Friday Things #477
1. Everyone is officially done with school for the summer!! On Joseph’s last day, I asked him if he was so excited, and he said, “Yeah, kind of, but also a little sad. I really liked second grade.” He said at the end of the day, he and his three best friends had a big group hug and that when the final bell rang, everyone in their class said, “Noooooooo!”. I’m so grateful that he had a wonderful year of growth, learning, and good friendships.
2. Truthfully, I can’t remember ever being even the slightest bit sad for school to be out for summer 😂😂 But as a parent, I find myself so emotional at the end of the school year, just looking back at how much they’ve grown and how quickly yet another year has melted away.
3. Dominic goes in for another round of treatment next week. It’s been a very nice break for him (and all of us!); praying that the week is fairly uneventful, that his nausea is well managed, and he doesn’t spike a ton of high fevers.
He goes into clinic once a week to get his central line dressing changed and for labs, and he has so much fun, racing the child life specialist through the halls, and he especially loves when one of the therapy dogs makes its rounds 😊
4. Isabelle has her first verrrrrrrrrry wiggly tooth! Everyone is very excited to see when it’ll fall out, ha!
She also had a lot of fun making homemade pizzas last weekend :)
5. Let’s talk Aldi! What are your favorite things to buy there? I have run in for specific things over the last few years, but my in-laws and aunt love it, so I’d love to give it a spin for weekly groceries. Give me all of your recommendations and shopping tips.
6. A question for you – when you are reading a recipe post and there is a video tutorial to go along with the recipe, where do you prefer to see that video? Towards the top of the post? At the bottom right above the actual recipe? I assume no one would want it in the middle ;-)
7. I have never been a big coffee drinker; no matter how much I try, hot coffee tastes so bitter to me unless I add a TON of flavor and sugar, which I prefer not to do. BUT! I love iced coffee; I don’t need very much sweetener or cream. It’s a much smoother flavor to me.
I shared a DIY iced coffee recipe a long time ago, but recently I saw Paige sharing this cold brew iced coffee maker, and I am SO intrigued! Has anyone tried something like this? You put the ground coffee in the center and then fill it with water, and it steeps in the refrigerator overnight, then you simply pour it when you want a cup.
8. Have you ever used hot cherry peppers in your cooking? I saw this article about The Secret Ingredient Italian-American Chefs Love to Use and realized I’ve never bought them and can’t remember my grandma or my in-laws ever using them either! Do I need to pick up a jar?
9. I’m working on a list of Father’s Day gift ideas to share this weekend since it’s only two weeks away; is there anything a guy in your life absolutely loves or can’t live without?! Share in the comments!
10. TGIF! Judith’s new favorite activity is crawling underneath the kids’ beds at bedtime ❤️
Video next to recipe, please, Aldi favorites: German mild roast coffee, sauerkraut in a jar, mild Italian sausage, frozen OJ, and seasonal German items especially the egg noodles!
I like the video at the beginning of the post.
I have the exact iced coffee/cold brew maker, best ever, no regrets!! So easy to use!
I have a similar type of cold brew setup, well, it’s big mason jar with the filter in the center. Love it. Don’t grind the coffee too fine. It should be more on the coarse side. You have a lovely family. I pray for Dominic and you all every day. Glad to hear his updates.
Loved the pics of the children, they are growing up fast. I hope Joseph will have a good 3rd grade, prayers daily for Dominic, losing teeth are so much fun, the tooth fairy will come for Isabelle. I love our Aldi’s, they have the best tator tots I’ve ever tasted, they stay together when baked. I hope Dominic has a fast week of treatments for all of you, and maybe you all can do some fun summer things afterwards. I very seldom look at the videos. You have a nice family and dogs. Keep up the good work.
Hi Michelle,
A somewhat unrelated topic. I have been looking at your baking 101 section and I am glad they are all in one place. After many years of looking and procrastinating we finally got a new range. Our oven that we loved did not consistently work (e.g. stopped with an error code), but reading through all of the reviews it was hard to make a choice. Do the range tops really scratch that easily, is the over temperature really that far off, does my belly really touch the control panel changing the temperature, etc. For anyone needing to purchase an oven, I am sure they are seeing the same thing.
So after a long debate we purchased one. Well it looks pretty, but we were noticing that the pre-heat would beep and our thermometer in the oven was showing up to a 50 – 75 degree variance. My wife’s first cake was leaning more than the tower of pizza. She prides herself on her cakes, so this was devastating, as I am sure a number of your readers can probably identify with. She was frustrated enough she was thinking of sending it back, since she had to make a decision in 48 hours. She even called to see what could be done – after waking up frustrated.
