Month: January 2022

2022 Westchester County Valentine’s Day Dining Guide

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

There are 14 days until Valentine’s Day.  If you haven’t made them yet, dinner reservations are a must! Most restaurants throughout Westchester County that are open on Mondays are serving their regular dinner menus. However, here is a look at some of the restaurants that are offering special Valentine’s Day menus. Regardless of where you decide to eat, be sure to make reservations now!

Please check the restaurant’s website or call for the most up-to-date information.  Additionally, please note that prices listed below do not include tax and gratuities.

Baby Duke’s Kitchen (Mamaroneck/Seafood)
100 West Boston Road
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
reservations: (914) 698-6331

Baby Duke’s is having a special Valentine’s Day menu that includes a choice of appetizer for two, a choice of entrée to share with two sides and dessert for $125 for two guests. This price includes a complimentary glass of champagne.

Benjamin’s Steak House (White Plains/Steak House)

610 Hartsdale Road
White Plains, NY 10607
reservations:  (914) 428-6868

Benjamin’s Steak House is offering a 3 course Valentine’s dinner menu for $99.95/person. The menu will be served February 12th – February 14th.

City Limits Diner (White Plains/American)
200 Central Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606

The City Limits Diner is serving its special Valentine’s Day menu February 11th through February 14th, 4 PM to closing.

Goosefeather (Tarrytown/modern Chinese)
49 E. Sunnyside Lane
Tarrytown, NY 10591

Goosefeather is serving a three course prix fixe menu February 12th, 13th and 14th for $99/person. They will be closed Tuesday, February 15th.

The Greekish – Harrison (Harrison/Greek)
273 Halstead Avenue
Harrison, NY 10528
reservations: (914) 732-3333

The Greekish is having a special 4-course menu for $85 person. The menu includes a glass of bubbly and a rose and will be served February 14th – February 17th from 4 PM – 9 PM.

Half Moon (Dobbs Ferry/New American)
1 High Street
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
reservations:  (914) 693-4130

Half Moon is offering a special 3 course prix-fixe dinner for $68/person, which includes one miniature signature dessert cocktail. This menu is available for They are also serving a 5 course prix-fixe for $85/person, which includes starter tapas and one signature dessert cocktail. Dinner hours are 4PM – 9 PM. Reservations are required and require a $50 deposit. (menu). The $68 menu is also available for lunch on February 14th. The $85 menu is available for dinner on February 11th and 12th.

Harvest-on-Hudson (Hastings/Italian)
1 River Street
Hastings, NY 10706
reservations: (914) 478-2800 or online (A deposit is required when making reservations)

Harvest-on-Hudson is open from 5-10 PM on Valentine’s Day.  They are offering a special three course tasting for $85/person or a five course tasting for $125/person. Wine pairings are available for an additional $40/guest. (menu) Check out their other Valentine’s Day weekend specials.

The Inn at Pound Ridge (Pound Ridge/farm-to-table American)
258 Westchester Avenue
Pound Ridge, NY 10576
reservations: (914) 764-1400

The Inn at Pound Ridge is offering a special Valentine’s Day weekend four course menu for $138/person from February 11th through February 14th. (menu) They will also have special à la carte menu items on these days as well.

L’Inizio (Ardsley/Italian)
698 Saw Mill Rd.
Ardsley, NY 10502
reservations: (914) 693-5400

L’Inizio will be offering a special Valentine’s Day four course menu for $95/person.  The menu is available February 12th through February 14th. (menu) The menu is available as a to-go option, but needs to be pre-ordered.

La Botte Ristorante (White Plains/Italian)
14 Martine Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606
(914) 461-2950

La Botte Ristorante is serving a special Valentine’s Day menu for dining, pick-up and delivery on February 12th through February 14th. (menu currently not posted)

Mix Cocktail Bar + Kitchen (White Plains/American)
at the Sonesta White Plains
66 Hale Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601

Mix Cocktail Bar + Kitchen is serving a special Valentine’s Day menu February 12th, 13th and 14th from 5 PM – 10 PM. (menu currently not posted)

Modern on the Rails (Mamaroneck/Italian)
One Station Plaza
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
(914) 777-9300

Modern on the Rails, which is normally closed on Mondays, will be open for Valentine’s Day, serving their regular menu. They will be closed Tuesday, February 15th.

