Friday Things
1. First and foremost, thank you all so very much for your patience while I sorted out and remedied the issues with the site. Everything should be running smoothly again at this point, so if you encounter any issues, please feel free to shoot me an email and let me know so that I can investigate. I am so sorry for the inconvenience any downtime may have caused.
2. Now, for the fun stuff! I didn’t realize it when I took the photo below, but Duke totally photobombed it and looks like he wants to eat Joseph’s head, ha!
3. Joseph turned one month old last week, which seems absolutely unfathomable! I love that he’s become more alert and more aware of things around him. He’s started to smile a little bit (we got some big open mouth smiles for the first time yesterday!), but we haven’t been able to catch them on camera yet. Each day is an adventure… some messier than others(!)… and I love every minute.
4. I’ve seen charts like this before, and always forget to check them when I need to make a large purchase, so I’m saving this for future reference! [via savings.com; for a large version to download, click here]
5. Confession #1: I realized earlier this week that I’ve never eaten quinoa. Confession #2: I have no desire to eat quinoa.
6. In other news, I am dying for a soft serve ice cream cone with sprinkles. I think all of the local places open back up sometimes in March… I’ll be the first in line!
7. This Buzzfeed compilation of 27 Charts That Will Help You Make Sense of Makeup is an awesome resource for someone who is fashion and makeup challenged like myself. There are tons of great tips and tricks in there!
8. I want to eat a bazillion of these pepperoni pizza pull-apart muffins… oh my goodness!
9. It’s House of Cards release day!! Having a newborn is the perfect excuse to hibernate (especially when it’s freezing out), so you know what we’ll be doing all weekend while Joseph naps! In other TV news, in some strange twist of fate, neither my husband nor I had ever watched the show 24 when it originally ran. A couple of weeks ago, we decided to start watching from the beginning and we’re totally hooked! We’re a little more than halfway through the first season and loving it. It’s great that there are so many seasons… it’ll keep us entertained for awhile!
10. TGIF! I hope the weather is starting to warm up where you are… Duke is working out his cabin fever!
thanks for sharing the information with us, we are really glad to read your interesting blog.
This is really an amazing article. Your article is really good and your article has always good content with a good power-point with informative information. Please don’t stop you powerful content writing keeps it up.
Quinoa was on my “must try/cook” New Year’s resolution list this year…I tried it two weeks ago (in my rice cooker) and steamed veggies with it…mixed them up and I was amazed how good it tasted…now I find myself looking for all kinds of recipies for it! Try it!!!
Thank you for the make-up link….awesome and very helpful! So happy your blog is up and running again…it is a part of my daily routine!
Duke is hillarious and Joseph is over-the-top adorable…love his outfit!
1. absolutely adorable baby boy
2. i grew up and still live in no cal…worked at Swenson’s Ice Cream Parlor in high school and they were always ‘jimmies’ not ‘sprinkles’ :)
3. quinoa is delish! pretty much even swap for rice. you must try it! i make it in my rice cooker. be sure to either rinse it before cooking or get the pre-rinsed kind.
How adorable is your little man! I miss those first months, when they fit on our thighs! Never tried quinoa either (yet). Lucky you if the weather is getting better, here it has been raining for months, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end soon.
teresa
But quinoa is so tasty. And it’s the perfect quick fix dinner when you don’t have time for something more elaborate.
Sprinkles on ice cream is one of my favorites! But I can’t find the sprinkles that I like here in Dallas. The ones I gre up with were different colored but had some chopped up nuts in them, except they weren’t just nuts, I think they had some sort of sweet glaze on them. Loved them! Wish I could find it!
Wow! Joseph is so sweet and growing so quickly! I love the Duke photobomb. I am also anxiously awaiting our local ice cream spot opening! Have a great weekend!
Congratulations he is beautiful.keep taking pictures it’s already incredible to look back just a few months later at our daughter. Been on a beb kick lately including the yellow cupcakes in the hunt for a birthday cake. Best one I’ve tried so far.also made your chili. I loved that one batch made multiple meals for my husband and I and he also really liked it. He’d been asKing for chili lately so it was perfect timing. Thanks for continuing to share such great recipes!
