing “Losing My Religion”. It immediately reminded me of high school, and also, as an extension, the show “My So-Called Life”. Oh how far Claire Danes has come!
5. Speaking of which, I was beyond agitated that Homeland was off this past week. I didn’t realize they were on a week break and spent ALL DAY looking forward to watching it after the previous episode. Then we went to turn it on and… nothing. Ugh! So frustrating! Needless to say, I’m really ready for this week’s episode.
6. While Homeland is the only series we’re currently watching right now, I was excited to see that The Americans will be coming back at the end of January and that House of Cards will be released at the end of February. I’m sure I’ll be a sleepless, walking zombie at that point, but I’m still looking forward to them nonetheless!
7. My husband and I went out this past weekend and stocked up on some newborn clothes since most of the baby clothes we’ve received as gifts are all larger sizes. Oh my goodness, every outfit was more adorable than the one before it! We had to seriously restrain ourselves, but got the little guy a nice assortment of starter clothes. Things are definitely more and more real by the day… I’ll be 35 weeks on Monday!
8. If you love holiday music and haven’t heard of them yet, you HAVE to check out Straight No Chaser. They are an a cappella group that formed in the mid-90’s at Indiana University. They have some amazing Christmas music that I just love. I think they tour every December, and really wanted to see them in Pittsburgh this year, but just didn’t think that I could sit comfortably through an entire concert. Maybe next year!
9. Do you have a list of holiday cookies that you’re planning to bake? Lay ’em on me! I’m planning to do a little more meal prep for baby time than extra holiday baking this year, but I’d love to live vicariously through you :)
10. TGIF! Duke just loooooooves sleeping next to his big brother!
I put very little down the garbage disposal. I’m so glad you were able to get it fixed quickly on Thanksgiving. I had a fuse going bad on my refrigerator awhile ago on a Sunday. It took forever to find someone to fix it. It was such a relief when it was mission accomplished.
I love your blog. I happen to be up late reading it and came across your garbage disposal story. I have too clog ours up with potatoe peels twice. Finally learned my lesson after two visits from the Plumber …so no more potatoe peels. However one year on my Birthday I was cooking a big dinner….homemade lasagna, homemade spaghetti sauce and homemade meatballs….cooking up a storm and one box of lasagna noodles exploded over the sink. I picked up as much as I could but some of the noodles ..well slipped through. Needless to say we had to call the Plumber again on a Sunday. Well I think they took pity on me when they found out I was cooking my birthday dinner and they showed my husband a trick. Take a washcloth and stuff it in one side of the sink drain then take the plastic drain clog and just create the suction several times and viola….drain unclogs. in fact we’ve had a couple of issues since and we just do that little trick and literally no more plumber!!!! I still don’t put potato peels down the drain but we haven’t had to call the plumber when the sink gets clogged. We always wonder why they would show us that trick but we’re glad they did!!! Oh and I was happy to cook my own BD dinner….hubby got me a new stove and double ovens that year so I was breaking it in with a big Italian meal!!!
Oh goodness…I’ve always wanted to cuddle with your puppies! :)
Hi Michelle, I read the link to what not to put down the disposal and thinking a list of what you CAN put down there would be shorter!!! Lettuce???? Egg shells??? I have a friend that NEVER uses hers…why have it then??? We compost most stuff but in the winter it is not so convenient to schlep the scraps thru the mud to the composting bins :(
Have you tried The Newsroom? It’s my new favorite right now — HBO. I think the final season just started, but we’ve been watching the previous seasons on On Demand. And good for you showing restraint in purchasing baby clothes. I still can’t seem to get a handle of that ;-)
I am hysterical at the garbage disposal bit! Hahahaha. My husband keeps putting banana peels down ours and I keep telling him to STAAHHHP because the maintenance guy has been here 3 times and we’ve only lived here 9 months. Good thing we rent!
