Friday Things
1. Last Saturday we had Christmas with my dad’s family and Joseph refused to nap before we went, then proceeded to totally crash around 3:30. He has NEVER just conked out in the middle of chaos before; so sweet.
He had to get blood drawn this week (nothing serious, just a redo of the allergy panel he had done last year), and he was SUCH A TROOPER. As in, he barely flinched and didn’t shed a single tear. The experience last year was a little… dramatic, to say the least (lots of crying and screaming), so I was totally prepared for the same. Then… nothing. The tech was absolutely awesome and great with him, which I’m sure helped!
2. Dominic is doing great, too! He discovered his hands and is absolutely mesmerized by them… he’s constantly cupping them together in front of his face and studying them, turning them, sucking on them. I forgot how much time Joseph spent with his hands and fingers shoved in his mouth when he was tiny!
He watched some hockey with me this week after his big brother went to bed :)
3. Who has an Instant Pot? Do I need this? Is it the new slow cooker? My aunt loves hers!
4. One of my goals for next year is to read more. What were some of your favorite books this year?
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
5. What are you binge watching right now?
6. Most of my favorite holiday cookies include either peanut butter or other nuts, and since we’re avoiding all of that with Joseph’s allergies, I have the dough for these cookies in the fridge to bake later today. I’ve wanted to try them forever, can’t wait!
7. Do you build gingerbread houses? I can’t believe I’ve NEVER made one! Maybe we did them when I was little, but I don’t remember. I might have to make plans for one next year – I’m sure the boys would love it.
8. What are your plans for the holiday weekend? We are having Christmas Eve at my mom’s tomorrow (alllll the fish!) and then will be home with my in-laws on Christmas Day. Looking forward to all of it!
9. There won’t be a weekend dish tomorrow due to the holiday, so I wish you all an absolutely wonderful holiday weekend!
10. TGIF! Duke wishes you a very Merry Christmas!
I have been looking at the Instant Pots as well. Did you get a good response on them? I would love for you to get one and do a review and some good recipes to go along with it. Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year–can’t wait to see your next new puppy dog (hopefully). Love the baby and doggy pics–I always look forward to Friday things just for the pics of them….oh yeah, and the recipes too… Many blessings in the year ahead.
Love reading your blogs and making your recipes, Michelle. I so enjoy seeing photos of your family and especially your furry friends. I’m a fiction author and would be happy to send you one of my e-books to read, if you are interested. I have a mystery/detective series and a women’s fiction series. Each of the series features a canine companion…usually a golden retriever :-)
My daughter & her boyfriend (they are both 17) built gingerbread houses this year. They each did their own & had quite the competition going… they spent 2 hrs on them! Needless to say they are quite the works of art. ;)
You are awesome!!
If you haven’t already read it (it’s about a decade old, but I just recently discovered this book): “The Glass Castle,” by Jeannette Walls. I could not put it down, it was so good!
Brand new Instant Pot user here. I bought the 6 Quart size, but would recommend 8 Quart if you like leftovers! I had used a stove top pressure cooker occasionally and liked the results, but was intrigued with the automatic settings and the keep warm function while I work. I’ve used it twice and was blown away. First time I tried a little 4 lb pork shoulder roast- from the time I put it in until we were eating was 1 hour and 20 min, and it was like butter. I saved the juices from the roast and in a couple days made a dish with the saved broth, some pre-soaked beans, a big onion, a cut up red pepper, a bag of spinach and a pack of cut up italian sausages. Incredible- it does so well with beans, but what we were amazed with was the way it cooked the sausage slices into the most tender meatball-like things. We couldn’t get enough of that sausage and the consistency was unlike any sausage we ever tried before. My next hopeful thing to make in there is a couple of little meatloaves. Can’t wait!
I have enjoyed reading your blog and wish you and your family a very wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!
You should definitely get an InstantPot! I love mine so much that both my mom and sister went out and each bought one and are hooked now too. I’ve made so many things, but my favorites are the things that normally take forever if you cook them the traditional way(spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, beans etc.). The thing that made me buy the IP in the first place was that you can cook frozen chicken breasts/thighs in 20 mins!!! Don’t even need to defrost the chicken! Here’s my go-to, no brains required, weekday meal:
Place 1.5 lbs frozen boneless chicken thighs or breast in the InstantPot with garlic powder, dried onion flakes, salt, 1/2 cup water & 1 cup of green salsa (I use Herdes brand). Cook on high for 20 mins. When the timer goes off I open the pot using the quick release method. Shred the chicken in the pot, and add canned pinto beans. Use the “sauté” function to cook the soup for about 5 more mins. Serve with your choice of avocado, sour cream, cheese & tortilla chips! It’s a little spicy, but still a big hit with my kids (ages 2 & 4) and my husband (age 34 LOL).
Merry Christmas! Your boys are adorable! Book recommendation – “Her Nowhere” by Brigetta Schwaiger. It was the first and only book I have read using the Kindle App. I LOOOOOOOVVVVEEEDDD it.
If you haven’t read, “The Nightingale,” you should consider it. It’s a story of two sisters living in France during the beginning of WWII and throughout the 4 yrs of war. Each sister had an important and dramatic role of survival . Very well written and an easy read. Historically accurate, too.
i got an instapot when they were marked down on amazon. people rave about them but I’m not so sure we need one.
Michelle,
I have been following you for years now, rarely (if ever) commenting, but making and loving many, many of your recipes. I just wanted to share with you that my family and I have been living in Naples, Italy for the past 3 years and will be leaving next month to head back to the US. Reading about your Italian grandmother and then seeing the Italian traditions carried on in your family (such as “aallll the fish” on Christmas Eve) really bring a smile to face and to my heart as I have seen firsthand these traditions and also because we have really come to love this country. Thank you for sharing that part of your life with readers because it is something I will cherish after we leave.
Also, I bookmarked your Neapolitan pizza recipe and sent it to several of my friends that have already moved from here. I can’t wait to have the little bite of Naples to bring me back! :)