The manufacturer actually sent out a repair person to check it out. What they said has helped immensely.
Most manufacturer want to specify on how fast their over heats up. But in reality, when the pre-heat sound beeps, it may actually not be at temperature. It is also subject to significant heat drop, while the oven is heating, when the door is initially opened, when it beeps. The secrete is that an oven needs a little more time to get to a stable temperature. Again, a manufacturer wants to boast on how fast theirs heats up, so that is not going to change. Reading the reviews on so many ovens over the years, it seems to be a common complaint. The repair person recommended just giving the oven 10 more minutes after the beep and it should be fine. Of course they will not publicly publish that is it could be used against them for marketing purposes. This manufacturer had decided it is better to send out someone to your house than to publish it.
Given that tip, she is now again successfully baking cakes. I am successfully putting on pounds as she is testing the oven. Ugh!
So this is just a tip to those looking to get a new oven. Our very old one, a GE Profile, did not have this issue. It seems to be a common occurrence with the newer ovens and how they are manufactured today.
Definitely prefer the video at the end of the recipe, as I’m usually looking for it as I’m starting to cook the recipe.
Such an awesome update – thank you!
RE: Cherry peppers, here’s a recipe that really opened my taste-buds to those little flavor bombs:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/221130/braised-chicken-and-artichoke-hearts-with-lemon-cherry-peppers-and-thyme/
Enjoy and have an amazing weekend!
Aldi for all things dairy, EBTB seasoning, sourdough bread, salad mixes, cheese. The “red bag chicken” has a following. I’ve heard the frozen German pretzels are good. They get localish fruit here sometimes when nobody big box does.
I make cold brew in a French press. And if you like flavored coffees (or don’t think you do), a cold brew helps it out in a big way.
Prayers for all of you, and especially sweet Dominic.
I’ve had that exact cold brew coffee maker for over a year and I love it! It’s super affordable and does the job. Cold brew is so smooth and less acidic and makes great iced coffee. I also add it to my favorite Costco Cafe Latte protein shake over ice for a yummy high protein treat. I highly recommend it!
I was so happy when we got an Aldi where I live (GA). Had shopped there when visiting out-of-state relatives. Love their organic products! They have a “clean” sourdough, round loaf, sourdough Everything-but-the-bagel loaf; good cheeses, crackers, decent prices on organic meats, organic milk, cage-free eggs, organic evoo, organic fresh produce and organic frozen veggies, etc, etc… If you can get used to not seeing all the usual brand names, you’ll be good!!
Love watching the children grow and thrive! Enjoy the summer!!❣️
I’m with you; I don’t EVER remember being sad to see the school year end!
I like the tutorial at the end of the recipe.
I love Aldi’s! Try their fresh gourmet pizza. It’s huge and big enough for your family. We like the one with veggies and meat. Also eggs, brioche hot dog and hamburger rolls and canned goods. Prices are amazing. The pizza is only $7.99!
I have a Kitchenaid cold brew maker – it makes more of a coffee concentrate that you add to water. It works well, but I feel like it uses a lot of coffee grounds.
I make and drink cold brew with the pitcher you linked. I find it less acidic that traditionally brewed hot coffee. I do enjoy mine with some Trader Joe’s chocolate oat milk in it!
I add rough chopped hot cherry peppers and sliced pepperoncini to your Philly Cheesesteak recipe when adding the sautéed onions and bell peppers back to the meat before melting the cheese on top. Takes the recipe to a whole new level! 😋
I actually love the videos and prefer them at the end but am just grateful when one is included.
My son is an iced coffee fanatic, so I bought him the Bodum Bean iced coffee maker from Target and he loves it! It is very easy to use and only costs $15.
I put a dash of salt in my freshly brewed coffee, takes the bitterness out
We’ve had an ice coffee brewer/pitcher like the one you linked for years and love it!
Love your recipes especially the breads. Have tried several and enjoyed every single one of them. I myself use to cook in my brothers cafe and for privately families. Still love cooking and baking for others.
You have a beautiful family, that goes for your four legged children also.
Remembering you all in my prayers and especially Dominic. Keep doing what you are doing l look every day for your posts. I’m 80 years old and still learning and working. God Bless.
I loved when my children were home during the summer. As a teacher, I was home too and we really enjoyed being together. I did cry at the end of the year because I grew to love the kids in my class and they were moving on. You do become really fond of all of them.
