Friday Things
1. Big news this week… Joseph rolled over for the first time yesterday!! He’s been close for awhile – rocking on his chest and leaning on his side, but yesterday he finally got the whole way over from his belly to his back. Oh my goodness, I was so excited, I started clapping and I think I hurt my face from my massive smile. I couldn’t get him to do it again, but I’m going to be armed with my phone so I can get a video next time :)
2. Thank you so much for all of the sweet Mother’s Day wishes last week! I had a wonderful first Mother’s Day with my boys – Joseph slept in, my husband made breakfast, and I didn’t have to wash a single dish or bottle all day!
3. So, we took the plunge and splurged on a Roomba for the first floor of our house… it’s currently charging in its “home base” getting ready for its first cleaning cycle. We learned quickly that with two shedding Golden Retrievers and all hardwood and tile floors, there is absolutely nowhere for that hair to hide. We’ve been needing to vacuum every other day at the least, and that is just… ugh. Hoping that the Roomba lives up to all of the reviews I read!
4. I did a very grown up thing yesterday and put together a backup plan for my computer, cloud, external hard drives, etc. It made me feel like a responsible adult, and I can forget about fretting over lost data or documents. Phew!
5. I’ve mentioned no less than a gazillion times on recipe posts that growing up, we always had Sunday dinners at my grandma’s house. My husband also had a Sunday dinner tradition at his grandma’s house and we’ve talked a lot about how much we both loved those memories. We decided to revive the tradition now that we have Joseph; we are going to do Sunday dinners at our house each week, with an open invitation to our families. SO excited for this!
6. I love these Zodiac prints on Etsy!
7. Are you going on vacation this summer? I think we’re staying put this year since we have a new baby and new house, so tell me where you’re going!
8. Thank you so much for all of your suggestions for shopping for bar stools and rugs. We still haven’t purchased a rug yet, but we did find amazing bar stools that look awesome in the kitchen… we bought them at Pool City, which is a local Pittsburgh chain. My husband finished assembling them late yesterday, so as soon as I get a good daytime pictures of them, I will share!
9. I’m exploring some different ideas for the site and am wondering what your thoughts are on video segments – I’d love your feedback! Would videos be something that you’d like to see? If so, would you want actual recipe videos, or videos of specific techniques like frosting cupcakes, making candy, etc.? Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!
10. TGIF! Duke and Einstein are finding all sorts of new sun spots! (and you can see why we need to get a handle on the hair situation!)
any videos, especially techniques, would be great!! just not too long please :)
Joseph is getting big and so dadblasted cute so are your doggies too..Sounds like you had a wonderful first mothers day, no cleaning up and no cooking is a win in my opinion..love the recipes you display and have tried many..have a wonderful rest of May too!!!!!!!!!!!
Ohhh I’d love to see videos! Recipes, techniques, random stuff – anything really! It would be cool as an additional category like the Friday Things or the Weekend Dish. I like to read those just as much as I like your recipe posts and I think some videos would be a nice addition.
Greetings from Germany!
Cheers Caro
P.S.: Joseph and his furry “big brothers” are just so super cute :)
Oh so interested in what you think of the Roomba. My Golden is shedding SO MUCH this Spring… ugh!! I *love* Sunday suppers with the fam!! I usually host more in the Fall/Winter, giving me a reason to try a new dessert every week! In the Spring/Summer we do more informal BBQ’s, but I guess it’s still the same thing lol. Just more casual! Enjoy the milestones!!! Baby’s first year goes so fast… then only goes faster from there!! I loved every stage!! Always an adventure :)
What a great idea that of recipe videos! I’d just love that, I have been wanting some for some time! Especially for breads and more complicated techniques. Thank you!
As a golden owner, I definitely want to hear how the Roomba works for you! I always want to ask you how you handle the dog hair, lol. Love all your posts and adorable baby pics. I am going to make one of your ice cream cakes (again) for my daughter’s 2nd bday this summer!
I love the idea of videos! I wish recipe books came with them, lol. Your son is a beautiful baby boy and he looks so cute in the outfit. I have three kids myself and I can still remember their tiny faces (they are grown now). Enjoy every moment of motherhood, its a wonderful experience.
