Favorite Summer Foods

Happy Friday, friends! Have any good weekend plans? It's supposed to be stormy in these parts, so I'll probably be staying in and catching up on some shows. Any recommendations for me?

Today I'm linking up with Holly and Patty and sharing some of my favorite summer foods! I go for anything light and refreshing when it's hot out. To me, summer foods means lots of fresh fruits and veggies, seafood, and grilled EVERYTHING (even if I don't personally own a grill)! Here are some other summer food favorites! 

1 – Favorite Summer Dish? Lobster rolls! Fresh seafood in general.

2 – Favorite Cookout Side Dishes? Deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, pasta salad, and potato salad... sometimes I prefer side dishes to main dishes! 

3 – Eating al Fresco? If it's not too hot or buggy outside, sure! 

4 – What Foods Do You Eat in the Summer More? Fruits in general, especially watermelon!

5 – Share Your Favorite Summer Recipe--  I don't have one in particular, basically anything fresh tasting and light... this Caprese Orzo Salad with Balsamic Dressing sounds like something I'd make! 

6 – Blueberry Pie or Strawberry Shortcake? Not a huge sweets fan, but I'll pick strawberry shortcake

7 – Favorite Summer Beverage? Non-alcoholic: Sweet Tea, Iced Green Tea, Lemonade. Alcoholic: Gin and tonic, lemonade and vodka, White Claw (the black raspberry one is my favorite), ice cold, light lagers like Rolling Rock

8 – Ketchup? Mustard? Relish? Mayo? Depends what it's for! I like ketchup and mayo on burgers, but if we're talking hot dogs, I prefer chili and cheese, or ketchup and mustard. 

9 – Gas grill? Charcoal? Big Green Egg? I've never been able to own a grill, but I guess gas grill?

10 – Popsicle or Ice Cream? Ice cream! My favorite is chocolate chip mint (as long as it's green, I won't eat the white version!). 

What's some of your favorite summer foods?

Link up below! 

What's In My... Pantry

Today I'm joining Ashley and Adrienne for What's In My... Pantry!

I have to say that I'm more fully stocked than I've ever been since being in lockdown, mostly because I want to make as few trips to the grocery store as humanly possible! I didn't cook nearly as much before this pandemic started because frankly, I don't enjoy it very much. I also don't really know how to cook? I follow recipes I find online, and I hate it when I'm trying to follow a recipe and I'm missing *just one (key) ingredient* which happens more often than I like to admit! (And then I wind up eating a microwave meal or takeout and feeling pretty blah about cooking...again). But the times demanded that I change my ways, so I tried to get everything I could possibly need. And for one person, this list is quite extensive! 

So, a few things to note:

• I live alone, so this is really all just for me. 

• Like I said before I don't really know how to cook, and I eat a LOT of pasta.

• I don't have a walk-in pantry or even one closet- I use 3 kitchen cabinets. One for staples, one for overflow, and one for coffee/baking goods (and another small one for spices, but I didn't include those here). So that's how I'm breaking it up. 

Having said all of that, here’s the list!

Staples:

• Pasta (currently 10 boxes... don't judge me!)
• Boil-in-a-bag box of rice and a packet of Lipton Rice Sides
• Canned chicken (best to be prepared for anything!) (2)  and tuna fish (3)
• Beans- black, red kidney, pinto, chick peas (those are kinda like beans right?) and lentils
• Butter non-stick cooking spray (2)
• Chicken and vegetable broth (2x)
• Cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups (for casseroles)
• Heat- Hot sauce, diced green chilis, diced tomatoes with jalapeños, and whole red fire-roasted peppers
• Turkey gravy
• Hamburger and Tuna Helper (everyone needs help sometimes!)
• Ramen
• Instant potatoes
• Tomato soup (2)
• Grape jelly (peanut butter is opened and in the fridge)
• Bread crumbs
• 4 packets of Ranch dressing
• Kraft Mac n Cheese (2 boxes)*
• Chef Boyardee Mini Ravioli (1)*
• Nutella and Go snack

Overflow:

• The rest of the pasta
• The other 2 broths
• Canned veggies - corn (3), peas (2), and tomatoes (diced and crushed, 2 of ea)
• More bread crumbs
• Cereal- Honey Nut Cheerios and Cocoa Krispies :)
• Oreos (2)
• Gatorade, Coke, and Water... not sure why these are here actually!
• Stove Top Stuffing*
• Micro meals (3)
• Hormel Chili with Beans 
• Tomato Sauce (2 jars)
• Extra condiments- ketchup, grated parm cheese, steak sauce 