I cannot shop at Aldi. All of my friends do, but I like things to be organized and it seems too jumbled for me to look for things. I have had some nuts, candy, and cheese from Aldi at a friend’s house, but when I went to purchased them, I couldn’t find the products. I think I will just stick with the regular grocery stores like Wegmans and ShopRite.
I’ve been making cold brew for years just in a mason jar. I have a coffee “sock” kind of like a giant tea bag. Put in the grounds, fill with water and leave overnight in the fridge. Coffee tastes SO much better this way!
I just bought the cold brew coffee maker from Starbucks. It’s the same style as the one you linked to. It is great! This makes the perfect amount. If you’re not going to use it all right away, I would suggest removing the center that holds the grounds, so it doesn’t get too strong. I make 3 – 4 iced coffees from it. I like it way better than the Toddy system I had before, because it doesn’t make so much & clean up is WAY easier. I highly recommend it!
Iced coffee in west central Florida is a must! I love the Takeya cold brewer from Amazon. I also use silicone ice cube trays and freeze a brew to use in my iced coffee. It doesn’t dilute it.
Look forward to your posts!
I have that cold brew maker and I love it. I have the smaller one and considering the larger. But it’s so easy to make and the flavor is not bitter like regular coffee. I’ve been putting crushed ice and some cold brew with just a little milk or cream in my Magic Bullet and it’s such a great treat. Sometimes I add a little chocolate syrup. Yum!
I prefer the videos at the end. But most important to me is the Jump to Recipe because after I’ve read everything when I go back later to make it I want to be able to get to the recipe easily.
Prayers continuing for your family, esp. Dominic and his treatments.
We use Aldi for fruits and vegetables, cheese, wine, pasture raised eggs, dairy, frozen shrimp, nuts, I’ve been happy with almost everything but it took me a long time to convert to it.
Love Aldi for all things dairy…except the milk…
I brew kefir at home with whole cow’s milk and for whatever reason..the Aldi whole milk doesn’t ferment as well as milk from Walmart or Kroger…which is crazy because they are all pretty much sourced from the same dairy farms around here.
FYI…to reduce the bitterness in coffee….in any brand….add 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the grounds when you brew a pot..(also works with tea to smooth out the taste)..also..try brewing your hot coffee using a French press. I use good Ole Folgers in my French press and…wow…the difference between the taste and flavor from a drip coffee maker is significant.
My husband loves to put hot cherry tomatoes on his cheese steak hoagies.
Enjoy your summer with your littles.
LOVE ALDI stores. Pub style pretzels, organic tortilla chips and salsa, all organic produce, organic milk, cheeses, to name a few. I do go to Giant Eagle for Italian cheeses however. Aldi items have less artificial flavors and colors, ex: pickles.
As a child, I was like Joseph, sad to say goodbye to my teacher every year. My youngest child was the same, she cried at the end of the school year and wanted her teacher to continue to the next grade with her. I hope Dominic has an easy time this summer (continue to keep him and your family in my prayers.) A loose tooth is so exciting. I like Aldi – I get veggies there, some fruit, gluten-free crackers, different cheeses, I’ve bought their butter (when butter prices were sky-rocketing), they have a great candy selection too.
Hello! So nice to see photos of the kids all having fun and nice to hear they enjoyed their school year so much.
We do use a good many things from Aldi’s. I love their clover honey. My husband loves their long baguette. I like their frozen rolls of ground turkey, which I use all the time in place of ground beef. I add a dash of Worcestershire sauce when frying up for a touch of extra meaty flavor.
Now your question about the videos- I would prefer after the recipe myself, as I always like to read a recipe first. However, it’s easy enough to do that either way😊
Hope you all have a wonderful summer, Dominic continues to get good reports, Isabelle is treated well by the tooth fairy when that tooth goes and Joseph continues to have fun and enjoy his summer.
Love to each of you.
Jean Spangenberg
I rarely watch recipe videos so it doesn’t matter to me where they are.
I have a Tupperware cold brew coffee maker and strangely I’ve never used it for iced coffee 😆. I’ve always heated it up. Must try iced this summer.
When I lived in Australia, I liked buying some dairy products at Aldi as well as their dips which were non-dairy. I couldn’t say I had a favourite go-to pricy but I did pick up some interesting and useful items from their weekly offerings.
I hope Dominic has an easy time next week.
I love these pictures! They are growing up so fast!! God your family!!