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Hello Friday! Did you have a good week? We are nearing the end of our calm time as spring sports start soon. My son’s modified track practice begins next week, so he will have practice every afternoon. This weekend my daughter has another sweet sixteen celebration for one of her best friends. My son has a Boy Scout paintball outing and then will be camping overnight. My husband and I get to chauffeur them around! Here are five from this week:
1.Hiking – Sunday we went for a hike at Madam Brett Park in Beacon. I love this waterfall and the water was really flowing! You can check out my Instagram reel to see more of the park.
2. Ipsy Bag – I started up my Ipsy bag subscription again. I’ve started doing my hair and wearing makeup to work (who am I?!) and I want to be able to try out different beauty brands and products before committing and spending a lot of money. I think I’ll actually use everything that came in my first bag, though I’m not a big fan of the bag itself. It includes The Crème Shop Jelly Mylk Double Cleanser, Refreshments Luscious Hand Cream, Danessa Myricks Beauty Oil, Context Skin lipstick, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz.
3 . Eating – I have been obsessed with these mini cucumbers that I found at Shoprite. They are crunchy. They go great with hummus for a snack!
We visited MoMo Valley in Beacon after our hike for a late lunch. Besides momos, we also enjoyed this Vegan platter, which was delicious!
We had takeout from a local Puerto Rican restaurant, Izla, for dinner over the weekend. While they don’t have many main dishes that are vegetarian friendly, we make a meal out of sides. It was a very tan/beige meal (cheese empanada, yuca fries, tostones, rice and gandules, and plantains!) and my son loves the pernil. It was tasty as usual.
4. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was this Vegetarian Zuppa Toscana Soup. The recipe said it serves 3-4, so my husband told me to double it. Well, the original recipe would have been fine for us! We ended up with tons of leftovers and my husband ended up eating this for lunch everyday!
5. Watching – I’ve watched the first three episodes of Life & Beth on Hulu. I like Amy Schumer and heard good things about this show. I’ve also been watching the new episode of The Dropout each Thursday.
ICYMI this week on the blog:
Wednesday I wrote about MoMo Valley opening in Beacon.
I first discovered MoMo Valley at their food kiosk in the Hudson Valley Food Hall in Beacon a few years ago. However, the family-owned restaurant first started in 2018 as a NYC pop-up where they sold their homemade momo dumplings. MoMo Valley was one of the original food stands in the Hudson Valley Food Hall when it opened in early 2019. Fast forward two and a half years and they have launched their own restaurant space.
Situated on the opposite end of Main Street from the Hudson Valley Food Hall, the MoMo Valley restaurant has now been open for 3 months.
The Atmosphere
The restaurant has a clean and minimalistic vibe. The space is bright with white painted textured walls and a tin ceiling and the front windows are filled with lots of green plants. As we dined, we listened to sounds of world music playing from the speakers.
The Food
MoMo Valley’s specialty is their spiced momo. For those not familiar, momo are dumplings from the countries of Nepal and Tibet. However, the restaurant also serve other Himalayan dishes. One of their popular main dishes is Dal-Bhat- Everest Platter. According to the menu, this is Nepal’s national dish and a meal that sherpas often enjoy en route to Mt. Everest. It’s a small sampling of several dishes including curried chicken, sauteed greens, lentil soup, the vegetable of the day, rice and a side of relish.
My husband and I visited MoMo Valley mid-afternoon on a Sunday. We weren’t super hungry since we had a late breakfast before we headed up to Beacon. We opted to share an order of Spinach and Cheese Momo and the Vegan Platter. It is similar to the Everest Platter, described above, minus the curried chicken.
Everything we had was so delicious! The momo are large and served with a tomato-based dipping sauce. The okra in the vegan platter was our surprise favorite. The carrot relish was a nice tangy complement to the spice of the other dishes. When our food was served, they also brought us extra plates, since they knew we were sharing the platter.
It is important to note that the restaurant is vegan friendly. An entire side of the menu is filled with vegan options including several main dishes. They also make vegan momo, which they were out of the day of our visit.