I love reading your Friday posts! Several months ago I spent a week in bed sick and remembered your comments on the show Scandal. I saw it on Netflix so I decided to give it a try. I was hooked by episode 3 and have since got caught up! Go Team Fitz!! That said, we have very similar taste in TV shows. I love Homeland, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, The Americans and so on. I was wondering if you’ve given Newsroom a try? Or Downton Abbey? I remember you posted a while back that it might be too girly for your husband, but I can assure you it’s not!
Other contenders: Justified, Shameless, White Collar, Revenge and Nashville.
We LOVE Straight No Chaser!! My fiance is actually doing his Ph.D at IU right now (so we live in Bloomington!) and we have tickets to see them this Thursday! I can’t wait!!
I’m so with you about Homeland! Really disappointing.
My favourite Christmas cookies are savoury ones…Macadamia Cheese Biscuits (in Australia that’s a cookie)…they are buttery, cheesy, nutty bites of deliciousness…and they go great with a glass of champagne! I also love shortbread cookies. My fruit for my mother’s White Christmas Cake has been soaking in brandy for the past week and I’m going to make your Maple Walnut Fudge recipe again this year. And if I find time, Butter Tarts (my Canadian heritage). Happy Christmas preparations!
Michelle,
We had a snow storm the day before Thanksgiving. We knew it was coming, so we postponed the Thanksgiving feast until Saturday the 29th. My hubby didn’t get home until 7 AM on Thanksgiving after working 23 hours. The power was out from 12:30 AM to 1 PM on Thanksgiving. For the postponed feast we had antipasto, homemade mozzarella and pizza to start. Then we had lasagna, turkey and ham with roasted yams, candied yams, turkey gravy, sausage and bacon corn bread stuffing, broccoli, 96 stuffed mushrooms. For dessert I made an ultimate crumb apple crumble and brownies. My sister brought a store bought cake. My other sister baked some cookies and my brother-in-law brought some cannoli. I think that’s everything,
Annamaria
I look forward to your Friday posts, so I can see the “boys”. You will have to start including them during the week…especially when the new boy arrives…PLEASE!
Congrats on your upcoming baby! You look wonderful. Love your blog. Today I made toffee almond bars and Italian anise cookies for a party I’m going to tomorrow night. My girls and I think baking is one of the best parts of Christmas and we have at least 8-10 types we make every year. Keep those feet up.
A plumber told me that the only things that should go in the garbage disposal are the scraps on dishes, mixing bowls and so on. Now when I’m doing food prep I put a colander in the sink. All peels and scraps go in it and any liquid drains out. When I’m done the contents of the colander goes in the trash (or compost heap if you have one).
I was a garbage disposal abuser in the past. Until I clogged my mom’s sink! She was not happy! Have you thought about composting? Potato, carrot, apple peels and egg shells are all good for composting. For Thanksgiving, I made Pumpkin Creme Brulee. Yummmm! And I had a blast playing with the torch! Congrats to you and your CCC on your expected baby boy–we’ll want pics you know!
Oh I can’t tell you how many times I thought I destroyed my garbage disposal because of vegetable peels! I did the same thing last Thanksgiving with potato peels and I thought everything was over! My aunt was there thankfully with her genius idea of unclogging a garbage disposal…A PLUNGER! Oh my gosh it changed my life! I now keep one under my kitchen sink that is just for unclogging the garbage disposal. Plug the other side of your kitchen sink to create a suction and slightly fill the garbage disposal side with water (it’s probably already filled at that point) and plunge until it goes down then run your garbage disposal with water until it’s completely clear!
We totally tried the plunger to no avail before we called my father-in-law, but yes, if it’s not a bad clog, it definitely works!
I may have clogged the disposal on Thanksgiving :) Way too many brussel sprout stumps and peeled carrots! I knew not to put potato peels down the drain because they will swell up, but always throw egg shells down.
I’m finally doing holiday baking a few days ahead instead of everything last minute. Determined to enjoy myself this year!
I didnt know you were pregnant! congrats
You look great! The “boys” do too!!
