A weekly round up: eats, workouts, watches, reads, and a few crazy stories. Oops I did not mean to fall behind on blogging, but it happens. Let's catch up!
Eats
We've settled on Saturday night for our big family Easter party. Our divide and conquer menu is:
Mini quiche (by me. The recipe that I've been using for a billion years is no longer on line, so this year I used this one.
French toast casserole by SIL #3
Cheesy potato casserole by SIL #4
Dessert, also by me. Our standard chocolate chip cookies, and I was in the mood to play in the kitchen so I also made jello shots.
As you may remember, I made red, white, and blue jello shots for July 4th, which came out very well. I was expecting the internet to be awash with cute Easter jello shots, but came up dry. The recipes out there were either for different sized cups than I have, and the ones that matched my cup size were...how do I say this nicely...not the best looking (example here).
I decided to use my July 4th recipe with yellow, blue, and what I hoped would be pink. We didn't have enough vodka, so I got a bottle of whipped cream flavored to try. As it turned out, I couldn't tell the difference between the plain vodka and flavored vodka ones - they all tasted like jello.
I couldn't decide if I wanted to do three layer, two layer, or single color so naturally I did some of each.
No issues with the single layer shots.
The double layer shots also came out well.
Workouts/Wellness
Spring is here! I'm almost done with the hiking challenge, and one day it was so nice that Bikey McBikerson came out of the shed to play.
And then she went full Sea Serpent.
What's different now compared to December when my sleep got noticeably awful? NOTHING!!! I have no explanation for why my sleep got so bad or why it's been great for the past few weeks, but I'll take the great sleep streak.
Watching
Back in 2020, Hubs and I went on a spree of watching Gritty 70s NYC movies, and the spree ended with just two titles, Midnight Cowboy and Taxi Driver.
Well, we're back baby! We were having one of those random conversations at dinner which brought back memories of a movie that I saw in high school. But was it really as good as I remembered?
Oh yes, The Taking of Pelham 123 was flawless. It's a very simple story about the hijacking of a subway car, and it was perfect for a date night movie. It was also a great follow up to Seinfeld, since Jerry Stiller is in it.
Reading
The last time we talked, I had just started The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty, inspired by my visit to her home on the Jackson trip. Sadly it was a meh.
Next up: remember I'm Glad My Mother Died? Well, Jeannette McCurdy is back, this time with her first novel, Half His Age. It's about a high school student with a crush on her teacher, who is [see title of book]. McCurdy nailed what it is like to be in high school, that's for sure, and I like what she did with the ending. Other than that, I've been out of high school for a while, so the story was not nearly as interesting to me if it would have been when I was one third of my age. However, I like the author so you can probably count on me for a read of anything that she writes.
After that I floundered for a bit trying to find the next book, so I went back to an old friend for a reread. I first read The Far Country by Nevil Shute when I was in junior high, and if you forced me to pick a favorite book of all time, this might be it. The story deals with a young woman who gets a chance to leave the brutal economy of post WWII England to stay with relatives in Australia, where adventure awaits.
Currently: I heard about How to Survive in the Woods by Kat Rosenfield on the Sarah's bookshelves podcast. It was described as "Sleeping With the Enemy meets Heartwood" and so far it is...eh, OK fine it's not landing and might end up being a DNF. The reason I'm still reading is that it's a short book and something about the story is strongly reminding me of an old suspense movie, and I'm interested enough to see if I'm right about that. If so, do I say what the old movie was since that could be a spoiler? Sometimes it's tough to decide where to draw the line, but no need to think more about that until I find out either way.
What's Next
Another week at home, and then I'll be headed on another road trip! Woo hoo!
Peace out! How was your Easter, if you celebrate? Do you have a water dog? Whatcha reading?
Ooooh going gritty with the movies! Midnight Cowboy is SUCH a grim and depressing movie, but also it's so well done. Same same with Taxi Driver! YOU TALKING TO ME??? HEY I'M WALKING HERE (conflating the movies in my comment).
ReplyDeleteI love that you use Grey Goose for your jello shots. No cheap vods for you!!
I am in the queue for Half His Age, and I've been here for a while, not sure when I'll actually read it but I will let you know how it goes for sure!
Now I know why Pelham isn't better known. It doesn't have a signature line like Cowboy and Taxi Driver. But other than that it's a great movie.
DeleteLol, my choice of top shelf was based on using an old bottle from the Hubs's stash. I used up the remainder of my pre-martial vodka for the July 4th shots and the Grey Goose was his pre-martial bottle. Neither one of us really drinks the hard stuff.