There are not many restaurants in the Hudson Valley serving Himalayan cuisine, so a trip to Beacon to dine here is worth the trip!
The Details: MoMo Valley 455 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 (845) 536-4934 website
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Hello Friday! How is everyone doing with losing an hour of sleep last Sunday? Even though I was exhausted this week, I’m looking forward to it being lighter out later! We don’t have any big plans this weekend but my daughter has another Sweet 16 party to go to. Here are five from this week:
1. Snow – Last Saturday we had more snow. It’s so beautiful but I’m over it. Especially when it comes on the weekends! My husband and I went for a short hike at Depew Park in Peekskill. This was our first time visiting and it was beautiful with the last of the snow.
2 . Eating – Saturday night we ordered takeout from Stella’s. I ordered a shrimp Parm hero.
While were in Peekskill on Sunday we got coffee and a pain au chocolat from The Central, a newish coffeehouse at the Peekskill train station.
3. Reading – This week I finished reading an ARC of Deadly Little Lies by Stephanie DeCarolis. It took me awhile to get through this book and it’s supposed to be a suspense/thriller. Enough said!
4. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners were these Swedish Meatballs (where we substituted Impossible grounds for the beef). This is a repeat recipe that we’ve made several times. It’s so good served with mashed potatoes.
5. Watching – We had another family movie night on Saturday and watched Ghostbusters Afterlife. It was not the greatest movie but we had some good laughs talking about all the ridiculous things that took place!
6. Puzzle – My friend was giving away some of her puzzles and I picked this Disney Pixar puzzle. I finished it in a couple of hours on Saturday when we were at home because of the snow.
7. Guilty Eats Posts: Check out my recent Guilty Eats posts!
We all need a good laugh every now and then. If you haven’t laughed in a while, I recommend a night out at West Nyack Levity Live. This is one of the few comedy clubs in the Hudson Valley, with live comedy shows every weekend and some weeknights.
My husband and I have visited West Nyack Levity Live a couple of times in the past year. This is a great date night or girls/guys night out, since you must be 21 or over to enter.
Comedians
Levity Live has a great lineup of comedians which includes both famous and lesser known talent. Marlon Wayans recently performed and Tracy Morgan, Ian Bagg, Russell Peters and Tammy Pescatelli are on the upcoming schedule.
Each show includes a brief performance by the host, an opening act and the headliner, so expect to be entertained for about 90 minutes.
Food and Drinks
West Nyack Levity Live has a two-item minimum purchase per person, in addition to your admission ticket. There is an extensive food and drink menu and we have previously enjoyed the pretzels, churro bites and mason jar desserts. We usually have drinks and appetizers or drinks and desserts, since we are vegetarians and they don’t have many available entrees that we can order.
The venue sells wine, beer, and signature cocktails, but also serves bottled water, fountain sodas, iced tea and juices. My husband has enjoyed both the “Darker the Berry” cocktail and this “Tequila Mockingbird” cocktail.
The Details: West Nyack Levity Live Palisades Center 4210 Palisades Center Drive A-401 West Nyack, NY 10994 website Box Office: (845) 353-5400
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Happy Friday! I survived my first couple of days at the new job! It’s a new position for me, so there’s a learning curve. It’s been an adjustment since I get home a little later and it’s a longer commute. My son was nominated for Order of the Arrow for Boy Scouts but needed more night of outdoor tent camping to qualify. His troop went cabin camping this past weekend but Friday night he slept outside in 24 degree weather to complete his tent camping requirement. I texted him first thing in the morning to see if he made it through the night and he did. He said it was bad and he didn’t get much sleep, but he survived. I was so proud of him for doing such a hard thing. And then he got to sleep in the cabin on Saturday night.
My kids have the day off of school for a Superintendent’s Conference Day. As of now, our weekend is wide open, which is super rare! We have lots of house stuff that needs to get done….but I hope to get out for a little bit. Here are five from this week:
1.Flowers – My last day of work my colleagues hosted a breakfast in my honor. I also got these flowers and a small rose bush plant.