Moderne Barn (Armonk/New American)
430 Bedford Ave.
Armonk, NY 10504
reservations: (914) 730-0001 or online

Moderne Barn is offering a 3 course prix-fixe Valentine’s Day menu for $78/person and a $39/person two-course menu for children under 12. (menu) They also have a special à la carte menu to go. Orders need to be placed by February 13th.

The Parlor (Dobbs Ferry/Pizza)
14 Cedar Street
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
(914) 478-8200

The Parlor in Dobbs Ferry is offering a special 3 course vegan Valentine’s Day menu for $75/person. (menu)

Red Hat on the River (Irvington/French-American)
One Bridge Street
Irvington, NY 10533
(914) 591-5888

Red Hat on the River is serving Valentine’s Day brunch at 12 PM (a la carte menu) and prix fixe dinner for $95/person (menu). They are having a special sunset seating from 4 PM – 5:30 PM.

Risotto (Thornwood/Italian)
788 Commerce Street
Thornwood, NY 10594
(914) 769-6000

Risotto is serving a special Valentine’s Day menu.

Savannah & Company  (Cortlandt Manor/Southern)
3901 Crompond Rd.
Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
reservations: (914) 736-1203

Savannah & Company is serving their regular menu but will also have some Valentine’s Day specials available February 12th through February 14th.

Putnam County:

Brooklyn Organic Kitchen (Mahopac/Vegan and traditional)
890 South Lake Boulevard
Mahopac, NY 10541
reservations: (845) 621-2655

Brooklyn Organic Kitchen is having specials all Valentine’s Day weekend with a Saturday night dinner and a Sunday brunch. They have a special four course “My Vegan Valentine” dinner which can be served vegan or traditional. (menu) They have one seating on Saturday at 6 PM only so make your reservations now.

Rockland County:

The Greekish Nyack (Nyack/Greek)
8 North Broadway
Nyack, NY 10960
reservations: (845) 353-1200

The Greekish is having a special 4-course menu for $85 person. The menu includes a glass of bubbly and a rose and will be served February 14th – February 17th from 4 PM – 9 PM.

You may also enjoy reading:

Westchester Winter Outdoor Dining Guide

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Five on Friday {1-28-22}

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com
This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.

Hello Friday! The days have been flying by and it’s hard to believe January is almost over!  We are supposed to get hit with a big snowstorm tomorrow but as of now, the meteorologists can’t agree if we are getting 2 inches or 12 inches of snow. So, any plans are now on hold. Regardless, I hate snowstorms on the weekends! Here are five from this week:

1. Rhinebeck – last weekend we took a family trip to Rhinebeck.  This was the first time we visited this town as a family.  We enjoyed some tasty eats, like this combination platter from Aba’s Falafel.  

There are also some great shops like Megabrain Comics that has a retro arcade in the back! They have a couple of pinball machines that I spent a bunch of quarters playing!

And Samuel’s Sweet Shop, a candy shop that is owned by actors Paul Rudd and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Sadly, they weren’t there during our visit! LOL!

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2. Reading – Last week I went to the library to pick up my book holds. Four books had come in that are all due in two weeks! And I really want to read them all! I finished one of them, Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover in 2 days.  It had me in tears but it was so good! I love her books.

3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners were these Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls with Green Tahini.  They have a lot of components but are easy to make.

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4. Watching – This week we watched Shangi-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This is the first Marvel film by an Asian director. And it was nice to see a largely Asian cast.

I also started watching Truth Be Told on Apple TV. This is a show based on the book Are You Sleeping. It stars Octavia Spencer as a crime podcaster relooking into a case where she helped put the man in prison.

5. Eating – we picked these Korean Cheetos up from H-Mart. My husband was hoping they would be spicy.  But they were more sweet with a hint of heat.

I was intrigued by these pickled mushroom chips that I saw at IKEA and had to try them.  Sadly, they didn’t taste tangy or mushroomy.

6. Date Night – my husband and I went to Levity Live, a comedy club at the Palisades Center Mall, and saw Jared Fried.  It was a fun date night out.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I posted about our weekend in Hartford County, Connecticut.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

A Weekend in Hartford County, Connecticut

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Over the past couple of years my husband and I have opted for a weekend away to celebrate our birthdays, sans kids, over giving each other gifts. On his most recent birthday, he organized his entire celebratory weekend! Our getaway was for just one night, but we managed to make it a great 24 hours in Hartford County, Connecticut.

