justem: little bits of this and that

Five for Friday

The last time I did a "Five for Friday" post was in January of 2015. Think of how many fun Fridays I missed sharing with you all (and by "all" I mean "all three of you who still follow this blog!")  Five for Friday was always one of my favorite ways to share a bunch of fun, things quickly and rather easily, so maybe it will be one that I can commit to trying this year? I'm a bit out of practice...here goes nothing:

1. I know Christmas is over, but I just had to share my new holiday jam - Sharon Jones was one of the many amazing entertainers who passed away during 2016. This song has been on replay at my house for the past couple of weeks...it's pretty much perfect. :)

2. My husband and I had a little holiday party for some of our local couple friends last week. I love entertaining, but I never do it! On a whim, we decided to have an adults-only gathering, and it was a huge success. We were lucky enough to have a wine distributor as a guest, and he brought a bunch of really amazing bottles of wine...or so my wine-drinking friends tell me. I am more of an egg nog + extras girl, myself! I made a bunch of food to serve, including this Crostini with Thyme-Roasted Tomatoes (decent) and this Walnut-Pepper Spread (kinda weird), but my favorite was the charcuterie board I made including lots of Wisconsin cheeses, some meat, fruit, and nuts. It was so pretty and delicious that I made another one for Christmas Eve with my family. I know I'm late to the party when it comes to food trends, but this might just be my new go-to thing make when I have to bring an appetizer someplace.

3. Did you make it to any great after-Christmas sales? I just may have gone to Target...twice. ;) 70% off?! Can't beat that! The first trip I saved $134 and the second time I saved over $30. I stocked up on tissue paper, wrapping, labels, teacher gifts for next year, and of course, a few things I didn't really need but couldn't resist. My favorite finds were a pair of green tree lanterns and a cute Christmas Tree throw that ended up costing me about 7 dollars (in-store deals appear to be much better than online deals!). Next year when I want to buy everything at Target for full price before the holidays, remind me of this post!

4. Do you have a New Year's Eve tradition?  For as long as I can remember, my husband and I have stayed up late and cooked for each other. I don't eat meat, and he doesn't eat dairy, which means many of our favorite meals cannot be shared between us. I love this tradition, though I still haven't decided what he is going to make for me yet!  It's probably between my old favorite standby (leek and lemon risotto) and homemade vegetable potpie. I'm clearly a comfort foods kind of girl! We also usually have a special desert with the kids and do something fun like play games and put on funny mustaches. It's not very exciting, but it's something I look forward to every year! I'd love to hear about your traditions! 

5. Are you in need of something to do on New Year's Day?  Never fear PBS (maybe just in WI?) is running an Anne of Green Gables Marathon! It's settled...I will be in front of the television all day watching Anne with an E. (Okay, in reality, I will tape it all and hopefully watch it at some point in the next couple of months...but oh, how lovely it would be to have an entire day to watch a childhood favorite!) I wonder if Gilbert Blythe will be a dreamy to me as he was when I was 12. ;)

 

Five for Friday:

1. My daughter and I have tickets to see James and the Giant Peach this weekend, put on by the Children's Theater of Madison.  We started reading the book, and it's been so fun for me to revisit it.  I'm looking forward to rereading some of my childhood favorites with my kids when they get a little older!

2. Can we talk about black pants for a minute?  I have been going to our local YMCA and have checked out some classes.  I really haven't been to a gym in like five years. And now...EVERYONE wears those damn black pants. Everyone.  Big. Small. Old. Young. Everyone. And let's be real...my body is so not black pants friendly. UGH.  To any of my more comfortable in their black pants friends - can you suggest any good ones for me to buy?? I would love ones that are like capri length...and maybe that are a tiny bit flared vs. totally suctioned to my body. And go!

3. My mom emailed me a link to this video yesterday. I LOVE it.  The music. The video. It's perfect. :)

4. Last year when I had a newborn, a good friend of mine made me some pumpkin pie cupcakes (along with like five other awesome goodies) to enjoy.  I've been wanting to make them ever since, but now that's it's finally fall, it felt appropriate! ;) We made them last weekend and they were soooo amazing.  They aren't cupcakes exactly...more like tiny little pumpkin pies.  They are also crazy easy to make. You should try them!