2. New Job – This past Tuesday I started my new position at a new school district. I was welcomed there with a breakfast as well! I am slowly learning all there is to know about the position, but so far, so good!
3. Eating- I saw Turkey Hill had a mystery ice cream flavor and I had to get it. I usually only buy ice cream, not frozen dairy desserts. But this was an exception. I submitted my guess and I’m curious to find out what the actual flavor is.
While my son was camping this weekend we took our daughter to the Palisade Center mall to get a dress for a Sweet Sixteen party she has coming up. After shopping we had lunch at Blue Alehouse, our first time visiting this restaurant. We ended up ordering a bunch of appetizers as our meal and our favorite were these Mac and Cheese Bites. They were really good!
Monday I was out running errands and got a falafel sandwich from Go to Greek.
4. Reading – This week I finished Burn The Place by Iliana Regan. She’s a self-taught chef with restaurants in Chicago and this is her memoir. It’s this month’s pick for a local foodie book club that I’m in. Otherwise, I hadn’t even heard of this book.
6. Watching – This past weekend was a movie bonanza! A former colleague (it feels so weird to say that!) had a Funko pop on her desk of Michael Bolton and Samir on her desk. She said it was from the movie Office Space and asked if I had seen it. I didn’t think I had so I found it on the Roku channel and watched it Friday night. I realized I had seen it, but just didn’t remember since it was so long ago!
Saturday I watched CODA on Apple+. This is an Oscar nominated movie about a hearing girl who lives with her deaf parents and brother. This was an emotional watch but was really good.
Sunday night we had a family movie night and had dinner together while we watched Encanto. It was a good movie and it was even nicer having us all together watching it.
My husband and I also started watching The Dropout on Hulu. We’ve been fascinated with this Elizabeth Holmes story and listened to the podcast.
7. Listening – in the first episode of The Dropout the song “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” by Alabama plays. I had never heard this song before and now I’m playing it all the time!
Thank you to Visit Rochester for hosting NY Foodie Family. As always, all opinions are our own.
Located in the north west region of New York state, Rochester is approximately a 5 hour drive from Westchester County or a one hour flight from NYC. We recently enjoyed a winter weekend in Rochester and can say there’s plenty to do! Even though it’s the fourth largest city in the state, Rochester has different neighborhoods that give it a small-town feel. Be sure to check out our Instagram page to see lots more pictures from our visit!
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester University & Medical Center (30 Celebration Drive, Rochester, NY 14620). As the name suggests, this hotel is located next to the Medical Center and Rochester University. Almost all major attractions are less than a 15 minute drive away. Located in College Town, there are many restaurants and shops within walking distance.
The rooms are typical for a mainstream hotel and either have a King bed or 2 Queens. There are a couple of one bedroom suites that have a King bed and a small separate living room area with a pullout couch. Our room had two queen beds with a mini fridge, microwave and Keurig. The hotel has a pool and fitness center onsite. If you like Italian food, Grappa restaurant is located on the hotel ground floor. Parking at the hotel is free, even though you’re technically in the middle of a large city.
WHAT TO DO IN ROCHESTER:
Winters in Rochester can be cold and snowy. If you are not a fan of either, don’t despair! The city is full of fun indoor and outdoor places that are worth visiting in the winter.
The George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum. It is located on George Eastman’s estate and visitors can tour both the museum and his mansion. Eastman invented the Kodak camera, helping to make photography more accessible to the public. The museum collection has more than 400,000 photographs and photography-related objects. There are always three photography exhibits on display in the museum and currently you can view Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On (through June 19, 2022), James Tylor: From an Untouched Landscape (through June 5, 2022) and Selections from the Collection. There are also digitized films from the George Eastman collection playing in the Multipurpose Hall (through March 27, 2022) and an exhibit of George Eastman in 1922 in the historic mansion.
From mid-February to the beginning of March, Dutch Connection takes place. Eastman loved flowers and, during this annual event, the mansion is decorated with the kinds of flowers that he enjoyed. The colorful display includes different varieties of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and more.