I have to make snickerdoodles (my family says so!!)
and there has to be Russian tea cakes, (daughter says so!) no bake chocolate, molasses, soft sugar cookies, (with lots of sprinkles) and chocolate crinkles for sure. I found a white chocolate lemon truffle that sounds yummy plus I’m adding your chocolate chip pecan pie bars to our list. I made these for Thanksgiving and we were fighting over the last one!! I’ll probably make something with cranberries, whether it be bar or cookie. I LOVE cranberries. My waist-line is going, going, gone!?
You look great!! The crockpot is a great thing for easy dinners when the baby comes, too. I loved “My So-Called Life”! Haven’t thought about that in years! Hope you enjoy your week! Do you make special Christmas treats for Einstein and Duke?
Hi Emily, I actually don’t! We fill their stockings with other goodies :)
Michelle, you are glowing. Seeing your pup sitting next to you made me remember when I was expecting my son. We had a golden retriever, and she would come and lay her head on my lap, as if she was listening to the baby. She’s gone now, and my son is twenty-two, but those two grew up together. You just can’t beat retrievers. We love them.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I’m with you on Homeland…we were all set up to snuggle in and watch the next episode and I completely forgot that it was a two week break! Ugh! The show is so exciting right now, each episode feels like it’s over in 20 minutes…looking forward to Sunday! The dogs are too cute!
I absolutely love the pic of Duke and his big Brother! They are sooooooooooooooo cute and I’m sure they are unbelievably sweet!
35 weeks…wow. You look amazing. Enjoy the last few weeks. Can’t wait to see the new little one!
What a bummer about the garbage disposal. Can you believe I’ve lived my entire married life without one? I still don’t know how I survive. Once I get one I’ll probably shove everything imaginable down there!
Enjoy the weekend!
I had to laugh at your disposal issues! My husband did the same thing Sunday prior to while we were prepping for a potluck at his work the following day. Thankfully he was able to fix the disposal, but half way through cooking our sweet potato au gratin he went to turn the pan and knocked the thing off the rack. He then spent a good hour cleaning sweet potato goop off the oven door (while I was at work, or I would have helped!). Needless to say, we skipped his work potluck! Thankfully the rest of our week went well, and I’m glad you all had a good one also :-)
What a great time of year to be expecting! Congratulations.
I could not believe it when I read your Thanksgiving “disaster” story. I had the exact same thing happen to me ON Thanksgiving Day several years ago. My husband called his brother for help and over a phone call (Pgh to Arizona!!) they got it fixed. Well, one would think I’d learn . . . it happened again a couple years later at Christmas time. That definitely taught me NO potato peels or egg shells down the disposal. Since then we’ve moved 20 min north “to the country” and have a septic system to go along with a disposal . . . so now I never use my disposal. Oh the joys and stories to share of “adventures in cooking & baking” :D Happy Baby Days and Merry Christmas! (Love love love the sweet pups. I appreciate your pictures of them so much as I had to put my 2 yr old Golden to sleep 6 weeks ago. I miss him terribly, so seeing your sweet guys each Friday since has been a joy.)
Oh I am so sorry to hear about your Golden! So young! What happened? :(
Oh my gosh I had the EXACT same incident happen the night before Thanksgiving!!! I put peels from ten pounds’ worth of potatoes down the garbage disposal, and lo and behold the sink backed up. My poor dad (who, thank goodness, is a contractor) spent two hours at our house on Thanksgiving Eve and another three Thanksgiving morning trying to fix the problem. Then he was lucky enough to get to go to Home Depot on Black Friday to buy us a new garbage disposal. Needless to say, when we went around the table at Thanksgiving listing our blessings, I listed him first!
My mom and I have always done an annual Christmas cookie baking weekend since I was old enough to sit int he kitchen and help. Our plan this year is: PB Blossoms, Russian Teacakes, Spritz, Cherry Coconut Macaroons, Snickerdoodles, Molasses cookies, Froster Butterscotsch cookies and Raspberry Almond Thumbprints. Let the baking begin!