Coffee Bar/Baking Goods:

• All purpose white flour
• Baking soda and baking powder
• Chocolate chips
• Cocoa
• Evaporated and condensed milk (1 ea)
• Hot chocolate, tea, and coffee (and back-up coffee)
• Coffee machine filters
• White, light brown, and confectioner's sugar
• Stainless pastry bag
• Extra mugs

Those with an asterisk annotate my ultimate "comfort foods." You may notice I don't have many sweets. I LOVE salty snacks. Not pictured is the variety box of 46 (small) bags of chips from Amazon that are on the way!

What's in your pantry? 

Link up below!

Three On Thursday: Quarantine Edition

Hey guys! Thanks for joining us today! My girl Michael and I are bringing a special edition of Three on Thursday. The linkup will be open until next Thursday, May 28, so we hope you'll play along! Without further ado, let's get started! 

Three Creatures Comforts (material comforts that contribute to physical ease and well-being, such as good food and accommodations):

• coffee (particularly in oversized mugs)
• TV apps- Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+ : what's your favorite? 
• my deck- a way to enjoy the weather with a view, and away from people!

Three Comfort Foods:

• Bagel Bites
• Carbs in general (any pasta specifically)
• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with hot dogs (just like when I was young... I don't really have a sweet tooth)

Last Three dishes/recipes:

• Creamy Fajita Chicken Pasta
• Baked Ziti (with meat)
• Spicy Chicken Penne

Three Things Entertaining Me Right Now:

• Books -physical and e-books; check to see if your library is affiliated with an app like Libby or Overdrive if you haven't explored this option before! Or if physical books are your jam, check out Paperback Swap for some some really cheap (or free!) books!
• Social Media (I've unfollowed the idiots, but some videos are priceless!) 
• Cell Phone Games (don't judge me, but I've been rocking Solitaire lately!) 

Last 3 Recently Watched:

• Series: Dead To Me Season 2
• Special: Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill
• Movie: Like A Boss

Top 3 Songs Played:

• Gold- Kiiara
• Black Betty - Ram Jam 
• Cobrastyle- Teddybears: I don't watch music videos but I happened upon this one and it was so ridiculous that I had to share it! 

Last 3 Purchases (let's do recent gifts):

• an electronic fish toy for Keebler
• candle for Blue
• book- Gin and Thrones: Drinks and Games Inspired by the World of Westeros by Daniel Bettridge

Three Things Keeping Me Sane:

• Blue
• Zoom video chats and Friday night in person (though appropriately distanced) sunset happy hours with friends
• Blogging- all you wonderful people!

Three Things I Miss Most:

• Hugs
• NOT socially distanced happy hours and visits/outings with friends
• Nice dinner dates in a restaurant

Three Things I'm Looking Forward To:

• grocery delivery day
• more sunny, warm days
• Camping in July... I think. I'm not *positive* I want to spend 4 days in close quarters with ANYONE let alone a few close friends. I just don't know how things will look in PA (where the camp site is) or NJ (where me and many of the other "campers" live) 

Now it's your turn! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Spring Bucket List Update // Thursday Link-Up Reminder

Hello there! ::waves:: I'm back with update #2 of how I'm doing my Spring Bucket List (you can catch up on update #1 here).

Honestly, there's not much to update. I'm still working on my puzzle (intermittently), Zooming and even having "socially distant" in person outdoor sunset happy hours, decluttering (slowly), trying new recipes, and reading. Playing games has been replaced with hanging out on the deck with Blue on warm, sunny days. I'm still not really doing any deep-cleaning of my apartment or printing pictures or working on my scrapbook. ::Shrug:: Guess I wasn't that interested in those things- oh well! I've starting doing some more self-care- face masks (not the n95 ones!), painting my nails, actually doing my hair, winding down with a candle and some chill music before bed... so that's been a nice addition. 