There are not many cities that have a waterfall running through its center. This 96-foot waterfall is one of three that spills from the Genesee River. The pedestrian bridge, Pont de Rennes bridge, provides the perfect viewing platform of the falls and makes it easy for cyclists and pedestrians to access different parts of the city.
Mendon Ponds Park Wild Wings Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center Fairy Trail and Birdsong Trail 27 Pond Road Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
Mendon Ponds Park is Monroe County’s largest park, consisting of 2,500 acres. Rochester gets a lot of snow in the winter and you can take advantage of it at this park. There are two designated sledding hills, more than 20 miles of groomed cross country skiing trails and snowshoe rentals. These are available for $5/an hour at the Wild Wings, Inc. shop. Every visit to Rochester should include a stop at the Wild Wings, Inc. Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center. Meet rescued animals and birds of prey that, due to a variety of injuries, would not be able to survive out in the wild.
Make sure you leave time for a walk down the Fairy Trail! Look high and low for two dozen fairy houses, located both up on tree branches and down on tree stumps. They are colorful, inspirational and add a bit of whimsy and fun to the great outdoors!
Bring a bag of birdseed with you (or buy a bag for $1 and support the Wild Wings, Inc. facility) and head to Birdsong Trail. The birds, including black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and titmice, will fly down and eat the birdseed right out of your hand! This was such an unexpected and fun experience!
If you happen to visit in January, you can experience the park’s annual Winterfest, an all-day festival filled with fun activities and learning opportunities.
The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is the University of Rochester’s art museum. The MAG holds a collection of over 12,000 objects in their permanent collection. They also host many temporary exhibitions, concerts and family-friendly programs.
The collection spans over 5,000 years and you can see everything from an Egyptian mummy and Greek pottery to works by Monet, Cezanne and they even have a Kusama. There is a small sculpture park on the grounds of the museum worth checking out as well.
Current temporary exhibits include Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem (through August 14, 2022) and Chitra Ganesh: Sultana’s Dream (through June 5, 2022).
Radio Social is a great attraction to visit with teens. This entertainment venue has 34 bowling lanes, indoor games including shuffleboard and ping pong, and video games. There are two eateries: Ophira, a sit-down Middle Eastern restaurant located at the entrance of the space, and Shortwave, a counter-service-only snack bar. There are also two bar areas.
Every bowling lane has either a high top table with stools or sofas. Food can be ordered and delivered right to your lane. We visited on a Saturday evening and the place was hopping! This is a popular place for locals to celebrate birthdays, as there were several taking place during our visit. Lanes are rented by the hour and start at $39.95. Friday and Saturdays have a higher rate of $45.95/hour. If you want to rent a lane during your visit, I highly recommend making a reservation since, as I mentioned, this is a very popular venue!
We had dinner while we bowled and were impressed with the food we tried here. We enjoyed the “Just” brick oven pizza with tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil and the veggie burger, made with black beans, poblano and feta. The seasonal veggie, olive oil and fresh herb hummus served with cucumber and pita was tasty as well. My son enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger which is topped with a tomato shallot jam and aged cheddar. The curly fries are served with a black garlic mayo and spicy ketchup for dipping. This is not your typical bowling alley food!
The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a great museum for kids of all ages. Their current temporary exhibition is Expedition: Dinosaur, which is on display through May 1, 2022. The RMSC holds three floors of hands-on science with exhibits on energy, sound, illumination, Native Peoples of the Americas, and lots more! I personally found the Fight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad and Objectively Racist: How Objects and Images Perpetuate Racism particularly enlightening. While the museum was filled with younger kids, I enjoyed that my older teens were knowledgeable about the science behind many of the exhibits, as they have or are learning about the concepts.
The Strasenburgh Planetarium, adjacent to the museum has three different shows, including its newest, “Dinosaurs at Dusk”. This approximately 45 minute show compliments the museum’s current Dinosaur exhibit. Young dinosaur fans will enjoy seeing this movie on a big screen. Please note: it’s a movie about a father and daughter who travel through time to see dinosaurs. It is not a planetarium show focused on stars and space.