Where to Stay:

We stayed for one night at the Truman Gillet House Bed & Breakfast in Granby, CT. This historic home, built circa 1805, has just two guest rooms. I recommend the Connecticut Room Suite, which can sleep up to four. It has its own private bathroom, which includes a large whirlpool tub. One of the perks of staying at a bed and breakfast is the complimentary homemade breakfast that is served. During our stay, we were treated to a fresh fruit salad and homemade blueberry pancakes. The Truman Gillet House was super affordable at just $140/night.

Where to Eat:

We celebrated my husband’s birthday with dinner at Present Company in Tariffville, Connecticut. This restaurant is just a 10 minute drive from the bed and breakfast. Located in a 19th century mill, Present Company serves French-American cuisine. They have an open kitchen concept with a large dining room. The restaurant serves either a 3 course prix fixe $75 dinner menu or a 5 course chef’s tasting menu for $120. Wine pairings are available for an additional cost. Our dinner was delicious. Each dish was so complex with layers of flavor! Portions were large and not only tasted good, but were plated beautifully as well. I highly recommend this restaurant and wish it was closer so we could visit more often!

We enjoyed a late lunch at Gio’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in East Granby, Connecticut before heading home. We shared the eggplant parm with pasta and the eggplant with fresh mozzarella, marinara and roasted peppers specialty sandwich. This pizzeria/restaurant has an extensive menu that includes a variety of specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, pasta and entrees.

What to Do:

The primary reason for our visit to Hartford County, Connecticut was to visit the New England Air Museum. My husband is a history lover and one of his hobbies is building model airplanes. He had been wanting to visit the museum for awhile and knew that this was not an attraction that our two teens would enjoy. His birthday weekend was the perfect opportunity for just he and I to visit. The museum is less than 10 miles away from the Truman Gillet House Bed & Breakfast.

Over 55 aircraft are displayed at the New England Air Museum in exhibit hangars and outdoors. When the museum isn’t too crowded, visitors are able to sit in the cockpits of several aircraft! We spent a good 2 1/2 hours wandering the museum. For those with kids, there are flight science demonstrations and a play area.

Unfortunately, we only had 24 hours to spend in Granby and did not get to explore all there is to do in the area. There are parks and hiking trails, antique shops, wineries and farms nearby. There’s enough to do to make an entire weekend visit and we will have to plan another trip to Hartford County, Connecticut soon!

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Five on Friday {1-21-22}

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Hello Friday!  Anyone else get some snow over the past week? I was disappointed that it snowed on Monday when we had the day off.  However, it was a good excuse to watch TV, read and be cozy for the day! And we got a snow day yesterday! Here are five from this week:

1. Christmas Celebration – My parents came over last weekend for a belated Christmas celebration. We hadn’t seen them since before the December holidays due to my daughter having COVID.  We enjoyed dinner and exchanged presents and now I think we are officially done with Christmas 2021.

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2. Reading – This week I finished The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. I didn’t know much about this book prior to reading it, except that it was a 2021 Godreads nominee for best fiction. It’s about the power of books bringing people together and I really enjoyed.

3. Cooking – This week one of my favorite dinners (the kids would not agree) was this Couscous Loaf with Feta, Eggplant and Onion.

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4. Watching – This week I ended up watching a lot of TV! I finished watching the second season of Emily in Paris (Netflix).  I have also been watching Abbott Elementary (Hulu).  My husband and I have watched the first two episodes of Next Level Kitchen on Hulu. It’s a new cooking show with Gordon Ramsey, Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington.

We also watched the movie Dear Evan Hansen.  I had no idea what the musical/movie was about before watching.  I really liked it and am curious what the Broadway production looks like.

5. Eating – My husband and I had a lunch date at Little Drunken Chef in Mount Kisco.  We shared some tapas which were delicious as always.

6. Shopping – We stopped at The Hamlet after lunch. This was our first time visiting this shop.  They sell all kinds of British products from food to books to housewares.  Of course we bought some snacks to try! Look at all of the different chocolate bars they sell!!

