Weekend Things

This morning, I woke up BEFORE my alarm and it WASN’T pitch dark (the best part about daylight saving time ending!).  And as I got ready, I thought back over the weekend.  I remembered how I ordered chicken liver mousse on Friday and quickly realized I am NOT a chicken liver mousse person.  How we tried a new-to-us restaurant on Saturday and were sorely disappointed in the experience.  How the movie we saw was just okay and how I chipped my brand new manicure by washing the dishes on Sunday.

And while that might sound like a series of disappointments, I thought our weekend was PERFECT.  Because the things that first come to mind aren’t soggy pizza or how I forgot to pick up my contacts AGAIN.  Instead, I’m thinking about being blown away by Amos Lee’s voice, and waking up to Joey making me pancakes on Saturday and the most perfect running weather, and getting to order a beer and settle into our seats at the Mayan early enough to laugh at every one tripping on the exact same stair (WHY??).  Plus Sunday breakfast sandwiches and the reason I had to wash so many dishes?  Because I got to spend the entire day in my kitchen ♥

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We saw Amos Lee at The Buell on Friday night and WHOA, his voice.  I was watching it come out of his mouth and I still couldn’t believe it!  And not only can he sing, but he interacts with the crowd so naturally.  He encoured THREE times!  P.S. I was very into the 4- sister band that opened for him.  They’re called SHEL and they really rocked it.  Oh and I teased this picture of our dinner at The Nickel before the concert, and even though it looks like something that was burnt to a crisp, it was actually a charcoal-encrusted poblano, stuffed with mashed sweet potato and it was maybe one of the best things I’ve eaten this year.

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Saturday was so plan-less and perfect.  I went on a nice long run before walking myself to Base Coat for a mani/pedi.  I went the dark red route, even though Joey tried to tell me it wasn’t close enough to the holidays for red manicures.  What does he know 😛  My thoughts on Moonlight are complicated.  On the one hand, it was so powerful and heartbreaking, on the other, it was slow and lacking resolve.  But still, I’m my happiest self once I step into the Mayan.

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Sunday breakfast at Port Side, where breakfast sandwiches were enjoyed and Pumpkin Spice Lattes were sipped.  Afterwards, Joey headed out and I headed to the store before doing that new Sunday routine of prepping lunches and such for the week.  Also, I spent a good couple of hours making the chicken/broth for this Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup that we finished and ate for dinner.  Bon Appétit recipes can be a little complicated sometimes but if you have the time and patience, they can also teach you new techniques, like tempering eggs.  Result: a soup that was too velvety to be true!

Happy Monday!

Weekend Things

In “hardcore adulting”…

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We bought two tree babies after work on Friday and what the heck, why do they bring my heart so much joy??  Adulthood is just a series of unexpected excitements.  Over things like trees, backyard gardens, a clean sink.  Anyway, these are Cleveland Flowering Pears, so yeah, they flower (in the spring) and yeah, they have teeny tiny little pears growing on them.  Both Joey and the guy helping us at the tree farm ate one and I think they are both so weird.  We got these planted and looking so so cute in front of our house on Saturday and even though I did none of the digging, I did mix all the soil and felt like it was a job well done by both of us!

In delicious things…

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I made us a cast iron pizza on Friday night and seriously, I do not tire of how good it always comes out!  I would like to tell you we ate a responsible two pieces each but no, we ate the entire thing.  And I feel good about it.  Saturday morning, I made my new favorite pancakes and topped them with coconut whip, blueberries, granola and maple syrup.  They were HEAVENLY.

Saturday night, my mom, my sister, Wayne, Lori, Joey and I all went to dinner at The Nickel and the majority of us ordered that melt-in-your-mouth short rib.  I couldn’t get over those baby radishes!  Sunday breakfast was at Snooze this week.  We biked over to sit on the patio at their Union Station location and it was kind of perfect because a slight chill in the air meant no wait for outdoor seating.  I know Snooze has kind of chained themselves out, number of locations-wise, but I still think the food, service and atmosphere feel one of a kind.

In work week prep…

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After breakfast on Sunday, Joey headed to the office (SAD FACE) and I went grocery shopping, then spent the rest of the afternoon food prepping.  Aka, restocking on granola (I used this Pumpkin Maple Pecan recipe and it’s so good!), baking banana muffins and making lunch for the week.  After all was said and done — aka food being packed up and the dishes being washed and put away — I looked at the mason jars full of granola next to my newest batch of ruby red black cherry kombucha and such a pure sense of happiness washed over me.  How nerdy is that??  Do you feel this way when you food prep?

In television/theater entertainment…

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Friday night, we watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show remake and yikes, that thing was BAD.  We had no idea it wasn’t live until it started and were both really disappointed.  Not even Adam Lambert could save that trainwreck.  Saturday night, our group saw Swan Lake and even though I feel like I should love all things dance, I really only started to enjoy it when all the swan maidens showed up and more importantly, we all turned on the subtitles that told us the plot.  Now I really want to re-watch Black Swan.  Raise your hand if you felt disappointed by SNL.  Tom Hanks AND Lady Gaga?  How do you even mess that up?

I should mention that we started watching Transparent last week and I am loving it.  It has been so beautifully heartbreaking thus far.  Also, we rounded out Sunday night with Shameless and though the novelty has certainly worn off, I still consider it one of my favorite shows.  I’m LOVING all the brother bonding this season plus Emmy Rossum just kills it as Fiona.  Plus she directed this week’s episode!

Share one thing you ate, watched or did this weekend! 🙂