5. Have you seen the sneaks of the Gossamer Blue December Memories kit?  I have never done a "December Daily" but this makes me want to... ;)  Be sure to check out their Instagram account for all the goodness! Here's my favorite sneak so far:

Have a great weeeknd!!

Summer Pops #3: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pops

If you only make ONE popsicle recipe this summer - make this one. ;)  This is our second time making these popsicles, and they remain at the very top of my favorites list! The recipe is super simple, and the results are deeeeeelicious. I think it's a combination of the vanilla and the salt that make this pop so yummy! I could seriously eat them every day. For this popsicle we used our Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds, because, well...there was more surface area for the chocolate chips at the top. ;)  If you have been on the fence about making your own popsicles, definitely try this recipe! You won't be disappointed!!

Summer Pops #2: Red Tropic Pops

We are seriously behind on our popsicle making this summer!!  Our second pop recipe had mixed reviews - the kids liked them - I thought they were disgusting. ;)  We cheated and used some store-bought juice as our base - "Pina Colada" - I think it was meant to add rum to...it had coconut water in it and just tasted too sweet and coconutty (so not a word) for me!!  We put our strawberries in the food processor until they were pureed and mixed them with the juice - after a quick trip through the strainer to get out the big chucks, we poured the mix into the molds and impatiently waited for them to freeze.  

I will admit that the coconut flavor tasted much better in popsicle form, but they still were not my favorite.  The kids thought they were "soooo good," but let's be honest, they pretty much think anything red and sweet is a winner! ;)  

This week are making an old favorite!  I'll share soon. :)  Have a great day!

Five for Friday...er...Sunday?

Happy Sunday! I typed this up on Friday, but apparently never hit "post"! ;)  We were gone for the weekend, and I figured I'd just post it a little late! Hope everyone had a good day!!

1. A friend posted this on Facebook today: Steven Spielberg kills dinosaur?. It pretty much made my week.  I really don't mean to make fun of people, but...SERIOUSLY??!!

2. If you live in the Madison are and are near the Henry Vilas Zoo, be sure to check out the Zuzu Cafe.  I've been there twice now, and both times the food was exceptional.  i love how all of their meals are named after streets in Madison - yesterday I had "The Spooner" which had fresh pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella (aka: my three favorite ingredients) and it was soooo tasty! And here's a picture of "The Henry" that I ate the last time I was there:

3. Some of you may know that I'm a wee bit obsessed with The Land of Nod.  I loved being within driving distance of two when we lived in IL.  Their fall collection was just released, and there are so many amazing things.  Let me just put it out there - Land of Nod, if you'd like to come redo my entire house for me...I'd be okay with that. Don't say I didn't offer.  And when you come...bring this lamp, please. ;)

4. I need a new song.  Who's got a new song for me to listen to???  I don't listen to the radio, and it's been awhile since I had a new song...you know what I like, right? ;)

5. The other night, after an insanely long and crabby day, I really needed a sweet fix. We didn't have anything in the house, so I finally got around to trying "eggless cookie dough."  I used this recipe that I found on Pinterest, but I used some regular sugar and upped the salt and the chocolate chips - because, if I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it as good (aka: unhealthy) as possible. ;)  It definitely wasn't as good as the real thing, but it hit the {sweet} spot! ;)

Five for Friday:

1. Right after I posted my question about books to read, I was invited to join a book club!  The June book was Sea Creatures, which was written by local author Susanna Daniel.  I didn't love it...there were some things I liked and some that really bugged me. Have any of you read it??  I am now trucking away at The Goldfinch. Holy long book, Batman!!

 

2. I have some seriously creative friends. My friend Katie Licht is doing this amazing summer project with her kids in which each week they "visit" another country.  It's genius!  I cant wait to see all of the places they go!  Check it out!!

