Friday Things
1. This little lady turned 10 months old on Wednesday! She seems so grown up lately… she is crawling EVERYWHERE, trying to pull herself up, exploring and playing on her own, “chasing” after her brothers, eating anything and everything we put in front of her, and has a fantastic giggle that is very reminiscent of Joseph’s baby giggle. It is so much fun to see her grow and discover her little world.
2. Last week during the Polar Vortex, Joseph and Dominic asked to make sugar cookies while Isabelle napped one afternoon. I was quick to oblige, and they had a blast. They raided my cookie cutters and I think they made precisely one cookie of each shape they found lol. We celebrated a lot of holidays with those cookies! I love being in the kitchen with my boys :)
3. Let’s talk roasting vegetables… I LOVE roasted vegetables when I make them, especially things like broccoli and Brussels sprouts that get those crispy little edges. Whenever I put away leftovers, I can’t stop picking little pieces off the pan. HOWEVER… I greatly dislike reheated roasted vegetables, womp womp. They are mushy and lose all of that great flavor! Any tips to remedy this? Do you have any tricks??
4. I mentioned ButcherBox in my January Favorites last week, and I just found out about a special they’re running that ends today that I wanted to share with you! If you’ve never tried ButcherBox before, you can get their “Surf and Turf” deal – 2 pounds of wild Alaskan salmon + 2 filet mignons + free shipping with your first box. So perfect for Valentine’s Day!
5. This is a phenomenal article about a man who lives by his “100 list” >> Don’t Just Endure, Make a List and Thrive. There is a complementary summary with rules for making a 100 list, as well as a printable template. So inspiring!
6. If you’re working on some menu ideas for Valentine’s Day, don’t forget about classic red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!
7. A reader emailed me last week to tell me about cuddle + kind dolls that are not only absolutely beautiful, but for every doll sold, the company provides 10 meals to hungry children through a number of programs both domestically and worldwide (you can read more about it here).
8. Currently obsessed with the @cakebycourtney Instagram account. So many gorgeous layer cakes!
9. If you use Google Chrome as your web browser, this is a great list of Chrome hacks.
10. TGIF! I hope you have a warm and relaxing weekend!
I reheat my roasted veges in my cast iron skillet. I put a little olive oil in there, Heat it up and they are good to go!
Hi Michelle , I would love to know what sugar cookie recipe you used with the boys ? The recipes I have used are always so un- kid friendly ! Too much handling turns it to mush and I would really love a kid proof recipe to do with my boys – Thanks x
Hi Liza! This is the sugar cookie recipe we used: https://cookiesandcups.com/easy-sugar-cookies-recipe/. The butter didn’t need to come to room temperature, the dough didn’t need to chill, the cookies didn’t spread, and they were soft and thick. PERFECT recipe for a project with kids :)
On a whim last week I put my left over roasted broccoli and cauliflower in the food processor and make rice out of them. Really enjoyed the left overs this way. Your baby is getting so big, she’s adorable
You can use leftover roasted veggies in a quiche.
Ina says to make soup from left over roasted veggies. Just puree and add chicken stock to your liking for a nice creamy bowl!
Regarding your Friday things post for February 8th. I don’t have any hints on how to keep leftover roasted veggies from getting mushy but I did make use of them at breakfast the other day.
I took a muffin tin and sprayed with Pam. Chopped the veggies and put them in the muffin tins. Added some cooked and diced bacon (or ham?) and grated gruyere cheese then whisked some eggs and poured those into the tins. Baked at 350 until firm. 20+/- minutes.
This doesn’t solve the problem of the mushy veggies but it put them to use. Kind of like mini quiches?
Enjoy your posts!
Great idea!
Reheat your roasted veggies (or anything that should be crispy – pizza, fried chicken, etc.) in the toaster oven! SO much better than microwaving them – they keep their texture.
Yessssss! I only reheat pizza in the toaster oven!