We went to my MIL’s for brunch yesterday. I made a ham on Friday with the fixings, though, because I like having leftovers - especially the ham bone for soup. My MIL made a potato/egg/ham dish and had blueberry muffins and fruit to go with it. Oh and asparagus which is the only vegetable she has ever served in the many years I’ve been with Phil. Which is fine since I like asparagus. It’s just kind of funny.
ReplyDeleteI had a few DNFs lately, like my book club book (Lush). I usually try hard to read the book but this was not going down. I also have up on The Seven Daughters of Dupree which was said to he a read alike to Homegoing which I loved. But I could not follow the narration and gave up pretty quickly. I didn’t have a first hand rec for that, I think it was suggested on Libby and Goodreads. I don’t give a book much time without a first hand rec!
Asparagus as the only veggie is...kind of funny.
DeleteFor the longest time I avoided bookclubs because I was afraid that I wouldn't like the books. Then I joined one and found out that it's totally fine! As long as the books are good more often than not, I'm finding new things to read and having good conversations about books.
I ate dinner at someone's house YEARS ago. The entire dinner was salmon and asparagus. That was it. While I like salmon and asparagus, the complete lack of anything else (bread? salad? something?) made it challenging to eat enough. I think I had 3 servings of asparagus. (Thank goodness I liked it!)
DeleteThat's a limited menu for sure!
DeleteI live in fear of online recipes disappearing. I could print them, and I do, but I also want to be able to find them when I want to, so I copy them onto my blog. How was your quiche? Cheesy potato casserole sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteI love that Doggo is a water girl. She looks so happy!
I remember thinking that Saturday Night Fever was going to be a fun happy movie, and it was a lot more gritty than I expected.
Ugh, Saturday Night Fever. Not cool, 'nuff said.
DeleteIt's true that everything on the internet can disappear at a moment's notice, but it doesn't happen that often. The bigger risk is when I make something that is so epic that I am certain I will always remember what website it was on, and then when I go back I can't find it.
Yeah for posting! I was hoping that you were just busy with life and that nothing bad happened to you!
ReplyDeleteOn the cooking front, isn't it a bummer when they take recipes offline? I used to write all my recipes down on index cards for my recipe box, but stopped because having them on my phone was more convenient. And then several of my favorites also went away. Maybe it's time to return to the print or write and store method?
I don't know if you are a split pea soup fan, but if you are, ham leftovers really make it taste great!
Our Easter was meaningful, but pretty chill-recap on my blog. :)
No dog, and not too much water here. Did your dog get you wet after all the water there?
I am currently reading The Electricity of Every Living Thing. It's a journey of self-discovery while hiking--very enthralling in its own unique way.
I can't wait to read about your next trip! Be safe and have so much fun (and tell us about it if you wish)!
No, nothing bad. It's just that I still haven't figured out how to set time aside to blog. You would think that quitting work would have helped with that, but I've just found other things to do with the time. Writing is hard!
DeleteAmazingly Doggo doesn't get us wet. Her fur seems to magically shed water and she dries very quickly.
I might need to read your hiking book after I finish How to Survive in the Woods as a palate cleanser. Maybe things will turn around with Woods, but as of right now it's become something of a hate read.
Look at the picture of Doggo. She looks so cozy all cuddled up like that.
ReplyDeleteWe have zero Easter traditions and this year I was kinda glad of that because we were in Europe and not around family or friends. That said, it was lovely and today (the Tuesday AFTER Easter), we're going to a giant Easter market at a nearby palace.
Hmm. Reading has been a bit iffy the last week. I have DNF'd at least one book. But I have The Martian and really want to start reading that out loud to the kids and then watch the movie. We'll see if I can make it through it. I should also plan to get some audiobooks to play on our roadtrip!!! (How did I not think of this until I was typing this comment). We have something like 24 hours in a car. Hmmmm. What book would entertain everyone??? Let me think on this...
John and Belle watched Silence of the Lambs this week because she has been watching classic (GRITTY) movies with him (is it appropriate for a 15-year old...PROBABLY NOT). Anyway, she has LOVED: The Usual Suspects, Shutter Island, Silence of the Lambs, Sicario, Inception, and Primal Fear.
Easter Market at the Palace! You may not have any Easter traditions but I think you've had the fanciest Easter ever.
DeleteWhat about The Martian as your family road audiobook?