3. Last weekend we went to the Dane County Farmer's Market (my favorite!!!) and picked up some fresh asparagus and some really fantastic bread from Madison Sourdough. I made roasted asparagus with eggs and parmesan and paired the bread with some super tasty cream Havarti. It was really, really good.

4. After all the hype over Orange is the New Black, I started watching it last week...and I'm HOOKED.  I have lost a lot of hours the last week binge watching (14 to be exact yikes!). I just finished the first episode of Season 2 and I can't wait to watch more!!  

5. I can't believe the first week of summer is over already. I still didn't make a summer to-do list - it's been so dreary and stormy this week that we didn't do much of anything!!  Next week I vow to start the fun. ;) Have a great weekend!

Five for Friday:

1. Last Friday my husband and I went on a date...okay, not really, because my brother-in law was along, but close enough. ;)  We had dinner at The Free House Pub in Middleton. If you are local and never been, definitely check it out!  We got to eat on the patio and enjoy the music of No Name String Band.  It made me yearn for more kid-free evenings!!  My food was very good...especially Wisconsin's greatest appetizer... ;)

 

2. Speaking of cheesecurds...we had a case of mistaken lyrics at our house this week.  Have you heard this new Ingrid song "Girls Chase Boys?"  Miri was singing, "Girls Chase Boys' Cheesecurds."  Perfect. 

 

3. We made one of our all time favorite summertime meals this week: Artichoke Pizza (with roasted red peppers, almon ds, and oregano).  We basically follow this recipe, but instead of pitas, we use garlic naan (usually from Whole Foods) and it's soooo delicious - and easy to make!

 

4. Have you joined Pippit yet??  I signed up...mostly because it usually takes me like a year to catch up on the newest hip social media. Pinterest? Instagram? I joined all those like WAY after everybody else. I'm always late to the party, so I thought maybe I should get a headstart this time. My username is "justemspahn" like it is most places. I'm totally not sure yet...thoughts??

5. Next week is the last week of school! Yahoo!  This means I need to get my summer to-do list ready...look for it sometime next week. Any suggestions for things we should add to it? :)

Have a great weekend!!

Summer Pops #1: Strawberry Lime Popsicles

Every summer we challenge ourselves to make as many homemade popsicles as possbile! The kids love trying different flavors and varieties. One summer we made almost 12. One summer we only made like four. Even though there is still another week of school left, we thought we'd get started on the popsicles - this was mostly precipitated by the container of strawberries in my refrigerator that was close to going bad. ;)  I didn't use a recipe, but here are the basics of it:

Cut up strawberries into small pieces (I actually used less than a full container).
Boll with water and 1/2 cup of sugar for awhile (yes, this is a very detailed recipe!). 
Strain out the syrup with a mesh strainer.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice and a bit of water if the flavor is too strong.
Freeze.

They weren't the best popsicles ever - I think I probably should have also added a little lemon juice to give them a bit more bite, but overall they were decent...and they kids liked them! ;) For those who are curious, we have two sets of popsicle molds, both by Tovolo.  The ones in the picture are these Star Ice Pop Molds. We also have the Groovy Ice Pop Molds, but honestly, I like the stars better because they fit better into little mouthes!  

I'm pretty excited to try out some of our old favorites, as well as some new recipes this summer!  If you have a favorite popsicle recipe, I'd love to hear it!!  

Mac & Cheese Mondays + Meal Planning + Lists with Friends #2

Hello! Happy Sunday. I can't believe it's practically halfway through January already! Tonight's post is like a giant conglomerate of things I've been wanting to share!!  First - Mac and Cheese Mondays!!  Barb and I have started a new weekly (or whenever we can get it in) meal challenge featuring my all time favorite food (and a true Wisconsin classic!) - Mac and Cheese!  We alternate choosing a recipe and purchasing the ingredients. Barb chose the first week: Martha's Macaroni and Cheese from Smitten Kitchen. It was...in a word..amazing. ;) In fact, part of me feels like maybe we should just quit now, because I'm not quite sure that any other mac can top this one. ;)

Here is Barb enjoying her delicious dish...

