Hey hey hey, happy Friday! Are you ready for this long Labor Day weekend? I am! I’ve been taking care of some doctor’s appointments and errands this week and I’m looking forward to a weekend of fun and relaxation and some celebration and busyness. So let’s kick off this lovely weekend on a good note by looking back at some of our favorite things from the week. Ready? Okay!
- Grape stomping in Napa
{Pictures from my mom}
Okay. Last vacation talk. Promise. (I think.) But I got to stomp grapes in Napa! It feels so cool! And honestly, the guy wasn’t supposed to let me do it. See, when you stomp grapes, you get a T-shirt from the vineyard to put your grape-y feet on. Since the shirt bears the name of the vineyard, if they let people under 21 do it, it’s like an underage person promoting alcohol consumption. Whatever. It was nice of him to let me do it, because it’s pretty much the only thing other than walk around and take pictures that I could do there. If you ever get the chance, stomp some grapes!
- The Girl on the Train
{Source}
I listened to this over the last week or so through Audible, and I highly recommend it. I was completely engrossed. The characters are complex and the story is compelling.
- Oatmeal raisin cookies
I baked a few different things yesterday, including the oatmeal raisin cookies from Sally’s cookbook. I know raisins are controversial and all, but I actually really like them. These are the best oatmeal raisin cookies I’ve had! They’re richly spiced and perfectly chewy. If you like raisins, make them! And if you don’t like raisins… maybe make them with plain or with some other mix-ins? I don’t know, but they’re pretty wonderful.
- Spaghetti squash
A few years ago, I went on a low-FODMAP diet for about a month. We can talk about that experience later (it wasn’t a good one). But it did introduce me to spaghetti squash – and I absolutely love it. I roasted a spaghetti squash for the first time in about a year a couple nights ago, and used it with this (very not low-FODMAP) recipe last night for dinner. Yum.
- My mom got a new job!
My mom stayed at home with me while I was growing up, but kept up a lot of volunteer work within the school district and she picked up a job substituting occasionally in the district when I was in high school. When I went off to college, she picked up more and more sub jobs and grew more interested in getting a more regular job. She just got a part-time job in a nearby school district starting Tuesday! It’ll let her work mostly morning hours, still keep up with the volunteering she loves, and hang out with me while I’m home. 😉 I’m endlessly proud of and happy for her. And all that’s where the celebrating I mentioned earlier comes in. We’re headed out to a nice dinner tonight, and she and I will work on figuring out how to decorate her office this weekend!
Raisins: yay or nay?
Have you tried spaghetti squash? What’s your favorite way to prep it?
What are you loving this week?
I am loving you! Thanks, angel! ❤️?
❤️
Your moms comment made me smile so big 🙂 Congrats to her! As for raisins, nay nay nay haha
We’re pretty close 🙂 Haha that seems to be a pretty popular opinion!
Grape stomping! That could be a good stress-reliever too! Haha! And congrats to your momma!
AND I’m lazy, so I just microwave my squash and scoop out the insides…no roasting in the oven 😛
I would totally do it more often if it wasn’t such a tragic waste of grapes… or so messy 😉 I’ve never tried microwaving it before! That sounds so simple and very college-appropriate. I should do it!
I absolutely loved The Girl on the Train! I haven’t found another book quite as captivating since. I couldn’t put it down! 😀
I can totally see that. It was pretty complex and engrossing. Right now I’m (finally) finishing Big Little Lies. Not as complicated, but very enjoyable!
Yay on the raisins & oatmeal raisin cookies. Now I am craving them 🙂
Sounds like a good weekend baking project 😉
I’m on Team Raisin. Dried cherries are better, yes, but nothing beats cinnamon/raisin, oatmeal/raisin, apple/raisin, all of them together… 🙂 In fact, this week, I’ve kind of been craving raisins more than ever. It’s hard for me to believe they’re controversial!!
I love spaghetti squash!! My cousin first introduced it to me and then I tried several dishes with it and fell in love, love, love! My spaghetti squash pursuits were not even dampened by a huge-disastrous-attempt-at-creativity that resulted in throwing away half a casserole dish of spaghetti squash casserole. *shudders* Anyway, last year, the season ran out before my spaghetti squash craze did, and I am so looking forward to using them again. Last year’s fave was turkey bolognese mixed with the spaghetti squash, stuffed back in the shells (I cut them in half to make little bowls), topped with mozzarella and (carefully) broiled. So yummy, warm and comforting, and kind of fun to have your own spaghetti squash bowl.
Loving this week…
1) Mirror-self-talks. I’ve been trying to work on telling myself the truth about myself, and I’ve been finding that, weird though it is, it’s actually easier to tell me these things in the mirror. It’s like talking to a third person and doesn’t feel as vain or untrue to my doubting self. And I think it really does help.
2) Amanda’s Brownie Batter Breakfast Bake. I know I keep talking about how AMAZING Amanda’s recipes are, but this one deserves special mention. I first had it last week, and, unlike most things I make, changed it very little (I *did* swap out the coconut oil for cashew butter, though…). It was like spoonfuls of heaven and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since…whenever I’m not eating it, lol! 😉
3) My new haircut!! My favorite stylist-also-friend was out of the country last time I needed a haircut, and I had to go to a salon ( :O !!!!). While the girl cut my hair surprisingly well for a salon cut, it wasn’t right. Now my friend’s back in the US and she cut my hair beautifully yesterday!!! I’m practically dancing with delight!! So light, breezy and perfect!
4) “Better Than Before”, by Gretchen Rubin. I read her two previous happiness books in book form and loved them, but I have a lot of trouble trying to fit in time to read real books. This one came on audio, so I jumped at the opportunity. It took me awhile to start it, but I’m so glad I did, because I’m loving it as well! (Weird, I wrote this before I read that one of your favorites this week was an audiobook…)
5) The sense of accomplishment when I parallel park perfectly. My dad assures me that it’s vastly different parking for the test vs. parallel parking in real life (the latter being way easier), which is good, because I rarely get the car parked within ALL the test specifications. But when I do, I feel so proud of myself. 😉
Have an awesome weekend, Ellen! <3
I really like dried cherries, too! I’m coming around to dried fruit. I used to think it was too sweet, but as long as I get the unsweetened kind, I’ve actually been really enjoying it occasionally!
I definitely want to try the “stuffed” spaghetti squash where you treat the actual squash as a bowl! I always think that looks so fun.
1.) Ahhh that’s so nice. I’m glad it helps you feel better!!
2.) I want to try everything she posts. I don’t have a blender, so the smoothies are out, but everything else!
3.) New haircuts are the best – assuming they turn out how you intended, that is 😉 Nothing boosts confidence quite like a fresh haircut.
4.) I really like audiobooks. Often, sitting still for a long period of time makes me achy and restless, but I LOVE reading, so I like that I can do things while listening to audiobooks. I’ve heard really good things about her books – I might have to check those out. They seem nice and positive for heading into a new school year and such.
5.) Can I just say that I’ve only every had to parallel park once? My friends got out of the car to help me and it was imperfect but live-with-able. Our driving test has something really different than parallel parking for maneuverability, so I never really had to learn properly. Oh, well. I can drive and park and stuff, so that’s all that matters 🙂
Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend!
I seriously love spaghetti squash it is so good and healthy. Congrats on your mom getting a job and I love that you are so proud of her. Have a great weekend!!!
I’m so glad I discovered spaghetti squash! Easily one of my favorite veggies – and it’s kinda fun to eat!
Oops my crazy computer sent the message before I was done lol