My friend just invited me to see Sraight No Chaser Tuesday night at the Benedum. I had never heard of them but now I’m really excited! You look so cute!
Oh you will love it!!! We first saw them a few years ago on TV, I actually think it was a WQED special or something!
Michelle, You look so darn cute! Also I made the homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, was a big hit. We always had the canned variety. Glad everything turned out alright for you big day.
I put egg shells down my garbage disposal all of the time!! Yikes!
If you like Straight No Chaser, you need to check out Pentatonix. They are great too!
I do, too!! I still don’t understand why I can’t!
You look so adorable !!!
You are adorable! You make this Italian Grammy smile :-) Love the dogs! :-)
Michelle, just wanted to say that I love your your stories and your recipes! Can’t wait to meet your new bundle of joy. My own baby boy was born 21 years ago today. Seems like yesterday. Thanks for all you do, and Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Happy birthday to your boy! :)
What kind of meal prep are you doing in advance? If you are freezing meals, could you share? I love having meals made in advance wating for a busy night!
Hi Marie, I haven’t done anything yet, and admittedly our parents are doing the bulk of it… my mom is freezing some soup and things like ziti and lasagna, my father-in-law has sauce planned. I’d like to make other, easy things that we can grab quickly like bagels, muffins, maybe some cookie dough. Once I get it all done, I’ll definitely post about it!
I am a recovering Garbage Disposal Abuser. Everything went down there until the potato peel incident changed my ways LOL I didn’t have to call a plumber but wow
it was a dozy to unclog. Thanks for the “What Not To…” link!
Have you heard a cappella group Pentatonix? Their renditions of Mary Did You Know and Silent Night are terrific. You Tube them and check them out.
I’ve heard of them, but haven’t listened to their music, I will check them out!
Michelle, you look adorable and radiant! Sorry to hear about your garbage disposal mishap. Glad to hear that everything went well otherwise. Your cranberry orange bread was a hit and so was your homemade cranberry sauce.
Yes I too am surprised that you cannot put so many things down the disposer, even apple peels…. not to change subject but what brand baking sheets to you recommend that don’t rust, so tired of these rusting and they are Caphalon from TJ Max my husband says aluminum does not rust.
I use these Vollrath Wear-Ever baking sheets – I love them! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BQKRJG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BQKRJG&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20&linkId=3LD6H47G4PJH7IQ3
You look amazing, Michelle! I love holiday baking and started my cookies a couple days ago. My list is ongoing but includes PB blossoms, PB cups with mini Reese’s in the middle, chocolate cream cheese cookies, pecan tassies, cucidati (a must), soft molasses cookies, cut outs (my least favorite to do, but my sister loves them and my nephew is old enough to help this year!), probably your snickerdoodle biscotti ( always a hit), and I think I’m going to try Macarons this year! I’ve been reading up on them and hope they go well. I don’t own a kitchen scale, so fingers crossed!
We have a septic tank and can’t put ANYTHING down our garbage disposal. It’s super annoying, but I guess it means we never have clogged drains? Glad yours was fixed in time for Thanksgiving dinner!
You look awesome!
Straight No Chaser is awesome! I vividly remember first hearing them at freshman orientation in 2002. Their Christmas songs are very festive.
Thank you sooo much on the link to garbage disposal what nots. I’m a total abuser. I always get a clog with carrot peels when I’m making a carrot cake. I wasn’t aware of the egg shells though. I’m a baker so i’m always throwing them down the disposal. Either that or I’m really wanting a new one! Love your blogs!
I know, I always put egg shells down there!
You look really cute Michelle :) sorry to hear about your little drama but glad all was sorted in time for Thanksgiving dinner…. Have a fabulous weekend ahead xxx
That is my all time fav water bottle!! So easy to clean and fits perfectly in my hand!! I have the same one!! Cheers!
I love the Camelbaks! I have three so that I can rotate between using, an extra clean one, and in the dishwasher :) I drink SO much more water during the day when I use it!