Feel Good Friday 114

I am thinking of renaming this blog Feel Good Friday because that’s all I write here these days. With three kids and a fledgling writing career, it’s the best I can do here right now and I am OK with that. I quite enjoy writing these posts and sharing good things with you. The world could use more of what makes us smile, laugh or just plain get by.

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A Southern Tale

A friend and I recently swapped books. She loaned me Joshilyn Jackson’s The Almost Sisters. This book started a little slowly for me and I have to say that all of the strange character names wore on me – Wattie, Birchie, Digby, Selcouth – but I ended up really loving it. It’s a very Southern story that deals with racism, both in the early 1900s and modern day. There’s also a little bit of a mystery surrounding a dead body, which you know by now that I love. While it may not sound like it, this book really was a feel-good story about the families we create and the ones we’re born into.

Let’s Get Baked

I’ve got a few recipes to share and all involved baking or roasting in the oven!

We’re huge fans of sheet pan meals here because they’re so simple and, generally, the flavor is fabulous because everything cooks together and takes on the qualities of the herbs and seasonings. This sheet pan salmon has a mediterranean vibe to it and is roasted with olives, fennel, tomatoes and green beans, plus loads of herbs, as you can see. We loved this dish and it paired well with a little sprinkle of feta. Everything is betta with feta.

Sunday night was taco night here. Don’t tell Tuesday. My family loves chicken tacos the most, so I made chicken for them, but I don’t eat meat. Instead I used this recipe for roasted veggie tacos featuring sweet potatoes, cauliflower and black beans. It involved a mashed avocado/lime dressing as well as a spicy chipotle cashew crema which was so good that Chris used it on his tacos as well. As you can see, I opted to make mine into a salad bowl and it was delicious! Since the sauce had a kick, I added a scoop of greek yogurt to cool it off. BTW, I convinced Emmy to try the cauliflower and was so excited – until she gagged, ran for the sink and spit it out. At least she tried.

This recipe has appeared on this blog before, but damn, it’s so good. Deep dish cookie pie. And it’s actually quite healthy due to secret ingredients. Need I say more?

Rom-Com with Mom

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I still hadn’t seen Crazy Rich Asians and really wanted to. Emmy piped up that she’d been wanting to watch as well. We planned a mom and daughter movie night, snuggled in and watched it this week. It totally lived beyond the hype for me. It was funny and adorably heartwarming and absolutely the kind of movie I’d watch over and over. If you haven’t seen it, please do. You’ll walk away smiling. Here’s the trailer:

Speaking of Ken Jeong

Ken Jeong was one of the cast members of Crazy Rich Asians and hosts the new show I Can See Your Voice. If you didn’t know, Ken is from Greensboro (and went to our rival high school). Well, this week, my friend Loon, like actual in real life friend whose podcast and YouTube channel I’ve been a guest on, was the contestant on the show. It was such a fun watch and I just love everything that Loon is doing. He deserves all of the success coming to him. Check out the show here.

We puzzled til our puzzlers were sore

This past weekend was our first in a long time with nothing on the calendar – no soccer games, no work events, nothing. It was glorious! As I mentioned last week, I gave Chris some new puzzles for Valentine’s Day. Sunday when Wilder went down for his nap, I pulled this one out to build. Chris and I spent the afternoon puzzling. After dinner, with Emmy’s help, we finished it. Compared to other Charles Wysocki puzzles, this one was exceptionally challenging. I had thought the details would make it easier, but for some reason on this one they made it harder! We all felt accomplished when we snapped that last piece into place.

Support Shoes

Yes, I said support shoes. I have reached the age where my feet are starting to hurt and I think I’ve got achilles tendinitis. I had to stop running a couple of weeks ago, but it’s still aggravated. It doesn’t bother me much unless I stretch it in a downward dog. I ordered these Oofos slip-on sneakers and they arrived this week. They are comfortable and I can feel the difference in the support they give, especially in the back of my foot. (Linking the black on black pair because that’s what I wanted, but couldn’t find in my size anywhere!) Anyhow, if you’ve got feet issues like me, check them out! Going to try their slides this summer.

Go far  in life, but not too far

This past week, the kids were out of school Monday and Tuesday. Since Tuesday wasn’t a holiday, I scheduled a tour for Sawyer at one of our local universities, UNCG, which is literally 2 miles from home. It’s got a gorgeous campus and we love our city. And to be honest, I’d be thrilled to have him so close to home. He wants to study history and they also offer a high school teaching licensure with that major which could be great for him. Plus, I have a few coworkers and friends who are alumni and all speak very highly of their time there.

The statue above is Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom. As you can see, there are apples at her skirt plus around the pedestal base. It’s said that on the day of an exam if a student takes a bite from an apple and leaves it for Minerva, she will bless them with a good grade. During finals weeks, the local squirrels can all be found here.

That’s it for this week. Short and sweet. Last night Chris and I tried a new vegan restaurant and took in a show, but I’m writing and scheduling this before I have actually gone. I will be sure to share about our experience next week. Until then, have a feel good weekend.