...and here is me, feeling sorry for myself that my bowl is empty!

This all brings me to the topic of meal planning AND my second list of the year!  One of my goals this year as part of my "One Little Word"  *Routine* is meal planning and cooking real meals for my family.  I realize that cooking with three little ones underfoot is not always the easiest (ask Barb, she got to see the madness firsthand last week...I was worried she might not come back again this week!), so I'm trying to pick meals that will be decently quick and easy AND that my kids will like - totally doable, right?! ;)  Here is my meal plan and my shopping list from last week...yes it's an actual list!

I'm happy to say I made everything on the list! (Okay, I didn't exactly make the grilled cheese rolls, but we DID have grilled cheese one day.) One thing I learned...I need to leave a LOT of room for leftovers. We probably could have eaten Mac and Cheese leftovers for three nights!  Here is a rundown of the meals I made last week, as well as the meals that I am planing for this week!

Garlicky White Bean Soup - This was our Sunday Soup, which we ate on Saturday, because on Sunday I was driving in a ginormous blizzard (seriously) to Illinois and back for a baby shower. This was super tasty and relatively easy to make. I LOVE soup with white beans in it, and this one was a winner!

Skillet Baked Ziti - Okay, I thought this looked pretty good...but it was delicious. So, so, so, so, so good. AND it was easy to make. AND both of my kids ate it. Winner!!

Grilled Cheese Rolls - We will probably make these this week. It cracks me up a little that there is an actual recipe for this. Ingredients? Bread and cheese. Genius. ;)

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - We made these at Bake-a-palooza, and they were so good that I had to make them again. The kids had fun crushing the pretzels and helping out.  I had fun eating the entire pan in like two days. No lie.

Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup - We made this today for Sunday soup. This recipe is (gasp!) from an actual cookbook.  Every recipe I've made from it has been excellent. In Justin's words, "it tastes like something you'd get ina  restaurant!"  That's a good review, right?!  Here is a similar recipe I found online. I can't promise that it's as good as the original, thought!

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese - This is my choice for this week's Mac and Cheese Monday. You are supposed to use Ritz crackers for the topping, however I am planning on getting all crazy and using Townhouse crackers instead. Or maybe Club crackers. I'm such a daredevil!

Mexican Lagsagna - This is one of my favorite recipes. It's a little big time consuming, but it's so good and both my kids like it!  Pray for smiley, happy children the day I make this!

**Disclaimer for anyone new to my blog - I don't eat meat, and my husband, who is rarely home during the week for dinner, cannot eat dairy! Therefore, the vast majority of our meals are meatless.  When he is home, I try to make something with meat in it!! I know most of these meals are full of dairy and carbs and all that is bad for you...but...it could be worse. ;)**

Week one of my 2014 ROUTINE went well. Hopefully things will only continue to get better this week! Have a great night!

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This list is brought to you by "Lists with Friends," which is a collaborative effort between a number of smart, talented, and fun women that I am lucky to be a part of. Throughout the year we will all be posting various lists on our blogs. This is one of them.

#bakeapalooza2013

I'm really behind on blogging about my holidays!  Back in early December, my good friends (Barb, Josie, and Kelly) and I held our annual bake-a-palooza in my new house.  We each picked a recipe and made them. We had one, sadly absent member (Stephanie), so the four of us made five recipes.  It was a fun day filled with laughs and lots of good food!  If you follow me on Instagram, you noticed a LOT of photos posted that day. Here are some of my favorites!

*crazy amount of ingredients*

 *barb in the first of many "angled stove shots."*

 *i told you...*

 *an essential ingredient in josie's recipe*

 *i am so not creative when it come to taking photos...*

 *ollie was skeptical that we could finish all five recipes...*

 *kelly's iPhone timer app...genius*

 *white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies*

 *the loot - photo stolen from kelly*

 

We have been holidng bake-a-palooza for a LONG time. Barb and Stephanie started the tradition maybe 6 years ago??  I've been a part of it since the second year. It's something I look forward to every year. I'm so happy I have such wonderful friends to share the holidays with!