7. Band Concert – School life is back to normal and the kids are super busy with their activities.  Wednesday we went to my daughter’s band concert.  She’s a sophomore, but because of COVID, this was her first high school band concert.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I posted about the specials that Fatt Root and Goosefeather are serving to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Celebrate Chinese New Year at Fatt Root and Goosefeather

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com
Photo courtesy of Goosefeather

This year Chinese New Year begins on Tuesday, February 1st. 2022 is the year of the tiger and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious dinner! You can celebrate by ordering takeout or visiting your favorite Chinese restaurant. A couple of Westchester County restaurants are offering special meals to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Check out what Fatt Root in Pleasantville and Goosefeather in Tarrytown are serving up for this special holiday!

Fatt Root
11 Wheeler Avenue
Pleasantville, NY 10570
(914) 579-2552

Fatt Root is a restaurant in Pleasantville that serves Asian-inspired street food. Their menu includes different types of dumplings, salads and rice and noodle bowls. They have gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.

Photo courtesy of Fatt Root

For Chinese New Year, Fatt Root is offering a duck takeout special.

Whole Duck Solo – $59 (serves 2-3 people ) comes with rice and sauce

Duck  & Chicken Combo Platter – $129 (serves 4-6 people) comes with rice, Hoisin glazed Ribs, Dragon salad, and condiments and sauce.

Photo courtesy of Fatt Root

To order, please email info@fattroot.com. Pick up time is between 2-5PM (please include your pick up time in email).

Photo courtesy of Goosefeather

Goosefeather
Tarrytown Estate
49 East Sunnyside Lane
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 829-5454

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Tuesday, February 1 through Sunday February 6 Goosefeather will be serving special dishes in addition to their regular menu. Chef Dale Talde has created three special dishes for the Lunar New Year: longevity noodles with minced shrimp, bamboo, garlic chives and Supreme sauce, a tea smoked whole trout served with a winter citrus and ginger salad, and vegetable Shanghai egg rolls with a Meyer lemon soy sauce. Be sure to check out these limited edition menu items!



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Five on Friday {1-14-22}

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This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.

Hello Friday! This week seemed to go by soooo slowly and I am exhausted! I am looking forward to a long three day weekend, but not for the snow storm we are expected to get on Monday, our day off. Here are five from this week:

1. Snow Day- Last weekend started early with a snow day! We ended up getting our first snowfall of the year on Friday with about 3 inches of accumulation.

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2. Reading – I finished reading My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan. It was an enjoyable contemporary romance set in England.

3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners were these roasted potato tacos with Chimichurri sauce. This is on my recipe favorites list and a dish I’ve made several times.

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4. Watching – I haven’t had much tv time this week but I started watching Stay Close on Netflix. A friend from work was raving about it.  I haven’t read the Harlan Coben book that the show is based on, and I usually like to read the book before I watch the show/movie.  But two episodes in and I’m hooked.  

5. Eating – my husband and I had a lunch date last weekend.  We went to a new-to-us Indian restaurant for lunch, Royal Palace Indian Cuisine.  They had a buffet which I was so happy about.  Most Indian restaurants near us stopped doing weekend lunch buffets because of COVID.  We don’t have Indian food very often so I love a buffet where I can try a little bit of a lot of different things.  Plus, there are usually several vegetarian dishes.

A four-row grid of white letters in colored square tiles, with 5 letters in each row, reading ARISE, ROUTE, RULES, REBUS. The A, I, O, T, and L are in gray squares; the R, S, and E of ARISE, U and E of ROUTE, and U and E of RULES are in yellow squares, and the R of ROUTE, R and S of RULES, and all letters of REBUS are in green squares.

6. Playing– Do you like word games? Then you need to be playing Wordle! It’s a website, not an app.  Every day you try to guess a new 5 letter word in 6 guesses or less. Each guess you will be notified if you have a letter in the correct spot (green), a correct letter in the wrong spot (yellow) or a letter that is not in the word (gray). You only get to play one word a day.  So far, I’m 7 for 7.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I posted my December 2021 reads.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

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December Reads 2021

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This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.

Welcome 2022! I finished 2021 reading 80 books, five more than my goodreads goal of 75. This year, I set a goal of 52 books. It’s much less than my usual 75 or 100 books. However, it’s an attainable goal since I know that I can read one book a week. This year, I plan to work on some other projects and don’t want the pressure of feeling like I have to read to meet some unattainable number that I’ve set for myself. December was good reading month with a mix of okay and great reads. Check out my December reads that I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly link up.