I would LOVE to see videos! Especially on cutting onions, garlic etc. Aso baking and frosting cupcakes or cakes would be very cool.
Joseph is just adorable! I love seeing his pictures on a weekly basis and following his progress. You and your hubby are truly blessed.
Have a great weekend!
I love the idea of Sunday dinners! I don’t do them every single week anymore, but love to invite close friends and heart family to share great food and good vibes! Sundays are Farmers’ Market days, so shopping in the morning to pick up fresh flowers and veges, along with some organic meats, is a must as well. One of my favorite sides is simply beautiful fresh tomatos, sliced and salted with kosher salt, and drizzled with a homemade vinagrette of fresh basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Let them sit at room temperature to juice up and serve with slices of French baguette and a nice salami. Even on their own, they are lovely!
Any way toy can few various generatuins and rahare stores over a scripumtious meal, will almost invariably doing to resonate in one of the attendees hearts for years ro come.
As far as travel, we are heading to S. Africa, Zambia, Zimbabme in a few short days. Also to Zanzibar which my husband thinks is a surprise. So excited!
Joseph looks like a doll in that sweatsuit! If you decide to do videos I personally would like the video tutorials on baking or cooking techniques. If the Roomba doesn’t work out – I would recommend the Swiffer dry mop for the hardwood floors and tile
I would love to see video tutorials on baking or cooking techniques…and of course a video of your adorable Joseph rolling over! How exciting :))) Heck…I wouldn’t mind seeing a video of how the Roomba works so I can judge for myself-Ha!
I agree with Marianne. The Roomba was worthless? Cost a lot of money to only have a year. I was very disappointed. I wouldn’t waste my money on one. I decided to get a Dyson and stop wasting money on vacummns.
I just read an article about how most people prefer a video blog or article compared to a written one. I’m not convinced of that, but I would be interested in a trial run of videos for this site. I would like to see your cooking process; I think that getting a sense of someone’s style in the kitchen is just as important as the recipes.
We got a Roomba and while it’s not perfect (I usually take a swiffer pad to the baseboards when it’s done), I can run it far more often than I get around to vacuuming on my own. My dog is afraid of it, so I usually start it as I’m taking her out for a long walk or at night since it runs far enough from our bedroom that it doesn’t keep us awake. It is a lifesaver in the spring and fall when the shedding gets really bad.
Hey Michelle,
Bravo!! On your decision to host Sunday Family Dinner at your home, every week. Both my family and my husband’s family live out of state, and I so miss Family Sunday Dinners. I can’t wait till we move near one or the other’s and return to this Awesome Tradition.
Joseph gets more and more adorable with each passing day. Cherish him every second, he’ll be in college before you know it.
ALL HAIL THE ROOMBA!!!!
I have had mine for ~3 years and it has smeared dog poop all over our floors TWICE and you still would have to take it from me by ripping it from my cold, dead hands. ;) If you have mostly wood or tile floors and a very open floor plan, the Roomba is a dream. The most common complaints I hear from people make no sense (I can do a better/faster job with my regular vacuum) because they are ignoring the most important fact and that is A ROBOT IS DOING THE VACUUMING FOR YOU. We have ours set to go every day in the late morning while we are at work, so I come home to mostly clean floors instead of a blizzard of dog hair. Maybe if I was a SAHM or WAHM this would be an issue because it does take a while and can be quite noisy, and no, it will not completely replace your regular vacuum, but if you have dogs that shed like gang-busters, and otherwise have to bust out the vacuum everyday to keep your sanity, then it is a godsend to have Roomba do a decent job everyday and you only have to bring the big guns out once a week.
I love when you talk about Pittsburgh-specific things because it’s my second home–I went to Pitt and my husband is from the burgh (his family still lives there so we’re frequent visitors). As for videos, if you were to do them, I think technique-specific tutorials would be the way to go because they’d be more informative and helpful than just filler video of kitchen basics.
Joseph is so beautiful! Like you, I have two big dogs (German Shepherd mix) and until I got hardwood floors I didn’t realize the hair could accumulate so fast. Now that my two children are grown up, my two four-legged girls are my best and constant companions.