Now, on to the good stuff! Michael and I will be hosting a special edition of Three on Thursday this week  (May 21) and we'd love to have you join us! We'll be sharing 3 things under each category. Here are the topics:

• Three Creature Comforts

• Three Comfort Foods

• Three New Recipes Attempted

• Three Things Entertaining Me Right Now

• Three Shows or Movies Recently Watched

• Top Three Songs Played

• Three Recent Purchases

• Three Things Keeping Me Sane

• Three Things That I Miss Most (people, places, things)

• Three Things I'm Looking Forward To

Monthly Musings: Spring & Summer Fashion

This is a fun questionnaire hosted by Patty and Holly that I found over on Dara's blog. Unfortunately I found it after the link up party had ended, but I still wanted to play along. Anything to keep my mind occupied with something other than work or staying home! 

1. bug repellant! / flip flops / sunglasses / fun (bright) nail polish (like this CND Vinylux in Pink Leggings) / zip-up hoodie

2. Sneakers until flip flop season! 

3. For the winter to spring transition I drop the chunky sweaters and pull out the cardis and 3/4 sleeve tops. It's all about the layers for me. Spring and summer are the only time I wear dresses because I get cold easily, but even so I'm not a huge fan of dresses in general. Of course the shorts come out as the temps warm up too! 

4. Since I wear dark, neutral colors the rest of the year, spring is a time when I bust out some colors like mint, lavender, and pink. For me, summer is all about bright primary colors- a lot of red, yellow, and blue, but also orange and Kelly green! 

5. No. 

6. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, just like my momma told me!

7. Lounge pants (different from PJ pants), a sweatshirt, and my house slippers. 

8. Maxi dress- have you ever tried to get out of a romper when you REALLY have to pee?! And then you're sitting there half naked, holding up half your outfit so it doesn't get in the bowl- it's such a production! 

9. Given the choice, I'd pick an in-between sandal like my favorite Journee Genevive sandals. 

10. None yet but now that you mention it, I want to make some! I prefer my banana bread with chopped walnuts. I don't have a favorite recipe but I do love the Starbucks ones banana bread, so I'd like to try this one! 

When do you break out the white pants? 

What are you wearing while you're staying at home?

Here's is the rest of the schedule in case you're interested in joining in the future!

April Reads

Last month I read 9 books, which is definitely a record for me! Since then I've slowed my roll, though not intentionally. 

Before I go into all that though, I have an announcement! Michael and I will be hosting a special Three on Thursday on Thursday, May 21st. Topics will be announced this Thursday, so I hope you'll come back for that and join us the following Thursday! 

Now, onward to what you really came here for- the books! I had a solid mix of fiction and non-fiction, and just released vs. older books. 

Between Sisters- Cathy Kelly: 2 Stars
Netgalley

Just like the other one I read by this author (It Started With Paris), this one had way too many characters. (Like the character on the first page that didn't make another appearance until 70%, and I'd forgotten who she was.) I found myself skimming parts because there were characters and entire storylines that I felt had no business being there. It was also overly predictable, and the ending was just too pat and cliched. I think I would have enjoyed this if it was half as long and focused on the two sisters (and maybe Pearl, since she was the one who raised them) and their abandonment issues. As it stands though, it was drawn out and convoluted by the entirely too large cast and all their backstories that had absolutely no bearing on what I thought was supposed to be the main story.

The Honey-Don't List- Christina Lauren: 3 Stars
library e-book

I'm usually a huge fan of these two, but this wasn't my fave by them. I wanted more James and Carey and less Tripp, Joanna-and-Chip-esque family drama. Unfortunately, that's all I have to say about it ::shrug::

If I Never Met You- Mhairi MacFarlane: 4 Stars
library e-book

This is my first by Mhairi McFarlane, and it certainly won't be my last. I didn't expect to like this as much as I did, which made it that much better! I loved how "real" and messy these characters were. And wowwweee- some of those scenes were steamy! It's been awhile since I read a true romance so I'd forgotten how, um, "romantic" it could be, and was very happy I was in the privacy of my home reading those parts! I also really enjoyed how McFarlane wrote about things I've often either thought or done before- it was like she understood me, or maybe women in their 30's everywhere. 

I must have been a genocidal warlord in a past life to deserve this. Or the kind of person who puts their bag on the seat next to them on public transport in rush hour.

It was weather made for big socks, takeaway curry, Shiraz, and episode four of that spy drama thing on Netflix. Laurie would still have all those things tonight, plus a bath.

Sleeping in someone else’s arms was one of those things that worked in movies and was uncomfortable as piss in reality.