3 stars

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Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis – (Holiday/Romance, September 2021) A girl and guy meets during a blizzard, spending “eight perfect hours” together. But they keep running into each other and discover that perhaps fate has brought them together. This was a sweet, feel-good read.

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Love From Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill – (YA/Romance, c/o Netgalley, April 2022) Reese and Benny are two high school students interning at an online culinary network. They end up doing a video together that goes viral, leading to a regular segment that they star in. But they are both competing for a job with the company in the fall, so despite the chemistry heating up between them, Reese wants to keep it platonic. As a food lover, I enjoyed the cooking and behind the scenes aspects of a culinary network. Overall, this was a cute read.

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The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary – (Romance, June 2021) Two exes share a car ride with some friends on their way to a mutual friend’s wedding. I really liked O’Leary’s The Flatshare but this book just didn’t do it for me. If Goodreads allowed half stars I’d probably give this 2.5 stars. It was a slow read for me and I just wasn’t interested in the characters.

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Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass – (thriller, August 2021) Wife and mom of two ends up having an affair with a local author. But when he ends up dead, she has to cover her tracks and attempts to figure out who killed him. I thought this had a pretty unbelievable plot and I found Melanie, the main character so unlikeable.

4 stars

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Cuba In My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas – (Middle Grade/Historical Fiction, September 2021) A 12 year-old boy has to leave his family in Cuba behind and move to Florida to avoid being recruited into the Young Rebels. There he is confronted with the challenges of adapting to a new culture while worrying about his family back in Cuba. I didn’t know much about this time period and it was interesting to see it from a child’s perspective.

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One More For Christmas by Sarah Morgan – (holiday/fiction, October 2020) An estranged mother and her daughters reconnect after she has an accident. They all end up spending Christmas together in Scotland. This was the fourth book by Morgan that I’ve read, and the third holiday themed book, and I have enjoyed every one of them.

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The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman – (Holiday/Romance, October 2021) A middle-aged meteorologist is replaced by an AI robot at the news station she works at in California. She ends up returning to her home in Michigan, in the midst of winter, to figure out what’s next. She gets a job at the local news station and reconnects with her home town and the winter season, which she has tried to avoid for a very long time. Viola Shipman is the pen name of Wade Rouse. I have read several of her books and have enjoyed all of them. This is her first holiday themed read and is based on real people and events in the author’s life.

You may enjoy reading:

November 2021 Reads

October 2021 Reads

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Five on Friday {Happy 2022!}

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com
This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.

Hello Friday! Welcome 2022….so far, so good!  I’m looking forward to a happy and healthy new year. This week the kids and I had a surprise “ice day” off from work and school on Wednesday. I didn’t realize how bad the ice was until I heard about several multi-car accidents on the nearby major highways. We are expecting our first snowstorm of the year tonight (Thursday) and may have another delay or day off! Here are five from this week:

1. First Day Hike- My husband, daughter and I did a NYS Parks First Hike to the Cornish Estate at Hudson Highlands State Park. Fortunately, the rain held off until after our hike and the temperature was pretty warm.

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2. Reading – I finished my first book of 2022 and it was a good one. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin was such a touching book about a friendship between two likely women (one 17, the other 83) who are both terminally ill.

3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was this Creamy Vegan Orzo Risotto with Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts.

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4. Watching –  I finished Season 2 of  The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. I have also started watching Little Fires Everywhere, also on Hulu.  I read the book awhile back and liked it. And even though I’m only 2 episodes in, I’m really enjoying the show.

5. Dog walking – Our family volunteered at A Good Dog Rescue this weekend.  Every Sunday morning they have a pack walk where volunteers take the dogs out for a long walk.  All the dogs are adoptable! While we are not getting a dog, this is a great opportunity for the kids to enjoy spending some time with them.  

6. Playing – New Years Eve we have a tradition of eating appetizers for dinner and playing games. Due to COVID spreading like crazy, we had both kids home with us. I don’t think next year we will be able to continue our tradition, as they will likely be off with friends. But we enjoyed our time together this year and had a fun night. We played a bunch of games including Mine Shift (pictured here), Sushi Go Party and Wits & Wagers and ate pizza, mozzarella sticks, homemade spinach and artichoke dip and lots more snacks!

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!