I really like you site and your recipes are the best! I have made quite a few and always get great results. Thank you!
Have a great weekend!
Congrats on the baby rolling! Now just watch him on the bed. Luckily my son rolled onto a pillow that was on the floor and our bed wasn’t too high. But yikes…. I just set him down to fold laundry and turned my back for one second. :)
I like the idea of doing video segments, but agree with some of other commenters. If it’s anything too long, I probably won’t watch it. I’d be interested more in specific techniques paired with recipes that you’re posting.
I think your video idea is a pretty good one. I would love to see a video on making yeast bread. I’ve seen many pictures of what the yeast dough should look like, but to actually see the texture, what’s too sticky or too much flour, when is kneading finished, dough raised/doubled, etc. in a “live” video would be so helpful. I am always second guessing those things. And your breads always look incredible!
Sunday dinners would be great, and is something I want to implement with my kids as they get married. When they were little, EVERY Sunday after worship we went to Grandma’s. My kids are very close to their Grandma as a result of this.
We haven’t done a family vacation for about 4 years, maybe longer. This summer we’re going to Kiawah Island. Looking forward to the relaxation and togetherness that it will afford.
Have a great weekend, Michelle!
Joseph is just a darling, and reading your posts about him take me back to those days with my own children. Enjoy every moment, they are gone all too soon. I agree with the above posters regarding the Sunday dinner menu posts. We went to Sunday dinners at my Grandma’s house when I was little, then we moved, and that ceased. I have great memories of those dinners though. The food was always great, and playing with my cousins was so fun. I’ve been thinking about starting regular family gatherings here, and could use some ideas and inspiration. Time passes by so quickly, I need to make some new memories.
Joseph– Sooooo adorable! I’d love to see videos of anything you wanted to share Michelle, *especially* your family!! I don’t think you can do anything ‘wrong’ and look forward to seeing whatever you put together! I know it will be GREAT! Thanks for asking!
First, that picture is absolutely adorable! Made my morning :)
Second, not planning any big vacation this summer because my dad just took all of us kids and grandbabies out to Palm Springs 3 weeks ago. And it was amazing! Although my brother and I are taking my 4 year old daughter camping in Peninsula State Park, Door County (WI) this weekend and we’re so excited!
We did Sunday family dinners growing up and when my brother was in college, his closest fraternity brothers came over every Sunday too! So often to the point that, they each had claimed their own seats at the table :)
Lastly, I would love to see videos if you go that route. I think shorter clips on techniques would be great. Great idea on sharing more and expanding your site!
Joseph is too cute and I love seeing his photos. Congrats on the new milestone!!
I have a Roomba for quite a few years. I’m actually on my 2nd one. Couldn’t live without it. Sure helps when you can just put it in a room, close the door and let it work in there until it needs to be recharged. It’s quiet, doesn’t hurt my dogs when it pumps into them and they don’t even react to it. I have a back problem and couldn’t live without it. Although cleaning requires removing 3 parts (rollers, and the basket), I wish it was only the basket to empty. I have 2 small dogs and it does get full. I’ll be interested to hear how you do with your 2 big dogs. I am sure you got the top of the line Roomba and it may be easier for you to clean.
I think it’s one of the best inventions for home cleaning. As Joseph grows and
starts dropping crumbs on the floor, I’m sure you will love it even more. ; )
I think the strength of videos is in short pieces that show technique. A full blown recipe would be too much. I can read and skim far faster than I could watch a video. But seeing how something is done, or reacts? That is stuff you really can’t get from the written page.
Congrats on the new baby milestone. Sometimes the best part is seeing their reaction when they discover they can do something. Good stuff.
Joseph is so cute! I love the idea of Sunday dinners. It’s a tradition that has fallen out of popularity.
My husband is a school teacher, so he is anxious for the school year to get over, but we plan to head to Atlantic City for a few days in June. I love the beach there!
My daughter invested in a Roomba due to her 3 shedding dogs and having a little crawler and she said it is the so worth the money spent. Loves coming home to a clean floor.