If you have young kids, the Strong Museum of Play is a must-visit when in Rochester. This is a one-of-a-kind museum with 100,000 square feet of interactive exhibits focused on toys and play. Kids can visit Sesame Street, shop at the Wegman’s Super Kids Market, visit the Toy Hall of Fame and more. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a temporary exhibit through April 24, 2022.
Our family had fun in Pinball Playfields, where we got to play all kinds of different pinball machines. Pinball games and video games cost 25 cents per play. While there is plenty to see and do with a general admission, there are also attractions available for an additional cost. These include the butterfly garden, the Skyline climb, a train ride and a ride on the carousel.
Be warned, we visited during the winter break when schools were closed. Even though we arrived early, it was packed! In our opinion, children between the ages of 4 and 10 will likely have the most fun and enjoyment at this museum.
Visit Colleges
Having two teenagers, we’ve recently been visiting colleges on our travels. Rochester is home to several colleges including the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The University of Rochester is minutes away from the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/University & Medical Center. We took a drive through the campus to get a cursory glimpse of the school. However, you can schedule a visit to Rochester around an official college visit and tour.
WHERE TO EAT IN ROCHESTER:
A visit to Rochester is not complete without sampling it’s most iconic dish, the garbage plate. Trademarked by the historic restaurant where it originated called Nick Tahou Hots in 1992, almost every restaurant offers some variation. Garbage plate traditionally begin with a layer of either French fries or home fries, and either macaroni salad or baked beans. This layer is then topped with a protein which often is either hot dogs or hamburgers. However, some restaurants offer ground meat, sausage, chicken or even fried fish.
A city like Rochester is full of restaurants. From burgers and fast food to vegan restaurants and fine dining, there is something for everyone. You can dine at a different restaurant every day and still not visit them all. Below are the restaurants that we visited and can recommend.
The Genesee Brew House was established in 2012. However, the brewery itself dates back to 1878. The Brew House sits adjacent to the Genesee River and from the balcony or rooftop, offers spectacular views of High Falls. The first floor of the Brew House has a gift shop, a collection of brewery memorabilia and the Pilot Brewery.
The second floor of the brewery has a large bar and both indoor and outdoor seating. Whenever we are at a brewery, my husband has to sample a flight! The brewery had 14 brews on tap for him to choose from. We also enjoyed dinner here. The menu has some interesting items like Buffalo Chicken Pierogis and Potato Chip Tenders appetizers. My son enjoyed the ChicKing sandwich, which he devoured. However, my daughter and husband are vegetarians and I’m a pescatarian.
The three of us shared Bavarian pretzels, the Blush Beer Raviolis and a Goat Cheese Burger, minus the bacon. We were impressed that we could order any of their three burgers and substitute an Impossible burger for the beef patty. Although the menu had a limited selection of items that we could eat, everything we ordered was really good!
Jines is a family-owned restaurant that has been operating since 1971. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We visited for breakfast and were impressed with their offerings. They have an extensive omelette menu and serve eight variations of eggs Benedict!
The Wild Mushroom and Crumbled Blue Cheese was delicious, as was the Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Tomato Omelette. My kids enjoyed the Belgian waffle with strawberries and the bagel with lox and cream cheese. If eggs aren’t your thing, Jines serves a variety of different waffles and pancakes, cereal, pastries, bagels and more.
Open Face George Eastman House 900 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607
If you are visiting the George Eastman House, I recommend stopping by Open Face, the museum’s onsite café for lunch or a snack. The restaurant offers a variety of beverages, including a Tea Pharmacy that serves 18 different varieties. We were impressed with the selection of sandwiches on the menu and liked that there is an option to do a tasting and sample two different sandwich halves. We sampled three sandwiches, the Toasted Brie (with warm apricot preserves and tart cherry butter), the open-faced Corn Mash and the Chickpea, and can highly recommend all three! Many of the sandwiches are vegetarian and can be made vegan for an additional charge.