Michelle,
First, don’t bother trying Quinoa, it tastes like dirt! Yuck!
Love the photos of your baby and Duke.
Also, do you have the link to the infographic? I couldn’t find it on savings.com.
Thanks.
Annamaria
Agree with you about 24, edge of seat stuff but I missed the last series, must get. Quinoa I have tried but just don’t like the texture…will try the suggestions about adding things and patties because I do want to eat it for the health benefits. The makeup site is amazing! Joseph is so cute! Keep up the great work.
Wendy’s frostys are pretty good & you can BYOS (sprinkles). For $1 you can get a key tag to use for a free small frosty all year with any purchase & proceeds go to Dave Thomas’ adoption foundation. Joseph is precious!
Oh my what a cute little man, he looks quite serious and very wise. Love dog behind in pic also. Re quinoa, I hated it too until I tried stir frying it after steaming , adding garlic spring onions and seasoning well. Nice with a fried egg.
Joseph is just the cutest! Is that a clef in his chin? Many of my family members have it (not me) it’s adorable. Just made an Asian quinoa dish that was delicious as it’s not my favorite either.
OH MY!! Has it been a month already? I missed the original post on the birth. Congratulations! Hope mommy, daddy and baby are doing well!
So happy for you, Michelle! Joseph is so sweet :))).
Ha ha ha about quinoa. :))) I tried this recipe from Real Simple, and the whole meal, not just quinoa, turned out soo good.
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/yogurt-marinated-chicken-with-mushrooms-and-sweet-potatoes
Enjoy your baby!
First….what a beautiful little boy! Joseph is so adorable. As for Quinoa….never tried it, probably won’t.
I chuckled when you said you guys were watching the series 24. So are we….however we own all eight seasons on DVD…..not sure if hubby has picked up Season 9 yet or if it’s available. Love the series!
I, too, have never tried quinoa. At least not on purpose. I may have accidentally had some once or twice. Also, it sounds like you need an ice cream maker! You can make your own soft-serve with sprinkles at home for super easy! No ice and no salt. Here’s a link to a post about the ice cream maker I use and love: http://icecreaminspiration.com/do-you-really-need-an-ice-cream-maker-yes-yes-you-do/
Joseph is beautiful and getting so big! I love the dimple in his chin! And on his little chubby cheeks!
Don’t be afraid of Quinoa – just make sure you get the kind in the box (I think it’s Quaker) that has already been rinsed and is ready to go. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised at how it tastes. We use broth instead of water, and use it like you would rice – with chicken, beef, whatever. It is very good and good for you! I even just found a pizza crust using it! Anyway, just try it once . . . I really don’t thing you will be disappointed.
Have a great weekend with your little family!
do yourself a favor, buy some quinoa, and prepare it according to the directions. it’s AMAZING!
Your photo of Joseph is beyond adorable–what a cute little guy! I, too, love his outfit. Also love the photo bomb, very amusing! Now, with regard to quinoa, I’m not sure how many people know that you have to rinse it–at least twice–before cooking. Otherwise, it can be a tad bitter. I make a special weekend breakfast of quinoa cakes with poached eggs that my husband and I swoon over. The quinoa cakes have Parmesan, garlic, shallots and chives in them, so savory–what’s not to like? Scrumptious, I tell you! Try them, you’ll like them!
http://www.fransfavs.com/2013/01/quinoa-cakes-with-poached-eggs/
Looks to me like Duke is rather suspicious of the bald guy getting a little too close to the baby, and he is ready to attack at any moment! Your little man is so handsome! Quinoa, I really like it and you can cook and use it in recipes similar to rice. My daughter is not so fond of it as a side dish, but I found a recipe for quinoa pizza bites that you make in a mini muffin pan that both my kids devour! Whoop whoop! Mom scores!!! :)
What a beautiful baby! Congratulations!
