Category: Holiday

Easter Weekend Things

LaurenLeave a comment

Or, if you ate like a queen this weekend, you call this FEASTER WEEKEND!

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We had my sister over on Friday for pizza and then, because it felt like a special occasion, I also made a “hand salad.”  It was actually pretty good but mostly it was just funny to call it hand salad!  We did our cast-iron method for the pizza and, as always, it was SO DAMN DELICIOUS.

P.S. Joey made us go full out grocery shopping before my sister came over!

P.P.S. My sister and I each had a glass of rosé with dinner and woke up with headaches.  We’re so fun!

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Saturday morning pancakes, followed by a run and reading on the front porch.  I’ve been trying to get Joey to read the Harry Potter books for like 10 years but as soon as Binge Mode announces a HP podcast series, he’s on it.  Going to try not to be offended by that and just be glad that he’ll understand my references to Dobby or the Whomping Willow now.  I just started Pachinko and am really liking it so far!

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After we cooled down from our run and realized it wasn’t all that warm outside, we cleaned up and got lunch sandwiches at Weathervane Café.  I almost decided to be financially responsible and just eat leftovers we had in the fridge but Joey pointed out that I’d been saying I wanted to try Weathervane for lunch and leaving the house did sound way more fun.  That sriracha aoili, pickled onion and smoked ham combo on soft ciabatta did not disappoint!

Back at home, we sort of chilled out for a few hours and I baked a cake for Easter dessert but then we had evening plans.

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Celebrated Joey’s birthday with dinner at Hedge Row and while we’re sort of out on Cherry Creek and this place was nowhere near full so who knows if it will make it, we had a good time and really enjoyed the food.  Mainly, shrimp hushpuppies and sticky toffee pudding!  I wish the lag time between apps and entrées had been shorter and my grits could have gone from good to great with just a bit more seasoning but nothing was a true disappointment and we ended on a good note with that dessert ♥

Went home and started Star Wars: The Last Jedi but we’re old so we only made it through half and uhhh, it’s not the best so far.  Does it get better??

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Easter Sunday started at Stowaway with Adam and Lori.  How had we never taken them to my very favorite place before?!  And then we had a super relaxing day of leisurely making lunch salads, reading, watching Harry Potter (because Joey needs to watch the movies as he finishes the books, obviously) and doing a little bit of yoga before heading over to my parents’ for dinner.  You guys, not only did my mom fill an Easter basket with Heart Coffee, chocolate, all kinds of amazing smelling soaps and the best potato chips but she also knocked it so far out of the park on dinner!  I claimed it one of her best holiday meals EVER.

And not to brag, but I also sort of nailed dessert.  I saw this Orange-Almond Cake in the latest Cooking Light and it was gluten and dairy-free so I thought it’d be perfect for Easter but I also had low expectations because it was gluten and dairy-free AND because it was in Cooking Light.  But then it was INCREDIBLE!  So moist and perfectly sweet!  I was very very impressed.  Also made Cashew Ice Cream for the second year in a row and OHMYGOD it’s so rich and delicious.

I hope your weekend was equally wonderful 🙂

Weekend Things: St. Patrick’s Day & Other Fun

Lauren1 Comment

I need to begin by telling you I caught a cold last week, so when Friday rolled around we decided to stay in, heat up leftover Shepherd’s Pie for dinner and watch a movie.  I’m not actually sure those two things are related but it sounded like a good excuse for our boringness.  Fridays are weird because we are home by 5:30 and if we don’t have plans, I’m like “what are we supposed to do till it’s acceptable couch and pajama time??”  Feels extra weird now that the sun is out later and being hunkered down for the night while it’s still fully bright outside seems WRONG.

Help, what do you do after work on a Friday?! 😛

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Right when we got home, we went outside and peeped the very beginning of tulip season in our very own backyard!  I don’t know why, but I was skeptical that they’d actually bloom so I was very excited to be wrong.  Anyway, dinner was delicious and Coco was so so good!  Not only is the animation straight breathtaking (ALL THOSE COLORS!) but the story and the display of Mexican culture is so lovely.  We really loved it and I think I sang “Remember Me” for the rest of the weekend.

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I had a semi-early Saturday facial to get to so I ate breakfast, picked up an iced coffee and headed into Louisville.  Felt so good to reset even if traffic heading back into Denver is always THE WORST.  Why??

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Back at home, I found Joey in the backyard reading and we made a spontaneous decision to go grab lunch before forcing ourselves to go to the grocery.  We got caught in St. Patrick’s Day Parade traffic (ugh!) but eventually made it to Call, where we had perfect patio weather and really good (albeit sort of pricey) food.  Ginger-turmeric tonic and mushroom tartine for me, chopped salad to share and a chicken salad sandwich and beer for Joey.  I think we were both in our happy place.

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We were having dinner at my parents’ later on and decided to do like we did last year and stop at Four Noses beforehand.  I got a hybrid IPA and I have no idea what that means, I just know it was damn good!  Mom killed it as usual with the corned beef and cabbage and then she served us Green Velvet cupcakes and I was full like whoa but it was so worth it.

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Sunday started with Joey making me lemon poppyseed pancakes and he somehow timed it perfect with coffee, so everything was ready at the same time.  So I guess what I’m saying is, I give up my weekend pancake-making duties forever.  Oh and we totally went on an outdoor run both Saturday AND Sunday!  I used to work out on back to back (to back to back) days all the time, but I sort of stopped at some point and it’s been just fine.  This is all to say both ways can be okay depending on what feels right for you right now  🙂

The rest of the day was spent making lunch salads, baking a quiche (why don’t I do this more often?!) and finishing Lily and the Octopus.  I was full on crying at the end while Joey was sitting next to me eating chips and salsa, completely unaware of the emotional moment I was having, ha!  We ended Sunday with pizza, family birthdays and SNOW!  What??  How??  Must be spring in Colorado!

How was your weekend?