Friday Things
1. Joseph had his cooked egg food challenge at the allergist this week, and HE PASSED! We are so excited because this was the first challenge he’s done for a food that he had a semi-bad reaction to (splotchy rashed face immediately after eating scrambled eggs), so we weren’t really sure what to expect. So, bring on the pancakes, French toast, and ice cream! Plus, this gives us hope that he might be okay with nuts at some point. We are going to do almond next (in May)… FINGERS CROSSED!
2. Dominic came with me to the grocery store for the first time this week, and… it put him to sleep, ha! He’s such a wonderfully chill little guy, I love him to pieces. Also, kudos for the grocery store having carts with a cradle on top for car seats!
3. Someone, somewhere asked me about where to find lavender for recipes. I can’t remember if it was here on the site or on Facebook, BUT! At the grocery store this week, they had lavender plants (as well as rosemary bushes) in the front of the store near the flowers. If you’re looking to try some lavender recipes, check to see if your store carries it as well!
4. I have a new video up for my No-Bake Banana Split Dessert and it’s been going crazy on Facebook this week! It’s one of my two favorite spring/summer desserts (the other one is strawberry pretzel salad, of course)!
5. Tell me what you’re thinking of cooking/baking for Easter! I’m sure I’ll make a batch of my grandma’s bacon-cheese bread, and I have a couple of ideas for dessert, but haven’t nailed down anything yet. My mom always makes a roast lamb and some type of cheesy potatoes are a must!
6. Did you see this homemade pan release from I Am Baker? I typically use shortening to grease my pans, then flour them, but I love the idea of having a large batch of this to just brush on at any time. When I shared this on Facebook, a lot of people commented that their grandma’s always had something similar; I had never even heard of this!
7. I’m not sure why I’m so obsessed with pictures of gorgeous laundry rooms, but I can’t get enough of them! Currently lusting over this one:
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8. Did you see this video of a Golden Retriever playing fetch on a hockey rink? I was sooooo terrified he was going to get hurt!
9. Are you into watching The Masters? One of my favorite sporting events of the year! It’s so beautiful at Augusta and I love old, storied, traditional things like caddies in white and winners in green jackets.
10. TGIF! Handsome Duke says have a great weekend!
Hi Michelle! I am going to be spending my spring break down with my cousin who just had a baby via C-section. She has two other boys (a 2 year old and a 4 year old) that I am going to babysit for the week. I was wondering if you had any tips on entertaining the boys, or suggestions of things I could do to put the mother at ease (I know you had a C-section. Was there anything you wished people had done for you?). Anything helps!
Hi Margaret, How incredibly sweet of you! As for entertaining the boys – if the weather is nice, outside time is always great, so parks or walks around the neighborhood, etc. If you bring new books or a new toy, I know Joseph always spends a lot of time focused on something new (or something old that we’ve put away for a couple of months and then bring back out again, HA!). Really any activity that’s new or different would be exciting for them. As for the C-section – you could ask if she needs anything cleaned around the house (that’s one of those things – you can’t do it yourself but you really don’t want to ASK someone else to clean for you, even family!), offer to give the boys baths, laundry, groceries… anything that involves doing stairs or bending over.
The boys look great s always – so funny that Dominic fell asleep at the grocery store. It’s funny you mention that homemade pan release – my mom learned about “Goop” at a Wilson decorating class years ago when she and my sister took classes at Michael’s on how to decorate cakes – haven’t made it in a while but I’m glad you reminded me about it because it really does work well. Not sure what we are going to make for Easter yet – still have to find out who all will be attending dinner….lol…Duke looks good! Have a great weekend.
Good luck with the food allergy challenges. I’ve been through it all. If he wins up having food allergies there are groups you can join for support.
I am going to get a jar and mix up a small batch of the pan release. Â That is such a time saver and probably gets into the corners of pans and nooks of bundt pans better than the traditional shortening-flour method. Â What a great idea!
I went back to revisit your bacon-cheese bread. Â Somehow I missed that recipe the first go ’round. Â It looks so yummy. Â And I love your grandma’s recipe. Â The “whiskey glass of oil” is priceless . . . . Â oh for the simpler days when you made do with what you had. Â So many trappings of the day now.