I don't think Lambs is too out of line for a 15 year old. I'm saying that because guess how old I was when it came out? A bunch of us went to the theater and the group split between that and another movie. I saw the other movie. I've heard that the book for Shutter Island is good, though I haven't read it or seen the movie.
Sea serpent Doggo! Adorable. You and the family sure know how to party, Birchie! Your family gatherings always sound like so much fun. I haven't seen Taxi Driver in years! When my husband and I watch movies together, we tend to go for horror. At least these days. We watched Bugonia A few months ago and that was an exceptional movie. But also really gory.
ReplyDeleteI just finished the book Whidbey last week and I'm dying to talk about it with somebody. but the horrific nature of the subject matter (CSA) makes it very hard to recommend to anybody. It was very well told and I thought quite sensitively handled, gripping and grim in equal measure.
Can't wait to hear about your next road trip! I hope you have a great time, good weather, and stellar lodging.
(This is Suzanne.)
I know you're not a podcast listener, but the author of Whidbey was on Sarah's Bookshelves recently and they also did a spoiler episode. I've decided against reading it or listening to the spoiler episode for right now just because I'm not in the right head space. But if I hear more recommendations I reserve the right to change my mind.
DeleteJello shots would make any family party a hit-- love this. I LOLed when you said there were no Easter Jello shot recipes available.
ReplyDeleteThere are Easter jello shot recipes out there! Just not many that are compatible with the size of cups that I have. But yes, jello shots are very popular at parties and entertaining to make.
DeleteYour triple Jell-O shots look like a German flag! Not a disaster at all, but I’m with you, the two-layer ones just look cleaner. And about those Easter ones in the link - I rather like the loud pink and yellow combo!
ReplyDeleteAlso, well done on getting "Bikey McBikerson" out!
So nice that your sleep has improved. Just yesterday I watched a documentary on Swiss TV about sleep, and they featured this luxury hotel offering a "sleep week" for USD 15,000. Fully booked by the rich and famous. But one of the experts made a solid point: about 80% of your sleep quality comes down to how you spend your day. Stress levels, movement, all the basics. Nothing groundbreaking, but interesting when an expert says it.
Oh wow, you are right about the German flag shots! I never would have seen it and now I cannot unsee it.
DeleteThanks for the money saving tip! That's 15,000 right back in my wallet;-)
Jello shots for Easter! We could have used a few of those. I think my biggest mistake this Easter was NOT having any booze.
ReplyDeleteYour pup looks so cozy with that pillow! Zydrunas the granddog immediately flings all pillows off the couch when he comes over. He finds them annoying.
Sleep! For some reason I keep waking up at about 4-4:30 AM and have a hell of a time falling back asleep. My sleep has been lousy for weeks, and I haven't done anything to cause it. I hope I have the same good luck as you did with regaining my sleep schedule.
Doggo is just small enough that most pillows work as body pillows for her.
DeleteI wish I had the magic wand to close your 4 AM hole. My special hell is the 3 AM hole, and I do not miss it when it is gone.
Our nieces and nephews are getting older, but they still love the Easter egg hunt. One of the 16-year-olds actually asked if we could hide them again! It is nice to see them excited about doing an activity.
ReplyDeleteHannah is NOT a water dog. She hates water so much. It's actually pretty funny because she's friends with a yellow lab who LOVES the water and is regularly jumping into the river and pools and Hannah just watches her and skirts the edge of the pool. It makes me laugh pretty hard.
I'm trying to remember when egg hunts stopped in our family. I think it was a combination of the cousins starting to work and us moving our celebration from Easter morning to Saturday night.
DeleteStepdog was not a water dog either. She hated to get wet. Doggo is just like "bring it on".
Congrats on the sleep! I love The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3! The cast is just so wild and works so well; Walter Matthau and Hector Elizondo are just so great in it. Maysie hasn’t walked near water yet (we are still working on recall and strangers and all of that), but I have a feeling she’d jump in. She has that energy, haha!
ReplyDeleteMatthew and Elizondo are so good that I didn't even notice Jerry Stiller until now!
DeleteIf it helps, we're still working on recall and strangers and Doggo is nearly 3. That's why we always keep the leash on her.
*Matthau not Matthew!
DeleteWhy walk on the trail when you can walk in the creek? I don't blame him. That looks so fun.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of The Taking of Pelham and it sounds like something worth checking out. Speaking of movies that don't hold up . . . I rented Rear Window as a family movie from the library, but I rented the one with Christopher Reeves. Blah. It was awful. Silly me, I assumed it would be the same as the original. So wrong. On so many levels. It was downright cringy.
