The Pursuit Of Happiness: Week In Review
Saturday
So excited for another cooking date with Rachel R. This time we made something from my new cookbook, Molly on the Range. #obsessed. As I was reading this book, every recipe was "the first one I wanted to make." I finally decided on trying the guyere mac and cheese with caramelized onions. I was pumped that Rachel was down to make it with me. It was pretty simple to make and so rich in flavor. The texture was perfect and all the ingredients really complimented one another. This wasn't your traditional mac and cheese, but more an upscale, adult-feeling-comfort-food-mac-and-cheese. Brenden actually said this was his favorite mac and cheese ever. For dessert, Rachel and I took on the challenge of making candy apples. And boy was it a challenge. Burns aside, in the end they turned out fairly well, but I think it will be a long, long time before we tackle those again.Sunday
It's that time of year -- my Annual Pumpkin Carving Party time of year time! And per usual, it was fabulous, and the pumpkins turned out superbly. We dressed up, well Lauren and I did, and Anna grabbed my tutu for the photo opps., which looked amazing on her. I was "raining men" before changing into my elephant onsie when it came time for pumpkin carving, and Lauren was The Little Mermaid in her onsie. Did you dress up? What were you? What were your favorite costumes this year? (I gotta say, Donald Trumps hair definitely made it into my top 5 favorite).
For food, Brenden and I made pumpkin chili to fit with the theme, and I put out "trashed up" candy apples, halloween Oreos (my favorite), and all the candy. Laura, Lauren and I tackled the jack-o-lantern making part of the party. And we definitely appreciated Anna and Jenna's company and moral support. Laura carved a cute upside down bat, Lauren stuck with her traditional creepy jack-o-lantern face, and I took on a Dia De Los Muertos scull. I loved them all. There is something so magical about watching the pumpkin come to life with a candle illuminating your work in the dark. Did you carve pumpkins this year. What did you make? Oh and we all enjoyed a little Hocus Pocus to make the evening complete, of course. What is your go-to Halloween movie?
Oh and I early voted -- gotta make sure my vote really counts. It felt good, like I was doing my part.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
More cooking, more movies, more Brenden. That is what I call starting out the weekend right. I loved the shakshuka from earlier this week so much that I had to make it again.
How was your week? What were some of your daily highlights? How did you celebrate Halloween this year? What fall foods are you making? Have you tried any new recipes? Or seen any good movies?
Happy Halloween! I spent the evening cooking with Laura M. and longingly waiting for the trick-or-traters that never did come. Oh how I love this holiday, it is my favorite, after all (besides my birthday because we all know that is definitely a holiday), and it was probably the best one yet in my apartment. Even though we didn't get any actual trick-or-treaters (I had my jack-o-lantern lit up and everything!), I did get to see a few, as they walked out of the apartment complex and straight into their parents car...of to grander places I suppose, with all-you-can-take king sized bars.
But that's okay. This left Laura and me free to cook the night away, talk about everything, and jump with excitement at any, tiny noise we though could be a knock as if we were the children ourselves. What did I make, you ask? Well of course another recipe my not-so-new anymore cookbook that I am one hundred percent obsessed with. It's by Molly Yeh, and I have decided that she is my spirit person. I want to make all the food in her first book, Molly On The Range (and no, I wasn't paid to advertise). For Halloween evening we took on the shaksuka. And omg. It is the "best I ever had" (in a Drake voice). I quickly fell hard for this dish. It was super easy and packed with flavor. I know shakshuka is a tomato based recipe but this is the first time that the eggs didn't taste like they had just had a warm tomato water bath. The sauce was thick and stew-y and the harissa, Chile Aleppo balanced out the tomato, bring the flavor to another level. the cops cos was another stroke of genius, adding that extra bite of texture I didn't know this dish always needed.
After eating util we were totally satisfied, we said our goodbyes and I dove into my final tradition of halloween, watching Hocus Pocus. I relaxed on the couch, and when Brenden got home we ate our share the Halloween candy I had gotten us from the store.
But that's okay. This left Laura and me free to cook the night away, talk about everything, and jump with excitement at any, tiny noise we though could be a knock as if we were the children ourselves. What did I make, you ask? Well of course another recipe my not-so-new anymore cookbook that I am one hundred percent obsessed with. It's by Molly Yeh, and I have decided that she is my spirit person. I want to make all the food in her first book, Molly On The Range (and no, I wasn't paid to advertise). For Halloween evening we took on the shaksuka. And omg. It is the "best I ever had" (in a Drake voice). I quickly fell hard for this dish. It was super easy and packed with flavor. I know shakshuka is a tomato based recipe but this is the first time that the eggs didn't taste like they had just had a warm tomato water bath. The sauce was thick and stew-y and the harissa, Chile Aleppo balanced out the tomato, bring the flavor to another level. the cops cos was another stroke of genius, adding that extra bite of texture I didn't know this dish always needed.
After eating util we were totally satisfied, we said our goodbyes and I dove into my final tradition of halloween, watching Hocus Pocus. I relaxed on the couch, and when Brenden got home we ate our share the Halloween candy I had gotten us from the store.
Tuesday
Brenden got home at the same time I did today! That meant eating dinner together, catching up on life and of course catching up on all our shows. We were your stereotypical U.S. family for a night.
Wednesday
Straight hair, don't care. Except I do because it's always an amazing feat when I accomplish this on my own. And in less then an hour and fifteen minutes. Plus, I get to show it off for at work for the rest of the week. My evening was pretty relaxing. After the hair straightening I got some grocery shopping done and even met Jeff V. at whole foods for some fun conversation while he ate his fave, pizza. It always feels good to complete the to-do list.
Thursday
Our garbage disposal got fixed, which more importantly meant we could cook again, because I could do dishes again. Oh, and Brenden had the day off, which meant I got to do all of this with him. Yay :). We made butternut squash wonton soup, taken from howsweeteats.com. And omg, genius -- I new it would be good, but it was so much better then I had even imagined it. Fall is coming and it was the perfect warm dish to fill us up as we snuggled on the couch to watch redbox. Features of the night were The Purge: Election Year and Nerve. Have you seen either? What did you think? They were both very good, but we liked Nerve better. We thought the plot was a little more complex. Although, there were definitely some purgers who snuck into hand out some dares.
Friday
More cooking, more movies, more Brenden. That is what I call starting out the weekend right. I loved the shakshuka from earlier this week so much that I had to make it again.
How was your week? What were some of your daily highlights? How did you celebrate Halloween this year? What fall foods are you making? Have you tried any new recipes? Or seen any good movies?
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