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. Yesterday I made your coconut cupcakes and also the fresh strawberry cupcakes. Both turned out so well, your detailed instructions are much appreciated! Take care!
http://lifehacker.com/5973864/the-best-time-to-buy-anything-during-the-year
Found this similar chart.
First things first – congrats on your handsome baby boy!! He is precious. Enjoy every moment. My baby boy just turned 17 and I”m already dreading the day he heads off to college. Where does time go???? Secondly, you’re not missing anything on the quinoa. A few months ago, I realized too that I had never eaten it and set on a mission to add this super food to my diet. I tried numerous recipes, from breakfast “oatmeal” to fried quinoa patties to cold salads and hot side dishes…. And here’s my concession… I don’t like it and I’m not going to eat it just because everyone says I should. There are plenty of tasty foods out there, including plenty of healthy options, so there. Enough said. :)
I wish I could read the best time to buy chart.-print too small. Love adorable Joseph. Love to all
Michelle, I found the Best Time To Buy Chart, so need to list URL.
Joseph is growing up so fast! What a cutie.
Do you have a direct link to the savings.com chart? Or a link to a larger image? It’s nearly impossible to read…
http://cdn.savings.com/img/Best-Times-Infographic.png That’s the large version :)
Michelle, beautiful baby boy! So happy for you and husband!
I’m trying to download savings.com Best Time to Buy chart, but cannot find it on their site. Do you, by chance, have the URL? Thanks so much for your wonderful blog and menus!
Pittsburgh Gramma
Your sweet Joseph is so cute. Enjoy these years, they fly by, Boys and Goldens. That was the combination in our house and what a wild, fun time we had.
I am in my mid 50’s and love your getting your emails. You were probaly the first blog I found over 5 years ago. After cleaning out recipe files this week, I find that you have the most consistent recipes and many of them are made regularly in my home. Thanks for that!
Quinoa burgers are delicious.
First, Joseph…what an absolutely handsome little man!
Second, quinoa. I’ve tried it and I’ve tried to understand what the hype is all about. Let’s just say it’s not my thing and I won’t be going back for seconds!
Joseph…just too adorable for his own good and that chin dimpleis precious.
So, about quinoa…I was resistant to try it but I finally did and really love it. I prefer Trader Joe’s the tri-color variety and use it in soups very often for a protien boost. I have also added white quinoa th oatmeal for a super hearty breakfast.
Be brave, give it a try…you might like it!
Finally, I tried those pull apart pizza muffins but must have done something very wrong as they looked nothing like Jessica’s pictures and seemed to be very undercooked. I have to go back and give them another try because the idea seems to be a delicious one for sure.
FYI, McDonalds sells soft-serve cones all year round. You would have to provide your own sprinkles of course! LOL.
Joseph is such a handsome, little boy. You must have your hands full. My cousin had a baby last June. Every week when we get together, Amaya seems to growing and change. It’s truly amazing. Soft serve with rainbow sprinkles is one of the gateways to summer for me. Now, I really want one…even though it’s about 8 degrees outside. :)
Happy Friday Michelle! I an so with you – even if quinoa was served with chocolate jimmies (sprinkles to the non Burgh people) on it I still would have no desire to eat it! Have a great weekend with all of your boys.
OMG! I grew up outside of Boston and we call them jimmies too!! I thought it was only a Boston thing – so happy other people know the “right” word ;)
When I moved to California 20 years ago (grew up in Mass.) I ordered jimmies on my ice cream at the local Baskin Robbins. The clerk looked at me like I was insane and I couldn’t for the life of me think of another way to describe them so I finally just pointed at them. I had to re-train myself on that one and to say “soda” instead of “tonic.” That’s one of the things I love about our country – quirky little regional differences.
Your baby is going to be a heart-breaker. I love the clothes you have him dressed in. So many people dress their babies in denim, his outfit is lovely.
Health and happiness to all of you. Love your site.