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? - Jeanette Winterson: 3 Stars
own; hardback

I didn’t realize that this was primarily about adoption and the effects of that on this person’s life. That being said, I really enjoyed the memoir parts but not the inclusion of so many outside texts and poems. I also liked her description and personal devotion to books and reading and the way she wrote about that. Here are the three I remembered to highlight:

"Every book was a message in a bottle. Open it."

"Books, for me, are a home. Books don’t make a home – they are one, in the sense that just as you do with a door, you open a book, and you go inside. Inside there is a different kind of time and a different kind of space. There is warmth there too – a hearth. I sit down with a book and I am warm."

"Yes, the stories are dangerous, she was right. A book is a magic carpet that flies you off elsewhere. A book is a door. You open it. You step through. Do you come back?"

What They Meant For Evil: How A Lost Girl of Sudan Found Healing, Peace and Purpose in the Midst of Suffering- Rebecca Deng: 3.5 Stars
Netgalley

I picked this because I thought it was interesting- I've read stories about the Lost Boys of the Sudan, but never about the Lost Girls. I guess that makes sense since there are only 89 of them. This could definitely fall under Christian Lit which is not a preferred genre of mine, but I found Deng’s life story to be absolutely enthralling- what she survived, how, how she took opportunities nearly by force, how she clung to hope in situations where many were unable or incapable of doing so, what she thought of America and "all these white faces, looking almost identical" (haha), and her unfaltering drive to get an education. She kind of lost my interest at the end because she started getting preachy, but overall I was captivated.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The Wife- Alafair Burke: 3 Stars
own; hardback

I wanted more. It felt like a big build up to... not what I was expecting, but also not that surprising, all things considered. Maybe it was the MC's lack of empathy at the end? Not sure, but the ending seemed a bit anti-climatic. 

Sadie- Courtney Summers: 4.5 Stars
own; ARC paperback

Pretty sure I'm the last person to read this, which is ridiculous considering I received this as an ARC months before it was released to the public. Anyway, I'm not sure what to say that hasn't already ben said about it. It was incredible, I read it in a single afternoon. Drew me in immediately and though I’m not usually a fan of open endings, I think it was the right choice in this case.

Verity- Colleen Hoover: 4.5 Stars
Kindle Unlimited

I'm not sure why I didn't pick this up sooner , especially since I'm already a huge Hoover fan, but wow! This kept me up reading way past my bedtime. I didn't *love* the budding relationship, that part seemed a bit much. Definitely didn't see that last twist coming though! 

There was one thing towards that I didn't understand though (highlight for spoiler): Jeremy had already read the fake book, that was why he tried to kill her originally. So why did he act so shocked when Lowen shows him? 

Book Stats (previously /now)
Total number read: 12 / 20
Netgalley: 7 /9
Owned: 1 / 3
Non-Fiction: 0 /2
WOC: 3 / 4
Given Away: 18 /22

Currently Reading: The Boy From the Woods - Harlan Coben

What are you reading?

Linking up with Steph and Jana!

What's New With Me- May Goals

Usually my "What's New With You" post is a monthly recap. However after consulting my planner (haha) and diving into the camera roll on my phone, I had nothing "blog-worthy" to post. The entire month of April seemed to whiz by (surprisingly), but it only consisted of:

working from home
cooking: lasagna (unsuccessful), 2 sweet treats (successful, but already posted)
an Easter visit from my mom
a neighbor's deck concert
sunsets

So there ya go. Maybe I'll have more for you next month. If you want to know what I'm currently up to, you can check out Tuesday's post. Moving on...

I decided now was a good time to review April's goals and set some new ones for May instead. I accomplished about half of the things I wanted to last month, but I'm slowly realizing that some of the things I *thought* I wanted to do, I really don't. And that's okay. At least now I have the time to figure that out instead of continuously adding those tasks to "to do" lists and wondering why they never get done ::shrug::. 
Create a "Legacy Drawer"- (to see an explanation check back here) I researched things like writing a will and put my important documents together, so I'm calling this a pass. 

List 25 items on Poshmark- I didn't do this, but at least now I know the reason I haven't done it is not because I "don't have time," it's because I don't really want to. So new plan- listed below. 

Read 3 books - I read 9! That's definitely a new record for me. Check back next Tuesday, May 12 to see which ones and my thoughts on them (mostly all good ones!). 

