Winter Wednesdays Vol. 13

Welcome to the last of Winter Wednesdays! How the hell did it take so long to get here. I feel like you can see how cold that water is above.

BAKING

Made the Magnolia banana pudding for the millionth time. Stellar as always. It’s such an incredible (and easy) dessert to any gathering.

COOKING

I also made a sausage and mushroom strata, but with chicken breakfast sausage this time and it still tasted as good as it did with pork sausage.

CRAVING

I need to make this spring panzanella salad with crispy shallots immediately.

DRINKING

Attempting to make lavender vanilla iced lattes this week to usher in the springtime.

EATING

I’ve eaten so much cottage cheese lately (the good Trader Joe’s one) that when I had a bite this morning I audibly went, “Okay, it’s too much” so I think I need to take a break.

EXPERIENCING

On a weekend trip away, we stopped at the Friday the 13th diner again. Our fourth time. We might have a problem.

You can read the full post here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 11

Welcome to March! The greatest month. The real start of the year. Let’s do it.

BAKING/CRAVING

Slow cooker meatballs in a hoisin based sauce. Extremely addictive. I made these for a party awhile back, but they’re so smart to just have as a midday snack. Midday meatball, if you will.

CRAVING

I’ve been searching for something to make with my new jar of salted pistachio cookie nut butter that I bought from How Sweet Eats and I think I’ve settled on these no bake peanut butter oat cups. It’s difficult to think of what to use this for other than just a spoon in this jar…?

EATING

I used to make this chicken and broccoli stir fry years ago, so we did it for dinner last night and it’s still great. Makes me wonder what else I’ve forgotten about.

EXPERIENCING

Annoyance at the Jim Carrey debate (?). I didn’t want to get into this because it’s so dumb, but multiple people seem to think I should care and have brought it to my attention and I think I can loudly say that TikTok really is full of morons. No, that’s not a clone. I feel dumber for even writing out that last sentence. The man has buckets of money and it’s likely bad plastic surgery and/or literal age. Or he’s suffering from something and it’s not our business. I’m the last person to defend a millionaire but this is nonsense. If you strongly believe that he's a clone: please god, put your phone down and go read a book.

HATING

Heated seats in cars. I will never understand why people love these. It makes me feel like I’m having a stroke. Your ass is not supposed to feel an intense heat like that while gliding around the streets. So off-putting, I’ll never understand it.

You can read the entire Winter Wednesdays Vol. 11 here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 10

Never been more excited for a February to end. Normally this amount of snow would wow me for weeks, but I’m really craving the springtime this year.

BAKING/COOKING

I’ve never had a yogurt cake before so why am I intrigued to make this one? Is it because I’m over 40? Do boring ideas like “What does a yogurt cake taste like?” infiltrate your mind after a certain point?

CRAVING

I do not need an Easter themed butter dish, but I wish I did.

You can read the rest of this post over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 9

No one is happier than I am with how fast this month is moving. Yesterday felt like the beginning of spring and I can’t describe what it did to my mood. I want tulips everywhere and I want them now.

BAKING/COOKING

I found a great way to cook mushrooms that really did make them taste restaurant-quality.

CRAVING

The new spring felt friends from Target just came out and surprise, surprise: they’re perfect. The chokehold that these guys (below) have on me should be studied.

DRINKING

Gotta make this dark and stormy slushie.

EATING

The hunter chicken at Jack Astor’s remains incredible.

You can read the rest of Winter Wednesdays over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 8

I don’t know when these small stuffed guys became popular, but some of them are fantastic. Is my brain becoming mush?

BAKING/COOKING

I have been in such an anti-cooking mood lately, it’s really out of character. The most effort I could put forth this week? I made a shrimp cocktail. Pathetic.

CRAVING

The taco salad at Vamos Por Tacos is unbelievably good.

DRINKING

In love with President’s Choice maple ground coffee.

EATING

I tried the air fried kettle chips and they were terrible. An air fryer only makes good things when you’re air frying it yourself at home. Companies: please learn this.

You can read the rest of Winter Wednesdays Vol. 8 over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 7

February is here! And I really mean that exclamation mark. I love that this is the shortest month. I love that I’m one month closer to being home. I love that there’s a Friday the 13th this month. I love that it refuses to stop snowing. Lots to love this month. Let’s go, baby.

BAKING/COOKING

Still obsessed with making these parmesan roasted carrots.

CRAVING

The frozen yogurt at Mandarin. I’d pay the buffet price for that yogurt alone.

DRINKING

My French press is working perfectly fine, but look at this beautiful thing. I had no idea that Le Creuset even made a stoneware French press.

EATING

The ribs at Molkagtez on Lakeshore were fantastic. Really can’t wait to go back here, everything was terrific.

EXPERIENCING

I love a great teaser trailer and this one is perfect.

You can read the rest of Winter Wednesdays Vol. 7 over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 6

The night of the snowstorm I slept for almost 12 hours and it felt like waking up from a coma the next morning. It was amazing. We should have way more shut-it-all-down days in the winter. So many things are horrid right now. We need more breaks.

BAKING/COOKING

Still can’t stop making air fried chicken wings. And I made a mushroom lasagna that hit every right spot.

You can read the rest of this post over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 5

There was such a huge snowstorm here this past week and it’s pretty great that even now, days later, there’s still a crisp blanket of white snow covering everything. Nothing makes a January more depressing than seeing cold, muddied grass.

BAKING/COOKING

I made an open-faced BLT on gluten free toast at home and think I realized that there actually is such a thing as using too much raw garlic in a recipe. Hate learning things the hard way.

CRAVING

Really want to go to a Raptors game. Gotta get on this.

DRINKING

I haven’t had a really good glass of wine in months, so I think I’m gonna take a break for awhile.

EATING

I laughed at these chips (below) and then found myself bewildered by their taste. The end must be near.

You can read the rest of Winter Wednesdays over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 4

I saw a coyote up close and personal yesterday and I can’t get him out of my head. I know he’s dangerous and all, but he looks like just a dog to me. A dog who could easily be a friend. My friend. Google searches for the past day:

But let me be clear, I’m not going to become friends with him. I repeat, I’m going to really try and not become friends with this misunderstood angel. Anyway, here’s what else happened this past week.

BAKING/COOKING

I made a batch of the Eleven Madison Park Granola (that they give you at the end of a meal as a take-home gift) and it turned out wonderfully. I did ignore the main instructions and followed the ones given from someone who used to work there (noted in the comment section), and I’m so glad I did. Would absolutely make again.

This week’s Winter Wednesdays can be read over here.

Winter Wednesdays Vol. 1

Merry Christmas Eve!

The full post can be read over here!