The Red Fern 283 Oxford Street Rochester, NY 14607
The Red Fern is located in the Neighborhood of the Arts. It is a 100% vegan restaurant and bakery and also has gluten-free and allergy-friendly food options. As vegetarians, and former vegans, we love being able to go into a restaurant and know that we can order anything on the menu. And they have a dessert case filled with vegan treats! The restaurant and dining space is small, so I highly recommend making reservations or ordering takeout. We ended up doing takeout on our visit since the dining room wait list was long!
We had to try the Compost Plate, The Red Fern’s version of the Garbage Plate, that I described above. Their version has a layer of macaroni salad and sweet potatoes topped with a spicy ‘meat’ sauce and choice of protein (we chose Italian ‘sausage’) and served with field greens and focaccia toast. It may not look appetizing, but this was one of my favorite dishes! We also shared a Steak Bomb sandwich and ABLT sandwich. We couldn’t leave without sampling a dessert and tried the cherry chocolate brownie.
The Rochester Public Market has been a city staple since 1905. It operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, all year long. We arrived at the market on a Saturday morning around 8:15 AM to get some breakfast. It was snowing and freezing cold when we arrived. While there are many food options at the Market, we started at the closest to our parked car. The Flour City Bread Company uses only organic grains and flours in their bread. Their selection is vast and, besides bread, they sell bagels, pretzels, hamburger or hotdog rolls, croissants, granola, danish and more. We chose to share a pretzel, chocolate croissant, potato focaccia and blueberry cronut. It was very difficult deciding on what to get and everything we tried was so good!
We then went next door to Best Coffee at The Market for some hot beverages. The kids enjoyed hot cocoas while I had a regular coffee and my husband ordered an Americano. This place was packed at 8:30 AM! They roast their coffee beans onsite, which is done right inside the entrance. You can also buy bags of their roasted beans.
Despite the frigid cold weather, there were many outdoor vendors set up. Most were farms selling produce. However, we also saw syrup, eggs and other goods being sold. There was also one food vendor braving the cold, selling empanadas, burritos and other Mexican dishes from inside a small food cart.
We made a stop at Juan and Maria’s Empanadas. This family business is housed in an indoor/ outdoor pavilion and has been operating for 21 years! We shared a cheese empanada and a vegetable breakfast empanada. They were both so good! Don’t forget to grab some sauces to enjoy with your empanadas. The Spanish mayo and the green & gold sauces were our favorite.
After warming up with our empanadas, we went into the indoor public market in building B. Here, vendors are selling everything from produce and seafood to freshly pressed juices, baked items and vegan food items. You can spend hours at this market, enjoying a meal and snacks and shopping from the vendors.
Simply Crepes has three locations in the upstate New York area. The restaurant serves separate breakfast and lunch/dinner menus. We visited for breakfast and ordered a mix of sweet and savory items. Since it’s part of the restaurant’s name, of course we had to sample the crepes! I ordered savory with the Vegetarian Scramble Crepe, while my daughter ordered the Nutella Fruit Crepe. Nutella, fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream are served inside the crepe, along with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, she had ice cream for breakfast!
My husband went with the Rumchata Banana French Toast (French toast with burnt sugar custard, bananas and Rumchata caramel) and my son ordered the Maple Sausage Stackers (two crepes piled with scrambled eggs, maple sausage, cheddar and topped with an apple wood bacon cream). The restaurant serves a lot more than crepes and it is all amazing!
There is so much to see, eat and do on a winter weekend in Rochester. This is only a sampling of some of the fun and delicious bites you can enjoy in this great city in New York. As you plan your next winter weekend getaway, consider visiting Rochester!
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While my January was a great reading month, I can’t say the same about February. Sadly, all but one of the five books I read were just okay, 3 star ratings. My reading has slowed down heading into March. I’ve been busy writing and blogging and I’ve been finding more calm in working on my paint-by-number and listening to podcasts, than reading. And I’m totally okay with that! Here are my February reads that I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly Show Us Your Books linkup.