Read all the mags- Meh- I got through about half of them before I got bored. 
Re-start Tasty Tuesdays-  I didn't do this, but only because the lovely Leslie invited me to join her Recipe Swap blog hop! You can see the two tasty treats I posted here. 

Write 10 Blog Posts- Aah, so close! I write 9 posts last month. I think my favorites were the Post Isolation Challenge and my 10 "All-Time" Favorite Songs. 

Create a Routine- I've got my sleep schedule and work "routine" pretty much down; still working on meal planning because I get lazy, especially when I realize I'm missing a key ingredient in whatever I was planning to make, but I think I'm set for awhile now. 

Retrace and Track Spending - ...Oops. 

Tackle the living room closet- You know what's in this closet? Most of the clothes I want to get rid of/sell. So rolling this one to next month too.

Switch over wardrobe winter to spring- Another one I didn't get around to, but it's actually a good thing because we're supposed to have "Arctic" temps over the weekend!  

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keeping it short and simple for May...

{via}

Money Management- In February/March when I was changing all of my auto-payments and apps to a new checking account and debit card, I also moved monies that were sitting in accounts such as Paypal, Venmo, and Cash app over to my checking account. Now I need to figure out if and how much to throw into savings vs. paying off student loans. As we are still in uncertain times, I don't want to pay off a loan and leave myself in a crunch if any emergencies arise. And also ya know, track spending from the last 2 months. 

Tackle The Living Room Closet- roll over from last month

AND Hall Closet- Must get these closets under control!

Start Donation Box- For anything in those closets that I no longer need. They are not accepting donations right now, but no harm in getting a box prepared beforehand! 

Order Thred Up Bag- I'm setting aside a few items to sell on Poshmark, but ordering a bag from ThredUp for the majority of the clothes I want to get rid of. They have 2 Cleanout bag options. You can get a Selling Kit and get money for anything they sell and either get your items back or leave it to them to make textiles out of, OR you can order a Donation Kit. All items will be donated and for every Donation Kit sent in, they give $15 to Feeding America.  You can find out more here: https://www.thredup.com/cleanout

Retrace and Track Reading- physical vs. e-books, owned vs. loans, and somewhere in there Netgalley arcs

Are you still setting goals?

Linking up with Kristen and the Peaceful Posse! 

Currently: May

{via}

Reading: I really enjoyed this NYT article, "Stop Trying to be Productive." It's a 2-min read, and it basically just says that we're already stressed out- there's no need to fill every nano-second trying to achieve something. It's okay if all you're doing is getting through the day; it doesn't mean you've failed or should give up hope. Give yourself some grace and a break. 

Also reading Normal People by Sally Rooney. I'm about halfway through but I don't really "feel" any particular way about it, and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. 

Listening To: Level Of Concern- Twenty One Pilots

Have you guys heard this one yet?! I had the radio on the other day for background noise but the word "quarantine" caught my attention...

"Panic on the brain, world has gone insane
Things are starting to get heavy, mm
I can't help but think I haven't felt this way
Since I asked you to go steady

Wonderin', would you be, my little quarantine?
Or is this the way it ends?"

Watching: 
Finished up Married At First Sight,... and the reunion episode. WOW! Talk about drama! And of course now I'm looking forward to the Australian one coming to the U.S. later this month... eep!

Binged Little Fires Everywhere- did you guys see it? I need to discuss!

Also looking forward to to Season 2 of Dead To Me coming back this week!

Making: Tacos! The Mountain Mamas are having a small Cinco de Mayo parking lot gathering tonight... staying 6 ft apart, of course. 

Missing: I miss not fearing going to stores or socializing. I miss seeing smiles instead of masks. Or being able to turn on the TV without anxiety that some "breaking news" is going to come through. 

Learning: to create a new routine. I got word from work that we'll be working remotely through "sometime in June." I'd rather be safe than sorry so I'm okay with that, but it means that getting into a routine now will serve me better later.

Loving: Taking vacation time! I mean, I'm not going anywhere, but I have to take 9 days between now and June 30th otherwise I lose them. I usually unplug on weekends, but I'm excited to have a few more days to do that... and I'm not going to even try to say "I'm going to do x, y, and z" on those days! 

How are you doing currently? 

Linking up with Anne!