Friday Things #324
1. Today is Joseph’s last day of preschool for the year, which means heading to the park for a big class picnic! I was so incredibly emotional on Joseph’s last day of school last year (perhaps postpartum hormones played a part since Isabelle was only 6 weeks old?), and I’m not quite there again, but it’s definitely bittersweet. Time is just swooping on by; it’s hard to believe that a year from now he’ll be gearing up for kindergarten. I still remember the bleary-eyed days of just one baby, the frustration of trying to navigate the dreaded 30-minute nap, and he being our entire world for nearly two years. Now he is a bona fide kid who has shed most, if not all, toddler tendencies this year, a phenomenal big brother (earlier this week he told Dominic, “Dom – next year you are going to have your OWN school bag! I am SO proud of you!”) and he makes my heart melt on a daily basis. Whoever said the days are long but the years are short totally and completely nailed it.
2. Dominic, meanwhile, continues to be a complete and total ham who is very rarely in a sour mood that lasts for more than a few minutes. The way his speech has developed (which is utterly incredible given his age) and the cadence he uses, as well as the tone, can just be absolutely hysterical. He routinely makes all of the other moms laugh at swim class and skating lessons. I don’t think he will ever be stressed a day in his life.
3. Isabelle is such a little doll and really loves playing with her big brothers. Their car obsession is rubbing off, as I’ve caught her running cars on the floor making a “vroooooom” sound when they’re not even home, and she had her fingers on two Cheerios on her tray the other morning and was “racing” them around. She may be destined for the racing circuit, lol!
4. I need your cutting board recommendations! I have had plastic cutting boards for ages, but they are pretty scratched up and stained, so I’d like to replace them. I do like being able to put them in the dishwasher if I use them for meat, but am open to hearing about your absolute favorite cutting boards (no matter the material) and why.
5. Speaking of recommendations, has anyone used Emile Henry bakeware? I am totally eyeing up the square and rectangular bakers (and maybe the deep pie plate?), to replace some older casseroles that I have. They seem to get rave reviews, but I don’t know anyone personally who has them.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
6. I saw someone share this on Instagram stories this week; it wasn’t embedded, so I don’t know the source, but I LOVE IT:
7. Do you have any plans for the long holiday weekend? Grilling for Memorial Day? Doing yard work, spring cleaning, or just kicking back and relaxing? If you are looking for some dessert ideas, be sure to check out my 19 Easy & Absolutely Delicious Desserts for Memorial Day!
8. Let’s talk Game of Thrones quickly (no spoilers!) – what did you think of the finale? Did you love it? Hate it? I found it to be totally boring and such a let down after the last few episodes!
9. And on one more TV note… many of you recommended this awhile ago, but we’ve been watching Poldark and really enjoying it. We’re on season 2 and while it took a few episodes for us to really get into it, we like it!
10. TGIF! I hope you have a wonderfully restful long holiday weekend!
I have a few of the EH pie plates and while beautiful, I HATE them for pies! They are very thick and deep and the amount of baking time I have had to add has always ruined my pie. I have gone back to good old pyrex glass pie dishes. I think the EH ones would be great for lasagnas or casseroles that can stand up to the extra cook time – or no-bake pies, perhaps.
Regarding the “thank you” vs “I am sorry” idea that has been floating around: I have to say I disagree whole-heartedly. It should be BOTH. Why do we think we should not apologize when we inconvenience others? Why does it matter how I feel about myself when I am late to an appointment and wasted someone elses time? That deserves an apology, “Sorry I am late,” and a “thank you for waiting”. Of course, i dont think we need to apologize for who we are or if our house is a mess, etc. but this not apologizing thing so we feel better about ourselves is a bit out of hand.
I commented yesterday regarding suggestions for cutting boards…I recommended Epicurean brand. I purchased mine at Bed.Bath & Beyond but I was on the Crate and Barrel website this morning and noticed they a carry the brand as well but the models vary from the ones I purchased. The C&B models have a “gutter” all around the perimeter to prevent food from rolling off and also to catch and liquid from seeping onto the counter. C&B carried a choice of colors and sizes as well. They also carry a hexagon shape to be used as a serving patter…great for cheese I would imagine. I am seriously tempted to purchase at least one more of these boards.
We have a Boos cutting board and love it for all sorts of prep besides raw meat. My husband does the oil and cream treatments that Boos sells, and this keeps it in great shape!
I also have an Emilie Henry deep pie dish that I got on sale before Thanksgiving this past year and while I’ve only used it once, my uncle proclaimed it was the best pumpkin pie he’d ever had! It’s such a pretty dish as well!
Michelle, I have had several wood cutting boards for years! I have large ones with wells for meats and turkeys, I have medium and small, but my absolute favorite is one I inherited, it is very light weight compared to the others. I use both sides for meats, chicken, veggies, etc and never have had a problem. I scrub it well with Dawn, hot water, and a brush, it has a lot of cut marks and knife points carved into the wood, no one has ever gotten sick from my foods. I have had a glass and a plastic, both were put in the trash quickly, nothing compares to my wood boards, as a child we had a built in cutting board in the base cabinet, just pull it out and cut away, my dad built the home in the early 40’s, that board was used for 27 years when my mom passed away. As for my favorite board, I don’t know how old it was when I got it, but it was well used, an I have been married for 53 years, I would say it is a good 60-65 years old.. wow!
Emile Henry bakers, I have 2, a rectangle and a large oval, I do wish I had a deep dish pie plate. I absolutely love these, as they are so easy to clean, and they look so beautiful! Get all 3! I have been following your it seems forever, through your pregnancy with Joseph, and cried with you at the loss of your beautiful golden, and rejoiced when the next two babies were born. I enjoy your blog and your beautiful family.
I was so disappointed in the GoT finale. That was not the ending I expected. Such a letdown. Jon Snow had such a terrible life.
Anyway, like you, I prefer putting cutting boards in the dishwasher after cutting meat on them. I have one nice wooden cutting board I purchased on Etsy, but I use cheap plastic ones for meat and just replace them every so often. Etsy has a great selection of nice cutting boards!
I have two Emile Henry pie plates and the square and rectangular bakers. They are gorgeous and have held up well to lots of use over the years. The only downside is that things take much longer to bake in them than any of my other bake ware. I routinely have to add 10-15 minutes to the amount of time listed in a recipe which is fine as long as you’re aware of that from the outset.
I don’t have any Emile Henry pieces, but I’ve given some pie plates as gifts. The recipients love them! It’s made me consider getting one for myself, even though I rarely bake pies.
Game of Thrones was such a disappointment. I thought this whole season was underwhelming after so much anticipation. So may plot points just seemed pointless.