Not sure about the Easter menu right now, but be sure that something coconut will be there. Â Just this morning I came across a recipe for a Coconut Loaf that is reminiscent of one that Howard Johnson’s used to serve. Â I may try something like that this year and serve it with homemade ice cream or simply with fresh strawberries.
Lovely to see Duke looking happy!
Re pan release, I have become completely converted to parchment paper. I use it wherever I used to grease pans, and it is so easy. Occasionally I may also grease the pan too, if I am really concerned about something sticking, but not sure I need to.
No need to use culinary lavender if you have your own plants. Â Dry your own. It’s stronger than culinary lavender so use less. Â I love lavender lemonade in the summertime…can’t wait.
I’m glad the allergy testing went well. Allergies are the oddest things. My stepson had a horrific reaction at 13 (!!) after eating a turtle candy (with a pecan). I know he’d eaten tons of things with tree nuts over the years but it was bad. At 18, due to some other medical issues, he was more specifically tested and oddly, he’s not allergic to pecans but to almonds only. So weird.
Big thanks for the Guinness Beef Stew recipe. It is amazing and I’m making it for my dad’s birthday tomorrow.
YAY on the egg challenge! Â My youngest is allergic to eggs (and is 2) but we’ve yet to do any baked/cooked challenges yet. Â Hmm, must call the allergist.
Speaking of taking kids to the grocery store – have you seen these!? https://www.instagram.com/shopbinxy/ I wish so bad they had been invented when my kids were little enough to use it – make taking multiple kids to the store SO much easier (as opposed to, “so if the kids are in the cart…where do you put the groceries??”)  Just thought I’d share, as I hear about so many cool new things in Friday Things!
I’ve never seen those, how cool! They look like little hammocks!
Congrats on passing the challenge! My son was diagnosed with an egg allergy at 8 months after breaking out in hives after eating scrambled eggs. He passed the baked egg challenge at 13 months but I’m not sure how long to wait to do the scrambled egg challenge since he is now super picky with food. I know Joseph passed his baked egg a while ago too – – do you have any recipe suggestions that incorporate baked eggs that are toddler approved (i.e., more then just cakes / muffins, like meatballs and meatloaf?).
Thanks Elizabeth! Joseph passed the baked egg challenge in January, and our allergist wanted us to wait 2-3 months, giving him to get exposure to eggs through the baked things. Joseph definitely prefers muffins (specifically, these banana muffins: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/banana-muffins-2/). He’s not really big on meat, but he will eat meatballs if they are in sauce, he’s iffy on meatloaf, but a good option! Also, you could try rich breads like brioche or challah since they have eggs, too. It’s so hard when they’re picky! Honestly, the muffins were the best bet for us. I made them smaller and kept them in the freezer and if he didn’t have anything else with eggs, would give him one every couple of days.
I am going to be baking a Daffodil Cake agaim for Easter. My family grew up in Cleveland and there was a prominent bakery named Hough Bakeries (think Oakmont Bakery on steroids). But every Easter, they rolled out this cake and it’s still one of their most sought recipes, since the bakery was bought out by Kraft years ago. I was able to piece a recipe together from my mom’s old cookbooks and chatting with actual bakers from the factory. It’s basically a marbled angel food/citrus sponge cake, topped with either a lemon or pineapple glaze. I made it last year and my mom swears or was as good as she remembered. It’s nice and light after a heavy meal. Let me know if you’d like the recipe!
Oh my gosh, when I read your comment about the pan release, it brought back memories. I worked in a bakery when I was in college and the baker used a concoction of flour/oil/shortening that he spread on baking pans to prevent sticking. He would make a batch of it every couple of  days and use it on all the baking pans. I have never thought to use it in my home baking.Â
Have you seen the picture that is around the Internet of the smiling Golden? The poor guy had to have some fatty tumors removed and  he was still groggy  from the meds when his “mom” arrived to pick him up . She took a photo of him leaning up against the back seat of the car and he had a huge grin on his face. It is really hilarious.
Great news about Joseph…he has so many yummy things in his future now that he can have eggs!
You can buy culinary lavender at Penzy’s spices in strip district or online. It lasts for about a year. Makes great Biscotti or shortbread cookies. I also found some stuff a French winery in Texas last year. Search for culinary lavendar.