On the Sunday family dinner, our family has done that for several years now. We take turns between two locations and put out a main course email during the day and everybody that is coming emails back if they are coming and what they are bringing. It has worked very well and nobody feels like they are completely responsible for dinner. When we all make it, there are 18 of us from 1 year to 82 years old. I hope that my grandchildren will have the memories from this that I have of my Sunday dinners at my grandma & grandpa’s home. I know you are going to love this revised tradition.
I love this site!!! I have tried so many of your recipes and have yet to make one that has not been absolutely fantastic! I just made your Gyro recipe yesterday and we had them for lunch today. Unbelievable! With your instructions it was so easy, and because the finished product is so dense, it sliced beautifully. We spend half of the year in our house in Italy, so being able to make the Gyros here was such a treat since there are no Gyro shops in our area. I have not had better tasting Gyro meat even in the States. Thanks for all you offer us. And … Joseph is one gorgeous child! The dogs are pretty awesome also.
I imagine your Sunday dinners will be fun. You might think about adding a “Sunday Dinner Menu” link to you site with a recipe or two included. I am not trying to make more work for a new mom…just thinking that I know I would be interested to see and maybe other followers would as well. Sunday dinner will old many wonderful memories for oyur little guy…guaranteed.
I have a trainer/therapist who has grandparents who have an open invitation to dinner for the family every Wednesday evening.His grandmom is Italian so there is always a pasta dish or two included in the ‘spread’ The grandchildren are all in the fitness field so they have subtely tried to get Grandma to cook a little more healthy and I guess she has tried some new things. Grandma prepares so much food, she always sends lots of leftovers home with whoever shows up…the fewer attendees, the more leftovers!
I love Nancy’s idea of a Sunday Dinner Menu link. I enjoy following your recipes, but sometimes it would be nice to know what to serve with them. Also, would just love to hear how it goes.
I, too, love menu ideas. My weakness is knowing what should be served with what. Do you serve a veg and a salad? What flavors complement? I don’t entertain often but when I do, it takes days to come up with something and I’m constantly worrying about my choices. Thanks. Always look forward to Fridays and the pics of Joseph and the baby dogs.
I would love to see occasional “how-to” videos.. Like different frosting techniques, ways to achieve interesting on the inside cakes once sliced, seeding tomatoes for soup/sauce, proper ways to cut different cuts of meat/poultry, and how to assemble trickier things like Stromboli. :) LOVE your recipes and often make them the same day they pop up in my inbox. Thank you!
I would LOVE baking videos! I love to bake so and I need all the tips I can get! Im also a very “hands-on” learner so reading doesn’t always cut it for me. I can’t wait!
We’re going on two planned trips this summer. I suprised my boyfriend with a trip to VT for his birthday. We will only be gone for three days, but it will be nice to get away and enjoy all of the activities VT has to offer. Our second trip will be to my summer home in Maine. :)
Don’t waste your money on a Roomba. You need to remove all stuff it will work around (like waste baskets), it cleans about half your space, and it takes longer to clean it after you use it than it would take to vacuum. Any one want one for free, you can have it. Let me know. I’m just planning to donate it to the local Habitat store.
Also have their floor scrubber, which is also a joke. Used once, You can have it for free if you pay the shipping.
Sure send it to me. I’ll give you a fed ex number to use for shipping.
contact mel dot 3 at juno dot com
Ditto what Marianne said. I had laminate floors installed and bought the “pet hair” Roomba. After letting it run around my living room, I used my Swiffer floor duster and the floor was still dusty and dirty. I really had high hopes for it but the Roomba has no suction. NONE! So how does it “clean” floors? I immediately returned it to Costco. I bought a cordless stick vacuum for quick pick ups but still use my regular vacuum cleaner for routine cleaning. Sorry for the bad review. I think the Roomba is a great idea, it just doesn’t work!
Awww Joseph is sooo cute :) I absolutely LOVE the idea of videos and definitely frosting cupcakes, making candy, Josephy rolling :) and of your adorable Gold Retrievers. Please do add videos… I am excited!!!
Joseph is pretty darn cute in that Adidas outfit ~ as a gym teacher I totally approve, haha. Don’t have a boy (yet!!!!) to dress in boy clothes. Would love a Rooba especially if it lives up to the hype. Vacuuming in the one inside chore I do.