We do celebrate Easter. Ours was very nice and busy. Got home from Florida on Friday (we drove), then we cleaned up and grocery shopped and whipped up dinner for 25 for Saturday at 4 pm before the Easter Vigil mass. The younger two girls got their sacraments at the Easter Vigil. It was a beautiful, but very long mass. My parents and Coach's parents insisted on attending. Our older 6 kids made it too. Then I hosted Coach's sister's fam for brunch on Sunday - more casual and thrown together at the last minute, but they couldn't make it Sat and our older kids align with theirs. Busy but so fun.
Pelham is just the right amount of grit without being too scary or too violent - don't get me wrong, it's suspenseful and there is some violence, but not too much.
DeleteI've never seen the Christopher Reeves version of Rear Window and I never will, but I have mixed feelings. It's impossible to remake a perfect movie, but I can see how the role suited him and I'm glad that he got to do it.
Dinner for 25! My favorite kind of busy.
Ha... I'm laughing because for a lot of people, Easter isn't a "jello shot" kind of holiday. Maybe that's why you couldn't find a lot of recipes online. But hey, we had wine- nothing wrong with a boozy Easter.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading a series now that you might like- the Lincoln Rhyme books by Jeffrey Deaver. They're police procedurals where the main detective is a quadriplegic. I liked the first one, liked the second one even more, and now I'm waiting on the third from the library.
I have a new podcast that I'm liking- Books Unbound. They just talked about Half His Age. They were kind of meh on it, but now I want to read her first book because they were saying that it's excellent.
Where are you heading off to next??? I can't wait to find out.
I'm Glad My Mom Died was a tough read, but it was very good. McCurdy has a gift for telling you exactly what her books are about from her titles.
DeleteNoted on the Lincoln Rhyme books!
Jello shots 4 Jesus! (sorry, I had to.)
ReplyDeleteDoggo is STARING INTO MY SOUL with that first photo and I'm here to give her anything she wants, whenever she wants. I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
I am not sure how I feel about Half Her Age! I haven't read it because just the synopsis makes me feel icky. What a wild start to her writing career though! A book with the title "I'm Glad My Mom Died" and then a novel about a taboo relationship! She is brave.
YES YOU HAD TO!!! I love it!!!
DeleteI feel icky after reading Half His Age, so you're not wrong. I really like McCurdy's writing, though.
The Jello shots look like fun! Our dog enjoys water too. We have a little creek that runs by our house, and he's always in there getting a drink or cooling off. At the moment, there's a muskrat that's driving the dog bonkers, and he just stands there barking at the creek.
ReplyDeleteDoggo would be in heaven if we had a creek running through our backyard! Or if we didn't live in a city so that she could roam where ever.
DeleteThat sounds like a fun Easter! It has never been a holiday that we have a lot of traditional things in my family. Sometimes we get together with one side of the family, sometimes we don't. This year I am in a non Christian country and so....no celebrations, so much so that I forgot it was even a holiday on Sunday! But I've done that at home too, except for we used to get Good Friday off so I would usually go do something for the three day weekend.
ReplyDeleteMy book reading is not great at the moment! The best book I've read recently was The Story She Left Behind but I haven't had any vavavoom books lately.
Now that the kids are older, our family celebrations are more of an excuse for us to hang out than they are about the holiday.
DeleteMy standout reads for March were The Book Club for Troublesome Women (Marie Bostwick), The Blue Castle (L.M. Montgomery), and The Correspondent (Virginia Evans). Currently reading This Book Made Me Think of You (Libby Page). I read a lot of biographies as well - are you a fan of the genre?
ReplyDeleteYou had a great reading month! I'm so-so on biographies and I can't remember the last time that I read one. Memoirs are much more of my jam!
DeleteOoops, I stand corrected on my terminology! I also read memoirs, NOT biographies :) A few of my faves from 2026 so far: From Here to the Great Unknown (Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough), Wishful Drinking (Carrie Fisher), You with the Sad Eyes (Christina Applegate), and 100 Rules for Living to 100 (Dick Van Dyke).
ReplyDeleteOoh! These sound like good titles. I'm taking notes!
DeleteOMG Doggo in the water is so cute and funny!
ReplyDeleteI think I am going to be an auto-read with McCurdy too! 👯♀️
Yep, McCurdy is worth the autoread. I think that eventually she's write her way out of her childhood trauma and come out with something really great.
Delete