3 Stars
I Know You by Claire McGowan (Suspense/Thriller, October 2021) Rachel finds a body in the woods on her morning walk. Instead of calling for help, she runs back home. Twenty years ago, her name was Casey and she was a nanny for a family in LA. They were brutally murdered and she was the prime suspect and spent time in prison. Now out and trying to start a new life for herself, she wonders if someone is setting her up. Overall, I found this to be just an okay read. I’ve only read one other book by this author and wasn’t wowed, so I’ll likely pass on reading any of her other stuff.
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan (Contemporary Romance, February 2014) Anna works in a chocolate factory. After an accident she ends up moving to Paris to work at a chocolatier that her hospital roommate, Claire, knows. The story alternates between Claire’s past and the present, focusing on her relationship with the chocolatier. This was a light read that includes recipes. This was the first book pick of the local Foodie Book club that I joined. We all agreed that overall it was an okay read.
My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle (Suspense/Thriller, December 2021) Jade is happily married to her husband Cam, chef and restaurant owner. They have two young kids and Jade thinks all is good. Until she is confronted by a masked man in her garage who holds her and the kids ransom. If her husband doesn’t come up with over $700,000 by the end of the day……..I think that I need to take a break from the suspense and thriller genre for a little while. I have been very disappointed with the last several that I’ve read, including this one.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins (Suspense/Thriller, January 2022) Lux’s boyfriend Nico is hired to sail two college-aged girls to Meroe Island in the South Pacific and she is invited to tag along. When they arrive at the island they discover another boat there and the four become friends with the other couple. The I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs but this book just wasn’t all that
5 Stars
Know My Name by Chanel Miller (Nonfiction/Memoir, September 2019) Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted by Stanford student, Brock Miller. This book tells her story of the events of that night and the psychological and emotional effects that resulted. This book was emotional to read. It had me in tears but also got me so angry. It is ridiculous what women who have been sexually assaulted have to go through to get justice.
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Hello weekend! Today is bittersweet, as it was the last day at my former job. I am starting a new job on Tuesday working at a different school district. This week was filled with goodbye lunches and a “surprise” last day breakfast. I am going to miss my colleagues so much! However, I am ready for a change. My son is camping with his Boy Scout troop this weekend. I will be taking my daughter dress shopping for a Sweet 16 that she’s going to in a couple of weeks. Here are five from this week:
1. Eating- Over the weekend we finally visited Rossi and Sons deli in Poughkeepsie. This is a very popular deli up in Poughkeepsie and I had to try it! My husband, daughter and I split The Kitchn and this Quattro Falso sandwich which had crispy eggplant, herb roasted ricotta, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, balsamic glaze and herb pesto. This was my fave!
2. Reading – Last weekend I finished Know My Name by Chanel Miller. This is a nonfiction book that had me both crying at what Chanel went through and outraged at our judicial system. I highly recommend this book.
4. Watching – Friday nights are usually pizza and popcorn movie nights. Last week we watched Cruella. I’m trying to watch the Oscar nominated movies and Cruella is nominated for best costume design and best makeup and hairstyling. I had no idea what the movie was about before watching it. I’m curious as to what audience the movie was made for. It’s rated PG-13 so it’s not a kid’s movie but I’m not sure how many adults are running to see the origin story of this character. Overall, it was an okay movie which had some great music.
We also watched House of Gucci which I wasn’t a huge fan of. It is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling as well. It has a great cast. However, I lost interest in the movie about halfway through.
5. Destressing – This week has been full of mixed emotions. The war between Ukraine and Russia, NY state lifting the mask mandate for schools, my last week of work….I ordered a paint-by-number during the pandemic that took over 3 months to arrive. When it finally arrived I had lost interest and left it in its packaging. When my daughter was quarantined to her room with COVID, she started it, but barely painted anything. I’ve been painting it for about an hour every day. I sit and paint while I listen to podcasts and find it very calming. I’ll post a picture of the finished painting.