Such sweet photos. I chuckled a bit reading your post ’cause your house must seem like a nursery school it times… with a little doggie day care throw in for good measure! I would guess your days are never dull and super full of moments to be cherished.
Thanks for sharing the Cuddle& Kind info. The dolls are beautiful and would make a wonderful, thoughtful gift for a newborn or young child. I love companies that share their success in a meaningful way with those less fortunate.
I ,too, love roasting veggies. I roast a pan of onions, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms at least once a week. Because of the high water content, they don’t crisp like other veggies but the flavor is divine. I use them as a simple side dish, as a main ingredient in a roasted veggie pasta dish of some sort…lasagna is yummy… or I mix them with cooked quinoa and top with a poached egg for lunch the second day. I have also thrown the leftovers in a blender and added them to a veggie based soup.
Haha! Yeah, our house is basically a circus 24/7 😂
As far as roasted vegetables…have you tried rewarding them on convection mode at a super high heat?
I have not! I’ll have to try convection, air frying, cast iron skillet, etc… or just throwing them into a big omelet!
Hellooooo! I follow a lady on Instagram that reheats veggies in a cast iron skillet. I haven’t tried it but it’s the only way she does it. Love your blog from recipes to favorites to Fridays!
I eat my leftover roasted veggies cold (dip)or in a salad. They’re still delicious that way to me! 🙋🏻♀️ #veggielover
I love the idea of thrive…great inspiration from a professor at my alma mater! One of my favorite quotes by Gordon B. Hinckley is: “In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” Thanks for sharing!
I have been making sheet trays full of assorted roasted veggies to use throughout the week. Some hold up better than others. But when I reheat them, I use my air fryer! It’s very fast and I can reheat just a portion at a time. They get a little more crispy even, which I love. I usually roast Brussels sprouts, radishes, carrots, and beets on one tray. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes on another. Then broccolini, asparagus, peppers, onions, and green beans on a third. After roasting, I might take a spoonful of each and add to a protein bowl with brown rice, or toss with a lemon vinaigrette and feta for a salad. I make fajitas with them…just eat them throughout the week.
Just have to tell you how much I enjoy and use your site. But was looking at your childrens pictures and I always do usually on Friday but they are so beautiful and your little girl is a beauty and so adorable .. hope you have a great day!
Aww thank you so much, Cathy, so sweet of you :)
Happy Friday, Michelle! Can you tell me about the marble slab your boys are working on to create their sugar cookies? I am in the market for one – any recommendations? Thanks!
Hi Carrie, Sure! I got it from Sur La Table >> https://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-535591/Sur+La+Table+Marble+Pastry+Board?cat=TCA-258019_Pastry+Tools
I make a quickie soup broth, your vegetables some parm or any cheese. Then I add rice or orzo even have used gnocci.
Can I have a cookie
Hi! As for reheating roasted veggies, I too have never found the perfect method, but the best way I have found is to always reheat at a high temp (400) and watch carefully so they do not burn. Good luck! I love your site so much..
Hey Michelle, I usually make grain bowls for packed lunches with my roasted veggies, so mixing it up with other textures makes it palatable for me, but I think either blending into a creamy, flavorful soup (I think Ina Garten has a blender veggie soup recipe in which she specifically uses leftover roasted veggies), or using them in veggie-rich omelettes would both be fabulous reincarnations! The previous comment about blending up for pasta sauce is genius too! You could also leave them chunky and incorporate into pasta dishes or lasagna.
Could you dice up the roasted veges and put them in either a pasta salad or cold rice salad?
Roasted vegetables make me gag after they’ve been reheated too, so I’m my house they are added to omelets, eggy breakfast muffins or saved and frozen until I make vegetable soup.
I’ve even tried air frying the left overs and…nope
My son just turned 10 months too! I love reading about Isabelle’s progres – It’s such a brilliant age isn’t it!! For my leftover roasted veggies I stick them in the blender with extra tomatoes or passata and make into a smooth pasta sauce. It’s sooo good and the children love it.